Blackfoot area? (land, parking, jobs)

[altaina]

Well, it doesn't have the quaint antique architecture or town square park that some others do.
But this I remember about it:
-A gas station that gives you a free carwash when you gas up
-A dry cleaners where you can get your clothes cleaned by the pound rather than by the article, saving lots of money
-A small cafe run by an opera singer from Italy who sang for his customers and gave private voice lessons to the kids
-An indoor public swimming pool
-a female dentist who fits your appointment into your schedule and doesn't keep you waiting
-A larger restaurant with real home cooking
-modest housing prices
-the vast majority of parents actually come to their kids' parent-teacher conferences! which indicates a caring family environment
-many businesses that have been in the family for several generations
-high school kids that treat adults with respect

I also noticed as I drove by last week that a huge new subdivision is going in on the outskirts of town. So somebody must be discovering it, if for nothing else than its easy driving distance between IF and Poky. There goes the neighborhood:-)

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Guess we'll agree to disagree. There may be nice people there, but it's still a dump. The place is completely devoid of charm, architectural merit and greenery. It's a small collection of houses, sprinkled with a few franchise shops, surrounded by a vast expanse of irrigated nowhereland. The fact that a another cookie-cutter subdivision is growing cancerously on the outskirts of town is no positive indicator of the quality of life.

As for the amenities of the town listed, honestly there are millions of towns in this country that would fit that description. Even the "big city" I live in has those amenities in spades -- and a few good cultural institutions to boot. You definitely can't say that about B-foot.

So I stand by the assertion that the place is a dump, and I didn't even get started on the insane asylum, the meth labs, the 30' tall waitress or the World's Largest Potato Chip.

Magpies

[chrisleav]

So a city should be judged by how it looks? I lived there for just over half my life, and much of my family has lived there for many, many years (and still do), and I always enjoyed it. I never had many complaints about it. It's a smaller, more neighborly community, and you never have to drive far to get where you want to go within the town. There's plenty to do there, and it's relatively inexpensive, as opposed to big cities. There are 2 larger cities within a short drive (Pocatello and Idaho Falls). Blackfoot is home to the Eastern Idaho Fair (same as the Western Idaho Fair; biggest fair in Idaho). The big park has always looked nice, it's always been well taken care of. So what if Blackfoot is home to the world's largest potato chip and the world's largest styrofoam potato? If you don't care about that, so what? Why does it matter? It's not like they're looming over the entire town so that they can be seen everywhere you look. But to some people, it might be cool to live in a small town that is home to 2 world records. Bottom line: Blackfoot is a better place to live than it may appear to be.

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Originally Posted by chrisleav

So a city should be judged by how it looks?

In a word, yes.

Magpies

[Lehi]

MagpiesMagpiesMagpies, I'm not sure if you're saying the town of Blackfoot is ugly or the whole of SE Idaho. I have looked at photos of SE Idaho and I think it's quite pretty. Sure, it's not a pine forest but it has its own beauty. [url="http://www.seidaho.org/scenic.htm[/URL] Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though. :-) I think our desert is beautiful to look at but there are many people who think it's ugly.

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Originally Posted by Lehi

MagpiesMagpiesMagpies, I'm not sure if you're saying the town of Blackfoot is ugly or the whole of SE Idaho. I have looked at photos of SE Idaho and I think it's quite pretty. Sure, it's not a pine forest but it has its own beauty. [url="http://www.seidaho.org/scenic.htm[/URL] Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though. :-) I think our desert is beautiful to look at but there are many people who think it's ugly.

I grew up in SE Idaho, so no need to convince me of the natural beauty of the area. What I don't include in that is the built environment in Blackfoot and commnunities like it. What good is the desert scenery when it's blocked by a gigantic billboard for tax free smokes?

Did you perchance *look* at the pictures of Blackfoot in that website you linked to? Is it really necessary to say more?

Magpies

[Lehi]

Originally Posted by MagpiesMagpiesMagpies

I grew up in SE Idaho, so no need to convince me of the natural beauty of the area. What I don't include in that is the built environment in Blackfoot and commnunities like it. What good is the desert scenery when it's blocked by a gigantic billboard for tax free smokes?

Did you perchance *look* at the pictures of Blackfoot in that website you linked to? Is it really necessary to say more?

Magpies

Hi Magpies,
As I said in my post, I just wasn't clear on whether or not you were uhh, not so fond shall we say of Blackfoot, or if you thought all of SE Idaho was ugly. I guess it's just Blackfoot and towns like it. I did indeed look at the pictures of Blackfoot on the website I linked to and I couldn't really make a judgement from them. Perhaps you found some pictures that I did not find. I did however, go to another website and although I couldn't see any real detail of the town itself, the landscape did look too flat for my tastes. I have been looking at SE Idaho as a potential move or second home when I retire. Finances may not allow a second home but it's fun to dream.

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Hi Lehi,

The problem with Blackfoot and just about every town in S. Idaho is that it's growing far too fast. The planning and construction of these growth areas just look poorly laid out, slapped together and cheap.

I guess I look at it from a different perspective than potential newcomers. Having lived there so long and seeing the creep of sprawl every time I go back to visit, well, it just depresses the hell out of me.

I've said it before and it bears repeating: Idaho will look like New Jersey in 10 years, tops.

Magpies

[Lehi]

Originally Posted by MagpiesMagpiesMagpies

Having lived there so long and seeing the creep of sprawl every time I go back to visit, well, it just depresses the hell out of me.

Well gosh then, coming from the sprawl capital of the world it oughtta look just like home! Seriously though, I know how you feel. I have at least 11 years before I retire so we'll see what changes occur between now and then.

[tfidguy]

Please, Magpies. Idaho looking like New Jersey in the next ten years? A bit dramatic, don't you think? Having been born in NJ, (Newark), and visiting there about 6 weeks ago, one thing I am certain... Idaho will never look like parts of New Jersey. If you are thinking Newark, Elizabeth, Patterson, it will never happen. If you are thinking Flemington and some parts south, Idaho could do worse.
There have been tremendous changes in Idaho over the past 15 years. Treasure Valley, Cd'A, IF, TF, Pocky. Not all of them are bad. Kids have an opportunity to work in-state and not have to leave. Remember, quality of life begins with a good job. No job, not much of a quality of life. You can't eat scenic mountains.
What part(s) of Idaho do you see becoming New Jersey?