Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Even though I just cannot imagine ever living in California because of its high cost of living, draconian gun laws and insane taxes, I would still say you would enjoy living in San Diego hundred times more than Boise. Boise was the most boring and bland place I have ever lived. The only redeeming value is there are nice mountains about 2 to 4 hours away, although most of the better mountains are only accessible for 3 to 4 months of the year because of snow.
I see you are a native Oregonian, as myself. In fact, I grew up in Oregon and lived in Portland for over 15 years starting in the 90s back when Portland was that undiscovered gem. Sadly, Portland is no longer that way. However, even though Boise shares some of the same potential as Portland, it will never be like Portland. Portland always will hold a special place in my heart, even though I hate what all the transplants and crazy radical liberals have done to the city. Some may like that and to each their own. Of course, there has been some great things happening in Portland with the gentrification of Northeast and the creation of the Pearl District. Those neighborhoods are gems, including Alberta, as back in the 90s they were run-down, crime-ridden and you would never go into those neighborhoods unless you were looking for drugs or to get killed. Today, they are upscale, prestigious and trendy . Boise, on the other hand, will never develop a neighborhood system like this , as Boise's development model is much more reminiscent of Orange county with sprawled housing tracts and mini-malls that expand for miles and a very concentrated urban core in the downtown. In fact, the way Boise is zoned is very irritating. All the development is happening in downtown and outside of downtown Boise there is literally nothing at all. The so called trendy North End area is really an extension of downtown and ends at an area called Hyde Park which is literally just one street with a few businesses and mostly older homes. The East End is completely residential, despite calling itself some type of "neighborhood". In my opinion, Boise will never be a Portland or Seattle, but it may grow into a more upscale version of itself. It has some things in common with Portland, but probably is closer culturally to Salt Lake City.
In my opinion, Boise is extremely overrated. I lived there for about 2 years and actually just got back from a trip there to unload all my stuff I left back in my storage place. It was like 85F, cloudy and humid every day I was there. I was so relieved to get back to the Puget Sound and have some 75F sunny days. When it gets cloudy in the Western Cascades in May and June its cools down. In Boise, it just gets muggy and icky and April and May are actually quite cloudy in Boise. The summers are brutally hot and the winters can be brutally cold. The year I was there it did not get under 100F for a whole month in like August and didn't get over 10F for two months straight in the winter. It actually got as low as -15F when I was there and I literally just felt like I was going to die every moment walking outside as it would be windy and blowing heavy snow on top of the miserably cold temperatures. Boise is also much more cloudy than people think . I have lived my entire life in the Pacific Northwest, so I think I am qualified to judge cloudy and dreary weather. IN fact, Boise is almost every bit as cloudy as Seattle, but without all the rain that makes Seattle so green, lush and beautiful. If it is going to be cloudy and there will be constant fog and inversions, at least it can rain? And, when it snows in Boise it gets so gross and cruddy. They don't even clear the snow from the roads. The city government is composed of a larger number of California transplants and most cannot figure out what they should do with the snow so they try to wait for it to melt. Some years it melts in 2 weeks others 3 months, like when I was there. They had to call the National Guard to clear the downtown it was so bad and snow accumulated over 3 to 4 feet on roads, because there was no maintenance.
San Diego actually sounds like a real fun place and if it wasn't for California's crappy politics I may even have considered moving there. I remember when I lived in Los Angeles when I was a kid my parents would take me to trips to San Diego. The beaches are beautiful and you can swim in them (kind of), there is a lot of entertainment and places to go. You have none of this in Boise.
I also find Boise's scenery to be very ugly and the Treasure Valley just has this dreary, barren deserty look to it that is depressing. As well, there is serious problems with drug addiction and alcoholism in Boise. People drink like maniacs. I have never been a town where people are such raging alcoholics. I think it is because there is so little to do and people get bored.
Boise would be a great place though if you are part of the LDS church as the LDS population is large. In fact, I find most of Boise caters to religious suburban type of lifestyle. If you are married with kids and go to church and just want a nice, quiet , private life in a place with little crime you actually may like living in Boise area.
Anyway, I was too happy to leave the Treasure Valley, but YMMV.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 05-19-2018 at 01:23 AM..
Even though I just cannot imagine ever living in California because of its high cost of living, draconian gun laws and insane taxes, I would still say you would enjoy living in San Diego hundred times more than Boise. Boise was the most boring and bland place I have ever lived. The only redeeming value is there are nice mountains about 2 to 4 hours away, although most of the better mountains are only accessible for 3 to 4 months of the year because of snow.
