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i read it was a blend of stepford and pleasanville. and we visited and saw the store was really tiny and supposedly never has anything in stock anyway and its overpriced.
well, it sells stuff, but it's not a "store" per se, just like the queen is a figurehead, so is the "store" at hidden springs...
the place is more a blend of comatose and arrogance if you ask locals...
Having just moved to Rolling Hills (just above HS) I think I can help with information.
First, no question that visiting in person is best. Having said that here are some misconceptions:
1. Housing is all the same, too close together. The only thing uniform about the housing is that it is all relatively new (1999 and later) and high quality custom homes. Most are energy star and constructed by various high quality firms like Boise Hunter). Near the town center you have homes on no-maintenance lots, similar to what Boise Hunter is building at Warm Springs. Outlying parts of HS like Schicks Ridge/Rolling Hills, you have large luxury homes on 1/3 acre lots adjacent to open space. Styles are very diverse with very little if any duplication.
2. Strict HOA controlling what you can do. This is mostly true. You'll notice that there are very few if any unkept homes or yards, strange colors, trailers parked outside, cars up on blocks etc. Having lived in neighborhoods without HOA's or that didnt enforce standards I much prefer this approach, some folks however may not.
3. Too far from shopping, work, river, etc. Of course where you actually work or want to go will determine if this is a good location for you. But there are 3 routes in and out of HS. In 2 to 7 miles of mostly empty road with no traffic lights you can get to downtown Boise (8 miles?), Hwy 55 North for a Subway & gas station(2 miles), convenience stores Albertsons, Super Walmart, Home Depot, Winco etc are on State (6miles) The little Merc in HS is alive and well, like an old time convenience store (beer, wine, pop, snacks & sundries) and fountain with burgers, pizza sandwiches, breakfast etc.
4. Stepford like atmosphere. I think this mostly comes from the fact that the entire development is new, uniformly well kept up, and intended to look like a small country village set in a relatively unspoiled rural area. Social class, religion, politics etc appear to be diverse (we just moved there this spring)
5. Hard to get in and out of in winter. I havent gone through a winter, but HS is maybe 300 feet in elevation higher than most parts of Boise, I dont expect that's enough to make a significance difference in terms of snowfall or temps. Like I note above there are 3 routes in and out of the HS, so I doubt there is a difference in winter time access.
6. Contributes to Sprawl. Not in the typical sense anyway. Sprawl is Eagle, Meridian, Nampa or even Boise south of 84. This is an isolated, green and well planned little community, they even run their own sewage system and reclaim the water for irrigation. Have a community farm, lots of open space. For more information and a better sense of what HS is about check out its website, just type in Hidden Springs in your search engine.
It's kind of like Wisteria Lane on Desparate Housewives, or the Stepford Wives....too perfect and unrealistic. Teens struggle as it's boring with not enough to do...too far from Boise and civilization. It is close to one thing...the huge landfill. Not for me! So many nice places in Boise and Eagle....you might want to explore a little more.
Having just moved to Rolling Hills (just above HS) I think I can help with information.
First, no question that visiting in person is best. Having said that here are some misconceptions:
1. Housing is all the same, too close together. The only thing uniform about the housing is that it is all relatively new (1999 and later) and high quality custom homes. Most are energy star and constructed by various high quality firms like Boise Hunter). Near the town center you have homes on no-maintenance lots, similar to what Boise Hunter is building at Warm Springs. Outlying parts of HS like Schicks Ridge/Rolling Hills, you have large luxury homes on 1/3 acre lots adjacent to open space. Styles are very diverse with very little if any duplication.
2. Strict HOA controlling what you can do. This is mostly true. You'll notice that there are very few if any unkept homes or yards, strange colors, trailers parked outside, cars up on blocks etc. Having lived in neighborhoods without HOA's or that didnt enforce standards I much prefer this approach, some folks however may not.
3. Too far from shopping, work, river, etc. Of course where you actually work or want to go will determine if this is a good location for you. But there are 3 routes in and out of HS. In 2 to 7 miles of mostly empty road with no traffic lights you can get to downtown Boise (8 miles?), Hwy 55 North for a Subway & gas station(2 miles), convenience stores Albertsons, Super Walmart, Home Depot, Winco etc are on State (6miles) The little Merc in HS is alive and well, like an old time convenience store (beer, wine, pop, snacks & sundries) and fountain with burgers, pizza sandwiches, breakfast etc.
4. Stepford like atmosphere. I think this mostly comes from the fact that the entire development is new, uniformly well kept up, and intended to look like a small country village set in a relatively unspoiled rural area. Social class, religion, politics etc appear to be diverse (we just moved there this spring)
5. Hard to get in and out of in winter. I havent gone through a winter, but HS is maybe 300 feet in elevation higher than most parts of Boise, I dont expect that's enough to make a significance difference in terms of snowfall or temps. Like I note above there are 3 routes in and out of the HS, so I doubt there is a difference in winter time access.
6. Contributes to Sprawl. Not in the typical sense anyway. Sprawl is Eagle, Meridian, Nampa or even Boise south of 84. This is an isolated, green and well planned little community, they even run their own sewage system and reclaim the water for irrigation. Have a community farm, lots of open space. For more information and a better sense of what HS is about check out its website, just type in Hidden Springs in your search engine.
It's kind of like Wisteria Lane on Desparate Housewives, or the Stepford Wives....too perfect and unrealistic. Teens struggle as it's boring with not enough to do...too far from Boise and civilization. It is close to one thing...the huge landfill. Not for me! So many nice places in Boise and Eagle....you might want to explore a little more.
...there's also thsose pesky swinger rumors about Hidden Springs
I've heard the swinger rumor too. Actually, I know someone who knows first hand of one couple out there that is definitely into that. She and her husband were invited out to the HS couple's house for dinner. They showed up and weird things started to happen. They left early.
Hidden Springs has a weird perfect movie set auro. Not for me. Yuk.
Thanks for mentioning the landfill, its the only thing I didnt address. You pass by it on 1 of the 3 routes into HS. Its handy to have it so close, but downwind, downslope and out of sight of HS, (which is more than you can say for Eagle, Meridian and the rest of the valley)
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