Are people friendlier in Meridian/Boise than Portland? (Nampa, Eagle: fit in, rentals)

[enigmadsm]

Well i am used to large cities of 3-6 million, so boise is somewhat small for me and weird to adapt to. Portland seems like a good size. Seattle seems a bit to big for me.

I am visiting portland in July so I guess i will look out for the crazies and the mentality of people. Honestly, people cant be any worse then back in AZ.
And i'll second what Sage said. Boise has THE NICEST/FRIENDLIEST people I have EVER seen. i was in culture shock just from that. so i have a feeling that portland will still be somewhat friendly for me.

And the mountains/trees/snow/outdoors excite me. The rain i suppose is a sacrifice for the terrain. I can't say i'll get used to it because I haven't experienced it but if i move their i'll sure find out.

And I'm in the medical field but will be sure to have a job lined up prior to moving there.

ANYWAYS this is about Boise so sorry to keep going off track. I think you'll like it here honestly

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by lovemytwokids

My family and I are thinking about moving from Portland to Eagle or Meridian or surrounding areas. I have read most of the blogs and gotten some good info.
My questions are: Need to know if people are real and friendly in Boise, Meridian or Eagle. Also, what is the inversion layer people are talking about? Are the days during the summer or anytime for that matter, crisp, clear and blue skies? Or is there a white hays lingering around all the time like Portland? Someone said that the summers in Portland are beautiful. Well guess what they have obviously not been any where else in the world. The summers are humid and a white hays is always around to block the sun from fully getting through. And then you blink and the weather changes for the worse. Can't count on it for anything.
We like to RV and camp and plan our springs, summers and falls ahead of time. Can't do that in Portland. We have to head east just to see beautiful blue skies.
The blogs are confusing, because one person says it's great and another can't stand it. Is there anyone that can compare the southern ca summers (excluding the intense heat) to Boise?
Thanks

People here aren't really any more or less friendly than people anywhere else in the country, some big cities notwithstanding.

What you're citing, and is found in Seattle and Portland, and to a lesser extent Spokane and Boise, is the infamous "northwest reserve," wherein people tend to keep to themselves and aren't quite as open as people generally are in the South or Midwest, say.

I have a few friends from California who remark on this; they tend to be very chatty and say hello as often as they can, because it annoys them how closed off native Idahoans tend to be. Honestly, if you're meeting a nice, friendly Boisean it's probably because they're not from Boise and they make it a point to be friendly.

I see rude drivers everywhere, even in Boise. It's hard to compare Boise with Portland because Boise is half the size of Portland; of course there will be more rudeness there.

Summers will generally be clear skies from about early June to early September; lots of sun and nice weather. Then you get 6 months of inclement weather; clouds, rain, wind, snow, fog/inversions, etc. It's not like Colorado where it will dump and then be sunny for days. However, it's also not like Portland where you won't see the sun for weeks. We tend to be constantly "partly cloudy" here during those 6 months, with periods of sun and periods of rain and cloud cover.

I get cabin fever really bad here usually about March. I get sick of the constant 30 degree weather (with a few teaser 50* days mixed in to torture you) and wind, rain, wind, rain, wind, rain, sun, snow. I like winter, and I like December and part of Jan here; but I get over it by March and want to move on, and the cold kind of lingers through March, April, and even sometimes May. Schizo is the best way to describe weather in Boise October-May.

Camping season for RV'ers who aren't necessarily hearty generally runs from mid June (if you're lucky; tends to rain/snow in the mountains still and you need to be careful with the mud) to probably late October, depending. That's a pretty good season. Of course, July and August are the peak months, and best to be avoided if you want isolation.

As for Boise summers; May and June will go from 75-90 on a few days to 35-55 on others; it just depends. Summer really settles in in July, and before you know it you're in 90+ weather, often in the 100's for a week or two at a time running through mid August. It gets warm here.

My favorite time of the year weather wise is a two week stretch or so from late June to early July before it gets really hot, and then September and October when it starts to cool down, and most days linger in the high 60's to low 80's. Seemed like last year we didn't have much of an Indian summer/fall, though.

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by boisefan88

I have a few friends from California who remark on this; they tend to be very chatty and say hello as often as they can, because it annoys them how closed off native Idahoans tend to be. Honestly, if you're meeting a nice, friendly Boisean it's probably because they're not from Boise and they make it a point to be friendly.

I disagree. I know many native Boiseans and Idahoans and they are very nice, make eye contact and smile and say hello and talk.
I am going to have to tell a few friends that they must be closed off because they were born in Idaho

[18dd2]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

I disagree. I know many native Boiseans and Idahoans and they are very nice, make eye contact and smile and say hello and talk.
I am going to have to tell a few friends that they must be closed off because they were born in Idaho

Eye contact is something your going to be hard pressed to find here in Portland. I am a pretty friendly guy and always have been. You hold a door open for someone here in Portland and it is rare moment when they will even thank you let alone have eye contact.

[jwest09]

I did not find people in Boise, (except for BSU students), to be as friendly as folks in Mesa AZ.
Maybe its because of the economy, or weather, or both.

[enigmadsm]

WOW!!! I am an Arizona native, and while there are many nice people there. The overall vibe at least I PERSONALLY get is that boise is much friendlier than phoenix/surrounding.

That just goes to show the OP that all people have different perspectives on things and what works for one person may not for another.

[lookingup2]

Thank you boisefan88 and the rest of you. The best info I've gotten so far. That is exactly what I was looking for. I am taking a trip to Boise and Colorado soon and will keep my eyes focussed on the weather. I will also keep my eyes open for the friendly folk as well. I agree with some of the comments. I have found that people in Portland are not friendly and not very forthcoming. No fuzzy warm feelings from people and no energy. I am used to hanging out and BBQ'ing outside having a nice cold microbrew or two and throwing sarcasm's back and forth. People do not want to open up and share personal stuff hear as much as I had hoped. I do not want to know what color your underwear is, but I would like to know a little something that brings human beings closer together. However, if your hiking the people are nice. That is if you can see them through all the rain and snow gear. But mostly people are on a mission hear. Not as willing to stop and visit. The guys here need to liven up, find a sense a humor and be excited about life.

[shockjulie]

I'm a little late in responding to your post about a move to Boise/Meridian area. I think you will find the people in Boise friendlier. At least, people aren't afraid to smile at you there and/or strike up conversation. I did the reverse, moved from Boise to Portland, and miss Boise a great deal. The inversions during the winter are when there is a cloud cover (don't we have that ALL of the time in Portland?) and because Treasure Valley...is a valley, there can be smoke stuck under that cloud cover from people burning wood stoves, driving etc. If you like to ski, or even if you don't, you can take a 30 minute drive up to Bogus Basin to see the sun again. Usually these don't last over a week or two. I think you would love Boise over Portland any day.

[Kerden]

Yes, and they always will be. There's a reason Portland is rated as the most depressing city by some.

[photoshopper]

For another outsider's P.O.V., my wife and I were both struck by how friendly and outgoing people seemed to be in Boise when we visited for a short time last summer.