Best-Worst places in Idaho???? (Boise, Lewiston: college, gated, living)

[jclay19]

Without question, Coeur d'Alene is the best spot to move to in Idaho. I moved here a year ago and absolutely love it.

The winters are mild and the Spring, Summer, & Autumn seasons are all unique and the climate is great.

Coeur d'Alene has great restaurants and lots of fun activities that you can do. It has great lakes surrounding the area that are great for boating, waterskiing, world-class fishing, and all types of water sports and activities.

In the winter you can choose from 3 different Ski Resorts that are all within a 1 hour drive from CDA.

Plus, Spokane (and a major airport) is only 30 minutes away.

Come visit in the Spring or Summer and you won't want to leave.

Moderator cut: manual signature

[breezymtns]

I live in Bonners Ferry, Idaho & am very happy with it. My ******* daughter started school here with a month & 1/2 left of the school year & the teachers & other kidlets have welcomed her with open arms. We feel like we have lived here forever. The wildlife & water is incredible! The scenery is breathtaking.

[breezymtns]

Okay that was really weird "pre-teen" was censored lol

[HOMES4U]

Boise Is A Good Place To Live, I Have Lived In Diffrent Places, Including, Nevada, California,, And Yes It Is A Great Place To Raise Kids, Retiere Etc...:

[phizless]

Live in Nampa and wouldn't live in Boise proper or Caldwell. Sorry all for Slamming Boise or Caldwell but got my reason's. As for Soccer mom's, which I am not one, serve a purpose they are trying to keep their kids busy and not on drugs. Boise is to big and Caldwell way to run down. Nampa is growing by leaps and bounds and still lots of open spaces. New shopping is going in here daily and guess where Boise and Caldwell shop? NAMPA. Phizless

[jadbad2004]

Best place Salmon, wouldn't live anywhere else...love the remoteness and the wildlife.

[Vinyard Meadows]

New Caldwell? Lots and lots of garages.

Old Caldwell? There isn't a THERE there.

[TohobitPeak]

Originally Posted by Vinyard Meadows

New Caldwell? Lots and lots of garages.

Old Caldwell? There isn't a THERE there.

Caldwell has a quaint historic downtown which is currently being redeveloped and will get better during the next few years and there is the old historic neighborhood next to their downtown which is becoming a pot of gold for investors. So there is a There there-or whatever that means
Here is a link I found that shows some pics of historic Caldwell.

Historical Tour

[Bellinghamite]

Originally Posted by jclay19

Without question, Coeur d'Alene is the best spot to move to in Idaho. I moved here a year ago and absolutely love it.

The winters are mild and the Spring, Summer, & Autumn seasons are all unique and the climate is great.

Coeur d'Alene has great restaurants and lots of fun activities that you can do. It has great lakes surrounding the area that are great for boating, waterskiing, world-class fishing, and all types of water sports and activities.

In the winter you can choose from 3 different Ski Resorts that are all within a 1 hour drive from CDA.

Plus, Spokane (and a major airport) is only 30 minutes away.

Come visit in the Spring or Summer and you won't want to leave.

Moderator cut: manual signature

I'd agree, Coeur d'Alene is one of the better areas, and a very, very pretty town. Gas is remarkably inexpensive there, too, although housing isn't cheap. Spokane is indeed "only 30 miles away," but if you ever try driving in Spokane, you'll quickly find out that its proximity to CDA is as much a curse as it is a blessing.

A hundred miles south of CDA is Moscow, a hip college town full of politically-correct ideologues. It's not typical of Idaho. On the other side of the state is Rexburg, a remarkably unhip college town with the best public radio station I've ever heard.

If you prefer urban life, Boise is probably America's most liveable large city--in fact, it may be the only one that's very liveable anymore.

[boiseguy]

I moved here from seattle in 04, and I have traveled around much of idaho.
it definetely is a matter of where you are in your life as to where you would like to live.
I think the Boise area is by far the best because if you are young and single it is full of young professionals and a vibrant downtown filled with shops and cafe's and all the things you'd find in seattle. If you are young and have kids, eagle and meridian, and even SE boise have fantastic schools boise schools are some of the best in the state. Nampa and Caldwell are cleaning their acts up, but until there is a freeway system and mass transit to connect them to boise, it really is just a pain in the butt to live out there. its not really close to mountains its kind of just in the middle of the valley on flat terrain. If you're retiring, boise offers outdoor activities, arts and culture, that nowhere in idaho can compare to just because there are no other large cities. Also, remote areas of idaho are easily accessable from boise to visit. Living in those area's sounds nice but some area's get snowed in and access to medical facilities is limited.
Eastern Idaho has idaho falls that serves as a hub for the area, but like it has been mentioned, there is a huge mormon influence there and while the people are nice, mingling too much with them and they want to convert you.. its kinda creepy. Pocatello is the big city that never was.. It use to be the largest city in idaho back in the early 60's but it just never really took off and is kind of a dump.
Up north is spectacular and very pretty, but the attitudes I've gotten from people up there is they have a chip on their shoulder towards southern idaho, and the metro area they are attached to is spokane which is totally ick. Spokane is like a big pocatello. Old railroad towns that are trying to clean themselves up. hence... SpoCompton as it is commonly called.
I think that can give you an idea of what to expect... idaho is pretty diverse actually.. there's the libertarian north, the religious conservative south east, and the more liberal and democratic southwest/boise metro area.
Boise is not perfect, its growing SUPER fast so there are some frustrations you will encounter, but boise is on stage to become a very cool place in the next 10 years.. its already cool but cool on a national stage. good luck with whatever you decide