Living in MOSCOW (Boise, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls: lawyer, job, homes)

[DESERTRYDER]

Hello folks.
We are thinking about Moscow Id for our next home.
We do have small kids 7 and 12 that will be attending public school in moscow.
What is family life like in Moscow if your not going to college?
What do kids do after school ?
Are the winter really 5 months long?
Are there streets with acre lots and nice homes on the outskirts of town or is it all dorms for the college.
Does snow stay on the ground for all that time.
Tell me anything you can about Moscow.
Thanks for your time.

[nettle]

For kids, check out the Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center in Moscow. Also, the farmers' market in Moscow is kid-friendly, and the Chipman trail (a paved trail between Moscow and Pullman) is great for chaperoned kids to walk, bike and skate. One more thing - concerts in the park in the summer are family friendly, along with several festivals in both Moscow and Pullman (including the Lentil Festival in Pullman).

Definitely nice homes in and around Moscow - not all dorms for the college.

Winters are beautiful in Moscow! Like anywhere else, snow comes and goes. What is so nice about winter in the Moscow/Pullman area is that you have beautiful, sunny winter days with crystal-clear, blue skies...not as gray, dull or drab as you might find elsewhere.

[DESERTRYDER]

Thanks Nettle for the quick answer.
I sent you a pm.

any others care to add thier opinion of Moscow ??

[indraman]

Originally Posted by nettle

For kids, check out the Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center in Moscow. Also, the farmers' market in Moscow is kid-friendly, and the Chipman trail (a paved trail between Moscow and Pullman) is great for chaperoned kids to walk, bike and skate. One more thing - concerts in the park in the summer are family friendly, along with several festivals in both Moscow and Pullman (including the Lentil Festival in Pullman).

Definitely nice homes in and around Moscow - not all dorms for the college.

Winters are beautiful in Moscow! Like anywhere else, snow comes and goes. What is so nice about winter in the Moscow/Pullman area is that you have beautiful, sunny winter days with crystal-clear, blue skies...not as gray, dull or drab as you might find elsewhere.

I absolutely agree with this entire post. Moscow, by far, is the most family friendly town we've ever lived in. I love the summers and the Renaissance in the park. The winters are equally as fun. No, the entire town is not made up of college dorms and college kids. I actually think UofI did a great job of sectioning off their little slice of the town. McDonald Elem is a great elementary school and one of my very good friends just took a job at Lena Whitmore as well. Good luck.

[dre]

Moscow is 30 minutes away from the Lewiston/Clarkston valley where you will find more shopping, that major hardware store who shall remain nameless, Costco, Walmart etc.
Moscow seems to be more open-minded & culturally diverse with more community style activities than the rest of the area.

[DESERTRYDER]

Thank you all for replying.
You have really helped set us straight on the Twin Falls Vs Moscow debate going on in our home.

[DESERTRYDER]

someone posted that there is not a Lake or River near Moscow.
Is this true ?
There must be natural swimming holes somewhere for the kids to play in during the summer??
Any comments

[bean1498]

Originally Posted by nettle

Winters are beautiful in Moscow! Like anywhere else, snow comes and goes. What is so nice about winter in the Moscow/Pullman area is that you have beautiful, sunny winter days with crystal-clear, blue skies...not as gray, dull or drab as you might find elsewhere.

Nettle is right. The winters in Moscow are really pretty. They're a bit nippy of course, but usually pretty sunny. It also rains sometimes, instead of snowing, so it's not always freezing. Really the winters are pretty mild.

[bean1498]

Originally Posted by dre

Moscow is 30 minutes away from the Lewiston/Clarkston valley where you will find more shopping, that major hardware store who shall remain nameless, Costco, Walmart etc.
Moscow seems to be more open-minded & culturally diverse with more community style activities than the rest of the area.

There is also a Walmart in Moscow and a decent mall near the campus. Lewiston is a good place to find better stores though and Pullman (8 miles away) has a few that Moscow doesn't. They also have a pretty good theater. Moscow has its own; the Eastside and the University 4, or something like that. They're fine, but the Pullman one is new and a little nicer.

[bean1498]

Originally Posted by DESERTRYDER

Thank you all for replying.
You have really helped set us straight on the Twin Falls Vs Moscow debate going on in our home.

I really wouldn't pick Twin Falls. I don't know it you're from Idaho, but those of us that live in the southern part could advise you on it. It is a bit windy in the southern half of the state (especially in SE ID) and really flat. It's nice because you can see for miles and the sky is really pretty and big, but not much breaks up the scenery. You would be close to Boise (my current city), which is nice enough I suppose. Though in Moscow you're not far from Spokane if you need a larger city to visit.
I lived in Idaho Falls for 18 years, Moscow for 6 and Boise for a few months. Of all the Idaho cities I've been in Moscow is the best. It's peaceful, laid back, and lots of fun. There are tons of activities all year round, those in the warmer months being my favorite. There is farmers' market, lots of festivals, plays in the park, swimming, fairs etc.
The difference between Moscow and my southern ID homes is striking, to me. When I think of Moscow, I am happy and I just want to go back. In fact there is a good chance that I will within the year, pending employment opportunities. At first I left because if you want to get rich, Moscow is not the place to be, but now that we're starting a family I long for the quiet, friendliness of Moscow. I would love to raise my children there, even if it does mean that I'll probably have to work a job as a receptionist somewhere and my husband wouldn't really be able to get the high profile lawyering job he'd originally planned. That's how much we love Moscow.