Boise, Idaho

christopherwithak
1y ago
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As someone who lived in Boston and now resides in Boise, you won’t find the culture here. Boise is trying and we have a few good restaurants, but the food scene and overall culture are severely lacking compared to the northeast. You also won’t find beaches that are comparable here. If you’re into hiking/skiing etc, it’s so much better here. The access to the outdoors here is unparalleled. But when you want to stay in the city or be indoors, it feels really small and very meat and potatoes. Dating scene to match - college city but small pond overall. Politics should really be considered as it’s the polar opposite of Boston. I didn’t think it’d be a huge deal but the policies here are downright embarrassing. My colleagues all assume I’m a racist when they hear I’m based in Idaho until I explain the recreation and that the politics are backward here, but I’ve found the state has a pretty negative stigma to many. Also, it’s difficult and expensive to get back to the east coast. The flights are limited - flying west is easy but back east is still a work in progress. As others mentioned, you likely won’t find a good job here so plan to work remotely if you actually want a paycheck. The city is pretty cheap - the cost complaints are mostly from people that have lived here for a long time or moved from smaller towns, but compared to Boston and most major metros it’s cheap. (Although I don’t know how you found an apt in Boston for $1800 unless you have roommates. I was paying $2600 in Cambridge and that was 10 years ago.) The jobs here don’t pay well though. Your best bet is to find a remote job based in California and make a slightly higher salary, and then work 10-6 rather than 9-5 since you’d be in mountain time. You’ll need a car for everything here - the public transit sucks. Good luck with whatever you decide.

koleke415
1y ago
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I'm from San Francisco and Boise is cheap compared to most cities. I have a decent downtown apartment for $1400. People will say it's crowded, that there's traffic and that's probably true compared to 10 years ago, but coming from Boston or SF, it feels like a small town, easy to park, easy to get everywhere.

It does lack a bit of the urban exploration you get in a Boston or SF, or Chicago. There's only a few areas of much to do, neighborhood wise. Downtown is great, Hyde Park, but much of the rest are strip malls with restaurants and breweries next to a mattress shop. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but not what I'm used to, not probably what you're used to. Once you get out of downtown and a few north and eastern neighborhoods, it starts to feel pretty suburban pretty quickly.

The biggest thing coming from Boston will be the heat, July and August are 95+ most days and get over 100° plenty. It's easily my biggest issue.

morfoodie
6mo ago
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If you really like city life, definitely move to Boise and not the burbs of meridian.

Obviously Boise is smaller than Vegas, so by proportion there will be “less” to do, and we have a smaller airport .

That being said central Boise is heavily influenced by Boise state, so the 20-something crowd is quite large. Downtown is beloved here, and we have many delicious restaurants and events going on around town. Personally I think central Boise is a lovely place for most younger people, as long as you aren’t expecting the hustle bustle of Vegas.

Repulsive-Spare-1722
1y ago
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Lived here for over 20 years. Overall, Boise is a pretty great place. It is growing at a rapid pace. It has most of the amenities of a big city but not too many of the problems. Crime is not non-existent but it’s low. There aren’t many truly “bad” neighborhoods where you’d feel unsafe. Except for housing, the cost of living is reasonable. The outdoor recreation is second to none. Idaho is an immense and geographically beautiful state. It is hot in the summer but dry and cold in the winter but bearable.

The downsides: the schools are not well funded, and education is not valued in the state. There are jobs here but not always high-paying ones. Politically and culturally Idaho is well behind the times. Idaho is not diverse. It has a very conservative right wing legislature that passes laws that make lgbtq folks and POC feel targeted or unwelcome. This is a political opinion, of course, and others may feel differently. But even if you don’t share the dominant view you can find other like minded folks.

LIVING IN BOISE, IDAHO: PROS AND CONS