Sandpoint, ID (Boise, Hailey, Bellevue: employment, buying, theater) - Idaho - City-Data Forum

Kathleenh54 · 06-07-2007, 11:36 AM

Okay so US News and World Report has a front-page story about affordable places to live and retire. Featured among the towns is Sandpoint, ID.

Anybody know what the real skinny is?

Sage of Sagle · 06-07-2007, 12:35 PM

What do you want to know? This is a great place to live and raise kids...and this place is thick with retirees, yes....

Kathleenh54 · 06-07-2007, 12:45 PM

Sage, thanks for posting on this!

I'd like to know if the local schools are good and supported by the community. Even without kids in the local schools, it's an indicator of vibrancy and values.

How are the libraries? Well supported?

Is it a 'blue' town or 'red' town or somewhere in between? I love 'in-between'.

The Truth About Winter (lol).

Thanks, Sage, any input is appreciated.

Torrie · 06-07-2007, 03:15 PM

Sandpoint is absolutely beautiful. I've never lived there just vacationed with friends on Lake Ponderay, gorgeous, then headed off to visit friends further north in Trout Creek. Not sure how bad the winters are, maybe 50 inches of snow a year? I'm a snow kinda gal so I would love it, but I know as you get older that might seem like a bit much. I'm sure it's amazingly beautiful! I'm biased to Boise, though I'm sure Sandpoint is equally a standout as well.

pacalady · 06-07-2007, 04:16 PM

Kathleen:
I born & raised just east of Sandpoint. Left after married, now back on the southeast side of Sandpoint. Winter's are changing everywhere; used to be 50" or more each winter, but now as little as 12" that melts rapidly. Usually in Jan we get a few days (like 5 or 6) of 0 degrees, but it is usually sunny when its that cold, so very pretty. Schools in Sandpoint are excellent. The cons to living there is the traffic situation. They don't have the infastructure to support the type of growth they are experiencing.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
PacaLady

Sage of Sagle · 06-07-2007, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathleenh54

Sage, thanks for posting on this!

I'd like to know if the local schools are good and supported by the community. Even without kids in the local schools, it's an indicator of vibrancy and values.

How are the libraries? Well supported?

Is it a 'blue' town or 'red' town or somewhere in between? I love 'in-between'.

The Truth About Winter (lol).

Thanks, Sage, any input is appreciated.

Sandpoint HS is a great school. It's just down Division from the Library, which is a really nice library. Here is a funny story from yesterday:
Bonner County Daily Bee

Compared to Ashland which is way blue-state, Sandpoint is way red-state. But my view is that Idaho as a state is very conservative, but Sandpoint is more moderate within that realm. But get a few miles out of town, like down to where we are, and it gets way more conservative, but in a libertarian way more than a republican way. People look out for their neighbors, and make do for themselves, and don't want a bunch of laws to run their daily lives.

If a person moves here and starts making a fuss about hunters "killing Bambi" and "those evil loggers", they should think about living elsewhere...they won't find themselves accepted. But we love our lake and rivers, and want to keep them clean. So while the populace here may think global warming is being way overly-hyped, we DO take a very strong "Sierra Club" approach to wilderness conservation and pollution.

I guess what I'm getting at his that Sandpoint isn't a "centrist" area. But for being a "red-state" area, I think it's pretty mixed bag of people who are fiscally VERY conservative, but socially fairly moderate. Just not any "real" liberals (that I've met yet....they must keep a very low profile) like you might run into out around Jacksonville or the areas around Ashland.

Winter is harsh but not unbearable, and if you're a snow person it's quite pleasant. WAY better than the heat from my view. See, when it's 10-15 daily high and 0-5 night low, you never feel very cold. Carhart clothing and good common sense layering is the key. Dress for it, and you're very uncomfortable. It's not the snow so much as the accumulation and ice, since it will stay below freezing for 2-3 months. So you have to be vigilant that your pipes don't freeze up, and watch for backed up roofpack since you don't want ice dams to form and cause roof leakage, etc. Being so close to Schweitzer is a real perk....it's only 9 miles outside of town (well, from Ponderay, but that's only 5 minutes away). And if you X-country ski you're in luck too. Just because it's cold, doesn't mean sports or outdoor activities stop, you just dress for it.

