Poor planning - 6/8/2018

So you want to move to Eagle? First thing to know is that early politicians had no clue about planning so the layout is horrible. There really is no town “center” save for a little area near city hall, which is a two lane strip maybe a mile long dotted with author repair, post office and senior center. The other areas where there is any sort of commerce are miles away and nestled between massive building material sites and trailer parks. Of course you can always go to Meridian where all the commerce is--which brings me to the traffic. Traffic is a nightmare. Good luck getting around during peak hours. Don't let anyone tell you any different. On the main roads in eagle, meridian and boise traffic backs up for miles, total gridlock. There is only one small freeway and it is 30-40 min from Eagle. If you have to commute to boise you'll be commuting through garden city on surface streets sitting in traffic in run down areas staring at used car lots and old bars. Believe it. As for food there is a mcdonald's, arbys, carl's, freddy's, mediocre chinese, and a few others. Only two grocery stores and thank God there is a Winco on the outskirts. There is nothing special about eagle save for eagle island state park (if you can deal with the summer people since it's the only park for miles ) and the mild climate with a lot of cloudy days and unpredictable weather and nice seasons. Overall I recommend eagle if you work from home and can afford a place north of city center with acreage. You'll like it as long as you don't need to drive to meridian more than a few times a month. Low crime makes it better than most places in america, but not if you have to live in the gridlock hell of idaho's horribly planned streets and four lane roads posing as "highways."

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Nice quality of life - 6/23/2016

Eagle is a nice area but completely inflated home prices for what you get. While maybe the prices seem like a steal if you're moving from expensive cities, it's absolutely too much for this area and the standard economy. Weather averages aren't very accurate. The area hits the low 100s in June & July with Dec & Jan lows often in the teens, sometimes down to single digits. Granted, these extremes only last for a short span during mid summer and mid winter, it is important to be aware of the huge shift in highs and lows for people who aren't expecting such drastic temps. Great schools, nice people, clean little town. Close to Meridian with plenty family friendly activities, a bit far from downtown if you want to experience drinks and night life. Boise is still lacking a great music scene/night life but I think this will slowly grow into something better with the influx of others moving in. Traffic is annoying due to poor design and planning for growth, nothing like a major city but for a city this size it's a problem. Overall, it's clean with plenty of outdoor activities and family friendly fun. Eagle is a bit stuffy and expensive but the advantages are many. If you're single or a professional couple I'd say downtown Boise, North End Boise or Eagle. If you are raising a family; Meridian or Eagle and if you prefer a bit more space and small town feel for your family; Star, Middleton or Kuna. If you want cheap land and possibly livestock; Middleton or Emmett.

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Annual snowfall data in Eagle, ID - 1/27/2016

There appears to be an error in the data presenting the average annual snowfall for Eagle, ID. I have checked several sources, and it appears there is usually a total annual snowfall of approximately 20 inches. Sperling's states that the annual snowfall is 56 inches which is grossly inaccurate. My wife and I have lived in Eagle for four years, and the annual snowfall has not even reached 20 inches in any of those years. The occasional winter inversions definitely make days gloomy at times, but most of the time Eagle sees plenty of sunshine all year long. The rain and snow often comes during the night. Because the snow usually doesn't last long before it melts away, when it does come several inches at a time, the neighborhood streets may remain slick and icy for a week, making driving a bit challenging, although that only seems to happen two or three times each winter. Eagle temperatures improve rapidly from January through March, with highs in January averaging 38, February 45, and March 55. Spring, summer, and fall are all very pleasant in Eagle, and no month averages more than 2 inches of precipitation. Summer days are warm averaging 90 in July and August, but because of the very low humidity levels, the heat is rarely intense. Having grown up in Chicago with seemingly endlessly snowy winters, lasting into April at times, and with temperatures just as cold in February as those in December and January, Eagle is a far milder and pleasant climate. I spent my adult years in California, a place that offers mild weather most all the time. Yet, in Eagle we have discovered the pleasure of living with people who go out of their way to make us feel welcome. I have never met more pleasant people, whether the cashier at the grocery store, the teller at the bank, or the plumber working at my house. I love the people in Eagle, and I love the weather too. I look forward to my retirement here.

