Pretties place in Idaho? Opinions? (Boise, Coeur d'Alene: good schools, university, minimum wage)

[thelifespark]

Hello all, I currently live in Southern California (in the LA metropolis area) and I'm just sick of being squeezed in by the city, and by all the people. Plus, I think my lungs don't even remember how to breathe oxygen, the air around here is so polluted. I'm more than ready to get away from it all. I've known for years that California isn't really "home". I've lived here for 14 years, spent a brief 2 years in Colorado, in a gigantic suburb outside of Denver, that had no personality whatsoever! And I was born in Alaska; I lived there until I was 8. I'm ready to go somewhere new. Somewhere with seasons (sweating all year round just ain't all it's cracked up to be) and somewhere with a lot of natural beauty around it. I have a fondness for densely forested areas although I find plains and prairies beautiful, too. And wherever I am, a nearby river is the icing on the cake for me. I absolutely love rivers! I want to go somewhere with a lot of outdoorsy activities available. I like small towns anything from 1,000 people to slightly larger places with 30 or 40 thousand. As long as it's not the 12.9 million people that LA holds!

I'm hoping to go back to school soon to get my Bachelor's in Education so a place in driving distance (no more than an hour I'd hope!) of a community college or University would be helpful. Meanwhile I work mostly in office/secretarial type jobs, although I have a lot of experience in childcare fields like nannying, or in animal care (dogs specifically). So anywhere jobs like that might be available are ideal. Unfortunately jobs that pay minimum wage or slightly above doesn't give me a gigantic budget to work with But I've made do with it for years, and until I can better my career it'll do for a few more I suppose.

And although I do not have children right now I do hope to in the (hopefully) nearish future so somewhere family friendly with good schools and such is a bonus.

[elousv]

We started in SoCal and just kept driving till we hit trees! 1200 miles later we ended up in Coeur d'Alene. You can drive in any direction and hit lots of water and lots of wilderness and yet go to Costco! Northern Idaho College here too.

[thelifespark]

I've heard CDA mentioned several times now by people in other threads. I'll have to tale a closer look there.

[Sage of Sagle]

Certainly that's one option. And with U of I in Moscow, you may want to look into Moscow. Not to slam southern and eastern Idaho, but I'm partial to the Panhandle myself for the beauty here....

[brokencrayola]

I was going to suggest Coeur d' Alene as well. It is very pretty, has the lake right there and rivers nearby and the college as well.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Lifespark,
Good to see you on this forum! As you can see, CdA gets a lot of votes. And the possibilities for day/weekend trips into the high country are endless. The lakes and the rivers will take your breath away... Plus, you've got all the major stores you're used to, like Elousv says! Besides, it's only about an hour's drive from a major airport, Spokane. You just have to ask yourself if you can stand the winters...maybe snow isn't as exciting now as it was when you were a kid in Alaska...

[cleosmom]

Alright you northerners, I need to pipe in here and defend SE Idaho

We live in SE and came from Central CA and love it here. Yes, it is high desert, but there's so much right nearby; Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Snake River, Jackson Lake, Jackson Hole, Upper Mesa Falls, Craters of The Moon, fishing, boating, snow skiiing/sledding/shoeing.

Idaho is diverse indeed. You have more forested areas up in CdA, Boise can give you a big city feel, although it's nowhere near as large as the Los Angeles basin, from south central to SE Idaho you have farmlands, sand dunes, rivers, caves, gem mining, hunting, fishing etc. etc.

Your options for moving to Idaho are endless. There are colleges up north, over in Boise, down near Twin Falls and of course over in SE Idaho as well.

[thelifespark]

any particular suggestions for SE Idaho that I should look into?

[thelifespark]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Lifespark,
Good to see you on this forum! As you can see, CdA gets a lot of votes. And the possibilities for day/weekend trips into the high country are endless. The lakes and the rivers will take your breath away... Plus, you've got all the major stores you're used to, like Elousv says! Besides, it's only about an hour's drive from a major airport, Spokane. You just have to ask yourself if you can stand the winters...maybe snow isn't as exciting now as it was when you were a kid in Alaska...

lol it is true that snow is a lot more fun when you're eight years old, with your mom bundling you up in a snowsuit before you go out to make snowmen and snowangels than as an adult when you have to trudge to the bus top in it to get to work. I spent a winter in Alaska about three years ago and I just spent two years and a half years (and three winters!) in Colorado and I certainly had moments when I wanted to throw a fit and beg the sun to come out and warm me up a little, for the most part I thought it was pretty beautiful. By the time winter is over I'm pretty ready for warmer seasons, but for the most part, I think I can handle it. There are things that are great and coazy about winter, too. Crackling fireplaces, hot cocoa, baking indoors (especially gingerbread...it's a must for me!). And I've never really got rid of the kid in me. I still like to eat icicles and make icy's with the snow

[Trace_Rinaldi]

I have alot in common with you in escaping So. Cal... Do yourself a favor and if you drive take the 55 to the 95 from Boise.. From there on it just gets amazingly pretty all the way up, and I would go as far as Sandpoint at least.. CdA and anywhere around there would be an incredible place to live epecially with all the colleges in the area.. Good luck!!