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OP - You mentioned you likely might end up in the Willamette Valley around Salem. Nice. I grew up in a Portland bedroom community (West Linn), moved to La Grande, OR for my first post college job. Met my wife there, with her folks living 13 miles outside Elgin, OR for many years. Didn't like my job, so I joined the Air Force and moved around quite a bit. Now live in Mt Home, ID about 40 miles east of Boise.
In the Willamette Valley: Corvallis is a good choice, but if you want to be at the base of the mountains then Lebanon is a possibility that has more trees and a lake just outside of town. All the basics are in Lebanon ~18,000 people. It's only about 20 miles from Corvallis and Albany OR for much more shopping/dining. Salem is about 35 miles away too. Those three towns are on the valley floor, but you can see the mountains and forests, and lots of valley trees as well too. You just get much, much more rain and cloudy skies than snow to keep it all green vs. the snow you get in CDL or the mountain towns of southern Idaho.
La Grande, OR would be OK too if you can live the small town life. It's got Super WalMart, Bi-Mart, Safeway, etc. Not a great foodie town. Some nice diners, local burger joints and pizza, but mainly freeway fast food. The university adds a little extra to the town, but not a whole bunch. For variety you can go over the hill to Pendleton and Walla Walla, WA pretty easily most of the year.
Bend/Redmond/Prineville might be your best fit. Bend gets more snow, and Redmond and Prineville get a bit less. From Prineville (small town similar to La Grande without Wal Mart or the University) you can be in Redmond in ~30 minutes for some big box stores and restaurants, and another ~15 into Bend for much more shopping/dining, etc. The COL is the problem with the area as housing has gone to Coeur 'lane prices to start.
OP - You mentioned you likely might end up in the Willamette Valley around Salem. Nice. I grew up in a Portland bedroom community (West Linn), moved to La Grande, OR for my first post college job. Met my wife there, with her folks living 13 miles outside Elgin, OR for many years. Didn't like my job, so I joined the Air Force and moved around quite a bit. Now live in Mt Home, ID about 40 miles east of Boise.
In the Willamette Valley: Corvallis is a good choice, but if you want to be at the base of the mountains then Lebanon is a possibility that has more trees and a lake just outside of town. All the basics are in Lebanon ~18,000 people. It's only about 20 miles from Corvallis and Albany OR for much more shopping/dining. Salem is about 35 miles away too. Those three towns are on the valley floor, but you can see the mountains and forests, and lots of valley trees as well too. You just get much, much more rain and cloudy skies than snow to keep it all green vs. the snow you get in CDL or the mountain towns of southern Idaho.
La Grande, OR would be OK too if you can live the small town life. It's got Super WalMart, Bi-Mart, Safeway, etc. Not a great foodie town. Some nice diners, local burger joints and pizza, but mainly freeway fast food. The university adds a little extra to the town, but not a whole bunch. For variety you can go over the hill to Pendleton and Walla Walla, WA pretty easily most of the year.
Bend/Redmond/Prineville might be your best fit. Bend gets more snow, and Redmond and Prineville get a bit less. From Prineville (small town similar to La Grande without Wal Mart or the University) you can be in Redmond in ~30 minutes for some big box stores and restaurants, and another ~15 into Bend for much more shopping/dining, etc. The COL is the problem with the area as housing has gone to Coeur 'lane prices to start.
Eh...I don't think I meant to indicate it was likely that I'd end up there... just that if I had to pick from the Willamette Valley, I'd lean towards those areas. I do remember bypassing Mt Home between Boise and Idaho Falls.
I'll have to check out Lebanon, I have really deep roots in Oregon and all around there... and I tend to prefer the scenery in Oregon to Washington. I suspect, after living in a city like Las Vegas... a place like La Grande while beautiful, might just be a little too far from a big enough city. I drove through Pendleton and stopped at the Pendleton mill. Podunk is the word that comes to mind.
Bend is stunningly beautiful, and it was a top contender before I visited... I can't really pinpoint one reason it didn't feel right to me but it just was lacking something for me... especially when factoring the cost of living and Oregon state tax. I think I was expecting a little more in the downtown area? There was this feeling like I was super far from anywhere else and far to the Ocean which is silly when you consider how heavily I'm looking heavily at Idaho lol. It's a good 3+ hours to Portland... 6+ hours to my sisters. I tend to prefer the Medford area just a bit to Bend? I'm sure it makes no sense.
Mostly bypassed Wenatchee, but I considered it... I think I'd need a pretty strong secondary reason (job prospects/love interest, etc.) to wind up there. I think I'd prefer Chelan/Manson first and commute into Wenatchee for shopping. But overall, I think it's a place I'd rather vacation than live. Same goes for Leavenworth and I was oh so close to applying for a marketing position at Suncadia in Cle Elum, Roslyn is adorable... but schools are terrible and it's just way too far from anything, especially dealing with the 90 in the winter.
When wildfires burn in the West, the smoke all seems to swirl around in Idaho. For snow, you will have a hard time finding a place near the mountains that gets less snow than CDL.
We get California wildfire smoke here in Vegas... I'm not really talking about that kind of drift. I'm talking about the kind that causes you to have to stay inside or temporarily relocate from your home. Also, while heavy snow is a consideration... I am primarily concerned with months long stretches of snow + lack of sun. I've been in southern Utah mountains a bit, there might be highs in the teens but the sun comes out plenty and it's glorious. I know Cedar City was mentioned and it would be an easy place to move to ... but it solves nothing in regards to moving me closer to my family. St George does nothing for me.