Your cars will look nasty from Thanksgiving or Christmas until about late May. So if you have a nice car, garage it during the winters, or take it down to CdA and get it detailed with some regularity. If you don't want a LOT of mud on your cars, stay in town or on good paved roads. I just deal with the mud...it's not a big deal.

CAVEAT: This is my view...from one part of the area and among my sphere of influence...I certainly don't claim to speak for everyone here by any stretch of the imagination..

pacalady · 06-07-2007, 10:16 PM

Sage of Sagle ....
Yup, you 'nailed it' ... good post! It IS a different world here!! Love the part about the cars .... SO TRUE! Ya wash them Monday, they are covered with mud Monday ..... But if you love the outdoors, AND the views, Sandpoint is THE place!!! I was raised in Clark Fork, just 30 minutes east .... equally as beautiful, but only a population of 400 ...... soon to change me thinks!

gotta love it!! Things are HAPPENING in North Idaho!!

whttigr · 06-08-2007, 07:31 AM

Hello,
Can anyone tell me more about this area? I was looking at Hailey/Bellevue area, but this area has caught my attention a little. I have children (elementry/jr high age). Is it a large or small town? If it is a small town is there a larger town near by? What about medical? Jobs? Thanks!!!

Jennifer

Sage of Sagle · 06-08-2007, 01:54 PM

Sandpoint (city) has about 6000 people. But it's adjacent to Kootenai (pronounced "coot-in-knee") and Ponderay. When you include the surrounding ranches and areas (like Sagle, Dover, Laclede, Hope, etc) the number of people who shop and eat in Sandpoint is about 15-20K I would guess. The whole of Bonner County has about 35-40K total people.

To us, Sandpoint is a busy place, but quaint and clean. But since US-95 goes through town (main artery from Canada to CdA and the I-90 junction), it can get VERY crowded with tourist traffic and even logging trucks. Sandpoint/Ponderay/Kootenai has everything you need, and 45 miles away is CdA with Costco and multiple theaters, big box stores, etc.

Great place to raise kids. And Sagle (where we're at) is actually the BEST place IMHO. 5-15 acre properties, a lot of lakefront places, etc. Good local school (Sagle Elementary). Sagle has a Conoco with mini-market and video store and post office, not much more. So we go to Sandpoint (10 miles) about 2-3x a week for everything we need. Nice easy drive.

Sandpoint actually has a full time hospital (Bonner General) but for traumas they'd take you to Kootenai County Medical Center (right at I-90 and US-95 in CdA). BIG nice hospital. Employment can be an issue. Wages are low. But since unemployment is very low, there are plenty of jobs in the area. Here is a downloadable Excel file (safe, it's from the County Economical Development Council) of the top employers in the county.

http://www.bonnercountyedc.com/cgi-script/csNews/news_upload/Bo_2eCo_2eTopEmployers_2edb.BonnerCountyLargestEmp loyers.xls (broken link)

pimit2 · 06-08-2007, 04:18 PM

I live in Sandpoint (actually 10 miles east of town) so to get to where I live you have to go through the little villages of Ponderay (the phonetic spelling for our big lake, Pend Oreille) and Kootenai.

Traffic, as it has been posted here, is not good. I just came back from town and at some intersections with lights, traffic was backed up 2 blocks or more. It's particularly bad at this time of year with all of the tourists staying or passing through. As Sage reported, the major highway running north and south goes right through the heart of downtown. Trucks, gawking tourists and locals trying to do their Friday shopping make a mess of it....but its all about our Sandpoint.

Generally, folks are friendly, helpful and unhurried. Few I've met are very political, one way or the other.

When I first moved here I had a small item to mail. I dropped by the Ponderay post office with the intention of buying one of those USPS padded envelopes for the item. But the postmaster (the only clerk) advised me he was out of those envelopes. So using cardboard strips from the trash, some wrapping paper and scotch tape, he spent 10 minutes fashioning a small box for my item. Sorry, long story to make a point, but that's the area and the people.

I have yet to hear someone say they don't like Sandpoint. If you visit, take a look at the outlying areas. If U.S. News and World Report ever discovers where I live, everyone will come here!

Bob (pimit2)