OT: Boise, ID

[Ozz]

What can you folks tell me about Boise?

My wife has an oppty for nice promotion with her company....

We are trying to figure out the culture shock of moving from Bellevue, WA to Boise, ID.

Thoughts, opinions, anecdotes appreciated......

[old_fat_and_slow]

I can't really tell you a lot.

My significant other and I used Boise, as a launching point on a recent trip to Yellowstone. Didn't really spend any more time there other than just driving through from the airport on our way to Yellowstone.

The area around Boise seemed pretty arid, and not that picturesque.
Picked up a few real estate mags, and the real estate appeared to be super cheap (at least by L.A. standards).
It seemed like a "pretty nice" little city, but I'm not sure there's much to do in the area. I think there might be some mountains not too far away.
If I had my choice, I'd move to Coeur d'Alene or Sand Point any day over Boise. Now there's some beautiful country.

Take a trip there and check it out for yourself.

[jeo99]

ADVICE: Take the job! Not sure what type of culture shock you might have but I would move there in a heart-beat if I could get my wife would to leave the grandchild. It has many things to offer. 1) a great college in Boise State. 2) Being a college town it has night life, culture, arts and much more. 3)Hugh IT town as HP and Micro have large facilities on opposite sides of town. It is still growimg on most all sides. It has a minor league baseball team(Chicago Cubs) and a minor league hockey team. Great golf courses and have I mentioned cycling? Home of world champion Kristen Armstrong. Boise has an enormous cycling community with a good bicycle chain called Georges. There is riding in town as well as out of town. Riding the flats or the mountains all day is a mere ride from your house anywhere in Boise. I usually get out there twice a year as my sister and mother still live there. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. frccp@hotmail.com

[msl819]

my folks lived there in the late 90's so i am sure the city has changed, but the time i spent there was great. I would take a job there in a heartbeat. Almost any outdoor activity you can imagine can be had within 45 minutes and you are are a 2 hour drive from the most beautiful places our country has to offer.

[67-59]

Only spent a few days there last year, but what I saw looked pretty nice. Big enough for a bit of downtown activity, decent sized college campus (with an awfully good football team), and it seemed like it'd be a nice place for some rides. I'd certainly consider it for a good job....

[Louis]

No one's said anything about the weather. How are the winters?

[jr59]

No one's said anything about the weather. How are the winters?


C O L D !!! :p

[Louis]

Given a choice between nice weather and no promotion and bad weather and a promotion, I think I'd take the nice weather any day.

Being able to enjoy life outside is more important than $$$$$ to me.

Edit: I'm not a skier, and in my book any activity in which you have bundle up like the Michelin man does not count as enjoyable.

[Ralph]

It's easy for me to say this because I'm retired, etc.....but I tell my 3 kids (who have families of their own) to go for the job opportunity every time (within reason.....not talking Siberia or something). I've been all over USA, and believe I could live about any place if family was secure, family finances were good, and kids had good educational opportunities. Main thing.... it has to work for your family unit. If family happy and doing well, Boise W/B terrific.

I like Florida...year around warm weather. Beaches close by, 14' wide trails heading out to lightly traveled roads, no state income tax, I think you can live well and longer here. But if I were job hunting, and if I got an terrific job offer to go to Idaho or Montana, I would pack up and go in a heart beat. Just take up cross country skiing in winter.

[cnighbor1]

When I was there in 70's spending a day and driving around, Yikes I glad I lived on Mercer Island
However a few big companies have moved there and I bet it is very nice now.
House prices went down a lot there also so maybe a nice modern house is in your future at a low cost.
they do get a ture winter there. No doubt after late Oct. to mid april there is snow on the ground
Bet MTB is big along with fishing
Enjoy your trip
Charles

[msl819]

This coming from a guy who lives in the deep south and just suffered through one terrible summer (and it looks like it is not over). I love a place where there are 4 distinct seasons. Down here we get HHHOOOTTT, Cold and Wet, and then HHHOOOTTT all over again. Winter is nice if you know spring is not too far away. Seems like when my parents were there your could expect winter weather from Thanksgiving to February. Also if memory recalls Boise is about 1500 ft above sea level. I would suspect snow does not "set in" for the winter. I have lived at altitude where winter would set in for months. Even then it is amazing how life really does go on. I am in in North Louisiana for crying out loud and we have our fair share of 30 degree riding days. it is riding in the rain that gets me.

