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Okay, I will be moving to Boise in a couple of months for my hubby's job. Is Boise really as georgous as it looks online? We have never been there. We are kind of moving blind. My husband told me to pick a place out of like 5 states and I chose Boise, ID. Needless to say, since he already has a job we are not worried about that and I dont really care about traffic as I lived in central California for 13 years but we do want a family friendly environment. I have 2 small children. We currently live in Indiana which I love as far as being family oriented but there is little to do here. We are looking for lots of local activities, good schools, nice people, low crime etc. Can you tell me if Boise is the right choice? What area of Boise is the best to move to for schools and low crime but that is also close to shopping, movies, and activities. Also, what is the weather like? Lots of snow? Really cold? And how are the summers? Really hot? Humid? Dry? Are there any places to meet other mothers/families with young children? Thanks so much in advance for your help. I am really excited for the move!!!!!!
It can't be as cold as Indiana and sure is lot less humidity.
Hotter than you know in the summer but it's a dry heat
Hubby already has a job , you couldn't go wrong.
Yes it really is that pretty.
Do some searching at the top of this page in the blue bar.
There is stuff for days about the real Boise.
You'll love it.
Okay, I will be moving to Boise in a couple of months for my hubby's job. Is Boise really as georgous as it looks online? We have never been there. We are kind of moving blind. My husband told me to pick a place out of like 5 states and I chose Boise, ID. Needless to say, since he already has a job we are not worried about that and I dont really care about traffic as I lived in central California for 13 years but we do want a family friendly environment. I have 2 small children. We currently live in Indiana which I love as far as being family oriented but there is little to do here. We are looking for lots of local activities, good schools, nice people, low crime etc. Can you tell me if Boise is the right choice? What area of Boise is the best to move to for schools and low crime but that is also close to shopping, movies, and activities. Also, what is the weather like? Lots of snow? Really cold? And how are the summers? Really hot? Humid? Dry? Are there any places to meet other mothers/families with young children? Thanks so much in advance for your help. I am really excited for the move!!!!!!
Boise is very family friendly and the perfect environment for what you seek. You'll find lots of activities- watch your mail as you will periodically receive booklets with community activities- I think it's through Parks and Recreation. Crime is low for a city our size and the past few years Boise has been voted one of the safest places to live in the country. Probably the best thing to do when deciding on a location to live, is to pick a school first, then search for a home that falls under it's jurisdiction. You can go to Great Schools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community or Schooldigger.com -- Search and compare elementary, middle, and high schools. for assistance. Then you'll be able to pull homes from MLS by putting the school's name in the parameters; that way you'll only get listings that fall under that school district.
You will experience 4 seasons in the Treasure Valley. Spring will fluctuate in temps from cool to warm with occasional showers and thunderstorms. Summer is hot with temperatures usually hovering in the mid 90's to low 100's. Typically the warmest time seems to be the last two weeks of July into the first week of August. Fall is a local favorite and just an extention of summer only a bit cooler. Winter's average snowfall is 21 inches though the past two years have been more. January is usually our coldest month. The air here is dry and you'll find the lack of humidity makes the Summer temperatures more bearable and the winter temperatures to be a dry cold, not damp.
Hope this answers some of your questions. Run a search on the tool bar above, I'm sure you will find lots of helpful information on there, otherwise, keep asking questions and we'll do the best to help you out.
We will actually be renting at first. I heard that West Boise is a good area. Is that true? The dryer weather will be great. My son has reactive airways so hopefully the dry weather will help with that.
We will actually be renting at first. I heard that West Boise is a good area. Is that true? The dryer weather will be great. My son has reactive airways so hopefully the dry weather will help with that.
Renting at first is a good idea, because that will give you a few months to figure out the neighborhoods. Anywhere in the Treasure Valley is really hard to nail down in words, as all areas seem to keep a wide range of demographics. The great part is that the small amount of crime in the area is underground and unaffiliated (i.e., no gangs or street-corner "enterprises"), so it's pretty imperceptible to people who don't look for it or draw its attention. There are wrong places/times, but as discussed in several other threads on this forum, those are extremely few compared to most cities. Really, when I talk about the varying demographics, I'm more just referring to the socioeconomic qualities you can expect from neighbors... nothing horrendous, but something any home buyer would definitely consider.
