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It's okay here. Affordable, nice summers, lots of work....
but.....
I find it annoyingly liberal (one of the reasons I left Montana is because it is very expensive and liberal). And it is very crowded here. And the public school system, specifically the Meridian District, is the worst school system I have ever dealt with, so bad that we are now homeschooling. And there's a lot of traffic. And it's more crime-ridden than people think. And I could probably go on and on...Bottom line, I'm ready to leave this town after less than two years here.
Idaho Falls on the other hand, is smaller, close to Yellowstone, close to Salmon, close to a lot of things it seems like. And hopefully more conservative?
Wondering how the economy is there. I'm a self-employed carpenter-remodeler. I've had work in Boise from the first week I got here and have had zero down time since. Is IF "booming"?
How are the public schools there?
Can a guy find a place on the river that isn't overrun with people?
How much is a gallon of milk? Of gasoline?
Please don't anybody start in about the mormons. I'm aware of the mormon demographic. I'm not LDS, but I like them. I'm cool with mormons.
Just want input on IF itself and the general economy of the area.
It's okay here. Affordable, nice summers, lots of work....
but.....
I find it annoyingly liberal (one of the reasons I left Montana is because it is very expensive and liberal). And it is very crowded here. And the public school system, specifically the Meridian District, is the worst school system I have ever dealt with, so bad that we are now homeschooling. And there's a lot of traffic. And it's more crime-ridden than people think. And I could probably go on and on...Bottom line, I'm ready to leave this town after less than two years here.
Idaho Falls on the other hand, is smaller, close to Yellowstone, close to Salmon, close to a lot of things it seems like. And hopefully more conservative?
Wondering how the economy is there. I'm a self-employed carpenter-remodeler. I've had work in Boise from the first week I got here and have had zero down time since. Is IF "booming"?
How are the public schools there?
Can a guy find a place on the river that isn't overrun with people?
How much is a gallon of milk? Of gasoline?
Please don't anybody start in about the mormons. I'm aware of the mormon demographic. I'm not LDS, but I like them. I'm cool with mormons.
Just want input on IF itself and the general economy of the area.
We do have crime, but with the population being less, so is the crime.
Work is NOT plentiful here. I get calls daily asking if we're hiring and we are not. In fact last night we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and at 8pm I could have sworn there were more employees then customers dining.
Can't help with milk as I don't drink it, but unlead is currently $3.35 a gallon depending on where you gas up.
Not thinking you really want to be ON the river as she's overflowed her banks more than once in the 20 plus years we've lived here
You would have quite a bit of down time here given your profession I'm afraid.
Good luck with your school concern. The Boise and Meridian school disctricts are some of the best in the state and the Boise school disctrict is often referred to as the best in the state.
We do have crime, but with the population being less, so is the crime.
Work is NOT plentiful here. I get calls daily asking if we're hiring and we are not. In fact last night we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and at 8pm I could have sworn there were more employees then customers dining.
Can't help with milk as I don't drink it, but unlead is currently $3.35 a gallon depending on where you gas up.
Not thinking you really want to be ON the river as she's overflowed her banks more than once in the 20 plus years we've lived here
You would have quite a bit of down time here given your profession I'm afraid.
Thanks for that reply.
Actually I didn't mean living on the river, I meant recreationally.
Okay, so Idaho Falls isn't booming. Good to know.
Concerning callers wanting to know if you are hiring, I would take down their names and keep them on file, and then if you ever are hiring, refer to that list so you know who not to hire. Seriously, I get calls like that too, and I would never hire somebody who was so lazy that they were calling people on the phone and asking them for a job. The last time I had no work (my last winter in Montana), I lowered my rate and distributed fliers door to door. That's what we call "pounding the pavement".
Okay, major digression. I'm back.
Without being too specific, can you tell me what kind of business you're in?
Sounds like gas is about 10-15 cents cheaper there.
Glad to know there's a Texas Roadhouse there. Mmmmm.
Based on craigslist, rent is cheaper there too.
See, I moved to Boise from Missoula. The same house (3 bdrm/2 bath) I rent for $900-a-month for here in Boise was costing me $1200-a-month in Missoula. Plus $300-$350-a-month power bills in winter. Here my highest bill has been $160, including elec. and gas, and we've had a pretty cold winter over here.
