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We are hoping to move out of Phoenix in a few years to escape the heat and big city scene. We will have two kids entering high school and want a nice community with a good high school and lots of things to do. We are looking at Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, and Pocatello. I am a bit disappointed that there do not seem to be a lot of trees in most of the neighborhoods, based on pictures in real estate listings, because I am tired of arid desert. Are there neighborhoods that are more lushly planted than others? Is it necessary to live in the really cold areas of Idaho in order to have forested property? How does Pocatello rate in terms of schools, climate, livability?
If you don't want to live in the arid desert, you do not want to live in Pocatello. It's horrible. It's commonly referred to as the armpit of Idaho (no offense to all the Pokies reading this).
Boise is very lush with trees (it is the City of Trees), but as you will soon find out, Southern Idaho is the high desert. It is brown. The trees in Boise are only there because it is a river valley. You have to get up into the mountains before you start getting more coniferous tree coverage.
Of course, I'm mainly speaking of southern Idaho, which is high desert. The further north you get, the less desert, the more trees.
You might consider moving up toward Idaho City (about 40 miles from Boise). There are many new developments, but one in particular, Wilderness Ranch, may be what you are looking for. The school district is the Basin School District in Idaho City.
actually pocatello has tons of trees especially in the surrounding mountains, the city its self has lots of cedar trees then further up in the mountains you get into thick pine, depending what area of pocatello you live in the more trees you may have, pocatello is not desert and is very beautiful especially in the spring! ive lived all over the country and pocatello is the prettiest city ive been to!!
Haha, Pocatello hides it's pockets of forest just over a the hill and out of view from the Freeway. It is semi-arid and the hills get brown this time of year, but you are never more than 10 minutes away from a forest and the fall colors are to die for. I never would have guessed and I'd say most of the people in Poky have no idea as well as they don't get up and hike, bike, or drive to the hills.
It is not lush and green unless you head to the streams in the hills, but it is beautiful and full of variety. I should post some pictures one of these days because I know there are many who won't believe me. That's okay with me!
If you want more traditional forests, look up North. They get more moisture from the sky up there. The trade off is all of the Sunny days down South. Another in a long series of cloudless sunny days today. I think it has rained 3 days in the past 2 months.
Yeah, you do sound like someone who would prefer N. Idaho. Boise maintains a "quaint" motif/sociability, but it is getting to be more of a big metro city in the last decade. Also, it is on high desert and will get into the 100s in summer (though nothing like Phoenix).
There are definitely no lack of trees in Boise, though. If you're looking for houses in the far West or South ends of Boise, then there will be less trees (and your inability to find trees in real estate photos makes me think those are the only areas around Boise you've checked). The Boise north, downtown (surrounding the "official" downtown area), and east are chalk full of trees. I'd venture to say that, around the "North End", Warm Springs, Boise Ave, Rose Hill, Emerald, and Park Center, every house, yard, and apartment complex is in the shade of a tree. Also, look into "The Bench" area around Mountain View. Houses along the river are a good bet, but tend toward demographic extremes.
Haha, Pocatello hides it's pockets of forest just over a the hill and out of view from the Freeway.
LOL , ain't that the truth. Interstates do give the wrong impression since they were usually put in areas that offer as straight a path as possible. Pocatello does look awful from I-84 (and never fit my preference as a place to live), but it does have great access to many of the great outdoor amenities of S. Idaho.
well thats funny because i live in pocatello and i live in the forest, go figure!! its always brown everywere this time of year try buckskin road or the johnny creek area or highland area or mink creek or scout mountain, every where in pocatello is just georgeous and everyone here knows it, thats why it got voted in the top 5 best places to hunt and fish!!
go to this website and you will see the beauty pocatello has!!!!
Oh, I know the beauty it has. I'm just agreeing that it doesn't have a fair chance from the freeway. As with Nebraska and South Dakota, you can easily tell driveby tourists from immersed tourists by the descriptions they put out there after their experience.
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good luck
, ain't that the truth. Interstates do give the wrong impression since they were usually put in areas that offer as straight a path as possible. Pocatello does look awful from I-84 (and never fit my preference as a place to live), but it does have great access to many of the great outdoor amenities of S. Idaho.
