Nampa Or Meridian (Boise, Eagle, Garden City: how much, houses, buy)

[LVGAZ]

Oh Boy
are we ever getting confused on these 2 areas - can anyone tell us if one is nicer to live in than the other? - is the land different - agriculture vs. green?
Does one have more amenities? movies, restaurants, outdoor activities, shopping, downtown, bike paths than the other.
They both look so nice and appear to be close to Boise Downtown.
thanks.....

[idahomama]

If these are the amenities you desire, why not live close to downtown Boise. It is one of the safest cities of this size I have ever liver, with many of the amenities you mention. School districts are not crowded as is the issue to the west, your resale values are better, you don't have to commute.... What's not to love?

[markpemble]

Originally Posted by LVGAZ

Oh Boy
are we ever getting confused on these 2 areas - can anyone tell us if one is nicer to live in than the other? - is the land different - agriculture vs. green?
Does one have more amenities? movies, restaurants, outdoor activities, shopping, downtown, bike paths than the other.
They both look so nice and appear to be close to Boise Downtown.
thanks.....

is the land different?

-The two cities are a few miles away from eachother,.. so I wouldn't think that the land is any different.


agriculture vs. green?

- Both cities have agricultural roots.

Does one have more amenities?

- Nampa is a little more established than Meridian, so I would say that Nampa has more amenities.


movies,:

- Both Cities have large film theatres. Nampa has a few smaller theatres. It also has an arthouse theatre in the works in downtown.
I think Meridian only has one theatre.

restaurants:

-Both Cities have the Independent as well as the National chain resturaunts.


outdoor activities:

Both cities have large parks, Nampa has a few more.
Nampa has more skate parks.
Nampa has more fishing opportunities.
Nampa has a city length "Greenway" path that runs along Wilson creek.

Meridian has.....


shopping: Both cities have a large variety of shopping opportunities.


downtown: A decade ago, Meridian had a population of 11,000.

nuf said.

bike paths than the other:
Yeah, Nampa's bike paths are excellent.

Meridian may have bike paths connecting a few subdivisions.

[micrguy]

I just moved here from Phoenix and while this is not an exact comparision it will give you a better idea of the differences. Nampa is like Mesa was probably 30 years ago, it's own distinct city about 15 miles away from Phoenix. Nampa still has a very agricultural/blue collar feel to it.

Meridian is kind of like Glendale in that it is right next to Boise and easier to get to downtown. Eagle Road runs along the east side of Meridian and has tons of shopping and decent restaurants, even though the traffic is terrible (like Bell Road). Neither downtown Meridian or Nampa seem very appealing to me. Kind of like going to downtown Chandler or Peoria.

We just bought a house on the edge of Boise so we have the advantage of getting to downtown in 15 minutes plus we are just a couple of minutes away from all of the stores on Eagle Road. The foothills of Boise are a big amenity and we are 10-15 minutes from them as well. We are also very close to the Boise River and the greenbelt that runs alongside of it.

[deem]

Originally Posted by micrguy

I just moved here from Phoenix and while this is not an exact comparision it will give you a better idea of the differences. Nampa is like Mesa was probably 30 years ago, it's own distinct city about 15 miles away from Phoenix. Nampa still has a very agricultural/blue collar feel to it.

Meridian is kind of like Glendale in that it is right next to Boise and easier to get to downtown. Eagle Road runs along the east side of Meridian and has tons of shopping and decent restaurants, even though the traffic is terrible (like Bell Road). Neither downtown Meridian or Nampa seem very appealing to me. Kind of like going to downtown Chandler or Peoria.

We just bought a house on the edge of Boise so we have the advantage of getting to downtown in 15 minutes plus we are just a couple of minutes away from all of the stores on Eagle Road. The foothills of Boise are a big amenity and we are 10-15 minutes from them as well. We are also very close to the Boise River and the greenbelt that runs alongside of it.

Hi we are moving this summer - and thank you for the great comparison - we are looking at possibly the Williams PArk area of Boise - Mallard Street - for a temp spot for about 6 - 12 mos until we find the home we want - we come from Gilbert, AZ and look forward to the move there? Are you glad you moved?
Do you know anything about the downtown area and Mallard Str.
Thank you so much - did you buy in GArden City? Eagle? Where would you say the best unique, boutique shopping is done?

[micrguy]

We bought on the edge of Boise, next to Eagle (Chinden and Eagle Rd). Garden City is not a garden spot, basically full of all the used car lots, manufacturing and warehouses that Boise did not want.

Willams Park area is a good central location, close to BSU, downtown, foothills and the greenbelt. As far as shopping goes, not much is unique. You have the same stores that you find on Bell Road or Chandler/Ray Roads but from your location they will be on the other side of town.

Overall our family likes living in Boise, it's very family oriented and very conservative. But it's a place where you have to make your own fun by getting outside. Boise is a great place for camping, hiking, doing stuff in the snow, fishing and hunting. Other than BSU football all of the other sports are very minor league compared to what you find in Phoenix. Weather-wise Boise seems to be a little cooler than Prescott but warmer than Flagstaff.

[shryburke]

nampa as well as meridian are having their own growing pains right now, meridian is booming, which is putting alot of pressure on the school systems to keep up, so if family is a priority, i dont know how much fun that will be, same for nampa area. Nampa is in my mind a little more of a headache because of rising gang activities in the area, but occassionally spills over in meridian and boise as well, so its really a toss up. they're both cheaper than boise, but if coming from out of the area, boise is going to probably be quite a bit cheaper than where you're coming from anyways, and safer, plus lots more to do close by, that also with rising gas prices...I say go with Boise over all of the surrounding cities, but if you had to choose, go with Meridian, closer to Boise, better schools, facilities, etc. Good luck!