burley. (Twin Falls, Rupert, American Falls: relocating, rent, jobs)

[cindy0818]

My family and I are considering relocating to Burley, ID. I have two daughters, aged 11 and 16. How is the area? Are the schools good? What about weekend activities? Are the people friendly? Is the area generally open minded?

Any information you have to share will help.

Thanks,
Cindy.

[my3arabs]

Not a good idea. I think that you should spend some time there before you move there. Leave your girls with someone and see for yourself. Kimberly, American Falls, Twin Falls are so much better than Burley. Even the lil town that I am in is better than Burley.

[pinkpalace]

I agree. Have family in Burley, Rupert, and Heyburn. The whole area is a sad little dump. Stop for gas and a burger if you must, but don't stop any longer then that.

[my3arabs]

Originally Posted by pinkpalace

I agree. Have family in Burley, Rupert, and Heyburn. The whole area is a sad little dump. Stop for gas and a burger if you must, but don't stop any longer then that.

AMEN to that! Only stop at the Loves too, the rest of the places are run down and a bit on the scary side!

[busone]

After living in Denver and Portland I would rather be in Burley any day. Like any place there are people that are going to complain but it is really a great place to live. Just come stay for a few days and see for yourself.

[RodFarlee]

Burley is a farming town. The people are friendly. In answer to your other questions, my mom always said "if you have nothing positive to say, say nothing!", so I shall.

[saywerd]

Yah, Burley, Heyburn, and Rupert are small towns and there are not a whole lot of employment opprotunitys but it is not a dump! I was born and raised in Heyburn. I had an awesome childhood, my brother and I walked to school, rode our bikes, played in the dirt and lived right across from the Snake River where we use to swim and fish and just play. You don't find much dirt for kids to play in anymore and I think that is what is missing from childhood. I moved when I was 18 and have lived in California most recently for 6 years where 12 year olds where getting gunned down just running errands for their parents.

There is not a whole lot of entertaining things to do there but if you have a good imagination you find pleanty to do.

P.S. The schools are just fine and the teachers care. Both my parents still live in Heyburn and both work for the school district!

[Minaloy]

Cindy,

It really depends on what you are looking for, since Burley is a small farming town. There are plenty of outdoor activities for a family: the City of Rocks is near Burley; the Snake River and all the mountains surrounding the town make for fun family outings. The people are largely conservative but friendly and accepting of others. Contrary to those opinions expressed by people just "passing through" the truck stops, Burley is a nice little town.

The schools are also quite excellent for a small town. I graduated from Burley High School and am currently in a fully funded Ph.D. program. So, my education there served me well.

Career opportunities might be quite limited. There are not exactly a lot of diverse jobs, like any small town, but Burley is a good place to grow up for your kids.

Good luck. -Mina

[cindy0818]

Thanks for the replies it looks like we will be moving to Albion or Twin Falls now. My husband is already there working in Albion and he said its really pretty. I'm still wondering which area ( Twin Falls or Albion) would be better for my children. Schools are a big issue with me. If anyone could help I would appreciate it. Thank you

[CafeDelSol]

I've always thought of the Burley - Albion area as rather isolated even though it's right by the interstate. There just isn't much around there. If you want quiet rural life it would be great. Can your kids handle the isolation? Just realize that you have to drive a long way to do much of anything.

If you ski you need to check out the local ski area, Pommerelle. They have some amazing snow and it's almost never crowded:
http://www.pomerelle-mtn.com/