Wallace_and_Gromit

I came on here searching for threads on Boise. Most of the 25 are outdated now - Except for the recent thread by cactushugger who is in the same boat as me.

I am moving to Boise around Thanksgiving and I have never been to the West Coast!! From what I have researched, I really think I am going to love it, but it is still a little scary.

I am going to check it out at the end of September. I will be staying at the Heritage Inn (has anyone stayed there?) I was hoping to stay at the condos I am going to be buying, but they only rent them out for a minimum of 30 days. (It is the Woodbine Apartments - which will soon be called Woodbine Condos. Anyone familiar with them? it is near the college)

I just have general questions like where is the best places to shop, eat, buy groceries etc. Also, tell me about the weather. Is it REALLY COLD in Winter? I prefer to be cold than hot (and right now I live in metro-Atlanta) but I don't know if I could handle FREEZING for long periods of time. Here it goes from low 20's to mid 70's in a blink of an eye (and will do that a few times during "Winter") I just can't wait to get rid of the humidity!!

Anything else you want to share is most welcomed.

TIA

Andrew

Here are a few sites that might help you:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/idaho/
http://boise.craigslist.org/

On Craigslist, you can try the Housing forum and other forums for questions about the area. City-Data's Idaho forum seems to be quite active, though.

Rese

Well I live in Boise and I love it! Its a very active outdoor state. The weather is great IMO. Our hot is only really in July and August and maybe one week of over 100. We get all the seasons and I have to say Fall is my favorite.
Ok, Heritage inn, thats downtown, right? Is that on Idaho street? (bed and breakfast place?) If so its lovely.
We dont have humidity like you have in Atlanta so this will be a big change for you.
As for best places to shop, well, its still considered a small city and downtown is just quaint, ya know. For grocery shopping we have Winco, Albertsons, Fred Meyer and my fave Costco. We are soon to have a Whole Foods.
Anyways, I hope I answered some of your questions. Feel free to ask more.

Wallace_and_Gromit

I am so glad you answered! I saw your posts on the other (outdated) Boise threads and I was hoping you would answer mine

I have been talking to some other people and I found out that your bus system isn't that good (so I am really bummed about that), but all in all I think I am really going to enjoy living in Boise.
What are your favorite restaurants? What are some places that I definitely need to see? Where can I get a good massage?(LOL! - I am sure going to miss my massage therapist!) ... I really don't know what to ask. (I just want to know as much as possible so I am not stressed when I get there.)

BTW, I sure wish you were getting a Trader Joe's instead of Whole Foods! I waited years for TJ and now it is here and I AM MOVING!

daydreamin

Hi Tia,
I live in Boise too and relocated here from DC many years ago. It was somewhat of a cultural shock back then but the city is now 3-4 times larger and offers so much more in terms of dining, theatre, concerts, shopping, entertainment, minor league sports and venues, etc. Having said that, just be prepared because it will never be the size of Atlanta or offer all that Atlanta does. The upside of that is less traffic, slower pace, more laid back, etc. The downtown area is small but charming. After the Atlanta area, rush hour here will be laughable!

You will definitely experience all 4 seasons but it is mild, imo. Summers are wonderful...no humidity, cool evenings, stays light until quite late. Winters can range from very mild to harsh but that's only every ten-fifteen years or so and in which case it's best to just stay in, grab a good book and build a fire! Or better yet, take up cross country or downhill skiing...once hooked, you will count the days till winter!! During the mild winters, you can snow ski at nearby Bogus Basin Resort in the mornings and play golf in the afternoons! Because of the lack of humidity, I find the extreme weather here much more bearable than the same temps in DC.

I'm familiar with Woodbine but have not been in the units. It's in the Lakewood area, in southeast Boise, a great area. The Clearwater Spa is a small mother-daughter spa in that area which I can recommend. Shelia offers a variety of massages and is a sweatheart. Phone number is 345-7717.

For grocery shopping in that area, you will be close to Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Winco. And while we don't have a Trader Joes (yet?), we do have a wonderful store, The Boise Co-op which is somewhat similar!