For your son's respiratory issues, I grew up in Boise as a person with ear/nose/throat complications, so I can tell you that Boise has its moments during fire season (summer) and chimney season (winter). Something about the area makes it easy for smoke to settle there. Nonetheless, to someone who's lived in the urban, humid East coast or SoCal, the air feels so clear most of the year that those nasty stints are well worth the the brief irritation. It gets thick and it'll stay for a few days to a couple weeks, but then it's back to great air. Also, sage and ragweed have a blooming season that tended to cause sinus infections for me, but enduring the brief hassle/aggravation of a light antibiotic had me right back at my best in three days and without a regimen in five (Zithromax was just that easy!). So many places will lead to respiratory issues for so much more time out of the year and so much more impact over a lifetime that Boise isn't even on that map.
For your close proximity to shopping/urban activity criterion, West Boise is a good recommendation. That's where most of the latest development is moving, and farmland has quickly transformed into strip malls and suburbs. Right along the freeway (I-84) are several rec parks and shopping areas that are very targeted at keeping youth entertained. Much of West Boise, Meridian, and Eagle have pretty direct freeway access. The connector (I-184 on a map) makes every part of Boise quite accessible (no more than 20 min. in fair traffic) to every other part of Boise, though, so as someone from California you'll find accessibility to be no problem anywhere you end up.
Personally, I prefer North and East Boise. The difference with these is that they are older neighborhoods and less encroached by strip malls and suburbs (except a few recent sparse developments on the edges). Due to the age of the area, there are a lot more large trees. Grocery stores and Downtown are easily accessed from North and East Boise, but just like the houses, the strip malls aren't as modern and are filled with more alternative types of stores (e.g., co-op, imports, outdoor recreation, cafes). I like to bicycle, though, especially as a kid before I had a license. North and East Boise are much more accommodating to bicycling and walking than West Boise, so that along with the more relaxed vibe is what appealed to me.
Once you get to Boise, though, you'll see it's quite mixed. I can't give you much about schools more than subjective opinions from a decade ago, so Torrie's links will serve you best on that front. Not at all absolute, but generally true, is that North and East Boise are better for people who like quaintness and don't mind an older home, while West and South Boise are for people who like it more urban and prefer a newer home.
Happy trails. I'm eager for the day I can return home saying "Boise or Bust".
We will actually be renting at first. I heard that West Boise is a good area. Is that true? The dryer weather will be great. My son has reactive airways so hopefully the dry weather will help with that.
First of all, Congratulations on making Boise your choice. Most of the folks that I have talked to that have moved here have never regretted it for a moment.
As everyone else has indicated, Boise has great weather almost all the time except for a few exceptions. Just use those exceptions to enjoy the indoor activities that you love (i.e., movies, shopping, concerts and the many indoor sports activities such as bowling).
You indicated you have 2 small children; however, as I'm not sure how old they are, I have heard things from other parents on what schools they like. I live in West Boise and my 8 year old son attends Spaulding Elementary. We just love it and have found the faculty and office staff outstanding. Spaulding is in the Meridian School district which you will find a good portion of West Boise resides in.
I just love the easy access to the freeway (Eagle/I-84 area) which makes it extremely easy to get places in a short time. My wife typically has to run downtown each day and in most cases it takes her 15 to 20 min. tops (non rushhour of course).
We are on the downhill side of winter now and I am looking forward to the days getting longer and longer and the weather warming up. One thing that sometimes is a surprise to new folks is how late it stays light here in the summertime. Since we are on the very western edge of the Mountain Time zone, it seems it has more of an effect here. We typically get the daylight that normally covers the Pacific time zone, but since we are an hour ahead, it seems later when the sun goes down. On a map or globe, you can see that Boise is almost directly north of Las Vegas, NV and surrounded by the Pacific time zone.
Anyways, congrats again on making Boise your new home. I think you will find that the pictures are great, but being here is much better!!
Idaho should be on Pacific Time. Or do like Arizona, stay on Mountain Time all year. That way children will not be going to school in the dark, and they don't like going to bed when the sun is still out.
Just my input.
Had to laugh at your remark about not worrying about the traffic as you used to live in the Central Valley of CA, you'll do just fine then You'll also do fine in the fog that any part of Idaho can get since you've lived in central CA.
Even though I'm on the other side of Idaho, I think you'll quite appreciate the Boise area.
The heat also isn't as bad as the central valley, it can get up there by day, but as far as I can recall cools down more in Boise than the central valley.
You are going to Love it here!
Renting is the right thing to do.
That way to can explore to your hearts content and find an area you love.
We too, rented for a year before we purchased a home a couple months ago.
It was great have all that time to explore our options.
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