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It seemed to me to be very busy and fast paced as opposed to even downtown Boise. Not as much bike traffic and the town seemed to be very overcrowded. I have friends who live in the area and they are telling me that the kids in high school get pressured a little bit by the LDS kids and that there is a seminary near every school. We are Catholic and have absolutely no issues with the LDS church, but we're really not interested in being converted or having any pressure to convert. The town seemed nice but just too much traffic and it didn't seem to be a well thought out plan for a community.
Harris Ranch area is not as grown up and it is very convenient to the Greenbelt, which is a major draw for us because we enjoy biking and fishing. We could literally ride our bikes to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. It would be a good stretch of the legs but it would be an amazing, beautiful ride. Yes, it is more expensive but on the surface it seems totally worth it. I'm not sure if it is Boise High or Timberline, which would make a difference to me. I want my kids in Boise high.
The Hyde Park area is our favorite but we didn't see many houses for rent in that area. We intend to rent until our business gets off the ground so that is a factor.
Glad you had a great visit! Thanks for the recap. I know you've been following this forum for a while now--good to know you finally made it and the area exceeded your expectations.
Just spent the last 6 days touring the Boise area, and completely agree with you about the drivers Outside Dan. We're from CA, and will be moving to the Star/Middleton/Emmett are in the spring. I read on the boards all the time how nice people are in Boise, but until you go there and see for yourself I don't think you can understand just how much of a difference it makes.
I second your opinion on the drivers of Idaho - Aside from the cop who tailgated us through Emmett in a 20 MPH zone (due to the CA plates ), driving in the area was very pleasant. No one seemed to be in a hurry to get anywhere. No one cut us off, flipped us off, honked at us or even looked remotely bothered that we were almost always driving below the speed limit to take in the sights.
Glad you had a great visit! Thanks for the recap. I know you've been following this forum for a while now--good to know you finally made it and the area exceeded your expectations.
Our biggest concern was selling our home. We did a ton of renovations and it should be an easy sell now. Hopefully by Spring it will be gone. That's the plan, anyway. Do you ever see any homes for rent near Hyde Park or Camels Back?
Rentals are tough in those areas...just keep hitting craigslist. That is your best option.
Agreed, they go quick in the Northend. If possible, have someone local keep an eye out for anything. A lot of the landlords I know just put out a "for rent" sign in the yard since they fill so quick, that way they don't have to deal with the constant scams that come with posting anything on CL.
I have a house two blocks from Camels Back that is rented out. We advertised it on Craigs list and had 17 people interested in about 5 days. You'd need to be able to move fast on a rental in that area. Many of them might not be large enough for your family. (Ours is only 2 beds/1 bath.)
Good luck! I can't wait until I can live in my house myself. It's a great area.
I have heard of many horror stories lately with renters getting in the house and just "squatting". Not paying rent and actually threatening the landlord if they bother them. Many owners are now getting VERY particular about who they rent to and require much larger deposits than years ago. I can't blame them but rentals around SW Idaho are few and far between and they go fast. If you see something you like, you should call on it right away. A house on our street was up for rent less than 2 hours and was gone. Good luck! Boise is a great place to live
I'm on my third day here (from the far PNW, on the Olympia Peninsula) and also noticed the lack of trash downtown, along the Greenbelt, and in the North End, all places where I've spent most of my time. I was also surprised to see people chaining their bikes to porch railings, etc., overnight. In most cities, they'd be gone by morning. I'm sure the hardcore Lycra bike crowd with the very expensive bikes don't do that, but many of the bikes I saw chained in front of houses were still "steal-worthy."
The Greenbelt and the beautiful parks along it - what can I say? Where else can you go for a walk, run, bike ride, or jog and see people fly-casting for trout in the middle of a city?!
The people here are definitely very friendly. Walking downtown to the Taj Mahal for dinner last night about 6 p.m., several people on the street even smiled at me as we passed, and I noticed that people are quick to make eye contact - not paranoid, assessing-you-as-a-potential-threat eye contact, but just friendly acknowledgment. I'm someone who tends to chat up store clerks a little while they're ringing up my purchases, and every one of them has been cheery and friendly.
I drove out to Eagle just out of curiosity, since it's not a place I figured I'd like, and couldn't turn around fast enough. Those rapidly-rising suburban-type developments just aren't my cup of tea. Plus, I'm nearing (a very active) retirement and just don't need a big ol' "keeping up with the joneses" type of house. A small house in the North End is definitely more my speed.
I'm still not sure if I'll want to relocate, but Boise takes the top spot on my list of potential places to move. I can definitely see why it attracts people.
Is Eagle really that plastic of a community? The last thing I want to do is live in another place like Orange County...
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), driving in the area was very pleasant. No one seemed to be in a hurry to get anywhere. No one cut us off, flipped us off, honked at us or even looked remotely bothered that we were almost always driving below the speed limit to take in the sights. 
