Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We currently live in Puget Sound, and are strongly considering relocating to the Boise area. However the idea of making a move to Colorado Springs is also a possibility, so I'm looking for opinions in both areas to compare. One catch is that I own a micro-brewery, which would be relocated to whichever city we decide to make the move to. Specifically, I'm interested in the "night life" of the Boise area. In other words, do the sidewalks essentially roll up and most stores close at 6pm? Not looking for a party city, but it would be nice to be able to get out and maybe have a late dinner or something from time to time. Where we presently are, our taproom is open until 8pm, though at times folks stick around until almost 9. Went to Spokane, Washington a few years back, and the city seriously came to a dead stop after 6pm. Hopefully someone can shed some light on how things are in Boise. Thanks in advance!
It does look like many of the independent stores close at 6-ish, but the restaurants are more varied, time-wise, in their closings.
You will find, that in ID, quite a few businesses are closed on Sundays, not so much the big stores like Sears, Costco, Target, etc. but the mid-size to smaller chains and many mom & pop stores.
We just moved here from the Pac NW.
I'm not able to answer the nightlife question but I can address a few things about living here.
Been here 2 months. First thing you will notice, compared to Seattle area, is that people are so nice here. It's amazing how relaxed we have felt since arriving. It's not scary anymore to go out driving like Seattle area. You don't have to plan your routes. :-)
To us, compared to the Seattle area, it's like we're on a different planet here in Boise.
We've met some wonderful locals, experienced some excellent food, great beers and a totally wonderful change from living in the NW.
We lived majority of our long years in Seattle area. In just our short time here we ask ourselves, "what took us so long".
Suggest you research the number of breweries here, it seems like there is a new one that opens each week. Great if you like competition, but remember there is a much smaller customer base than Seattle area. It's also easy for consumers to pick up a microbrew in a growler at grocery and convenience stores, with very good selections.
For downtown Boise, the streets do not close down early, at least on Friday and Saturday nights. Trying to get a reservation at the best places must be made in advance as the 7-8:30 pm slots are always full. It's great to sit outside or next to the open windows of the restaurants and bars on 8th street and the surrounding area and enjoy the outdoor dining and ambience. I'm beyond the age of having a "night life" anymore, but my 25 year old niece has told me about her outings, and she never seems to have a shortage of places to go, especially as you get closer to BSU.
I lived in Seattle area for 12 years, and don't miss the constant grey skies, the traffic, and just general crowded feel. Love the sunshine and happy folks that live here. It's not without its problems, but the positives outweigh the negatives.
The college is in downtown and when i visited there were lots of college kids in downtown late at night. There were some breweries too. On the other hand, like 50 % of the pop is LDS. They probably are not drinking a lot. Montana was crazy with breweries. Must be about 10 breweries in Missoula alone. The competition is fierce, so I hope you make some amazing beer.
We currently live in Puget Sound, and are strongly considering relocating to the Boise area. However the idea of making a move to Colorado Springs is also a possibility, so I'm looking for opinions in both areas to compare. One catch is that I own a micro-brewery, which would be relocated to whichever city we decide to make the move to. Specifically, I'm interested in the "night life" of the Boise area. In other words, do the sidewalks essentially roll up and most stores close at 6pm? Not looking for a party city, but it would be nice to be able to get out and maybe have a late dinner or something from time to time. Where we presently are, our taproom is open until 8pm, though at times folks stick around until almost 9. Went to Spokane, Washington a few years back, and the city seriously came to a dead stop after 6pm. Hopefully someone can shed some light on how things are in Boise. Thanks in advance!
Hi,
Can't really comment on the night-life here, in Colorado Springs, but since we have both an Air Force Academy and an Army base here I would assume night-life is fine. UCCS is here, plus smaller colleges as well. On Yelp there are about 30 breweries listed here.
Been here 10 yrs. people are friendly, and the weather is terrific. A lot of sun, and mild weather . We might get 3-5 snows a yr. but, not every year, and not a lot of snow when we do get it. Because of the Altitude, the snow melts very quickly here. I have been told that we are shielded from bad weather here because of the mountains, not sure if that's correct, but, as I said the weather here is very mild, we do not get the hot weather that Boise gets, nor do we get the colder weather they can get.
I have rarely needed a winter coat here, generally just wear a wind-breaker if needed, in winter.
Housing prices are higher in Boise then in cities surrounding Boise. In Boise itself, the housing [according to Sperlings Best Places.net] is higher then Colorado Springs, but that has been a very recent change, within the last 3-4 years.
Good luck in your re-locating!
We currently live in Puget Sound, and are strongly considering relocating to the Boise area. However the idea of making a move to Colorado Springs is also a possibility, so I'm looking for opinions in both areas to compare. One catch is that I own a micro-brewery, which would be relocated to whichever city we decide to make the move to. Specifically, I'm interested in the "night life" of the Boise area. In other words, do the sidewalks essentially roll up and most stores close at 6pm? Not looking for a party city, but it would be nice to be able to get out and maybe have a late dinner or something from time to time. Where we presently are, our taproom is open until 8pm, though at times folks stick around until almost 9. Went to Spokane, Washington a few years back, and the city seriously came to a dead stop after 6pm. Hopefully someone can shed some light on how things are in Boise. Thanks in advance!
Downtown Boise has a vibrant night life. Many retail stores will close around 7ish to 8ish, some remain open later, but downtown is full of restaurants, breweries, bars, clubs, coffee shops, etc that stay open late. Pedestrian traffic downtown on warm nights can be impressive.
On the flip side, I've read many times that downtown Colorado Springs lacks in vibrancy.
The college is in downtown and when i visited there were lots of college kids in downtown late at night. There were some breweries too. On the other hand, like 50 % of the pop is LDS. They probably are not drinking a lot. Montana was crazy with breweries. Must be about 10 breweries in Missoula alone. The competition is fierce, so I hope you make some amazing beer.
It's actually about 15% LDS in the Boise area. Nowhere near 50%.
There are lots of people out at night in downtown Boise and the Village in Meridian, and to a lesser extent downtown Meridian. At least on weekends, anyway.
The college is in downtown and when i visited there were lots of college kids in downtown late at night. There were some breweries too. On the other hand, like 50 % of the pop is LDS. They probably are not drinking a lot. Montana was crazy with breweries. Must be about 10 breweries in Missoula alone. The competition is fierce, so I hope you make some amazing beer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IdaD
It's actually about 15% LDS in the Boise area. Nowhere near 50%.
There are lots of people out at night in downtown Boise and the Village in Meridian, and to a lesser extent downtown Meridian. At least on weekends, anyway.
lol...I missed Geography's post. I wonder why so many people absorb false information about the LDS presence in Boise. A walk through downtown alone and the amount of establishments to get a drink puts that incorrect information to rest in a heartbeat.
Boise beats Missoula into the ground with the number of breweries.
Seems like the news mentioned a few more opening soon.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A walk through downtown alone and the amount of establishments to get a drink puts that incorrect information to rest in a heartbeat.