And groceries are cheaper here, too. Love me some WinCo!
I'm not discouraged. I need to do a trip over there and check it out. I've been through there lots of times on the way to SLC, Vegas, and/or SoCal, but never considered living there until recently.
Good luck with your school concern. The Boise and Meridian school disctricts are some of the best in the state and the Boise school disctrict is often referred to as the best in the state.
Yeah, I've heard that too. I can tell you first-hand that if they are the best this state has to offer, we'll be homeschooling all the way through. Their teachers and administrators are the rudest, most unprofessional I have ever met, and they're just the tip of the iceberg. I would never allow my children back into a Meridian District school.
We have a WinCo here, so the milk prices would probably be similar.
Cleo's Mom is pretty accurate re/ the job situation. There are jobs, but it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right skills.
Bonneville County boomed in 1990-2000, and as always here, became overstocked with new houses. While there has been an uptick in home sales here last year, there is still a big surplus as far as I've seen.
The schools here in Dist. 91 are generally pretty good, but some are better than others depending on the neighborhood & school. Dist. 93, which serves Bonneville County, is the same. Like the rest of the state, we are losing teachers to Wyoming and Utah right now, so there are more beginning teachers than in the past.
I.F. is more conservative than Boise.
You're correct re/ Yellowstone & Salmon; you won't have to go very far here to hunt and fish, and there are a lot of other outdoor activities that go on here year round. The foothills are popular bike rides, and there is an annual marathon held every year for runners. This is big snow machine country. Fishing is good within the city limits, and even better 10 miles upstream.
We have a WinCo here, so the milk prices would probably be similar.
Cleo's Mom is pretty accurate re/ the job situation. There are jobs, but it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right skills.
Bonneville County boomed in 1990-2000, and as always here, became overstocked with new houses. While there has been an uptick in home sales here last year, there is still a big surplus as far as I've seen.
The schools here in Dist. 91 are generally pretty good, but some are better than others depending on the neighborhood & school. Dist. 93, which serves Bonneville County, is the same. Like the rest of the state, we are losing teachers to Wyoming and Utah right now, so there are more beginning teachers than in the past.
I.F. is more conservative than Boise.
You're correct re/ Yellowstone & Salmon; you won't have to go very far here to hunt and fish, and there are a lot of other outdoor activities that go on here year round. The foothills are popular bike rides, and there is an annual marathon held every year for runners. This is big snow machine country. Fishing is good within the city limits, and even better 10 miles upstream.
Banjo, how close is IF to the mountains? I drove through there but stopped in Pocatello which I remember is near the base of a range of mountains, or a very long ridge at least. The videos on the internet show mountains around Poky, but I never see them in IF videos---usually just the falls. The wife loves mountains. We want to live in SE Idaho so we can remain no more than a long day's drive from Denver where our son and his family reside, but we haven't tied our expectations to any of the small cities along I-15.
We've got our visit scheduled for early in September. Planning to base in Poky and drive up and down the expressway getting a view of the area. Will keep you posted so hopefully you will allow us to buy you lunch and get your personal perspective regarding the area.
Thanks for your continued informative posts about Idaho. Always very helpful.
Banjo, how close is IF to the mountains? I drove through there but stopped in Pocatello which I remember is near the base of a range of mountains, or a very long ridge at least. The videos on the internet show mountains around Poky, but I never see them in IF videos---usually just the falls. The wife loves mountains. We want to live in SE Idaho so we can remain no more than a long day's drive from Denver where our son and his family reside, but we haven't tied our expectations to any of the small cities along I-15.
We've got our visit scheduled for early in September. Planning to base in Poky and drive up and down the expressway getting a view of the area. Will keep you posted so hopefully you will allow us to buy you lunch and get your personal perspective regarding the area.
Thanks for your continued informative posts about Idaho. Always very helpful.
Wardendresden,
I know you asked BanjoMike the question and he is certainly free to answer as well. If you consider mtns. to be what one drives through in Pocatello, the foothills in Ammon are maybe 5 miles from Idaho Falls. They are on the east side. You might want to see if Ammon searches yield you any mtn views. Many live in those small mtns. so there are lots of hiking trails etc.
