Moving to Boise sight unseen in 2 weeks

[grmi66]

There is a small, but active African American community centered around St. Paul Baptist church in downtown Boise. You might want to check in with them to get the lay of the land.

[j_k_k]

There is a Black History Museum. It's not a very large one, but it's in a nice spot near a park, the main library, the art museum and the zoo. We haven't gone yet.

[wolfdog]

Originally Posted by loveagrey1

Gosh I sure do hope that your children will not have any troubles.....let us know when you move and settle in! Best wishes in your new adventure.......we are planning a move in spring 2014 to either Boise or Seattle? But I am here often to keep checking things out!!!

Wow. Boise vs Seattle. Quite a contrast: weather, traffic, politics, etc.

[Journey2012]

Thanks for your thoughts RMP00. Are you and your wife planning to move to Boise? Has your wife been there yet? If so, what did she think?

For myself, being one of few minorities doesn't make me uncomfortable at all because that is basically how it was for me growing up. I'm more concerned about whether or not me and my family would be accepted by the people there. And whether or not there are any areas that would better for us to live and/or avoid.

We are definitely moving to Boise because my job is transferring me. We will find out if what Ive read and been told, turns out to be true. In the mean time, I remain hopeful that Boise will be a place that my family and I love living for years to come. I will give an update when I arrive in 2 weeks!

Journey

[Journey2012]

Thanks grmi66 and jkk for the info. I may pop in to visit the church and museum when I get there.

[j_k_k]

I don't need to tell a black person that prejudice can happen anywhere, but that said, I do not think it will be more profound or commonplace in Boise than in most western cities, and possibly less. The tradeoff is the novelty factor, but it's unrealistic to think you aren't used to the occasional yokel staring as if he's never seen melanin before. Liking it and being used to it, of course, are two different things for the person being stared at. White privilege still exists here as anywhere, but it may be less impactful than in some areas. What is going to make the biggest difference is just who you are as a person, independent of race. Idaho is a pretty down-to-earth place and a perspective of goodwill and an open mind go a long way, and can make even political divides less meaningful.

Such racism as exists in this region, I believe, is directed rather more at Hispanics and seems more concentrated in the parts of the metro area with more Hispanics--Caldwell, for example. It is worth remembering that Boise is the 'capital' of a rather large region, in that this is where the advanced medical stuff is, this is the 'big city' to people from Baker to McCall to about Burley and so on. The usual pattern is that most of the cosmopolitanism, in whatever form, migrates toward the larger urban center of a region. My friends in north Idaho consider Boise a vast warren of iniquity, crime and general ickiness. To get to their front door, one must navigate past curious goats and sometimes a donkey, and the guest room is up in the barn. A lot of Idahoans live rurally and love it, and many will surprise you with their goodwill and basic helpfulness.

Plus, probably by the time you get here, there'll be some snow on the Sawtooths. Boise has moderately cold winters, but the backdrop's really something.