The allure of the Pacific Northwest, without Portland prices. Small enough to be walkable, big enough to host lots of craft beer, stellar coffee, food and fun, Boise has earned a reputation as a growing culinary hotspot in recent years— its third-wave coffee roasters, gourmet donut shops, and tasting-menu restaurants are on par with what you’d find in Portland or Seattle. (There just aren’t that many of them yet to retain full foodie status.)

Boise manages to be cool without the pretentiousness of Portland or Austin.

The Pacific Northwest is gorgeous but with that comes some extreme prices. Go inland and you’ll find Boise, a bike-friendly and walkable city hosting creative types, cool kids, and tech entrepreneurs.Mild temperatures and the 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt give residents a good way to enjoy the views. It’s also a short drive from the Snake River Valley wine region, plus skiing at Sun Valley, the Sawtooth Mountains, and Shoshone Falls.

One resident notes: *If you can afford it it's pretty great.*
*- Outdoor recreation opportunities, so relatively close to real wilderness, great diversity of restaurants for a city of its size, tons of breweries, lots of community events and volunteer organizations, friendly people, very little crime.*

Cool without the Pretentiousness

The Best Thing About Boise?

There’s no diversity. It’s 90% White. If you’re hoping to raise kids in a diverse environment, Boise isn’t it. 

Also, Boise gets very smoggy from forest fires in the summer. It's surrounded by mountains, so smog collects over time. It is also considered to be high desert so there isn’t much precipitation. During July and August you’re lucky to get a light sprinkle of rain which is never enough to clear the smog. The air gets trapped in an inversion (the temperature is higher in the mountains than in town) and on occasion, it smells bad.

A local on the issue of diversity in Boise: *I live here with my wife who is a POC and I've asked her about this a couple of times. She says more than anything she feels isolated. No one ever speaks negatively towards her or shows any racism, but she is also regularly the only non-white person in the room. Access to diverse food options is also a problem, albeit an improving one.*

Diversity Shortage

The Worst Thing About Boise?

The historic North End is a longtime sought-after neighborhood. It borders Downtown, and its close location to the foothills makes it a great option for those who want easy access to hiking trails. It features a mix of Victorian and Craftsman homes and is a liberal community full of young professionals, bars and restaurants, and highly rated schools, The North End's appeal lies in its proximity to downtown, its mature trees, and the curb appeal with many of the city's older homes. The Hyde Park area in the North End is full of notable restaurants, boutiques, specialty shops and parks. 

Boise has a love affair with the mid-century modern aesthetic, and you’ll find a lot of updated mid-century modern homes in “The Bench”  The area is named for its location overlooking the city, it contains a diverse mix of neighborhoods.The Bench also features sweeping views of the Boise Foothills and Downtown. This has become the sort of trendy place for home buyers, specifically millennials. The homes on the Bench are typically older, with home buyers remodeling to their style. The location is striking distance to downtown Boise, but far enough away that you're out of the chaos.

Homes in the North End are pricier than the Bench.

Speaking of pricey homes, Harrison Boulevard is one of the most prestigious — and pricey — thoroughfares in Boise, one of Boise's most picturesque thoroughfares and also one of the most prestigious parts of the city to own a home.The wide, tree-lined boulevard, which sits in the Warm Springs area, has a mix of architectural styles. 

Garden City, (technically it’s own city and not in Boise) is the “hipster” neighborhood that is having an urban renaissance into a thriving live-work-create community, complete with galleries, hip restaurants, and wineries.

If you want to see what locals do for fun and culture in Boise check out the calendar of events: https://downtownboise.org/events/events-calendar


Lifestyle of Boise

Corporations stressed by regulation in the coastal states see Idaho as more business-friendly. This means jobs can be more plentiful and unemployment is low.

Housing and other cost of living indicators are definitely on the move as people from out-of-state continue to flock to Boise so act fast. From 2010-2018 the population in Boise rose by 18.2%, and the population is growing every year by around 2 – 3%. There is a massive influx of people moving to Boise, and a lot of them are from California. They’re also from Washington, Utah, and Texas as well as from elsewhere in the state. But the median home price is still half what it is in Seattle and a fraction of San Francisco.

Get here before it becomes Austin

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Boise?** 

The allure of the Pacific Northwest, without Portland prices. Small enough to be walkable, big enough to host lots of craft beer, stellar coffee, food and fun, Boise has earned a reputation as a growing culinary hotspot in recent years— its third-wave coffee roasters, gourmet donut shops, and tasting-menu restaurants are on par with what you’d find in Portland or Seattle. (There just aren’t that many of them yet to retain full foodie status.) 

Boise manages to be cool without the pretentiousness of Portland or Austin.

The Pacific Northwest is gorgeous but with that comes some extreme prices. Go inland and you’ll find Boise, a bike-friendly and walkable city hosting creative types, cool kids, and tech entrepreneurs. 

