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.
Hi there. I have a very simple and direct question about Idaho Falls. My wife and I are looking at this area to possibly relocate to and I want to know flat out what the best part of town is insofar as schools, newer homes and amenities goes. We are looking for something in the upper middle class range.
I would assume crime is pretty nonexistent in a town such as this but I am realistic to know it does exist everywhere and figure the more family oriented communites will have less based on everywhere I have ever lived before.
About us...in our 40's with young child. Would prefer a newer home with nice scenary and good neighborhoods. If we could get something close to Idaho Falls with some acreage that would be great but it's not a requirement. The land would be a bonus, not a prerequisite. I know the towns around IF like Rexburg are probably not going to be a fit and the comments I saw about Ammon, while very nice, lead me to believe IF would still be a better choice.
We are not LDS, we are Catholic, but we are fine with their values, community, ec. We don't know if certain neighborhoods are primarily LDS or not and while we can get along with anybody we want our daughter to be able to be able to go to school and live life our way and not feel out of place with the majority of her friends who may be LDS.
Okay...quick question became more detailed but bottom line is, if you could direct me to a certain community in IF or other town near Idaho Falls, which would you choose to live in for the best quality of life?
Thanks in advance for any help you good folks can give us.
The neighborhoods in Idaho Falls are not well defined in general, but there are newer neighborhood developments, all lying along Sunnyside Road on the southern edge of I.F., that would probably satisfy your requirements. All are upscale, and many of the homes were built in the 90's to early 2000's, so the landscaping is becoming mature now. Sunnyside is a major newly- enlarged connector east to west and allows very good access to the major shopping areas and to all the north-south arterials in town. The schools in the Sunnyside area are some of the newest and best in town.
While the LDS are predominant here, I.F. is about 45% non-Mormon. There are 2 Catholic churches here. One is on 17th st., the major arterial just north of Sunnyside, with many connectors between the two. The Mormons among us live everywhere, and it's pretty equally divided in Idaho Falls. Ammon has a slightly more concentrated Mormon population in a few additions.
Which particular addition would suit you best is something a realtor would be best to answer. Many of the homeowners along Sunnyside work at the INL, and they are transferred around the country at irregular intervals. Home sales are always there, and it is still a buyer's market in I.F., even though new home starts are happening again.
Building a new home on an acreage just outside the city limits, or buying an existing hobby farm, is possible, but I.F. traffic is pretty thick in the rush hours now. A commute to a job in town wouldn't be a long one, but could slow down, and if the high growth of the early 2000's picks back up, especially in the areas east and south of town, the country may not remain the country for very long. Iona, Lincoln and Ammon areas all grew like wildfire, and much of the country between all of them began to fill in rapidly with new housing subdivisions. Construction stopped in many, but there are still lots available in many as well.
Back when I was young, Iona, Ammon and Lincoln were all separated by miles of farms. There is still farmland there, but it's disappearing. Some of the new developments' plantings were not well thought out- one in particular would have caused really severe traffic problems for Iona, but it went bust before any homes were built.
All that said, you should also take a look at some of the older subdivisions as well. There are a lot of very fine homes that were built in the Boulevard area in the 80's and earlier, and many of those neighborhoods are very nice. The landscaping is all mature, and the neighborhoods are all quiet, but all share very good access.
All the numbered streets have fine homes, ranging in age from the 1930's to new, and many of the old homes have been remodeled and upgraded over the years. I live in a great house that was built in 1958 that was modernized a while back, and I really love the home and my neighborhood. I have a lot of great neighbors, Mormon and non-Mormon alike,and it's very quiet and peaceful here. IF High is close by, as are several elementary schools, and I wouldn't trade my home for a newer one at all.
Last edited by banjomike; 11-25-2012 at 12:05 PM..
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions in detail. We will be coming up there soon and wanted to look at Idaho Falls and also Pocatello though I suspect the latter is not as nice insofar as housing and is more a college town. It appears South of town is where to be or the older areas you described...we wil drive around them all. I guess getting something off the beaten path is becoming less and lesss possible with the housing cranking up in that area. Yet they still don't have a Costco there?
John, I dont live there, but I drove through the area and looked around last year. The aesthetics of Pocatello appeal to me a little more than IF, but either place looks great to live in. I've been reading everything I can about all of SE Idaho. The time I spent in Poky everyone was extremely nice to me and I was traveling alone.
The wife and I are planning a trip there late spring to early summer to check it out as a possible retirement site.
I believe IF will be great for you, but don't discount POKY. IF has plenty of college age kids, too. Wherever they are, the college age crowd will bring both fun and frustration to us older folks. Enjoy whatever positive they have to offer, ignore the frustrating moments, and, remember, they are going to inherit the world WE built, which offers its own share of fun and frustration!
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions in detail. We will be coming up there soon and wanted to look at Idaho Falls and also Pocatello though I suspect the latter is not as nice insofar as housing and is more a college town. It appears South of town is where to be or the older areas you described...we wil drive around them all. I guess getting something off the beaten path is becoming less and lesss possible with the housing cranking up in that area. Yet they still don't have a Costco there?
Sunnyside is on the south edge of town. The numbered streets are more in the middle. I.F. is divided by the river; the west side of the river underwent a major construction boom in the 70's, and has some nice homes on that side.
I think the wisest plan for you is to check out some realtor's sites before you come, and talk to some realtors when you arrive. If you need help selecting an agent, write me- I know several who are trustworthy and won't try to sell you something you may not want.