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Reviews of Idaho - 8/10/2009

Here you go: First - The "grown in Idaho" which are few... don't like "outsiders". They fail to realize that outsiders have brought jobs and wealth to many. (Farmers sold land for millions...to developers.) Idaho has a cyclical economy. Unemployment is typically stable except in Gem county. What the State fights to do (bring in jobs) the "grown in Idaho" criticize. Jobs require some to come from out of state. Second - Eagle is a beautiful place to live. I would hope that it is because of the "grown in Idaho" influence. The small town atmosphere and I see no race issues (in this area...not all of Idaho). I also hope that Eagle is maintained in the way it was intended. Those that vote and have a say need to say if they don't like it and influence others not to change. (Not use horrible language and act out against "outsiders".) Open minds do exist here. No one should be drunk driving...pay for a taxi it isn't that much when you consider saving a life costs more ($30 to downtown BTW). LDS exists in all areas. Don't be so personal. Travel with your children. Outside of Idaho...this goes for the "grown in Idaho" as well as for those that seek "diversity". I have lived in all areas and I always want better... That is typical for my generation. My view won't change if I move. I'll still want better for Idaho, for Eagle, for California, for all areas I love. To those that are "grown in Idaho"...what if we all took our kids out of daycare, stopped eating at the new restaurants, stopped buying local, and stopped using your services or your business. Would we be missed? If not, let me know where you work and I will gladly stop interrupting your life. In fact, put the stickers back up that say we aren't welcome. I'll make sure I look for them. Take care... Trader Joe's would be nice. However, it is also nice to support our neighbors.

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Pros and Cons - 12/26/2008

We moved to the Boise area about a year ago via Las Vegas, but are originally from the California coast (lived there for 30 yrs) My fiance and I are in our late 30's and work from home, so we have not had the opportunity to experience the work force or pay scale. Pros of living in Eagle 1. Low cost of housing, beautiful well built homes on acerage for under a million 2. Low crime rate (but home invasions seem to be on the up swing) 3. Friendly people 4. Beautiful seasonal changes and scenary 5. Lovely parks and walk ways especially the green belt 6. Great outdoor activities 7. In shape people, (we have found that most everyone in our neighborhood runs, bikes, hikes, skis or does something athletic which we love to do as well) Cons of living in Eagle 1. To far from the action in Boise/ no tolerance for drinking and driving (which is good don't get me wrong but $$$ to take a cab if you plan to have some drinks) 2. Lack of entertainment, only a few good restaurants no decent bars with music. 3. Not dog friendly. Although many people have dogs there are no dog parks in the Eagle or Boise area where dogs can run around in a fenced area with other dogs. We haven't found any place to board our dog that has an open area for the dogs to run around, most facilities crate their dogs. Good opportunity to open one here! 4. Great airport but not a lot of flights out. We found out the hard way that flights to California usually are not direct and the Boise airport (although very easy to find your way around) only has about 4 or 5 flights a day into LAX, and no late night flights. 5. Poor city planning. It is a real hassle to get in and out of any shopping center, the city for whatever reason usually only has one way in or out to get to your local grocery store, Target etc.. so there is a ton of traffic and people drive very, very slow here. 6. High LDS population. Not a fan of LDS. 7. Not multicultural - we could use a little more ethnicity here - I wouldn't want my kids thinking the whole world is white! Overall, I would put Eagle/Boise high on your list if you are planning a move out of California especially. We also considered Austin, Santa Fe and San Diego. Eagle gives you the biggest bang for your buck if your from Cal. and love a lot of land. It also had the best year round weather (with seasonal changes) and the most out door activites. Just wish we had a Trader Joes here!!

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Boise Idaho - 2/29/2008

Those who have lived here longer say this past winter was unusually cold and the snow fall was unusually high. If so, I look forward to another winter before passing judgement because this one reminded me of living in the mid-west. Snow fell almost every day during January and into the middle of February, but most uncomfortable was the morning temperatures which were typically below freezing. While the temperatures increased during the day causing the snow to melt, it wasn't until late afternoon. The air quality last summer was surprisingly poor, but again, those who have lived here longer say that too was unusual. Inversions were common and the air quality was so bad I could actually taste the air. So far, I am unimpressed with the climate here. The one plus is the low humidity. I suffer from a respiratory condition and find the dry air to be beneficial.

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