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Hello everyone,
I am born and raised in western Washington, and never have moved farther than 1 hour from my birth city. Everyone loves it here, I'm tired of it and want out.
I don't mind the rain as much as the gloomy weather and lack of sun days.
I am relocating because I fell in love with boise while in town this summer visiting my friend & brother in law.
I loved the kindness of everyone we ran across, don't get me wrong I am quite aware jerks live in every city.
I loved all the parks, the old style homes etc.
I just wonder about jobs. My husband is a tow truck operator of over 23+yrs.
I know the towing industry is not the same in Seattle as Boise.
I myself am not worried about getting work,and my 20yr old son can transfer jobs.
Please tell me 5 likes and 5 dislikes about Boise area in your opinion..
( remember I'm from Seattle so traffic is a joke in Boise compared to what I had to deal with my whole life)
Are you sure you can handle moving to a town as small as Boise?
When I first moved here, I thought it had more than enough. I quickly found out that I was wrong. It's adequate for daily life and then some, but if you are used to taking advantage of entertainment and dining options in a larger city, Boise will fall short.
As far as the traffic... I'm not sure what driving in Seattle is like, but it isn't the volume of cars on the road in Boise that makes traffic a nightmare as much as it is... well... I don't know. I've always said I'd much prefer to sit in "real traffic" back home than drive through this city.
The heat!!! Summer here for me is miserable although most people like it.
Income tax is absurdly high for the lower-mid income levels. (The highest tax bracket is at ~26k/year) So while sales tax is somewhat low, it is more than made up for with income tax.
Isolation - Boise is small. It doesn't have super high end shopping or dining, it doesn't have a lot of entertainment that isn't outdoor related. It just ISN'T a big city. If you've never lived far from Seattle and you move here I can almost garauntee that within a year you will crave doing something that you did back home that isn't available here and guess what: Your closest option will be a minimum of 6 hours away (SLC)
So many people come here without worries of finding a job, give it a few months and move somewhere else. It's just overly competitive.
Haze, inversions, general air quality issues.
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The good:
Downtown is beautiful and hassle-free compared to a lot of cities.
Access to outdoor activities is just excellent.
Cost of living is so incredibly low.
The airport is never too busy (although expensive)
In parts of town, there is just a "general good feeling"
Boise's isolation is part of what makes the city unique and creates the strong independent vibe Boise has. Shopping and dining options expand each year and Boise actually has a pretty good shopping and food scene. The bus system sucks and I've heard it does because the people who run it don't know what they are doing. I strongly believe if a person wants to take a weekend trip to a bigger city that Portland is the best option. SLC has a few "things" Boise doesn't, but overall SLC isn't that unique and is a waste of a drive unless you want to go to Temple Square. Portland and the coast are great for a big city getaway.
Please keep in mind that our reference of shopping and dining will be where we have lived in the past. If somebody is coming from Seattle and they enjoy shopping and dining - no matter how much Boise's is growing, it isn't even comparable to a city like Seattle. It doesn't matter "how good it is for a city the size of Boise" at that point. But then again the OP may not even be interested in these at all.
Also I agree that SLC is too far to drive to, I was using it only as an example of the next closest city. If you scratch it off your list, then I guess the next closest is in-fact Portland at 8 hours.
Can we please stop the "Boise is better than Salt Lake City" thing? It shows up randomly and unnecessarily. I think this comes from the two cities connections, which people try to act like doesn't exist.
I grew up in Boise and have now lived in SoCal, mostly LA for eight years. It all depends where you're moving from. Lots of people say they're "from Seattle," but they're really from Kent - or lots of people say they're "from LA," but they're really from some far flung suburb. If you lived in Kent, you probably don't frequent fancy restaurants in Seattle or shop at some high end boutique. If you lived in Belltown, maybe you do. I've lived in Kent and a far flung LA suburb. I would move to Boise before you could pay me to live in those places again. I think Boise offers a great mix for families, seriously coupled people, retirees and outdoor enthusiasts. I honestly don't know of many places that have the mix Boise does. A mix that is reasonably accessible (no hour long commutes or throngs of people).
However, I wouldn't recommend Boise if you are single at any age, and/or gay. I haven't returned to Boise because I am single and gay. I don't worry about not having things to do in Boise. More worried about not having people to do things with. Boiseans are rather cliquish and not very outgoing when it comes to friends and acquaintances. Boiseans are very friendly and polite, but that doesn't mean they're your friend. This isn't unusual for anyone coming from another Northwest city. I experienced the same thing in Seattle and have heard Portland is the same way.
I'm not sure anybody in this thread said "Boise is better than SLC."
Even if you love SLC, you have to admit that if your going to make a drive that long, Portland and Seattle are worth the extra time over SLC. Especially if you are going to a larger city to find something that is not in Boise, you will have a better chance finding it in either Portland or Seattle.
I don't see this was turned into a Boise-vs-SLC thread. All that was mentioned was "Your closest option will be a minimum of 6 hours away (SLC)" and Syringaloid responded "SLC has a few "things" Boise doesn't, but overall SLC isn't that unique and is a waste of a drive unless you want to go to Temple Square."
Since they're discussing access to big city things that Boise may be lacking, this seems to be an opinion appropriately shared. I don't SLC being harshly bashed...but it IS a long drive and I suppose in one person's opinion would have to have much more than it does to be worth it. I've spent a LOT of time in SLC (family owned a second home in Park City for 20 years) and I'd agree with Syringaloid quite frankly. It has some good stuff...the best being Miller Motorsports Park and Rio Tinto stadium for RSL games. Otherwise not worth the drive for me if I was in Boise.
I think the point being made is that the comparison to SLC is made here far too often, for no reason it seems other than to seemingly make Boise look better in comparison (eg, SLC has worse traffic, SLC has worse air quality, SLC has a worse housing market, SLC has worse employment, etc.).
