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Urban is an adjective meaning "in, relating to, or characteristic of a city or town". Even small towns like Emmett or Kuna qualify as an Urban area compared to farms and ranches that surround them. I admit some might argue if Boise still qualifies as a Hicktown or not simply because Uber now serves Boise, but not light rail.
I enjoy Boise's quaint small town feel, the friendly people, the clean river running through town, the open space, the mountain backdrop to the north, etc. When I feel I need a major metro fix, I have plenty of choices for airlines that get me to LA, Portland, Seattle or Las Vegas in time for lunch. When I fly back home, I am glad to set my pace back to Boise's pace instead of the rat race pace of other areas.
Detroit is urban.. Just because a place is urban, doesn't mean it's a great place to live.. In fact, I hope one day to live in an area, hopefully in my retirement days, that is even smaller than Boise.. I'm thinking a place like Red Lodge or Whitefish, Montana or the Northern Cascades, like Bellingham, would be a good fit.
Boise, size wise is a good.. I'm just a bit agitated by the city planning and large suburban sprawl.. It more or less congregates too much traffic in one spot of town and the rest of the area is just a large expanse of shopping centers and residential lots. I would like to see a large swath of neighborhoods, but as you say Boise is what it is.. I'm hoping the nice foothills don't end up becoming a huge expanse of luxury homes, as it appears they are starting to build more and more upscale housing in the area. Sprawled housing seems to be the curse of the Treasure Valley. It would suck if you have to drive 2 hours just to go hiking , because all the foothills are eventually off limits to the rich people. There is still a lot of great hiking spots right next to the downtown that offer spectacular views and interesting high desert landscape.
When it comes to urbanity, the attraction of the Treasure Valley is none other than Boise, which is actually more like a large town than a city, despite a metro population that is over 600,000. Places like Nampa, Meridian, Caldwell, sadly, host very little in the way of social activities or any type of large town amenities. However, considering their sizes and layouts, you would have thought there would have been a bit more going for them. Even West Boise is more or less a sprawl of mini malls and factories. In fact, West Boise really is kind of dingy and could use a bit of renovating. Meridian, has a lot of potential as I wrote earlier.. If they built apartments, bars and clubs around the Village, it could literally turn itself into Meridian's 2nd downtown.. Sadly, it will probably just end up being another large outdoor shopping mall and will shut down around 9PM , like most other places int he Valley, outside of downtown.
I would think, and hope, that all neighborhoods and communities would start requiring Bown Crossing / Hyde Park style neighborhoods to be built in and amongst the endless suburban sprawl. You see Portland and similar areas doing this. The idea is that you create attraction and interest in specific localities so as to both keep people in their own neighborhoods - hopefully within biking and walking distance - for certain activities like dining, groceries, entertainment, and light shopping, but also to bring some people in, too.
I would think, and hope, that all neighborhoods and communities would start requiring Bown Crossing / Hyde Park style neighborhoods to be built in and amongst the endless suburban sprawl. You see Portland and similar areas doing this. The idea is that you create attraction and interest in specific localities so as to both keep people in their own neighborhoods - hopefully within biking and walking distance - for certain activities like dining, groceries, entertainment, and light shopping, but also to bring some people in, too.
I agree! I think citywide infill is really important. The Hyde Park model should be implemented throughout all of Boise. As Boise inevitably grows I think that making an effort to allocate the goods into neighborhood centers will benefit the city and take some future strain off of downtown.
Detroit is urban.. Just because a place is urban, doesn't mean it's a great place to live.. In fact, I hope one day to live in an area, hopefully in my retirement days, that is even smaller than Boise.. I'm thinking a place like Red Lodge or Whitefish, Montana or the Northern Cascades, like Bellingham, would be a good fit.
You sure you want to do that? I know Montanan's that don't appreciate more outsiders/"those people" moving in and wrecking what they had. Especially from a big snooty city like Boise.
Detroit is urban.. Just because a place is urban, doesn't mean it's a great place to live..
Detroit's population is shrinking like crazy. They have dropped over 200,000 people and now have less people living there than they did in 1910!
Quote:
Originally Posted by RotseCherut
If they built apartments, bars and clubs around the Village, it could literally turn itself into Meridian's 2nd downtown.. Sadly, it will probably just end up being another large outdoor shopping mall and will shut down around 9PM
There are lots of apartments to the north of the village that are within walking distance. The Village already has: Yard House, Kona Grill, Twigs, and the Matador so I think they have the bar scene covered pretty well. I have been to the Yard House and Kona Grill for their mid week late night Happy Hour that starts at 9 pm and they have both always been busy. I think that the Village already attracts more people socially than downtown Meridian.
