Maybe moving to Meridan???????????? (Boise, Nampa: apartments, high crime, co-op)

[seb3]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone can give me some tips, insights and advice on the city of Meridan. We might be moving there soon and know nothing about it! What are good the neighborhoods to raise a family, is it diverse, is it a high crime city? nice apartments to live...job openings.... etc.......any help would be appreciated. If we do get relocated there, we are coming blind and know no one or anything about the state or city!!! Anyone got any advice????



THANKS!!!!!

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by seb3

Hi, I am wondering if anyone can give me some tips, insights and advice on the city of Meridan. We might be moving there soon and know nothing about it! What are good the neighborhoods to raise a family, is it diverse, is it a high crime city? nice apartments to live...job openings.... etc.......any help would be appreciated. If we do get relocated there, we are coming blind and know no one or anything about the state or city!!! Anyone got any advice????



THANKS!!!!!

It's actually "Meridian" just as in part of the name of the longitudinal line through the UK. Maybe a typo, but since it happened twice, figured the FYI couldn't hurt.

I am curious why you'd be moving to Meridian specifically. I take it your curiosity about job openings means it's either not a relocation or a one-family-member relocation. The reason I ask this is that Meridian is part of the Boise metro area, and is almost indistinguishable from West Boise without paying attention to signs on most roads. Depending why you'd be choosing Meridian, you might just as well live in Boise.

Meridian also covers a large span, encompassing both "township" urban and rural motifs. Closer to Fairview, Franklin, and Eagle Rd will be more urban with shopping centers and subdivisions (both unique older kinds and newer "cookie cutter" kinds). As you go South and West, Meridian becomes more rural quite fast (this started around Overland and Cloverdale, respectively, about ten years ago... don't know how far the urban motif stretched since then).

Meridian has fairly good schools, including close proximity to several private ones. There are numerous amusement areas and rec centers in proximity or freeway access from Meridian, so kids would be very unlikely to get bored.

The whole Boise metro area is quite diverse, but not like an Eastern or Southern US city. You'll be more likely to live around Hispanics in Meridian than in Boise, but not near as likely as living in Nampa or Caldwell.

The whole area has quick access to the outdoors, if that appeals to you.

The job market is an interesting commentary. Tech. jobs have always done well, though as a Business-IT graduate, I can tell you that the market is saturated with applicants, so you'll need to have a competitive resume. Income is generally lower than most cities and cost of living is high for that income, but not as high as most cities. There are plenty of job openings but lots of applicants in pretty much every field. Boise is a highly sought after locale, so be ready to compete on any front. Government, healthcare, and academia would be good bets, especially if your skills are more general administrative or managerial. There are also many small businesses in the area, and especially in Meridian.

Crime is not nonexistent, but Boise metro is extremely safe compared to most cities. Murders and rapes are still a "front page headline" big deal in the area. Boise metro has a very conservative political demographic that ensures civilian gun ownership and no-nonsense police tactics in abundance. That said, Boise metro has a diversity of viewpoints like anywhere, but conservatism tends to dominate in the polls.

There are many nice apartments throughout the area. My experience is more in Boise than Meridian, as most friends in Meridian own houses, but there are some nice apartments in Meridian, presumable from the exterior.

Hopefully that helps. I can give more specific answers if you have any specific questions.

[Syringaloid]

Meridian has its own little downtown area which is currently seeing investment and change. There is a new organic local co-op planned for one of the historic buildings and several new buildings are under construction in the downtown area of Meridian. There are even a few upscale bistro restaurants in Meridian, believe it or not. Some high end office and medical parks are planned and a few are under construction. Meridian is pretty white color and seems to be home to a lot of middle class families.
It is a suburb of Boise but it also has its own identity with a lot of strip malls, a new lifestlye center coming online, and a nice hospital and some nice city parks. A lot of the housing is pretty nice with great landscaping along the streets to create an attractive look. I have heard many people from out of state who visit say that they like Meridian because it is so clean and they always note the extensive landscaping and water features along the streets.
Meridian is only about a 10 - 15 minute drive from downtown Boise on the interstate so it is central to a lot of the valley. They even have their own little greenbelt along Five Mile Creek. The view of the Boise Mountains is great and one of the best Thai restaurants in the whole state is in Meridian.
Hard to beat that
Meridian is basicaly part of Boise with all of the growth going on. It used to be that you could drive down Fairview Ave and there were farms between Boise and Meridian. Now it is all one big built up city all of the way West of Meridian with some farm land clinging on in certain areas. But Meridian holds on to its roots as one of the states "used to be" largest dairy regions. Meridian Dairy Days is always interesting.