I may have an opportunity to relocate to the area, and wondering if any Ags are familiar with the area. I know nothing about that area, so any guidance regarding good areas of town, schools, etc. would be helpful. Ideally close to recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, and hunting. Also, location is flexible, as this position would cover a region (mainly ID, WA, OR), so smaller communities within a reasonable distance (1-1.5 hr max) to Boise would work as well.

m&w2009 said:

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I may have an opportunity to relocate to the area, and wondering if any Ags are familiar with the area. I know nothing about that area, so any guidance regarding good areas of town, schools, etc. would be helpful. Ideally close to recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, and hunting. Also, location is flexible, as this position would cover a region (mainly ID, WA, OR), so smaller communities within a reasonable distance (1-1.5 hr max) to Boise would work as well.

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I've lived in the Boise area for over 25 years. I'll post some brief thoughts and I will be glad to answer any follow up questions you may have.

Good areas to live around the Boise area:
- East Boise, which is east/southeast of downtown: Park Center area or further out around Barber Park/Harris Ranch neighborhoods.
Pros: close to downtown and/or close to the Boise River Greenbelt. Nice areas, Boise School District
Cons: You pay more per sq/ft

Boise North End: Pros: Gentrified area that is pretty expensive.
Cons: It is one of the few areas of Idaho that elects Democratic legislators. j/k. OK maybe not.

Highlands: Hillside homes NE of downtown. Also nice. Also spendy.

-Eagle and most of Meridian area: Nice typical suburban neighborhoods. West Ada School District
Pros: Less per sq ft than east Boise. Eagle and Meridian have a wide range of real estate prices from average to very upscale.
Cons: Further away from downtown (Boise's downtown is very nice and safe)

Areas/towns to avoid: Nampa, Caldwell, most of Garden City as well as most of the old bench area south of downtown Boise. While the Boise area has a pretty low crime rate, these areas are higher than the areas mentioned above.

If you want to be closer to hunting fishing, most of this will be north and east of Boise, although there are some large reservoirs along the Snake river south of town..

Both of the public school districts are good (Boise and West Ada) although as in any district the quality of individual schools vary somewhat, usually based on the economic conditions of the neighborhoods served by the school. I should also add that both public school systems have a fairly sizable selection of magnet and charter schools. There is also a Catholic school system with several grade schools and one high school (Bishop Kelly).

I mentioned in passing that Boise has a nice downtown area. I am not joking. It isn't Houston or Dallas, and I mean that both ways...It is smaller obviously, but also much safer. Lots of people visiting restaurants and bars on weekday and weekend nights, no muggings, no drive bys. It's a gem.

I certainly appreciate the info. What is the Hidden Springs area like?

m&w2009 said:

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I certainly appreciate the info. What is the Hidden Springs area like?

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It is very nice. For some reason, it is humorously referred to locally as "Stepford" after the Stepford Wives movie. Based mostly on the fact that when it started being developed 15 or 20 years ago it was somewhat isolated and the houses all looked similar. Unfortunately I don't believe there are any actual zombie-like wives there. It has really grown and it is very nice. I believe it has it's own grade school located there (Boise School District). It is a bit of a drive to get to grocery stores, etc. Definitely worth looking at.

All I can offer is that I've got a co-worker who lives in Boise and loves it.
He's originally from Rancho Cucamonga, CA and couldn't be happier.