For restuarants, I have a lot of favorites so just let me know what you like.

I worked with a woman who relocated from Atlanta to Boise a few years ago and she loves it here. I hope you will too!

If you have more questions, I'll check back in a few days. In the meantime, welcome to Boise!

Rese

Have to say the above poster nailed it perfectly about everything so dont know what else there is to share. I had to laugh as she wrote ski and golf all in the same day, pretty much true. There are many wonderful places and sites to see in just a few hours drive as well. (ie..sawtooth mtns, McCall, Tamarack, Sun Valley etc)
For massages Ive only been to a place in Eagle which is on the outskirts of Boise, a place called Two Rivers. Its been great the times Ive gone.
I was just curious, why are you moving to Boise? Esp since you havent been to the west coast? (actually we are considered the northwest) It just amazes me when I hear people just say they are up and moving and just go.
Again feel free to ask more questions, you now have 2 folks here that can respond

Wallace_and_Gromit

Reese,

I am moving because my brother and his family are moving there ... and I am extremely close to my niece who just turned 3. It would be traumatic for both of us if I didn't move.
Maybe people won't/can't understand that, but it makes sense to me.

Thank you both for all the info! Just for the record, I DON'T want it to be like Atlanta. I can't wait to get away from Atlanta. Maybe there is a lot to do here, but it is not a compact city by any means and I hardly ever get to do anything. Plus I am mid 30's -which is NOT OLD- but I am much more into "quaint" You seem to have everything I want (IMAX, Dinner Theater, etc.)

Now tell me where to go eat! Food. I love food! Just tell me where you like to go.

Rese

Ok food....Let's see. Mind you these are places that of course I like, Im sure there are more, but I'll just name a few. The Milky Way (kind of a trendy funky place, all sorts of foods etc) Lock, Stock and Barrel (your basic Prime rib/steaks, salad bar and clam chowder, really low key but good food) The Beanery (love this place for just wanting cozy homey feel. They have roasts, ham, chicken dinners, soups, salads and sandwiches, yummy simple dessert etc...with big band type music in the background. Just gives a good feel IMO) Davinci's (this is Italian and in Eagle, but I usually get the same thing over and over but I like the place, they give bottomless salad and bread (and the bread is Great!)Yen Chang(chinese obviously, love their General's chicken, Dried string beans and many other dishes) Andrae's(misp maybe) (mexican food) along with Corona Village and El Giro Gira (authentic) Also over near where you will be is Murphy's, thats pretty good (steaks and such) Emilio's (in the grove hotel) is nice. Ok I hope Ive given enough imput here.

cactushugger

Hi! I thought I'd join the conversation. My husband and I are strongly leaning toward Boise as our next home. This will be our second big cross country move. The last was from Boulder, CO. to Roanoke, VA. Why? In a word: adventure. Change is good. It keeps us growing. The last time we were in our late twenties - early thirties. This time it's late fifties and sixty. My husband will retire in seven months and seven days... but, who's counting! Seems like a great time for a new life. Idaho has all the outdoor activities we love: hiking, camping, kayaking, bird watching etc. plus many of the cultural amenities we enjoy. The only thing I may miss is the rich ethnic diversity that Roanoke has. At last count there were over seventy different ethnic groups living and working here. We have several festivals featuring the various nationalities. And, as you can imagine, we enjoy a pretty good selection of ethnic restaurants.

One thing I definitely won't miss is the weather here! I hate the hot, humid summers AND the damp-cold winters. I don't mind snow. Loved the Colorado winters. But, that was a dry-cold. Virginians wouldn't know powder snow if they slipped on it.

Thanks for the helpful info on grocery stores and restaurants. I wonder if you can help with a couple of other questions? As a pet owner one of my first concerns will be to locate a good veterinarian for my dog. Any ideas on that? Also, one of my primary goals in house hunting will be to buy near an easy drive to the mountains. However, we do want to live in town and we're not wealthy. Any neighborhoods we should check out?

Thanks for any help you can give. As always, the Fodorites are the best!!!

