Idaho Falls ranked #1 in Idaho of where to Raise Kids!

[Lacerta]

Originally Posted by jufrbo

I disagree with Meridian being a great place to raise kids. That suburban thing is overrated. Actual childhood might be fine. But I know a lot of people from the area that wound up being pretty screwed up. Yeah, in Boise we smoked herb a lot, dabbled in some psychs and drank like any high school.

But I know people that graduated from Mt. View High, Meridian High, Centenial and Eagle High who were involved with a lot of hard stuff. You know, bad drugs, there's a huge cocaine problem out there, Mt. View in particular with coke. I know several junkies from Meridian High. And know that Eagle has a lot of coke going around as well.

The whole boredom factor plays in, as well as expendable income and detached workaholic parents who work so hard to stay in these upper middle class neighborhood. I just don't buy into the whole great places to raise kids. Hell, the first and pretty much only time I saw/was offered meth was in a large suburban home by people attending Meridian High. I turned down the generous offer thankfully, but amazed about what goes on in these quaint little suburbs.

I don't know much about IF, so the huge LDS population there might factor a little differently from the Meridian crowd. But some of the people I know were raised in right-wing religious type homes, (not LDS, but fundamentalists still) But they still wound up in pretty bad shape.

I'd take my working to lower class upbringing in Boise anytime over the "great place" to raise kids that is Meridian.

Well, of course you are going to have screwed up kids if you have absentee parenting. That doesn't mean the location isn't a good place. You are mixing up bad parenting with bad location. My sister and I both graduated from Centennial, and not only did neither of us ever do drugs, we were never even offered drugs, nor did we ever see anyone else doing drugs (I'm sure it went on, but you make it sound like everyone was high all the time). I did know a lot of people who drank at parties, but that isn't really different than any other high school.

Just because you "knew people" who were into hard drugs doesn't mean the drug problem is worse there. I "know people" now who were actual drug dealers (yes, for hard drugs) at Capital High when they attended there, but I don't assume that they had any more of a drug problem than any other school.


As to the article, I consider Boise/Meridian to be one location these days, so why Meridian would be a runner up, but not Boise, is strange to me. And having been born in IF, with a lot of relatives there, but raised in West Boise, I personally would much rather raise a child in Boise Metro than anywhere else in Idaho. If I were LDS, I'm sure IF would rank higher.

Does anyone else think it is strange that they put a photo of a black child on an Idaho Falls promo picture? Everyone commented on the choice of building being strange, but seriously, IF is like 99% white. Did they have to put out a Craigslist ad to find a black child in that town? This is not meant to be racist, I'm honestly surprised by the choice. Shouldn't you put an image of a person who is representative of the population? Has there been a COMPLETE demographics shift since the last time I visited, or has the person writing the article just never been there?

[jufrbo]

Its not just a few people. Its people I've met through work, growing up with them in church. Its a lot people who have never met each other. Also taking to grads from those schools and hearing how much there was out there.

I think the black kid on the photo is just some random kid super imposed in front of that building. The editor probably doesn't know much about Idaho in general. I'm sure there are at least one or two blacks kids in IF.

[Rhadamathys]

how is that possible with the vast number of sex offenders (against minors) living there?

[EnochTheSleestak]

Wow, that kid looks like he just ate the Bonneville Restaurant Egg Fu Yung.

Having grown up there myself, I can say that IF isn't necessarily a ~bad~ place to grow up. But I can't figure what measure BW uses to determine that it's the best place in Idaho. The schools are so-so, cultural amenities are limited, and if your kid isn't LDS that pretty much locks him/her out of most social networks in that town.

[JJ Driggs]

Did you know there is a local basketball team in Idaho Falls consisting of the 7th grade age group that it playing AAU ball? They competed in a 3 days tournament in Las Vegas over the Easter weekend. What a great group of kids and families. They have heart, spirit, speed, and talent.

[DesertZone]

Pocatello should never make the list. That town is full of drugs, bullys, thives and little hope.
I love the area, but hate the town.

[JJ Driggs]

Obviously some of you haven't been to IF recently. Yes, there are black people living there. Fortunately, it's no big deal. They are just people! And the ones I've met are good parents and good christian people. Kids are blind to color. They like you or not but it has nothing to do with color. Let's try to be as honest as the kids about people.

[DesertZone]

Originally Posted by JJ Driggs

Obviously some of you haven't been to IF recently. Yes, there are black people living there. Fortunately, it's no big deal. They are just people! And the ones I've met are good parents and good christian people. Kids are blind to color. They like you or not but it has nothing to do with color. Let's try to be as honest as the kids about people.

I agree.
When I lived there we all hung out and no one cared. Black, white, asian, hispanic, we all had fun. I sure miss everyone.