Moving to Twin Falls, have a few questions (Star: fit in, apartments)

[movingtotwinfalls]

I'm moving my family to Twin Falls so I can attend CSI and I have a few questions. I'm new to City Data Forum, so hopefully I'm doing this right.

We have a teenager in junior high and I see that there are two public junior high schools in Twin Falls. They both seem to have decent scores and I was wondering if anyone here had recent experience with these schools (O'Leary and Stuart). Does either school have a reputation for being better, or does either school seem to have more problems than the other? I have the same question about the high schools. We plan to stay in Twin Falls as long as our jobs work out, so it could be many years if all goes well. Our son will be starting eighth grade in the fall, so high school isn't too far away. The two high schools we would consider are just the two public schools, Twin Falls High and Canyon Ridge High.

My next question would be about the weather. I have seen photos and videos of the winter and have looked at the climate data many times, but coming from a place with very mild weather, I'm not sure what would be best for winter driving. We currently have a newer FWD minivan with all-season tires. My husband and I both have limited experience driving in the snow. We have lived in places that get one inch of snow at a time, and Twin Falls will be much snowier than we are used to. Also about the weather: do people typically wear snow boots in the winter? I guess it depends on what you do all day, but for walking around campus or walking to/from our workplace to our vehicle, is it necessary? I hate having cold, wet feet, but my husband usually wears canvas shoes and I'm guessing that's not the best choice for winter.

I was also wondering what the best ISP is in the Twin Falls area. I've heard that Cable One is our best bet, but I'm asking again because I only got a response from a few people when I asked on another site. We have a few smart phones, plus we like to stream video from Netflix and Hulu, and my son likes to play Xbox Live, so I guess we'd be considered heavy users.

We only have one vehicle for our family, so I currently do a lot of walking with a double stroller (we have two toddlers). I've seen that Twin Falls doesn't have a super high walk score, but the apartments that I've been looking at online are close to CSI, so I would like to be able to walk to the campus. How are the sidewalks? I have used Google street view, but I wanted to ask the locals. Will I be the only one out walking, or does it depend more on the neighborhood and time of year? I've lived in places where walking down the street was super dangerous because no one respects pedestrians (West Texas) and other places where cars would slow down and give me the right of way at crosswalks and I felt much safer (Southern Oregon).


My last concern would be about fitting in, because from what I've heard Twin Falls is pretty conservative and religious. My husband and I are neither, but we aren't the type to push our beliefs on others. We have religious friends and conservative friends, and we don't engage in discussions about our beliefs unless it's just him and I in private. Will we be okay, or will people likely ask us about our political leanings and where we go to church? I guess I could just go with the usual "sorry, I don't like to discuss those matters", but I want to know what the norm is. When considering relocation to the south in the past, I read that the first question your neighbor will ask is "what is your home church?", and I want to know if that's the norm in Twin Falls. We always try to fit in wherever we go, not trying to turn Idaho blue or anything, but being a younger mixed race couple with a few visible tattoos and a blended family, I worry a bit about being treated like an outsider.

That's all I can think of for now, thanks for taking the time to read this!







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[banjomike]

I'll address the winter driving and snow issues.
Your van will get you around just fine with a good set of winter tires. Don't count on your 4 season tires to do as good a job, but they may do ok- waiting until the roads get wintry will tell you a lot very quickly.

There are only a few basics one needs to know about driving on slick winter roads: Slow Down. Avoid Sudden Sharp Turns. Start Breaking Long Before You Think Necessary. Keep a Close Eye On The Guy Behind You.

If your vehicle has an ABS braking system, it will take care of a lot of your worry. Winter tires' increased traction helps you turn and stop better, which is much more important than accelerating faster.

The very best way to learn how to drive on ice and snow is to find a completely empty parking lot and go throw your vehicle around in it on Sunday morning, where you can make it spin out without hitting anything. You will soon learn how to steer out of a skid and all the rest of it, and a little panic done safely is a very effective teacher. You might want to ask a Deputy to come with you. They really know how to drive.

Footwear is always a matter of warmth and traction over fashion. Choose the first over the second, and learn to shorten your stride when it's slick outside. If you hate cold wet feet, then buy some warm dry boots with good traction soles on them. Wearing wool socks always helps, and they come in all weights here. Silk socks will keep your feet warm, too.

Layering for warmth is better than buying heavy outerwear, especially in town. You'll find the indoors are always overheated compared to outdoors, and layering allows a wider comfort zone. You will find folks walking around all the time, jogging when it's good, sometimes skiing when it's big winter. It's a fact of living here and you'll get used to it. You'll probably come to like it too, if you get out and have some fun in it.

Most of all, don't fear winter. Winter is your friend and is just as fun to play outside in as summer is.

Don't worry about fitting in. Idaho re-defines laid back. Most of us are very live and let live; if you don't get into someone's business, they won't get into yours. You will find us friendly, but reserved until we get to know you better. And accents don't bother anyone much. Idaho does not have segregated neighborhoods much at all. Twin is small enough that you will soon come to know just as many folks as you want, and we make pretty good friends eventually. Be prepared to lend a hand, and a hand will always come when you need it. And be prepared to chat for a while with complete strangers. We all visit with each other a lot out here.