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Greetings!
My husband and I are looking at moving to Boise, he has been offered a position at a company in the SouthEast Boise area. I have been doing a lot of reading on these forums - trying to get a feel for the city, and decide which area of town would be best to move to. Generally speaking - it would seem that Nampa and Caldwell are the main areas to avoid, while Meridian and Northern Boise are (some of) the highlights. I THINK we have settled on Meridian, but I want to be 100% positive on our decision I was hoping the local community could help me - explain some highs/lows of the area - or suggest "better" areas? We are a pretty young couple and are just looking for a home in a safe/clean area, etc. - somewhere we can start our family! Also - any info. on the commute from the different areas to SE Boise (where my husband will be working) would be appreciated!
There are lots of nice neighborhoods with good schools in South East Boise. From what I have seen and read, Meridian is flatter than most areas and lacking charm.
Hard to know what you like or what your budget is but if you're going to be in SE Boise look at Surprise Valley, Harris Ranch, and Columbia Village for subdivisions. All are nice developments (depending on taste) and will keep you close to work, decent schools and shopping, and downtown and the greenbelt.
Meridian is nice (I just bought a home here) but I concur that if you can afford to live in SE Boise you will be much better off. Your husband will save time/gas and wear and tear on the vehicle on his commute and the SE and NE Boise area have the best rated schools in the treasure valley. You also have to consider that if you move to Meridian and if he is working the standard 8-4 or 9-5 job Monday through Friday he will be facing among the worst commuter traffic in the treasure valley. You will also be fairly close to Boise State University (BSU) for activities and furthering education if you so desire. There are some great deals to be had in Columbia Village right now due to all of the downsizing that Micron has been having. As for the resale market in the area there it isn't the best isn't the best due to the number of homes for sale, but if you purchase now at the low point, there is only one way for your investment to go. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the new home that I purchased but if I didn't work in Nampa, the SE Boise area or the South Boise Bench area would be my first pick for places to live. You can avoid most traffic and have great access to everything and is a great community to raise a family as well.
Meridian is nice (I just bought a home here) but I concur that if you can afford to live in SE Boise you will be much better off. Your husband will save time/gas and wear and tear on the vehicle on his commute and the SE and NE Boise area have the best rated schools in the treasure valley. You also have to consider that if you move to Meridian and if he is working the standard 8-4 or 9-5 job Monday through Friday he will be facing among the worst commuter traffic in the treasure valley. You will also be fairly close to Boise State University (BSU) for activities and furthering education if you so desire. There are some great deals to be had in Columbia Village right now due to all of the downsizing that Micron has been having. As for the resale market in the area there it isn't the best isn't the best due to the number of homes for sale, but if you purchase now at the low point, there is only one way for your investment to go. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the new home that I purchased but if I didn't work in Nampa, the SE Boise area or the South Boise Bench area would be my first pick for places to live. You can avoid most traffic and have great access to everything and is a great community to raise a family as well.
I agree, if your job is in SE Boise, why waste time and money to commute home to Meridian.
Meridian is lame even as far as the boonies go. Look at the Park Center area. Homes range from cheap to extremely expensive. It is bordered with Down Town and could be considered SE Boise, but I don't know whether or not it counts.
Em, we have a lot of friends with young families and they absolutely love living in southeast Boise. Mostly because there are a lot of young families there AND easier commute. Meridian is great for families too but commute to southeast can be tough. In southeast, greenbelt is close, Bown Crossing is pretty cool, lots of green areas. Park Center is beautiful, like jufrbo said.
Traffic heads east in the am, west in the pm, along 84 corrider. So if you're in southeast, you're ahead of the game.
Kuna could be worth a look too, since it's far enough south, you can take a back way in.
I checked the MLS for home's from 300k-400k in the Kuna, SE Boise area's and came up with about 30 homes that matched my search. If i look into Eagle and Meridian i find a couple hundred homes. Homes are also much nicer in Meridian & Eagle vs SE Boise.
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I was hoping the local community could help me - explain some highs/lows of the area - or suggest "better" areas? We are a pretty young couple and are just looking for a home in a safe/clean area, etc. - somewhere we can start our family! Also - any info. on the commute from the different areas to SE Boise (where my husband will be working) would be appreciated! 
