Moving to Twin Falls, ID. Any Information is Appreciated (Boise: fit in, best city)

[Monet491]

I moved from Los Angeles, CA to Las Vegas, NV but now I want snow so I decided I want to move to Twin Falls, ID. Only thing is, I never been to Idaho so I don't know too much about it. Of course before I actually move, I'll visit first. But it would be nice to learn as much as I could via the web. I know the cost of living is affordable, which is a plus for me. I'm a 23, going on 24, year old single black female. Before I move, I'll have at least $5k just so I can be comfortable. I'll make sure I have a job first before moving. I have a car that I will be driving into the state. Here's a list of questions I have.

1. How is the weather in the winter? Having snow is a priority
2. Racism?
3. I'm not religious, would I have problems?
4. The people. Are the people welcoming and nice?
5. Community College. I will be going back to school in the fall.
6. Any other information you can share...

[sunflowersinthegarden]

Not enough snow in the south, in my opinion.

There's the College of Southern Idaho - CSI in Twin Falls.

[banjomike]

Hi, Monet…
Never mind sunflowers- there's always some snow here in the winters, but Boise usually doesn't get as much as other areas.
I doubt you will find much racism at all, and you won't have religious problems, but you may find Twin a little isolating in that regard, because there are a lot of LDS living there. As a non-believer, you might find your neighbors to be nice, but rather reserved, because the church is the center of a lot of the member's secular activities as well as it's religious activities.

The College of Southern Idaho is a pretty good school, from what I hear about it. Twin Falls tends to be hotter in the summers than the cities that lie eastward, as the terrain there is lower. The country steadily rises to the east, where the Great Divide lies on the southeastern border of the state. The closer to the Divide, the more alpine the country gets.

You might want to take a closer look at Pocatello, though, especially if you would like to have a few new friends of color; I think there are more black folks who live in Pocatello and Idaho Falls than in Twin, and Idaho State U. is located in Pocatello. Poky has more varied terrain around it than Twin; while the Snake River canyon at Twin Falls is spectacular, (higher than Niagara), the surrounding country is mostly farm ground. Pocatello lies in a hole surrounded by mountains on 2 sides, and one side opens up on the Arco desert, which is actually way cooler than its name may suggest.

Poky is also closer to Yellowstone and the Tetons than Twin. Idaho Falls is even closer, about the same size as Pocatello, and is pretty racially diverse for an Idaho city, but it doesn't have a local college. What it does have is an ed center that's unique to the state- University Place. People can attend college classes there that are taught by professors from Idaho State, BYUI, and the University of Idaho, and a student can attain a degree through it using computer classes. Some majors require some attendance at ISU to complete.

Pocatello is about 2 hours east from Twin on I-84, and Idaho Falls is another hour north on I-15. The drive will show you plenty of the local scenery.

[Monet491]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Hi, Monet…
Never mind sunflowers- there's always some snow here in the winters, but Boise usually doesn't get as much as other areas.
I doubt you will find much racism at all, and you won't have religious problems, but you may find Twin a little isolating in that regard, because there are a lot of LDS living there. As a non-believer, you might find your neighbors to be nice, but rather reserved, because the church is the center of a lot of the member's secular activities as well as it's religious activities.

The College of Southern Idaho is a pretty good school, from what I hear about it. Twin Falls tends to be hotter in the summers than the cities that lie eastward, as the terrain there is lower. The country steadily rises to the east, where the Great Divide lies on the southeastern border of the state. The closer to the Divide, the more alpine the country gets.

You might want to take a closer look at Pocatello, though, especially if you would like to have a few new friends of color; I think there are more black folks who live in Pocatello and Idaho Falls than in Twin, and Idaho State U. is located in Pocatello. Poky has more varied terrain around it than Twin; while the Snake River canyon at Twin Falls is spectacular, (higher than Niagara), the surrounding country is mostly farm ground. Pocatello lies in a hole surrounded by mountains on 2 sides, and one side opens up on the Arco desert, which is actually way cooler than its name may suggest.

Poky is also closer to Yellowstone and the Tetons than Twin. Idaho Falls is even closer, about the same size as Pocatello, and is pretty racially diverse for an Idaho city, but it doesn't have a local college. What it does have is an ed center that's unique to the state- University Place. People can attend college classes there that are taught by professors from Idaho State, BYUI, and the University of Idaho, and a student can attain a degree through it using computer classes. Some majors require some attendance at ISU to complete.

Pocatello is about 2 hours east from Twin on I-84, and Idaho Falls is another hour north on I-15. The drive will show you plenty of the local scenery.

Thank you so much Banjomike for the detailed information. From what you've described, Twin Falls seems like the perfect city for me. I've lived in big cities my whole life but in my heart, I'm not a city girl. I don't hang out only with people of my race (I love diversity) so Pocatello wouldn't be the best city for me. Although, when I go to visit Twin Falls, I'll make sure I visit Pocatello as well. The religious people and their activities wouldn't bother me at all. I'd actually love to join in with the activities. I just need to make sure they don't look down on me because I'm not religious.
This move seems like the best thing for me, Twin Falls seems like the perfect city for me. I can't wait to visit then move

[banjomike]

I wish the best for you, Monet. No matter what you now think, once you are here, you will find Idaho is not what you expected. Most folks who stay find it better, overall, than they anticipated, and those who don't find it worse than they thought. It's always this way.
You already have the right attitude; planning to look around is very important on anyone's first visit here, and anticipating new experiences here is certainly going to happen. I'm sure you would fit in just fine anywhere you decided to live here, and I'm pretty sure you will find the right town for you, too. Truly, we have nothing here that comes close to what life is like in a big city.
Even Boise is still only a small town, all dressed up in an oversized suit. All the rest of our 'cities' still retain their small-town ways and homeyness.

[JessicaSutherland]

Hi I realize this post was made 3 years ago, did you ever end up moving to Twin Falls?