[msl819]

This is what i do remember from the summer I spent there in 96. There is a great greenbelt that will shoot you into downtown from almost anywhere in the city in no time. Boise is on the very very far western edge of the mountain time zone, so the sun would not set in the summer until after 10 pm. There is a very large, very nice reservoir on the north edge of town that has great water sports. Mountain and road biking can be had at an almost world class level very close to town and the cycling community was very healthy. White water rafting, fly fishing, snow skiing, camping, were all right there. Downtown used to have a night a week in the summer where all the shops stayed open late and the restaurants ran specials. Very nice, like a festival every week. Triple A baseball, and minor league hockey. Not to mention Boise State and the influence it brings to Boise. Airport was right there, shopping and dining were good, although the food was not as good as down here. As you can tell I am a fan! I would imagine though the city has changed quite a bit with the inflow of folks from California. Even back then you would see shirt about the "Top 10 Ways You Can Tell Someone Is Not From Boise."

[jr59]

Given a choice between nice weather and no promotion and bad weather and a promotion, I think I'd take the nice weather any day.

Being able to enjoy life outside is more important than $$$$$ to me.

Edit: I'm not a skier, and in my book any activity in which you have bundle up like the Michelin man does not count as enjoyable.

Louis, I said that as a joke!

I never meant it to be taken seriously! Heck I live in the deep south and have for all my life. What do I know?

[Louis]

Louis, I said that as a joke!

I never meant it to be taken seriously! Heck I live in the deep south and have for all my life. What do I know?

I think you're right - isn't it super cold up there? For a long time? I may be wrong, if so, someone who does know will correct us.

[jlwdm]

Best cycling "rules of the road" of any state. Treat a stop sign as a yield and a red light like a stop sign. Sounds great to me.

Jeff

[troymac]

We just visited there. My wife has a good friend who lives in Nampa a suburb of Boise. They came from Sacramento which has no winter at all. They say the first year it was real cold but now not so much as they've gotten used to it. I would go there in a heartbeat ... Also the people we met there were very nice.

[jeo99]

C O L D !!! :p

Cold? Cold?? My last trip there the first week in August was anything but cold. I got off the plane at 102-deg. For the next 10 days it only got below 95 once. Anyway, the Winter in much milder than here in S.E. Michigan. Boise is in a high desert plane. Most of the snow falls in the mountains before it gets to the Boise plane. The Winter temperature is also milder than here in Michgan. It may be cold to Southerners but not to Mid-Westerners.

:beer:

[Louis]

Cold? Cold?? My last trip there the first week in August was anything but cold. I got off the plane at 102-deg. For the next 10 days it only got below 95 once.

In that case, maybe it's like St Louis - we get the worst of both worlds. Below 0* in the winter and 100*+ in the summer. Perhaps it isn't as humid as what we have here, in which case the summer might not be quite as miserable.

IMO having "four seasons weather" is way over rated. I'll take a constant 70* 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year any time.

[jeo99]

In that case, maybe it's like St Louis - we get the worst of both worlds. Below 0* in the winter and 100*+ in the summer. Perhaps it isn't as humid as what we have here, in which case the summer might not be quite as miserable.

IMO having "four seasons weather" is way over rated. I'll take a constant 70* 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year any time.

Let me put it this way, I can ride in 98-deg heat in Idaho. Would never think of it here in Michigan. It is rare to have 0-deg there, maybe 10-days here. I however do like the change of seasons/weather. I like the variety of riding styles with the changes.
:beer:

[Stan Lee]

I've been to Boise probably a dozen times and really like it. It's not to small in my opinion, great people, great bike scene, cost of living seemed reasonable compared to a lot of places and with the university being there it seems like there is always something going on.