I know people that go on to the Village on Tuesdays for Happy Hour, then enjoy a $5 movie, then cap the evening off for late night Happy Hour. A couple can have a very pleasant date night out for about $100 for a very nice night out.
If you want to be more frugal, go on Friday nights this summer for Rock the Village Concert Series | The Village at Meridian and enjoy free outdoor concerts. Free concerts are also on Thursday evenings adjacent to The Village at Kleiner Park.
When it comes to urbanity, the attraction of the Treasure Valley is none other than Boise, which is actually more like a large town than a city, despite a metro population that is over 600,000. Places like Nampa, Meridian, Caldwell, sadly, host very little in the way of social activities or any type of large town amenities. However, considering their sizes and layouts, you would have thought there would have been a bit more going for them. Even West Boise is more or less a sprawl of mini malls and factories. In fact, West Boise really is kind of dingy and could use a bit of renovating. Meridian, has a lot of potential as I wrote earlier.. If they built apartments, bars and clubs around the Village, it could literally turn itself into Meridian's 2nd downtown.. Sadly, it will probably just end up being another large outdoor shopping mall and will shut down around 9PM , like most other places int he Valley, outside of downtown.
The bolded remark is not true. All of those towns have social activities throughout the year, their own festivals, fairs, city celebrations, etc. West Boise is a huge area, there are plenty of nice neighborhoods, new infill, and shopping out there amongst the older areas. I don't think there are many factories in West Boise either. There are some industrial areas, but not a lot of what could be considered factories.
You must not have spent much time in The Village at nights. IdahoBroker summed that up perfectly.
The bolded remark is not true. All of those towns have social activities throughout the year, their own festivals, fairs, city celebrations, etc. West Boise is a huge area, there are plenty of nice neighborhoods, new infill, and shopping out there amongst the older areas. I don't think there are many factories in West Boise either. There are some industrial areas, but not a lot of what could be considered factories.
You must not have spent much time in The Village at nights. IdahoBroker summed that up perfectly.
I haven't spent much time at The Village at night, but maybe will need to check it out more. Usually, I just go to downtown Boise for any entertainment. It's nice to hear that the Village does have some amenities that go beyond just your typical outdoor mall spot. Downtown Boise actually feels a bit too young, more like a wild college hangout for me. However, in Meridian it is mostly older married couples (I'm older, but not married) and seems more revolved around couples nights out, rather than social gatherings. Meridian has some nice breweries and establishments, but they are all spread out and it they seem to lack large bars and are more oriented around husbands/wives hanging out with each other or their "couples" groups. Everything out here in suburbia seems revolved around church, family and kids.. It's not a bad thing, if you are married and/or Christian. It's not my situation, so I feel like Boise is better scene for me, even if it is little too young for me. A Jewish heathen like myself needs to find like minded people. However, I do enjoy living in Meridian, it's quiet, peaceful ,safe.. People literally leave $1000s of stuff sitting on their lawn and don't worry about people stealing them. One of my neighbors , for example, forgets to close their garage at night , leaving all types of valuables easily accessible. If this was Seattle, that garage would have been cleaned out a long time ago. I know, I got my car cleaned out in a so-called safe Seattle suburb in the Snoqualmie Valley, which was renown for its low-crime rate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IdahoBroker
Detroit's population is shrinking like crazy. They have dropped over 200,000 people and now have less people living there than they did in 1910!
Detroit is still an American major city and is one of the finest examples of urban blight. An even though Detroit's urban inner core has been dwindling, the metro area is still very large and one of the largest in the country. Yes, I know all about Detroit, my great grandfather migrated to Detroit from Belarus in the late 1920s and raved about what a great city it was. He died before it went downhill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelhead69
You sure you want to do that? I know Montanan's that don't appreciate more outsiders/"those people" moving in and wrecking what they had. Especially from a big snooty city like Boise.
I am far from a snooty, big city guy.. In fact, I spent over a decade living in some of the most rural and outback parts of this country. I lived over 4 years in a trailer on the Oregon Coast overlooking the ocean, outside of a small little town named Yachats, that none of you probably ever heard about. My neighbors were a mix of toothless hillbillies living in shacks, rugged fisherman, and loggers intermixed with wealthy Californians who just bought themselves a nice summer home and came up to visit for 2 months of the year. I also lived many years in rural Southern Oregon, in places that are even more remote than what you would have in most of Western Montana.
