idaho falls to pocatello commute? (Boise, Blackfoot: apartments, rentals, townhomes)

[tennesseegal2011]

Hi,

I am hoping to attend graduate school in Pocatello next year, so I've been researching housing prices and such lately. It seems to me, Idaho falls has more affordable housing and more pet friendly than Pocatello, so my fiancee and I are seriously considering moving there. My question is, is that a reasonable distance for a young woman to commute to school most days of the week? Also, if you can suggest another place to search for rental houses or townhomes, that would be great....since I am not a local, craigslist is all I know about.

[cleosmom]

There are plenty of students who commute to Pocatello each for school, my niece is one of them and I know she even travels down at night as she works during the day. Just have to be extra cautious on the winter roads

As far as housing, I went on to Google and typed in "rental housing Idaho Falls" and pulled up a few sites, give that a shot to see if you can find something. The bad part will be trying to rent with a pet, not many around here allow that

[banjomike]

Idaho Falls has a rather unique source of higher education- University Place. It offers classes from ISU, and (I believe) U of I and BYU-Idaho. Some of your courses may be offered, which would possibly avoid some commuting.
I'm sure there is a lot of car pooling, and there may be a commuter bus as well.
The commute will take about 1 hour each way on Interstate 15. The road is pretty good year-round, but during wintertime, there is a short stretch at Blackfoot, in the middle of the drive, where I-15 has a bridge over the river that is very often icy. Winter roads here are always slow during and just after a storm, but a set of 4 studded snow tires makes a huge difference as long as the driving speed is within the conditions. Most newcomers simply drive too fast at first during the winter.

[Western gal]

In years past, ISU ran a student commuter bus from Idaho Falls. I think they still do, contact them for details. Took a little longer to get to school, but many used it for sleeping, homework, save on car wear and tear, etc. I would caution you if we have a bad winter and you have early morning classes, the commute will stink on hazardous roads. Banjomike is right about the bridge south of Blackfoot, and right outside the Fort Hall exit gets bad too.

If you DM me and give a few more details on pets, size of rental needed and such, I can give you info on a relative of mine who has rentals, some of which allow pets and are kept very nice. Really, I'd research both towns about various things you want in a city, ie shopping, restaurants, economy, outdoor life, etc. Both have their pluses and minuses. Many past topics here have addressed the good and bad of each city.

I would also look into which classes you need are offered in Idaho Falls. Their course availability goes up all the time.

Lastly, the Idaho State Journal is a good resource for listed rentals: journalnet.com Classifieds are free. Good luck!

[M3 Mitch]

Lived in IF years ago - long story short while this is do-able it's a boring freeway drone, you will put a lot of miles on your car, burn a lot of gas, and spend a lot of time on the road. When winter gets set in properly say January I just don't see this being fun. Unless you can garage your car, and/or put in a block heater, you will have to face a frosty and/or snow covered vehicle that could have soaked down to -20 overnight. It gets way colder in ID than TN.

Really would suggest you live in the same town you go to school in - as noted you can go to school in IF as well as Pokie. I really would not consider commuting as a regular thing.

It's a beautiful area, I liked living there. It will take you a bit of time to acclimate to the high altitude.

[breer23]

Just to expound on a couple of items already mentioned:
1. ISU does still run a commuter bus from IF to Pocatello, year round. The cost is steep up-front ($500/semester) but in the long-term is usually worth it.
2. University Place in IF offers classes, including those for graduate degrees, from ISU, Univ. of Idaho, and Boise State. The considerable presence of each university is listed in order (ISU, UI, BSU).
3. Depending on the dept. you'll be affiliated with, you may want to consider the presence of faculty at IF vs. Pocatello; for instance, in my case, there are more faculty,and better access to resources, in IF.

As for housing rentals (especially those that accept pets), I wish you the best of luck. There are few realtors in the area that offer housing options that allow pets - some are private homes, some are the big-box apt complexes. My suggestion would be to find a place that gets you in the door here, but not to sign a long-term deal (if possible)- maybe 6 months, if available. That way, once here you can find something more suitable; many rentals that come available are not advertised other than a sign outside of the house, which can make searches from outside of town difficult.

[sedona222]

hi, I am coming to Pocatello from Oregon. This month, and i have pets. Could you let me know about your relatives, rentals. That take pets.. I am really kinda worried now, about my pets..Thankyou, Linda

[Hometown Josie]

It is not close to campus, but it is closder than IF; Apartments at Pheasant Ridge in Chubbuck have always seemed to be a nice option.

[pw72]

I-15 between IF and Poky is kept plowed most of the winter. I did notice that once winter ended, and we had a snowfall in April, there was virtually no maintenance. Fortunately, those out of season storms are not frequent.
The bridge north of Blackfoot can be icy, but the worst part of the drive during winter storms, beyond a doubt, is the areas north of the bridge through the rest-stop area, and down to the main Shelley exit. The elevation rises there slightly, but just enough to make any snowfall worse.