I know this has been asked a million times but--Idaho Falls or Boise?
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Yup. If frequent air travel is a must, Boise's the place. It's the main hub for Idaho, and has the best connections.
The Idaho Falls airport has improved the number of flights a lot over the past few years; many make it no longer necessary to drive to Salt Lake to catch a flight now.
But with the increased connections came a big mess in going to the airport. Lots of folks here get dropped off instead of leaving a car in the long term parking, and airport restrictions have made pick up a real pain in the butt for some of the flights.
The I.F. airport has an expansion plan that's in the process of approval, so I expect there will be more connections and fewer probs in the near future. The building itself isn't overloaded, so once inside, things are easier.
Yeah, this is important too, although not a deal breaker. It seems allegiant air flies out of both Boise and Idaho Falls (although it looks like Idaho Falls only has flights with them certain times of the year) and our main airport we'd be going to/people visiting us will fly out of is LAX. So this would work.
Thanks for all this info, it is GREATLY appreciated!!
Yeah, this is important too, although not a deal breaker. It seems allegiant air flies out of both Boise and Idaho Falls (although it looks like Idaho Falls only has flights with them certain times of the year) and our main airport we'd be going to/people visiting us will fly out of is LAX. So this would work.
Thanks for all this info, it is GREATLY appreciated!!
I believe I.F. does too, but it's a red eye that takes off at midnight. There's flight to Vegas that has a better schedule that may allow an easy transfer there from L.A.
Well, IdaD has raised some good points--I have heard from a couple of different friends and family members that grew up in Utah and while it's not Eastern Idaho, it would still seem applicable to me...They have shared that it is, in fact, tough trying to "fit in" with LDS when you're not.
I would HATE to make this big move, only to realize my kids are going to have no friends in our neighborhood because we aren't LDS. That'd be pretty crushing, especially for the smaller ones.
I am visiting Saturday-Tuesday, so I plan on trying to really get a feel for it. I want to visit a local church and then just explore as best I can.
Any thoughts?
We still love Boise and it is very much still a contender.
. . .where we're coming from is just not safe for our kids anymore.
I think I've read through all the posts, but did you say where exactly you're coming from? I assume it's California … right? If so (or even if not) consider this - culture shock on your kids. While this happened a zillion years ago, I moved from California to a small town north of Seattle in WA state when I as 13-years old. After the newness wore off, my brother and I were bored silly. And coming from CA back then, we thought we'd moved to Bumpkinville in comparison to "hip" California. We didn't exactly miss CA, but we missed easy access to the stuff that entertains young people - theaters, zoos, ice skating, playgrounds, parks, public pools, city-sponsored youth activities, classes, sports, annual city festivals/celebrations, parades, concerts, etc.
I've only driven through Idaho Falls a few times, have never lived there, and I seriously doubt it's Bumpkinville. There might be an abundance of things there to keep your kids active and entertained - I don't really know - but you might want to check that out (City Parks & Recreation is a good place to start).
I have, however, lived here in Boise for a long time, and can say that there's no short supply things to keep young people engaged and entertained. And as Boise and the surrounding areas have grown, the amenities for young people have grown into those neighborhoods as well - no need to travel across town to reach them.
Boise is consistently ranked as one of the best cities to raise a family and based on my personal experience is the friendliest city I've lived in. There is a lot of $$ in this city and large corporations donate $$ to facilities and parks. Recently the Albertsons Foundation donated money to re-build a skate park downtown and it is supposedly one of the finest in the nation. Albertsons is also donating funds for another phase of the Whitewater Park.
There is a large city park under construction near the Whitewater Park with money donated from the Simplot family and this park is going to be amazing, most likely will be the nicest in the state.
Have you given any thought to Twin Falls? It's almost smack dab between Idaho Falls and Boise. Twin is a wonderful place to raise a family and affords you the small town appeal and yet is within miles of every activity you can think of. We have excellent schools, airport, hunting, fishing, shopping, ...you name it. I've raised a family here and traveled all over the states, and I wouldn't trade Twin Falls for any place. And religion isn't a concern.
And though it's long overdue, Boise Public Library! (the only one in the US with an exclamation mark) has finally added branches throughout the city - Cole & Ustick, Collister, Hillcrest, and a brand new branch is under construction at Bown Crossing. The main library is sadly outdated and needs to be leveled and replaced, but it's still useable and their patronage is huge. There are myriad activities for youth and adults alike there or at any of the branches.
Last edited by T M H; 05-03-2016 at 09:41 AM..
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