If you're talking the Tetons etc., 90 minutes away.
Here's one of my alltime favs for a look at beautiful ID scenery. Be sure to check out the Gallery and other categories on the link. The live cam is suppose to update regularly 24/7 in Driggs looking at the Tetons from the ID side. ENJOY TetonCam
I hope that answer helped. Banjo probably can answer more specifically.
I know you asked BanjoMike the question and he is certainly free to answer as well. If you consider mtns. to be what one drives through in Pocatello, the foothills in Ammon are maybe 5 miles from Idaho Falls. They are on the east side. You might want to see if Ammon searches yield you any mtn views. Many live in those small mtns. so there are lots of hiking trails etc.
If you're talking the Tetons etc., 90 minutes away.
Here's one of my alltime favs for a look at beautiful ID scenery. Be sure to check out the Gallery and other categories on the link. The live cam is suppose to update regularly 24/7 in Driggs looking at the Tetons from the ID side. ENJOY TetonCam
I hope that answer helped. Banjo probably can answer more specifically.
MSR
Thanks, Mtn., those are terrific shots of the west side of the Tetons. We've driven through Driggs a couple of times and I probably would prefer living over there except the wife has no thyroid, so we need to stay close to good medical facilities in the event she needs regulation of her meds. And we "more mature" adults need to be closer to medical facilities in general.
But the tip on Ammon is great. I'm sure we will be driving through there to get an idea. I'm planning to drive all the way from Dallas, while she is going to fly into Boise where I will meet her. Then we get to see the whole flatlands between the two areas. So between flying, driving, living in motels and eating, we're planning to assist Idaho's economy significantly---at least from our point of view!
Thanks, Mtn., those are terrific shots of the west side of the Tetons. We've driven through Driggs a couple of times and I probably would prefer living over there except the wife has no thyroid, so we need to stay close to good medical facilities in the event she needs regulation of her meds. And we "more mature" adults need to be closer to medical facilities in general.
But the tip on Ammon is great. I'm sure we will be driving through there to get an idea. I'm planning to drive all the way from Dallas, while she is going to fly into Boise where I will meet her. Then we get to see the whole flatlands between the two areas. So between flying, driving, living in motels and eating, we're planning to assist Idaho's economy significantly---at least from our point of view!
Wardendresden,
Ammon is literally and I do mean literally across the street from Idaho Falls. Hitt Road/ 25th East (same road, just named differently depending on how far north or south one is) divides the two. Ammon is also in Bonneville County.
I hear you about the thyroid situation with your wife. My got nuked and 5-7 yrs. later when they found a remaining nodule, surgically removed. So thyroid care does matter. Plus, Driggs can be difficult for those moving to the area to be in, for many reasons. Many have their SECOND homes there. However, some of my most favorite people living in ID are regular residents of Driggs who work as teachers and other regular professions instead of living in Driggs and commuting to Jackson Hole to work.
Between the endocrinology practice in Idaho Falls (none in Pocatello), and certain primary care docs who have a special interest in thyroid disease and have learned some of the pearls of practice, I'm more confident now about thyroid care in Idaho Falls than I have been. As I'm sure both you and your wife know, every true thyroid patient has learned it is a matter of being proactive and knowing what works best for him/her and being able to endure the changes made which won't clinically manifest for 6 weeks. The key is finding a practitioner wise enough to listen to a patient.
Absolutely get all of your wife's medical records and make copies for doctors but keep the originals with you/her regardless of where you relocate. It will help whichever practitioner care for your wife. Some of us (ME, ME, ME) are the odd ducks that show those subtle changes on T-3s, not T-4s. It saves so much potential conflict with a physician to produce previous lab tests proving my point vs. arguing in an office.
Of all the things you've written here what most puzzles me (and I'd love to know how you've got this one planned) is how you could drive a very long day and be in Denver. If you don't mind, please clue me in on your planned route. I consider a long day of driving 8-12 hrs. and do realize that isn't necessarily the same for others.
I think you're wise to investigate ID on your own from the air, on ground, driving and walking etc. I'm a firm believer you'll know where "home" is for you. It either feels right or doesn't. I trust my gut...
Good luck in your search
MSR
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