Mild temperatures and the 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt give residents a good way to enjoy the views. It’s also a short drive from the Snake River Valley wine region, plus skiing at Sun Valley, the Sawtooth Mountains, and Shoshone Falls.

**The Worst Thing About Boise?** 

There’s no diversity. It’s 90% White. If you’re hoping to raise kids in a diverse environment, Boise isn’t it. 

Also, Boise gets very smoggy from forest fires in the summer. It's surrounded by mountains, so smog collects over time. It is also considered to be high desert so there isn’t much precipitation. During July and August you’re lucky to get a light sprinkle of rain which is never enough to clear the smog. The air gets trapped in an inversion (the temperature is higher in the mountains than in town) and on occasion, it smells bad.

**How You Living?** 

The historic North End is a longtime sought-after neighborhood. It borders Downtown, and its close location to the foothills makes it a great option for those who want easy access to hiking trails. It features a mix of Victorian and Craftsman homes and is a liberal community full of young professionals, bars and restaurants, and highly rated schools, The North End's appeal lies in its proximity to downtown, its mature trees, and the curb appeal with many of the city's older homes. The Hyde Park area in the North End is full of notable restaurants, boutiques, specialty shops and parks. 

Boise has a love affair with the mid-century modern aesthetic, and you’ll find a lot of updated mid-century modern homes in “The Bench”  The area is named for its location overlooking the city, it contains a diverse mix of neighborhoods.The Bench also features sweeping views of the Boise Foothills and Downtown. This has become the sort of trendy place for home buyers, specifically millennials. The homes on the Bench are typically older, with home buyers remodeling to their style. The location is striking distance to downtown Boise, but far enough away that you're out of the chaos.

Homes in the North End are pricier than the Bench.

Speaking of pricey homes, Harrison Boulevard is one of the most prestigious — and pricey — thoroughfares in Boise, one of Boise's most picturesque thoroughfares and also one of the most prestigious parts of the city to own a home.The wide, tree-lined boulevard, which sits in the Warm Springs area, has a mix of architectural styles. 

Garden City, (technically it’s own city and not in Boise) is the “hipster” neighborhood that is having an urban renaissance into a thriving live-work-create community, complete with galleries, hip restaurants, and wineries.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** 

Corporations stressed by regulation in the coastal states see Idaho as more business-friendly. This means jobs can be more plentiful and unemployment is low.

Housing and other cost of living indicators are definitely on the move as people from out-of-state continue to flock to Bosie so act fast. From 2010-2018 the population in Boise rose by 18.2%, and the population is growing every year by around 2 – 3%. There is a massive influx of people moving to Boise, and a lot of them are from California. They’re also from Washington, Utah, and Texas as well as from elsewhere in the state. But the median home price is still half what it is in Seattle and a fraction of San Francisco.


Downtown has three pieces to it: “just downtown” nicknamed BoDo, West Downtown and Central Downtown. All three are great choices for young professionals with nightlife, museums, theaters for movies, concerts and live festivals, cafes, boutique shopping, foodie restaurants, and tons of bars. Combine this amazing combination of social and cultural scene with lots of condo and apartment living options and any of the three will fit the bill for most youngsters.
- BoDo (just downtown)
- West Downtown
- Central Downtown


Young Professionals

BoDo

Old Boise District is an interesting option for someone looking to make it happen in a neighborhood on the rise. It was the original commercial district south of downtown, it fell into hard times, but the River Myrtle renovation project included Old Boise. If you’re interested in being near but not quite in Downtown, and willing to develop a cool Victorian home or live in a brand new Loft/Condo building surrounded by small, locally owned shops and restaurants this would be a good choice.



DINKs/SINKs

River Myrtle / Old Boise District

North End is the neighborhood most popular with the LGBTQ+ community in Boise. Home to many community residents as well as a number of gay bars, it has a great outdoor scene - green spaces, including Hyde Park, and trails for hiking, biking and walking and tons of trendy restaurants, galleries and shops. 



LGBTQ+

North End

The Highlands is a great starting point for families looking for neighborhoods. It's in the middle of the city and home to great public schools and has several amazing parks in Owens, Hillside and Catalpa where the kiddos have plenty of room to play. It has a huge shopping center with cafes, restaurants and retail, and a great golf club for those looking for hitting the links. Barber Neighborhood is another great option considering the quality of the public schools kids attend here. That makes it a big draw alone,  but when you add in access to the Oregon Trail Historic Reserve, Barber Park and the Greenbelt you find it one of the best places to live in Boise for outdoor activities. 
- The Highlands
- Barber Neighborhood
- Geleker Lane/Linden Street


Families

The Highlands

Boise

**Curious what Boise is like**

You have gotten a few silly responses, so I will try to add to the helpful comments.