I see you are a native Oregonian, as myself. In fact, I grew up in Oregon and lived in Portland for over 15 years starting in the 90s back when Portland was that undiscovered gem. Sadly, Portland is no longer that way. However, even though Boise shares some of the same potential as Portland, it will never be like Portland. Portland always will hold a special place in my heart, even though I hate what all the transplants and crazy radical liberals have done to the city. Some may like that and to each their own. Of course, there has been some great things happening in Portland with the gentrification of Northeast and the creation of the Pearl District. Those neighborhoods are gems, including Alberta, as back in the 90s they were run-down, crime-ridden and you would never go into those neighborhoods unless you were looking for drugs or to get killed. Today, they are upscale, prestigious and trendy . Boise, on the other hand, will never develop a neighborhood system like this , as Boise's development model is much more reminiscent of Orange county with sprawled housing tracts and mini-malls that expand for miles and a very concentrated urban core in the downtown. In fact, the way Boise is zoned is very irritating. All the development is happening in downtown and outside of downtown Boise there is literally nothing at all. The so called trendy North End area is really an extension of downtown and ends at an area called Hyde Park which is literally just one street with a few businesses and mostly older homes. The East End is completely residential, despite calling itself some type of "neighborhood". In my opinion, Boise will never be a Portland or Seattle, but it may grow into a more upscale version of itself. It has some things in common with Portland, but probably is closer culturally to Salt Lake City.
In my opinion, Boise is extremely overrated. I lived there for about 2 years and actually just got back from a trip there to unload all my stuff I left back in my storage place. It was like 85F, cloudy and humid every day I was there. I was so relieved to get back to the Puget Sound and have some 75F sunny days. When it gets cloudy in the Western Cascades in May and June its cools down. In Boise, it just gets muggy and icky and April and May are actually quite cloudy in Boise. The summers are brutally hot and the winters can be brutally cold. The year I was there it did not get under 100F for a whole month in like August and didn't get over 10F for two months straight in the winter. It actually got as low as -15F when I was there and I literally just felt like I was going to die every moment walking outside as it would be windy and blowing heavy snow on top of the miserably cold temperatures. Boise is also much more cloudy than people think . I have lived my entire life in the Pacific Northwest, so I think I am qualified to judge cloudy and dreary weather. IN fact, Boise is almost every bit as cloudy as Seattle, but without all the rain that makes Seattle so green, lush and beautiful. If it is going to be cloudy and there will be constant fog and inversions, at least it can rain? And, when it snows in Boise it gets so gross and cruddy. They don't even clear the snow from the roads. The city government is composed of a larger number of California transplants and most cannot figure out what they should do with the snow so they try to wait for it to melt. Some years it melts in 2 weeks others 3 months, like when I was there. They had to call the National Guard to clear the downtown it was so bad and snow accumulated over 3 to 4 feet on roads, because there was no maintenance.
San Diego actually sounds like a real fun place and if it wasn't for California's crappy politics I may even have considered moving there. I remember when I lived in Los Angeles when I was a kid my parents would take me to trips to San Diego. The beaches are beautiful and you can swim in them (kind of), there is a lot of entertainment and places to go. You have none of this in Boise.
I also find Boise's scenery to be very ugly and the Treasure Valley just has this dreary, barren deserty look to it that is depressing. As well, there is serious problems with drug addiction and alcoholism in Boise. People drink like maniacs. I have never been a town where people are such raging alcoholics. I think it is because there is so little to do and people get bored.
Boise would be a great place though if you are part of the LDS church as the LDS population is large. In fact, I find most of Boise caters to religious suburban type of lifestyle. If you are married with kids and go to church and just want a nice, quiet , private life in a place with little crime you actually may like living in Boise area.
Anyway, I was too happy to leave the Treasure Valley, but YMMV.
Wrong about Pearl District in the 90's. Wasn't a drug zone. It was an industrial district with artist community. Fun alternative to downtown that was nicer and more happening back then.
Wrong about Pearl District in the 90's. Wasn't a drug zone. It was an industrial district with artist community. Fun alternative to downtown that was nicer and more happening back then.
Not the Industrial District I remember walking around.. Are we talking the area around Burnside and Chinatown or the large expansive Warehouse district that expanded past Powell's Books? IF so, that area was one of the sketchiest places I would walk around, probably outside of MLK.
As far as it being more fun and more happening, well I sure never remember anything going on around that area. But, maybe I wasn't aware of any underground scene or the industrial art district , as art was not something that was not of significant interest to me back then. I appreciate it more now, but also am far from knowledgeable about trendy art districts; although, I remember Hawthorne and Belmont (where I lived for quite some time) were always a bit artsy.
If you think the area north of Burnside past Powell's didn't have a drug issue, you may have not spent much time walking around there after dark. I use to get people trying to sell me crack, smack and speed all the time walking around there. I remember a time when a guy was using his two kids as lookouts as he tried selling me crack. Union station was also really sketchy place and had all types of undesirable characters. I remember loathing having to get on the Greyhound, worried some nut-job would stick me or try to rob me. Chinatown and Burnside bridge were also really, really bad back then and the riff-raff extended throughout the area north, but seem to not spread so much south into downtown.
San Diego if you can afford it. I can't so I'm stuck in Boise for now!! I hate the winters. IMO there isnt much nice weather in Boise. Also I'm not really an outdoor person. I'm bored here.
Boise was the most boring and bland place I have ever lived. The only redeeming value is there are nice mountains about 2 to 4 hours away, although most of the better mountains are only accessible for 3 to 4 months of the year because of snow.
