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It depends what you're looking for. The north end is good as a walking area. Lots of businesses in close proximity to homes. It is a trendy and green area. A lot of local and organic businesses are in the north end. If you're wanting more of the subdivision type of living, we really like northwest Boise/northeast Meridian. It's close to everything, affordable, kept up, and safe. Southwest Boise is okay for that kind of thing too. Just not as close to everything you'd need. Also where are you going to work? You should consider commute time as well. For me to get from Eagle Rd/McMillan area to downtown around 8am took 30-45 minutes. Getting home at 5pm was a bit longer. I personally would avoid the Bench area due to it being run down and often unsafe. I would also stay away from east Boise because it's really inconvenient to get around. Good luck finding your new home!
Pretty much all of Boise is quite safe. And yes, the neighborhoods around the area have different things to offer, depending what you are looking for. Your housing budget will also likely influence your options.
I'd have to add that personally, I find it easier and quicker to get to a variety of stores in SE Boise than SW Boise. SE also prettier, more trees and vegitation, it has better access to the Greenbelt, Park Center Pond, and parks for dog walking.
Yup, most areas of Boise are pretty safe. So a lot of it depends on what you are looking for exactly (ie lots of walking paths, trees, amenities) and it also might help if you post what kind of budget you are looking at. I concur that SE or NE Boise would be my ideal place to live as well. Probably because I spent my high school and college years there.
Usually when people are talking about the bench they are talking about the area between Vista and Orchard, although some will consider the bench further west than orchard.
If I were single and younger I'd want to stay near downtown for what it offers. The North End is a very liberal area however so it depends on how important that might be to you.
The Boise Bench is GREAT place to live. I live in the "Central Rim" neighborhood that is very close to downtown Boise. It is very safe with a lot of young people, great access to the Boise Greenbelt and downtown and is close to everything. "The Bench" is a huge geographic area and yes, like every area in Boise, there are some less desireable pockets. There are some really run-down parts of the north end, for example, but that doesn't stop people from moving there. If you're looking at a map of Boise, look at Mountain View, Rim St., Edgmont, Houston Road and Crescent Rim. These streets are rim view streets that are prized for their views. Houston Road and Crescent Rim are some of the most sought-after streets in Boise with million-dollar view homes. The neighborhoods that are adjacent to these streets, kind of hugging the rim around Boise, are wonderful neighborhoods that are great alternatives to the north end as they are generally more affordable. Also, the area around Vista/Kootenai/Shoshone/Owyhee/Latah--these are GREAT areas!!
If I were to avoid part of the bench, it would be the areas that are closer to I-84 between Broadway and Cole. Sometimes we say, "don't go south of Overland," but that is deceptive because the area just south of Overland between Federal Way and Latah (south to Nez Perce) has really gotten nice over the past few years for smaller, affordable, cute homes and quality of life. Also, the Hillcrest Country Club area just south of Overland between Roosevelt and Orchard is really great. That area is kind of a "second bench" with it's own view streets because of a second rise in elevation--look for Hillcrest and Robertson and surrounding areas.
The bench, after the north end, is the second most liberal part of Boise. It's a super-cool area that I would venture to say is largely inhabited by native since people new to the area get mis-informed about the bench and either head west to Meridian or stick with the north end because it is so well known. I grew up in the north end, have lived in Boise most of my life, have lived on the bench for the past 12 years and totally love it.
I grew up in Boise, and when I was a kid, we considered the bench to be everything from Federal Way south. Another way of looking at is that the bench is everything that sits above downtown in terms of elevation.
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