Yes, we're in Boise. We get wildfire smoke when NorCal is burning. It's usually somewhat dissipated by the time it gets to us, but it still makes the AQI and visibility bad. But the reality is that smoke from wildfires blows all over the West and even to the Midwest and East Coast. The foothills near Boise can have fast moving grass/brush fires, we had one last summer near Eagle. Not much fuel so they are relatively easy and quick to extinguish, though the speed at which they move can be a problem for houses in the hills. We live in the North End with lots of irrigated landscaping and deciduous trees, so the fire danger in town is much lower.
Sadly, my sense from our travels in 2019 is that a drug/crime problem exists along much of the I-5 corridor, yet was more pronounced in the Rogue Valley.
North End is simply beautiful. Such a cute area and the houses. Adorable! I genuinely like Boise, and I wouldn't say it's completely out of consideration. It might warrant another visit or two earlier in the spring. I just saw the housing market going bonkers, knowing what the economy is like there... and felt on all levels it pales in comparison to Coeur d'Alene. Plus Spokane/CDA is an easier trek to Western Wa... up into Canada. Seriously, if I had a burly man to shovel snow for me I probably would just go for it, rent something and give it a go... but I'm a single Mom with two in elementary school, so there's a lot to consider when making a move like this.
I agree with your assessment of the drug/crime problem...and I've seen first hand what that area has done to people I know and care about.
Bend is stunningly beautiful, and it was a top contender before I visited... I can't really pinpoint one reason it didn't feel right to me but it just was lacking something for me... especially when factoring the cost of living and Oregon state tax. I think I was expecting a little more in the downtown area? There was this feeling like I was super far from anywhere else and far to the Ocean which is silly when you consider how heavily I'm looking heavily at Idaho lol. It's a good 3+ hours to Portland... 6+ hours to my sisters. I tend to prefer the Medford area just a bit to Bend? I'm sure it makes no sense.
Bend was also our #1... until we visited. For the population and COL, the downtown and city overall should have more. We didn't dislike it, just ended up liking other places more as we explored the PNW.
North End is simply beautiful. Such a cute area and the houses. Adorable! I genuinely like Boise, and I wouldn't say it's completely out of consideration. It might warrant another visit or two earlier in the spring. I just saw the housing market going bonkers, knowing what the economy is like there... and felt on all levels it pales in comparison to Coeur d'Alene. Plus Spokane/CDA is an easier trek to Western Wa... up into Canada. Seriously, if I had a burly man to shovel snow for me I probably would just go for it, rent something and give it a go... but I'm a single Mom with two in elementary school, so there's a lot to consider when making a move like this.
I agree with your assessment of the drug/crime problem...and I've seen first hand what that area has done to people I know and care about.
Will be you be telecommuting or looking for a job wherever you end up?
Boise has a strong growing job market, currently the top in the nation. There is going to be so much more job diversity, and jobs in Boise than anywhere in North Idaho. Boise, and the metro, will also be the most diverse area in Idaho if that's important to you. The metro is also politically diverse, not so much in Coeur d'Alene. The Boise area is going to offer the best medical facilities in the state. You should keep in mind that most of Idaho is very rural and access to the important things in life is something to take into consideration.
The Boise school districts are high performing and much better than most of the rest of Idaho. Boise is constantly ranked as one of the best cities to raise a family. The city and area are big on family/compassion/civic pride.
Last edited by Syringaloid; 02-08-2022 at 02:31 PM..
My opinion is that Ketchum and the rest of the Wood River Valley has a tight hometown vibe regardless of being an international tourist destination. I've lived there so I've experienced it from a local perspective.
This.
The Sun Valley area might not be the best place to relocate to unless a person or family is awash in cash but I wager that your synopsis of that area is spot on. Most of us who participate here know you are a native of the state and grew up here and you know what is up.
North End is simply beautiful. Such a cute area and the houses. Adorable! I genuinely like Boise, and I wouldn't say it's completely out of consideration. It might warrant another visit or two earlier in the spring. I just saw the housing market going bonkers, knowing what the economy is like there... and felt on all levels it pales in comparison to Coeur d'Alene. Plus Spokane/CDA is an easier trek to Western Wa... up into Canada. Seriously, if I had a burly man to shovel snow for me I probably would just go for it, rent something and give it a go... but I'm a single Mom with two in elementary school, so there's a lot to consider when making a move like this.
We love being in the North End. The schools are great and our teachers have been incredible. The neighborhood is extremely safe so we're comfortable with our kids walking to/from school on their own, and walking down the street to the park on their own to meet up with friends from school. We often walk to the historic Hyde Park district for food and drinks, and the kids love the toy store and retro soda fountain.
But the housing market in Boise is indeed very competitive, even more so in the North End. Though I think this is unfortunately true of many of places right now.
The East End/Warm Springs has a similar feel to the North End, though also slim pickings and pricey.
The Sunset District to the north west of the North End is worth considering, and a little less expensive. Further removed from downtown, but Sunset Park is a great local park and the neighborhood is situated between the river and the foothills, so easy access to the Greenbelt and Ridge to Rivers trail network.
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