What BestPlaces Users Say about Boise City
As the capital and largest city of Idaho, Boise City has garnered a lot of attention as a desirable place to live. With its vibrant downtown, outdoor recreation opportunities, and affordable cost of living, it's no surprise that many people have chosen to call this city their home. However, as with any place, there are always varying opinions from those who have experienced living there. Let's take a look at what some users have to say about living in Boise City.
From , JohnB shares his positive experience, stating "Boise is a great place to live! The people are friendly, the city is clean, and there is always something to do." Similarly, user, KatieM, raves about the city's outdoor activities, writing "I love the access to hiking, biking, and skiing. There's always something to do, no matter what season it is." On the other hand, some reviewers have expressed concerns about the city's growth. MaryC from says, "Boise has grown tremendously in the past few years and it's starting to feel crowded. Traffic and housing prices have increased, making it less affordable." Another user, RyanH, echoes this sentiment, stating "The growth of the city has brought in a lot of transplants from other states, which has changed the feel of the community."
based on 131 ReviewsGet to know Boise City with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Boise City
Recreation - 7/23/2007
The Recreation in Boise is great, kayaking, skiing, hiking, and
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Ridiculous Real Estate Run-up - 7/17/2007
I'm being run out of Boise, because the housing prices are so absurdly inflated relative to wages that I can't afford to purchase a home, even though I'm a college-educated engineering professional with several years of experience. I can't even qualify for a mortgage on a decent 3-bedroom home. So much for the American Dream. Real estate values have experienced double-digit growth for the past several years, while wages have stagnated. That's not healthy growth - healthy growth is sustainable and stable.
What we have here is real estate INFLATION caused by an absurd buying frenzy by out-of-staters (i.e. Californians), who are simply exporting the inflation so rampant in their own state, and locals who simply jump on the bandwagon to make a quick buck. This is not GROWTH. Politicians and realtors like to use words like "growth" and "appreciation" to put a positive spin on the issue. Well, I'm not afraid to call it what it is: rampant INFLATION in the real estate sector.
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A super place to live and work. - 6/6/2007
I moved to Boise with my family 7 years ago. We've lived in just about every part of the country, and this is by far the best place we've ever lived. The cultural organizations are surprisingly excellent, the recreation opportunities are unparalleled and the general quality of life is 'way above average.
There are drawbacks: we are liberals in a state which is very conservative, although Boise is more mainsteam. Housing prices have really escalated since we moved here, so homes aren't the bargain they once were. Salaries tend to skew below average in most professions. The school systems are a bit above average, but the physical plants of many are pretty tired.
I'm not that far away from retirement now, and we plan to stay here "for the duration." We've lived in Minnesota, Florida, Texas, California, Virginia and Massachusetts, and Idaho tops them
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Relocatating to Boise - 5/12/2007
I am an African-American and would like to relocate to Boise. I visited Boise once and thought that the area would a nice place to raise a family. I will retire from the military in about a year. Is this a good place for a multiracial family. Would we feel welcomed in
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Good ol' ridiculousness - 5/9/2007
Hi, 30, from the South, born in Chicago, lived in every Gulf state. I am a college grad and been to Boise several times and allow me to say education in Boise is about ten times better than any public school in the deep south. First hand experience. It is ridiculous to compare them. Anyway, when you live somewhere all of your life, you are going to have better connections than people who did not. An example? Right here in Denver, Colorado! Boise and Colorado locals have one thing in common: they resent people moving from other places and screwing up the local culture, as has happened in Colorado Springs or wherever that may be.
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Good ol' Boys and Good ol'Girls - 5/7/2007
I have lived in the Treasure Valley close to Boise and Meridian, Idaho for 10 years and have seen many changes during that time regarding cultural and business opportunities. However one thing that has not changed but perhaps intensified is the feeling that things are run to a great extent based on the Good OL' Boy network. When I first moved here I was taken by the generally friendly and open nature of Boise's residents. However, over the years as I became more aware of the depth of the ingrained Idaho Good Ol' Boy system I became gradually more disenchanted with the inbreed nature of t this system and disgusted with the backwardness of the lines of authority here. It seems that the Boiseans ,and Idahoans in general, never met a new idea or newcommer they could'nt disparage or undermine as "Not from here". From the State and local governments consistently awarding contracts to locally connected businesses (who end up providing incompetent or diminished services at tax payer
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Really don't waste your time - 3/15/2007
HP is pulling out of here, and lay-offs or 3/4 of the workforce proves it. Micron, the biggest employer is pulling out, due to the under-educated workforce. They are doing the 12 inch discs in Virginia. The housing is way over priced and the wages are really low. The magazines are wrong, because it takes years to break into the good ole boy network. Traffic is way out of control. Road rage is common. We just moved from the area after 10 years. At first we moved there with an open mind. Things moved a little bit slower, but we thought it was worth it. Then, the more we tried to get ahead, the more we kept getting knocked down. We tried making friends, but they all ended up being back-stabbers and seemed to have their own alterior motives. Like they never heard of friendship. The way they like to do things is back-asswards. And they waste your money doing it. My general impression is that they are very repressed people and are extremely passive-aggressive. I can see why considering
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In response to Tricia's question about neighborhoo - 3/3/2007
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods that you have been looking at, but I would recommend checking out the Hidden Springs area. Not sure what type of environment you are looking for, but it's got a deliberately retro character (whoever designed it probably watched Pleasantville a few too many times). If you're looking for that kind of "swinging on the porch" family vibe, it's worth a look-see. They've even got a website: www.hiddensprings.com. And no, I'm not a shill for them, but I have heard very good things about their charter school. And it is less than 15 minutes from downtown. Good luck,
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The Good & the Bad: Your Mileage May Vary - 3/2/2007
I'm a native Idahoan, and trust me, I've went through my phase when I absolutely hated the place. Having lived elsewhere, though, I've come to appreciate Boise's strengths will still being aware of its weaknesses. Idaho's biggest draw is its forests, lakes, and mountains. Boise rests in a valley surrounded by picturesque foothills and is only about one hour away from the sprawling forests that make up the center of Idaho. If there is an outdoor activity, chances are Idaho is the perfect place to do it. (Exception: surfing.) We have four seasons here, but the winters aren't as harsh as they used to be. Still, there is an abundance of snow on the mountains and locals have their choice of Bogus Basin or Brundange. Further up north is the newly opened Tamarack Resort and to the east is the world-famous Sun Valley.
Despite the influx of Californians in exile, Boise is relatively sedate. The freeways are constantly being expanded to accomadate the new traffic, but those used
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Which foothills neighborhood is the best to live? - 2/3/2007
I will be relocating to the Boise area and would like to live in the foothills. I am trying to understand which are the best neighborhoods to live if you have small children (schools) and would like to be maximum 15 minutes from downtown. I have looked at Morningside, Quail Ridge, and Terra Nativa. All seem nice, but need to get a local's perspective. Real estate always has subtle differences that you usually have to live in a place for a while to get a feel for. What are the differences between these three neighborhoods? Price is not really a factor and would appreciate any other suggestions, since I will visiting in
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