If anyone is sick of big city people, it would be me. I'm only living in the big city , because I need to make money and not starve. Maybe one day I can shift into being a hunter and survivalist and just live off the land. For now, I am stuck doing software. But, since I am stuck in big towns/cities, I need to make the best of them and want to have the best experience I can until I can get off the grid.
Back when I grew up in Portland, it was the big city, but it was way different and much more hippy/hillbilly/hickish like most towns in Oregon, even at a population of over 1 million. Today it is , of course transformed into a Northwest/Californian hybrid city like every other Northwest city.
I'm thinking Boise about 15-20 years ago was not a whole lot different than Portland, in that respect. That is, back when native Idahoans outnumbered the immigrants/transplants , rather than vice-versa.
Urban is an adjective meaning "in, relating to, or characteristic of a city or town". Even small towns like Emmett or Kuna qualify as an Urban area compared to farms and ranches that surround them. I admit some might argue if Boise still qualifies as a Hicktown or not simply because Uber now serves Boise, but not light rail.
I enjoy Boise's quaint small town feel, the friendly people, the clean river running through town, the open space, the mountain backdrop to the north, etc. When I feel I need a major metro fix, I have plenty of choices for airlines that get me to LA, Portland, Seattle or Las Vegas in time for lunch. When I fly back home, I am glad to set my pace back to Boise's pace instead of the rat race pace of other areas.
This post pretty much sums up the discussion. I have lived in larger cities than Boise, but after living in Boise for a number of years it feels more urban than it did when I moved here. Downtown Boise has a lot going for it and is more vibrant compared to some other cities in the region. When I leave town for a larger city, be it for work or play, I am always relieved to come back to this city. There is something about landing at BOI and looking out over the city and seeing the Foothills and having that feeling of "coming home".
What I see in this thread is similar to people from say, California, who move here and constantly talk about what they miss about CA. From my experience, you need to focus on where you are living instead of thinking about where you moved from and constantly comparing to where you moved from.
What I see in this thread is similar to people from say, California, who move here and constantly talk about what they miss about CA. From my experience, you need to focus on where you are living instead of thinking about where you moved from and constantly comparing to where you moved from.
Some Idahoans, may miss living in Idaho you know It's not the same Idaho it use to be. I know I don't even recognize Oregon, well at least Portland anymore.. Totally different city and state now..
After coming back here from 5 years, I was amazed at how different Boise was. I lived in Idaho about 5 years ago and it was different back then, I can only imagine 10-20 years ago. Boise use to feel pretty laid back, but now feels a lot more like a California extension town slowly deteriorating the Northwest roots. It is reminding me a bit more of like a larger version of Bend, which is a town that was about 80% California transplants. That being said, it is still way more laid back than most any yuppified California city. At least for now.
The yuppie vibe in Boise is pretty prevalent now, whereas 5 years ago it seemed to be there, but not as overwhelming as it is today.
Nampa still feels more like a real Idahoan town, even if a lot of the population are California transplants, I feel they have conformed more to the old-fashioned style of living. Whereas Boise is trying to strive to be the next liberal yuppie Northwest mountain town. Of course, as with every other Boise suburb, Nampa is plagued with suburban sprawl, which is too bad, as the town, like Meridian has a lot of potential. Despite having like almost 90,000 people, the city of Nampa I don't think has a concept of neighborhoods.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 07-01-2016 at 02:41 PM..
Boise is nice to come home to after visiting other larger cities. Especially how laid back and relaxed the airport is compared to anywhere else.
But I do often miss Boise and Idaho of old. It's hard to argue that downtown Boise isn't more exciting now, but I'd give that up to get back the laziness, ease, lack of congestion, lack of traffic that comes with it. Mostly, I just miss the lack of people when trying to leave town. Highway 55 is a parking lot Friday evenings headed north, and Sunday afternoons headed back south. There's a wreck almost every single weekend because people are just dumb. I miss when you could leave town and head to the mountains or lake or river without the entire Valley seemingly coming with.
Oh, and everyone knows where Yahoots is.
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Especially from a big snooty city like Boise.
But, since I am stuck in big towns/cities, I need to make the best of them and want to have the best experience I can until I can get off the grid. 