Boise will never be a Portland or Seattle, but it may grow into a more upscale version of itself. It has some things in common with Portland, but probably is closer culturally to Salt Lake City.
In my opinion, Boise is extremely overrated.
I live in San Diego now but I lived in Boise for 2 years and ITA with everything you said!! I've lived in 5 states, and 9 cities and Boise ranks last of all the places I've lived.
I was bored out of my mind there too. Ironically, I did meet my husband there though so at least something good came from living there, lol. Neither of us are from there (he's a TV News Anchor and was working at the CBS station there in Boise when we met). Other bigger TV markets had interest in him and we moved on, thank goodness! We were both thrilled to leave. I mean, its not an evil place, by any means, it just wasn't a good fit for us. It may be a good fit for some, but everyone's tastes are different.
You nailed it perfectly...I used to live in Seattle and you're right, Boise will never be a Portland or Seattle, not even close. Its just a smaller SLC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 370z
San Diego if you can afford it. I can't so I'm stuck in Boise for now!! I hate the winters. IMO there isnt much nice weather in Boise. Also I'm not really an outdoor person. I'm bored here.
Yeah, I didn't think the weather was that great either. Too brown, too dry, not enough greenery. I was bored too - "floating the river" just didn't do it for me.
I live in San Diego now but I lived in Boise for 2 years and ITA with everything you said!! I've lived in 5 states, and 9 cities and Boise ranks last of all the places I've lived.
I was bored out of my mind there too. Ironically, I did meet my husband there though so at least something good came from living there, lol. Neither of us are from there (he's a TV News Anchor and was working at the CBS station there in Boise when we met). Other bigger TV markets had interest in him and we moved on, thank goodness! We were both thrilled to leave. I mean, its not an evil place, by any means, it just wasn't a good fit for us. It may be a good fit for some, but everyone's tastes are different.
You nailed it perfectly...I used to live in Seattle and you're right, Boise will never be a Portland or Seattle, not even close. Its just a smaller SLC.
Yeah, I didn't think the weather was that great either. Too brown, too dry, not enough greenery. I was bored too - "floating the river" just didn't do it for me.
Naw, Boise is Boise. This small city is becoming a cosmopolitan and hip place that other cities look to for an example to better themselves.
A smaller SLC would be Provo.
Boise is actually a lush green oasis in the high desert, like other Mountain West cities including SLC, Denver, Colorado Springs. I have yet to see a city of size in the Mountain West that has parks and a greenbelt that compares to Boise's. All of the large cities in the region -including Denver and COS-have brown foothills with forests at the upper reaches spreading into the mountains.
One fact Boise has over the other large MW cities is the close access to forests and the acreage of contiguous forests, basically beginning outside of city limits up at Bogus Basin.
Floating the river is fun if you appreciate nature in an urban setting. The river is also a tourist draw, every time I float the river I meet people visiting from other states and other countries and they say there is nothing like it where they are from. Boise's downtown is heads and shoulders above some larger cities, but regionally easily beats out... say Colorado Springs and is more vibrant compared to Salt Lake's. There's more than enough to do to not be bored with all of the weekly events that draw thousands to the city center. There's quality local theatre, the philharmonic, the ballet, opera, the Shakespeare Festival, one of the Northwest's most noted up and coming coffee and brewery scenes and one of the hippest indie music fests in the nation takes place each March. I can get off work at 5 during the winter and drive up to Bogus Basin and night ski and be home at 9. During the summer I can ride my mountain bike all the way to 10pm with enough light as to not have to use a bike light. Being able to easily bike downtown and go to a local pub and bike back home is a cherished time.
Any city can end up not being a good fit for people. I personally think it a good thing when people who end up not liking a city, any city, move away because they take their bad energy with them.
Last edited by TohobitPeak; 07-26-2018 at 07:17 PM..
If you're able to swallow your ego and live in "not so hip" cities, I think places like Boise and Grand Rapids are great investments. Nobody has brought this up, but SD is quite a bit more diverse, if that's important.
If you're able to swallow your ego and live in "not so hip" cities, I think places like Boise and Grand Rapids are great investments. Nobody has brought this up, but SD is quite a bit more diverse, if that's important.
IDK, I think Boise is pretty hip right now, it isn't super large or diverse, but, I certainly wouldn't call it unhip. It's was quite a bit ahead of most of the country in regards to bikability, breweries, and Organic CoOps and stuff like that.
For a city in it's size range that isn't strictly a (quite a bit smaller) university town like Boulder or Ashville, it's pretty damn hip. I feel like while Dallas has somewhat caught up, when I moved to Dallas, Boise way ahead of it in the microbrew scene and is still light-years ahead of it in bike-ability. The only city that could really compete in Texas was Austin (Per Cap, of course).
I mean that isn't so say someone might prefer a much larger San Diego with a beach, but it's several times smaller than San Diego so you will just have less big city amenities. But for it's size I think it packs quite a punch.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
