Reviews & Comments
Boise City, ID
Great if you like bad traffic and bad air :-P -
8/23/2019I was born in Boise and lived there for most of my life, just shy of 40 years (1976-2016). It used to be an amazing place! I moved to rural Maine because it had become so congested, cramped, noisy and the air quality was often terrible. I returned this summer (2019) three years later for a visit to find it much worse.
IF a person lived in LA county and spent 3-4 hours a day commuting in gridlocked traffic, I can see how the Treasure Valley might seem a respite. But then they also have to accept the inversions of Boise winters which are abysmal, even for someone from LA county. For the rest of the "sane" people out there, I can't imagine what they see in the place.
It is urban sprawl from the foothills into the desert. When will there be no open space between Nampa and Caldwell? It's horrible. I've spent plenty of time driving in Chicago and the Treasure Valley traffic can be far worse. At least in Chicago there is world-class dining and entertainment. Boise has pretty good dining and entertainment (if you know where to find it)... but not enough to justify the other headaches.
Before I moved away I lived in the North End against the foothills and worked downtown. Commuting was by foot or skateboard and all the Ridge to Rivers trails were right outside my door for outdoor fun. If you can swing that Boise would still be a wonderful place (although the air quality must be deteriorating every year). But very few people could probably manage that.
The urban blight beyond that - mega subdivisions where only semi-arid desert and farmland once was - is beyond depressing. Cookie cutter domiciles connected through a road system that was never designed to handle the traffic, punctuated by big box stores, fast food, and auto malls. No soul, no spirit, but a big yes to traffic jams.
I'll go back to visit friends/family on occasion, but after having spent some time in rural living, I will never live in a city again. And if I had to, Boise would be far down the list of desirable cities.
Troy, ME
The Wild East: for Gun and Noise Enthusiasts -
8/23/2019We moved to Troy several years ago to set up a quiet, ecological and sustainability-focused homestead. The location was chosen simply because real estate was so cheap. While it is very pretty here, little did we know it was often the epitome of all things "redneck" (and I don't mean people who work outside for a living).
Gunfire from neighboring houses is very common. Illegal dumping and illegal garbage burning are very common. Very loud vehicles tear up and down the back roads at very high speeds frequently. Don't-Tread-On-Me and Rebel flags are not at all uncommon. Meth is popular with a minority of the population. There are places in this town I won't dare to drive through even though I've been here for over three years, and am a good neighbor. Even the amicable long-term locals will caution against doing so.
We were seeking to get away from the insanity and noise of urban life for simple, basic living. This is not the place to do that (unless you can afford an especially large and remote parcel).
It's not all bad, by no means. But one must be aware of what they are getting into. If the above is NOT your cup of tea (and it's not ours) then buyer beware. Also this is bastion of the far-right end of the political spectrum. If that is not your political leaning (and it's not ours) be very careful about how you articulate things. There are moderate and liberal-minded folks here, but we are a small (and often greatly disliked) minority.