We just moved to Idaho Falls from southern California this past February so I can give you the view of an outsider. When we first arrived we were looking to build on some acreage in any of the surrounding areas until we realized the roads get very icy even with just a little snow. After weighing our options in areas closer to town we decided to stay on the south east side of Idaho Falls like Banjomike had suggested to you. There are some larger properties that are outside the city limits and still within the county lines but I would suggest that you have a 4x4 or AWD vehicle and experience driving in ice. There are only a few neighborhoods this side of town that are in the desirable school district 93 and still in IF city limits but are what it sounds like you are looking for. We are also not LDS and although the non-LDS population is growing you will find a church near every development. The people in our quiet neighborhood are very kind and I would assume any of the other nearby areas would be the same. One thing to note is as long as you stay within IF your power,water,sewer and trash are all one bill with the city. This past month for our 5 bedroom 3 Bathroom house was 107! You are right, still no Costco but everyone keeps telling my husband they are in negotiations over what city to build in between Ammon and Idaho Falls. There is however a very nice Sams club, Super Walmart, Albertsons and Winco. Although I miss Costco I have been able to find what I need. What kind of activities are looking for? If you are into anything outdoor you will be very content here. As for activities that a large city would have, there aren't too many but more that what I had expected. There are a couple of museums and a zoo. The negatives that a large city brings are practically non-existent here which makes it a great area to raise a family. We came out here because of a job opportunity that might be taking us back to California in the next couple of months but I have nothing but positive to say about our time here. I hope any of that helps!
John, I dont live there, but I drove through the area and looked around last year. The aesthetics of Pocatello appeal to me a little more than IF, but either place looks great to live in. I've been reading everything I can about all of SE Idaho. The time I spent in Poky everyone was extremely nice to me and I was traveling alone.
The wife and I are planning a trip there late spring to early summer to check it out as a possible retirement site.
I believe IF will be great for you, but don't discount POKY. IF has plenty of college age kids, too. Wherever they are, the college age crowd will bring both fun and frustration to us older folks. Enjoy whatever positive they have to offer, ignore the frustrating moments, and, remember, they are going to inherit the world WE built, which offers its own share of fun and frustration!
I agree, Wardendresden, that I.F. has plenty of college age kids too. That's one reason ISU - Idaho Falls is being forced to add all the additional degrees and classes at the I.F. campus.
I can't speak for Pocatello, but lately a lot of retires are deciding to live in I.F. Some to be closer to their kids, some b/c the weather is better than where they live and others for various reasons.
It may be beneficial to contact not only the local Chamber of Commerce about demographics, as well as checking with Bonneville County about services for Srs. I'd also check with the Sr. Center and get direct feedback from those who would know best. And since I know medical issues are a concern for Wardendresden, do some homework and see how many physicians in Poky are accepting patients over 50.
I hope those tips help both John and Wardendresden. Good luck - I always say you'll know where home is bcause it will feel like home.
It may be beneficial to contact not only the local Chamber of Commerce about demographics, as well as checking with Bonneville County about services for Srs. I'd also check with the Sr. Center and get direct feedback from those who would know best. And since I know medical issues are a concern for Wardendresden, do some homework and see how many physicians in Poky are accepting patients over 50.
I hope those tips help both John and Wardendresden. Good luck - I always say you'll know where home is bcause it will feel like home.
MSR
Good luck to both
Thanks for the great advice, MSR. Since my wife is employed in the health field, that is one of the areas she will check out thoroughly (she is a medical staff director, working with doctors on the administrative side).
Generally, and I say that strongly, GENERALLY, the more rural the area, the less resistance there is to accepting Medicare/Medicaid, simply because there is not a large pool of people to pay for the basic expenses that need to be covered by both hospitals and physician offices. As population goes up and there are more people with wealth in an area, physicians tend to be "pickier" about accepting new patients. Areas like Dallas, where we live now, and we have more and more "concierge" physicians. Instead of keeping a patient pool of 2000-2200, they only keep 750. BUT, those 750 pay a monthly fee of say $150-$200 per month for the "right" to have very little waiting period to see their doctor.
Good advice, though, and I appreciate it very much.
Thanks everyone for all of the information. My wife took a trip out there by herself last week because I had to work and said the area was gorgeous.
Now the questions: A real estate agent told her the summers are great but that people don't go out much in the winter because there isn't much to do....way to sell an area eh? I find that hard to believe being that Idaho Falls is located near so much outdoor oriented places. Someone want to clue me in on why the real estate agent would say that?
The activites we both enjoy are fishing, boating, hunting (me, not her) and skiing. Our little girl is only three but it's all we can do to keep her inside the house now...are there great parks and trails in the area? I heard the town was family oriented...I would think it would have plenty of things for kids to do outdoors.
Regarding the LDS influence...my wife said that yes, there was a church at the entrance to darn near every subdivision! First time she had ever seen that. We are Catholic...hope they like us because I will be having beer at my BBQ's!
The school district stuff is interesting...area 93 is the magic number from what everyone is saying. Is there a world of difference between IF and Ammon insofar as neighborhoods, schools, utilities, etc? My wife liked many of the neighborhoods in Ammon.
Okay...that's it for now...bear with me, I live on the East Coast and we are looking to escape. I know that the Boise area of Idaho is pretty darn appealing...but at 900 miles that is still too close to California for me...so we are leaning towards Eastern Idaho.
If skiing is one of your activities, then you are in the right place. Smaller areas nearby, and big grand resorts within a half day drive (Sun Valley, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole).
Neighborhoods in IF are not well-defined, but I agree the Boulevard area offers some quality mid-century, and slightly newer homes. Newer homes, in all price ranges are outside the city, mostly in Ammon.
Pocatello, despite its rep, does have some nice neighborhoods, mostly up in the foothills east of town. However, if you need to commute to IF, it is rather cumbersome during the winter with some very questionable weather days.
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.
Poky okay
