Where is the best place to live in Idaho? (Boise: real estate, condo)

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by simplycharmed7

My husband and I are looking to settle down and start our family. We are looking into Idaho. Except trying to find a good town to live in Oregon when you have never visited is hard. So we need some guidence. I have read the form and so far I am interested in Twin Falls, Boise area. I want a place with there requirements
-Job opportunities
-Safe enviornment to raise children
-Close to colleges/universities
-Cheap Housing
-Friendly People
-Recreational activities

Now I know its hard to find but top of my list are the first 4!

If anyone could provide andy help I would really appreciate it. I would love to here from natives that have first had expirence.

Thank you!

As far as jobs, it will depend on what field you're looking at. Both areas are safer when comparing to Portland metro area, I mean crime is everywhere there are people, but Idaho in general is less than most other areas. There are colleges in every region of Idaho; Boise (west), Twin Falls (south central), Pocatello (Southeast) and of course up in the panhandle. So that one will be easy I would think housing would be cheaper in Twin than Boise and our property taxes should be far less than OR. Even on a bad day it's hard to run into unfriendly people n Idaho and the entire state and handle recreational activities, however it depends also what you're looking for climate wise

Having said that, once you have the career field narrowed down, the rest should be easy.

[BLWMomma]

Looking to relocate to Idaho from Texas, have three kids and am qualified in the fields of admin asst, receptionist, etc! Where are the best places in Idaho to raise my children, with great school systems, VERY affordable housing, and jobs?! Thank you!

[chevpu1967]

Tired of the heat, Momma?

[luckyones]

Hi,i was wondering if anybody might be able to help me with you're input.I am a single parent,I Live in,a small town just outside of tucson Az..I am wanting to just kinda leave a bad situation here,an move to ada county ,in idaho somewere.I wont hve anything really,just manly,the clothes an My daughter,anyways,im looking for a safe town,cheap,but safe,an would need to b close to stores an stuff.i want to jusy find a Lil job as a waitress,or grocery store,just something like that,anyways any suggestion s as to were a good place is to ”start Over” thank you

[luna tick]

I live in California having moved here 50 years ago. I have prospered and am wealth. I've visited Lewiston Idaho several times and would consider buying a retirement house and living there. I know all about Californians moving to places such as the state of Idaho and then wanting changes that supposedly were the cause of them leaving California in the first place.
I do not want to live in a nanny state. California, surprisingly is not an independent place. Its great if you are a freak but the government wants to interfere in every facet of your life. I stand for self reliance, helping your neighbor, being satisfied with daily life and content. California is a pressure cooker, if you are slow you will be left behind. Every town in this state tries to outdo the next town with fairs, events, political posturing. I would hope that the people in Idaho would understand that they are rugged individuals. Keep off the meth, knock of the tats, lead a good wholesome life and you will outdo and outlast California people.

[banjomike]

The thing is:
Idahoans are self-reliant out of necessity. Everyone who lives here has to learn how to be self-reliant to some degree because there are wild and remote places just outside the city limits everywhere here, and the sudden changes of climate can be extreme all year round. And the entire population of Idaho is less than many cities. As often as not, when a person gets into some trouble, there's no one around.

Learning how to take care of yourself becomes natural at an early age here. Taking care of yourself leads to confidence, and also leads to helping others, as there will be a time when everyone will need some help themselves.

Folks here are happy to help with directions, because getting lost out here is still easy to do. It all goes around and comes around, and has become an Idaho tradition, even though our cities have grown a lot since I was a kid.

When I was a young adult, I could travel this state from one end to the other, and everywhere I stopped I would either know someone who lived there or soon met a new friend. I could go rambling and find a spare bed or a floor to flop on any place I decided to stop at. I was fed by strangers, and I fed strangers myself, just as I offered the same to friends of friends when it became my turn.

Those days are gone, but much of it still remains as remnants. Any newcomer who understands it's always a 2-way street here is easily accepted, but it always takes some time for a stranger to get to know folks. A big part of how we are comes from being cautiously polite, especially to those we don't know well. Our ways are essentially those of the old west, and they live on here.
Smile when you say that, stranger, and you'll do fine. Bring it on like it is uptown and you won't like it here very long.

[chevpu1967]

Awesome post, banjomike.

[banjomike]

Thanks, chev.

idaho has changed a lot since then. Our population is now over 3 times larger, so a lot of that old sociability is gone forever.
But there's enough that remains that Idaho is still much different than other places.

One of the things that gets discussed here is how newcomers bring their old expectations with them. Urban folks become totally accustomed to 24 hour traffic on streets, being able to go out at 2 am and getting anything a person needs, etc.
While a lot of that isn't available here, the fact is lots of Idahoans want that same level of services. I can go to a store or something in late night just as easily here in Idaho Falls as I can in Seattle or Pasadena now; the only big difference is not being able to buy a bottle of whiskey, and that's no big deal.
When I was young, Idaho Falls shut down at 9 pm except for the bars, the movie houses, and a few restaurants. And everything was closed on Sundays.

So increasingly, Idaho cities are looking like cities everywhere, and our cities are now cities, not small towns. I can remember when Boise was the size Idaho Falls is now. I'm OK with it- we have a mighty big state, and it won't fill up anytime in my life.

[Vegas-to-?]

The small cities and towns are usually the best to live in. As a city grows and grows, it degrades, UNLESS it is well run by people in government who actually care more about the city than lining their pockets. I believe the penalties for crime in general in the USA are too light. I hope the people of Idaho don't ever get lazy when it comes to whom they elect for local and state government. If they do, Idaho will just as easily turn into another gimme gimme liberal minded state. We're watching it happen all over the country.

[banjomike]

I've never liked living in a large city; a town that has around 20,000 to 30,000 residents seems to be the size that suits me best. For sure, that's the size I am most accustomed to.

But these days, there is no guarantee of a happy life anywhere, I think. The small towns are just as shaky economically as big cities right now, and they're more dependent of whatever caused them to grow- agriculture, mining, manufacturing, or whatever it was is now all changing and it seems everything is unstable now compared to a half century ago.

It was like this 100 years ago, as the industrial revolution came to full flower and the 19th century ways collided against the rapid and profound changes of the 20th century.

I honestly don't know where a 'best place' to live is now. I have 2 sons who live in Portland, where the population is around 700,000, and times are just as tough there as they are here. Jobs, housing, and all the necessities there are hard to find. The only difference is Idaho is cheaper to live in, but our wages are also lower, so on a big scale, no one is much better off in either place. Both my boys are employed, but both went through a long periods of looking for work earlier.

And, like here, folks from other parts of the country look at moving to Portland every day. The residents there complain about the newcomers changing things, just as happens here.