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My family and I currently live in South Orange County, California- a wonderful place but horribly expensive. There are some great employment opportunities for my hubby in Idaho (particularly Boise and Couer D'Alane) and we are doing some research on it.
Since I would describe our current digs as an affluent community with very low crime and excellent schools, I would like to keep that relatively the same. We have 2 small kids, one is a preschooler and the other will be entering kindergarten next year. I am a stay at home mom. I would need tons of activities to do with the kids both as a family and on my own with other moms who have kids the same age range.
We would love a great home in a family oriented community with tons of amenities. We are also a very strong Christian family and will need to find a church, so we would need a decent selection to choose from.
As far as I can tell, the communities of Meridian and Eagle are both nice, although Meridian seems cheaper- but then again, coming from California, EVERYTHING is cheaper than here. The homes in Eagle seem newer which would be a definite plus for us.
My husband has mentioned Couer D'Alane and likes what he has seen. Unfortunately he looks at things from a bit of a different perspective since he is not home all day with the kiddos. It seems beautiful to me as well, but not sure how good of a fit it would be for me. I would consider it, but Boise to me seems a bit more family oriented and it snows less- I don't mind snow but I would prefer not to be hip-deep in it.
We lived in San Antonio, Texas for about a year and I absolutely could not stand the weather. The heat was way way too much for me and it was always humid.
I would appreciate some input here, particularly from moms. I need a place where I can make connections and get my kiddos involved with new friends and places to go.
Real quick...I lived in North OC, family originally from Yorba Linda but everyone is in Boise now. Lots of OCers in Eagle. I have a friend who works at the Anaheim Hills AAA and apparently she gets at least a couple people a week looking for maps and relocation help because they're moving to Boise, specifically Eagle. I think anywhere in Boise, Eagle, or Meridian will be fine. Eagle is definitely the affluent suburb. Although, there isn't a lot of shopping and dining to complement it. Plenty of churches in Eagle and Meridian. Should be plenty of church, family and school activities to keep everyone busy.
South OC is pretty much all affluent, with a few exceptions. Boise is more mixed, so you won't find endless landscaped avenues dotted with pretty shopping centers. Downtown Boise is great, you won't find anything like that in South OC. Think Downtown Fullerton, but bigger and more lively.
Boise can get quite hot in the summer, similar to the Inland Empire. But it isn't humid. Winters are mild compared to many places, cold compared to OC. It doesn't snow or rain much in the winter but there can be long periods of cloud cover and/or inversions that keep things grey.
I would definitely recommend visiting and seeing the areas; based on what you had mentioned, I would probably recommend Boise; however both areas are great to consider. Spend some time here seeing the area, and that will help with your decision. It will be different than OC, however the Treasure Valley is a good place to live.
If you've never been to northern Idaho in the long dark cold winters, it could be a pretty rude shock moving here from SoCal sight unseen. So CDA may not be your best bet if all you've seen is some photos of a home and some pics of the lake. It's an awesome place to live, and we much prefer it to southern Idaho, don't get me wrong, but if you aren't good with the long deep freeze of winter (we may not even go ABOVE 32 degrees even in the daytime for up to 90 days at a time in winter), this isn't the place for you. I'm a south OC native, and I love snow and cold, so it was great for me. But it's not for everyone.
I asked a good friend who grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho (not too far from CDA) who currently lives in Boise, raising two daughters, to compare the two cities. She visits family in CDA and Sandpoint four times a year or more so they are very current and familiar with the area:
" Boise is much more moderate climate wise. They would need to like winter a whole lot as they get plenty of snow and cold. But if they like skiing and winter sports there are tons of ski resorts. Summers are not very long, but they are beautiful up there and there is tons to do with the lake in CDA, the lake in Sandpoint, and lots of rivers around.
* Travel - would need to drive into Spokane to get to a major airport.....but the drive is not that long.
* Politics - Northern Idaho is typically very conservative
* Shopping/stores - CDA has about one of everything now and what they don't have you can find in Spokane
* Culture - there is North Idaho College there and some live theatres and they can catch most concerts / big shows in Spokane
I have no idea how their schools are. I think things are more expensive as far as housing. CDA is kind of running into Rathdrum and Post Falls which are blending in to the Spokane Valley....
I think traffic is horrible there when I drive through, but coming from CA they may find that laughable."
Hope that helps! My own girls are 19 months, 13 and 15 and I have loved raising them here in Boise. I think Boise, Eagle and Meridian all have a lot to offer to families with kids. Newer subdivisions in Meridian are filled with families and kids for sure so you can be in a neighborhood with lots of playmates and other families. I like the older neighborhoods in Boise where we have great access to the foothills, river, library, zoo, art museum, parks and such. There are a lot of options in our area for families, it just depends on what you are looking for.
I recently had clients come for a two week visit to explore the area before deciding to buy a home and their approach was brilliant. They found someone who rented their house to them during their visit and that was so much more effective than coming for just a few days, yet kept them from having to rent for a longer term and ultimately move twice. I would highly recommend a long visit where you can get to know our valley before making a decision on a neighborhood here--there is a lot to explore!
Benchfan, we are definitely going to visit beforehand to get a feel for everything and the neighborhoods since we want to make a choice that works for our family. I'm wondering if your clients found that rental on VRBO (vacation rental by owner) or some other way ? That is a fantastic idea because 2 weeks is a good chunk of time.
I recently had clients come for a two week visit to explore the area before deciding to buy a home and their approach was brilliant. They found someone who rented their house to them during their visit and that was so much more effective than coming for just a few days, yet kept them from having to rent for a longer term and ultimately move twice. I would highly recommend a long visit where you can get to know our valley before making a decision on a neighborhood here--there is a lot to explore!
How does one go about finding such a rental? (It may be exactly what I need.)
I think these clients found their place on Craigslist--north ender renting a furnished house...
VRBO is a resource, too. Boise Guest House and the Bond Street Apartments are also options.
You will pay a premium for short-term furnished housing but it will be less than a hotel and you'll have the ability to cook. Plus, you'll save money in the long run by finding a home and location that you really love.
Just curious - did you ever make the move? I am in the exact same position you were in and I would love to hear how it went if you moved. Thanks!
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