I have lived in Virginia, Minnesota, Idaho (Boise for 17 years), and Washington. Boise is a great place, especially if you like the outdoors. Truly, it is very close to some of the best outdoor recreation you can do anywhere in the country. You name it, you can do it within an hour of downtown (or within a few minutes from downtown). It has a very outdoorsy feel and that spreads to the local population. There is a lot of flannel, microbrews, Patagonia hats, and mountain bikes.

It’s growing very fast, which means some sprawl and crummy mass transportation. However, the commutes are relatively easy compared to other cities. If you live and work near downtown, then you’ll probably end up commuting by bike anyway. Lots of retail shopping has moved to outlying towns, which gives that aspect a very suburban feel - lending itself to the sprawl. However, the downtown core is VERY lively with lots of restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and markets.

Living in Idaho is great and generally cheap. Boise is more expensive, but home prices are entirely more affordable than neighboring states. Salaries are questionable depending on where you want to work, but like I said, cost of living is generally low. Idaho is very conservative; Boise is significantly less so.

I see very little racism and equality issues within Boise when compared to neighboring towns and especially other cities. I think Boise strives to be inclusive to a degree that you won’t find anywhere else in Idaho or similar states. But there are bad apples everywhere.

Boise State adds a lot to the community, and since we have no professional sports, Boise football tends to be a big deal. It’s also a great opportunity to pursue more education if that is a goal of yours.

My only complaints about Boise: corporate presence in downtown has pushed out some small businesses and local establishments in favor of chains that can afford high rent prices. I also think that transportation needs to be improved ( though they did just build a transit hub in downtown) and be more accessible.

**Curious what Boise is like**

I've lived in both NYC and Boise, for about a year each.

Winter temps in Boise are comparable to NYC. However, winter is drier here so easier to deal with IMO. I feel like winter in NYC felt colder, but maybe I've just gotten better at dealing with it. Summer is way hotter in Boise.

Summer is all sun all the time, except we get smoke from wildfires throughout the west that can stick around a while. Winter not so much, particularly during inversions when smog gets trapped in the area.

Transit ... exists, I guess. It's only buses and usability depends greatly on where you live, but the general consensus is that our public transit is severely lacking. People mostly drive.

Boise is liberal by Idaho standards. Not by NYC standards. The state as a whole is very family values conservative.

I can't speak to sales jobs. However, as someone with about 5 yrs of experience currently job hunting in Boise, I can say the pay ranges I'm seeing are uninspiring.

Pros: friendly people, easy access to outdoor recreation, very safe and very clean city, affordable COL, decent bike infrastructure around downtown.

Cons: weirdly homogenous/white, prone to sprawl, housing is super competitive, everyone drives pickup trucks the size of my house. People will be mad at you for moving here.

If you're down with less white/less safe/less clean, but very affordable, always sunny, and close to mountains, give Albuquerque or Santa Fe NM a gander. Nothing like Boise whatsoever but a cool area in its own right.

**What is it like to live in Boise, ID?**

What’s really unique about Boise is it’s not a huge city, but because it’s the biggest city in the state of Idaho, you get big-city amenities without over-the-top crowds. (It is getting more crowded all the time, but at this point, you can still drive without constant stop and go traffic.) So, there are cultural events, stadium concert venues (attracting some big name artists), many great parks, a zoo, high-rise office buildings (and the beautiful state capitol building), shopping and restaurants. All are 10 to 25 minutes away from most Boise residents.

I’ve been surprised by the quality of restaurants here. In addition to the chains, they have a lot of unique, one-of-a-kind places that are really good.

Then, you have a lot of recreation opportunities in the foothills and nearby national forest, including white water rafting/kayaking, Boise river floats, mountain biking, skiing, snowmobiling, etc.

Weather wise, you get four distinct seasons. Winter is relatively mild, and I love the spring and fall, but about 6–7 weeks of summer is brutal, in my opinion. Way too hot (90’s-100’s) and the sun is still up at 9:30 p.m.

People here are very nice, though culturally different than what I have been used to on the west coast. A little more reserved…Someone I know who was raised in the mid-west said he gets a mid-west feel here.

**What is it like to live in Boise, ID?**

It has a "big-but-small" town feel to it. There is a fairly active night life due to Boise State being located here. There are football games to attend, a zoo, several museums, many parks, and plenty of shopping. (How many cities can support three watch stores, two bead stores, and no less than four battery shops?)

The climate is rather hot during the summer (exceeding 100° F some days) and quite cold during the winter. There is very little rain or even humidity because Boise has a climate that is similar to a desert. Much of the area around the Treasure Valley is desert. There are plenty of employment opportunities and very little crime.

Just FYI, natives pronounce it boy-SEE, whereas those who are not from here tend to say boy-ZEE.

Boise, Idaho

Bobo

Looklyloo Score: 86

We're on it!