Like another poster said, it seems random and unnecessary. I'd add completely arbitrary.
^That was my point. Maybe this post wasn't the best one to bring it up. I see a lot of people ask about potential Boise negatives and someone almost always responds, "well it is worse in Salt Lake or ____." Even when those cities aren't directly referenced by the OP. There are a lot of places where things are worse and there are places where things are better. This isn't helpful and actually discount the positives about Boise.
I am from Seattle and have never lived in Boise, but I have spent short amounts of time there because my stepson and his family live in Meridian. So, I'll try to get this thread back on track by giving you my best guesses and gut feelings. I did go to Boise a few weeks ago to look at areas where I might retire. My husband and I couldn't agree on a neighborhood, so we're still thinking about relocating, but haven't made a definite answer. So, even though I live on the Eastside (Seattle area), I'll give it a shot.
Likes - remember, I've never lived in Idaho:
1. Weather: It's sunnier, but the area is browner. Not as many trees. Not much snow in cities, but I understand that you can go up to Bogus Basin to get snow. I think it is nearby - a place similar to Snoqualmie, but probably closer.
2. People are nicer. It's more like Seattle used to be before Microsoft and all the other biggies moved in.
3. House prices are half (or less than half) than comparable areas in Seattle.
4. I like the actual city of Boise. It's like a cute little toy town compared to the "big" city of Seattle. (I consider Seattle to be a toy town compared to other cities like LA, SF, and NYC.)
5. The cost of living seems lower. Gas prices and things like that. Not sure about property taxes.
6. Nice bike trail along the river - in the city near the university. If you are into hiking and dirt biking, there are cool trails in the foothills - I've been told. I can't do much hiking, but I have a baby-boomer-style cruiser bike for bike trails. I imagine that you are much more likely to go hiking or biking in weather like they have in Boise than in cloudy, drizzly weather like Seattle.
7. Good place to raise a family. Meridian would be a great place for kids. Great schools in Meridian Joint School District 2 and probably not bad in the other Meridian district. Boise has good schools.
Dislikes - Not all of my dislikes are negatives, but they are things that others may not like:
1. Fewer jobs. There are jobs but I think you have to know someone to get a job. They've lost some of their Micron and HP jobs... Albertsons.... Someone correct me or add to the list if you know more than I - and almost everyone in Boise knows more than I do about the job scene. (If you lived in Seattle during the Boeing bust of the early 70's, you will understand how the loss of jobs ripples out.) But, I'm retired. If you're retired, moving to the Boise area is great because the loss of jobs has made the price of homes tank.
2. Mormons everywhere. Now, I like Mormons, so I don't consider this a bad thing. I am not a Mormon but I was married into a Mormon family in Seattle when I was in my 20s. I would be happy if all my neighbors were LDS because they are nice people. On the other hand, if you are not a Mormon you will have a harder time finding a job because people are more likely to hire people they know. If you're LDS, you will fit in and find a job more easily. (Just a guess...but, I'm fairly certain that you will have Mormon neighbors if you are moving to a burb like Meridian. Meridian is comparable to Bellevue.) I consider the Boise area to be a suburb of Salt Lake City... but that's A-OK with me.
* PS I've had people ask me about Mormons - related to Mitt Romney for Prez - and I've told my friends that Mormons are Christians, though they view some things a little differently than Catholics and most Protestants. Mormons do celebrate Christmas, etc., and you won't find them to be much different than any other Christians. Sometimes Mormons are a little "clicky" but almost always trustworthy and friendly.
3. Suburbs like Meridian (I know Meridian because it happens to be where my stepson lives) look like Orange County, California. (I've lived in Huntington Beach.) Most of the suburban areas outside of Boise are subdivisions that are walled-off from each other. They are not gated, but the subs are their own little enclaves. I just don't like all the cement/stucco walls that surround subdivisions, but you can get a small, new house - not yet built - in a good school district for low $100ks in a new subdivision in Meridian. We saw one house that seemed like good construction for around $133k base price. (And, in OC, you would almost never send your kids to public schools, unless you live in a good area like Irvine.)
4. Desert. The area is a desert. If it isn't watered, it's brown and dusty... just like OC.
5. Air inversions. Not as smoggy as LA and OC, but there's no rain to clean the air. You get a lot of dust and a bit of smog. Of course, I was recently in the valley when the fires were just winding down. I wasn't there during the bad smoke days...but something WAS in the air that stung my eyes. It could have been left-over smoke or could have been a normal occurrence...not sure. I've usually been in the area during spring or fall and had no problems during those times.
6. No nightlife. If your son is single, it may make a difference. Personally, I don't care one way or another.
7. The only artsy part of town is the North End. I have read that artsy people live on The Bench. We cruised parts of The Bench and it seemed a bit like Ballard or West Seattle - but it had more strip malls and areas like we have along highway 99 / Aurora Ave (maybe I should say it's more like Lynnwood). Apparently, some parts of The Bench are better than others. Bench = in city, older homes, working class, did not look dangerous to me... but I've lived in Bakersfield and LA. (From what I've read, you're going to have more gangs/crime in Nampa and Caldwell, but I'm not an Idahoan...so don't sue me if I'm wrong.)
8. No diversity. Mostly Republicans. Not a problem for me.
Well, I'm just giving an outsiders point of view. The prices for houses are great. I liked the North End with the older homes, but they are more spendy. To me, the area would be comparable to Wallingford or Capitol Hill...but much smaller. I wouldn't get an older house in the North End unless it's been redone or you know how to fix things. My suggestion: Nail down a job before moving.
Last edited by tinaweha; 09-07-2012 at 05:48 PM..
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) So while sales tax is somewhat low, it is more than made up for with income tax. 