Rese

Well as for looking for a good vet here, I dont think it will be hard as it seems everyone has a dog here and are always walking in the foothills, parks, ditch banks etc....My vet just left to another office. (He was at all pet complex)
Anyways, as for a close drive to the mountains, anywhere is quite accessible. BUT my preference for living here is either in Northwest Boise, North End, or the east end. All these are a close drive to the mtns....I guess I should explain that Bogus Basin (ski resort and hike area in the summer) is just a 30 min drive up the hill from all these areas that I mentioned. McCall and Sun Valley are both a few hours drive. We also have a great park system that is next to the Boise River with a green belt to walk, bike, roller blade etc. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more. It really is a great place to live!

daydreamin

Wallace and Gromit---I agree with all Reese's recommendations for restuarants and would add a few others. In Boise, the Cottonwood, Mortimers, Angels, Bitter Creek, Red Feather, Asiagos for wonderful Italian (on Cole and Ustick with a second soon to open downtown). In Eagle, Franco Latino on the river, the Rib Shack and DaVinci's. In Meridian, Epi's a wonderful little Basque restuarant. In southeast Boise, there is a new residential/commercial development called Bown Crossing with a couple of fun new restuarants and patio dining. In Boise's northend is an area called Hyde Park which is a great little commercial area within a large historic residential are with several fun restuarants and an authentic old time ice cream parlor.

catushugger -- based on what you said about weather, I think you'll love it here. It's similar to Boulder but not quite as cold in the winter.

However, you will not find much diversity here. That is changing, but slowly. Boise does have the largest Basque concentration in the US and there are a few wonderful Basque restuarants and festivals. Next weekend is a Greek festival and there are others so you will have some, just not as much as you're used to in Roanoke.

As far as location, I agree with Reese---the north end, east and northwest are highly desireable. However, I've never lived in any other part of the valley so I don't know how object I can be on this subject!!

The north end is the oldest part of town with homes ranging from huge to tiny, dating from the 1800s to brand new. It's very sought after and prices are higher but it's a great location and walkable to downtown. The same for the east end. The northwest has a lot to offer, close in with subdivisions and lots to choose from. The real estate market is currently correcting itself here and I think you'll find it affordable. But even if you don't end up in any of these 3 areas, you're not far from the foothills or the greenbelt for hiking and mountain biking. Like Reese said, the mountains are just a couple hours away.

As for a vet, I suggest you buy a home first then look. Like Reese said, everyone has animals here and good vets are everywhere so finding one close to where you live would be a good idea.

By the way, catushugger, I love Virginia but have to agree about the heat/humidity. It is so beatiful there and I think your Fall's are glorious!

Let us know if you all have more questions!

cactushugger

Hello Daydreamin and Rese!
Thanks for your help. I had sort of come to the conclusion that north/northeast might be the area for us. I guess it will depend on what we can find in our price range. By the way, we ate at one of the Basque restaurants in April. Neat little community there.

I'm glad to hear there are lots of good vets in the region.
Now that I've covered our dog's health care, how about ours? We're spoiled here. Roanoke has excellent hospitals and is currently developing a biomedical research complex. For truly dire cases we have two medical colleges within two to four hours of us. As a cancer survivor, good health care availability is something I have come to really value.

We've decided to come to Boise for a couple of months next winter/spring. Nothing like trying the worst weather to see if we can take it! I'm glad to hear it's much like Boulder's. I used to happily hike in snow with temps in the tewnties. So, how often is it just grey and dreery in the winter? I hope it isn't like Seattle! I heard something about that that got me worried.

Thanks for your thoughts!

daydreamin

I don't think our weather is anything like Seattle in that we don't have the constant rain and dampness throughout the winter. In the winter, it can vary....sunny and gray. In the summer, it's so sunny, I sometimes long for a good thunder storm and days of rain!! I met a couple who moved here from Penn. and one of their criteria was sunny days. They researched all over the country and Boise kept popping up as having over 300 days of sun so they came, fell in love, and moved here!! However, winters can bring greyness, just maybe not as much as other areas.

We have two major medical centers in Boise and each has facilities throughout the valley, including cancer centers. Honestly, I don't know how they compare to other parts of the country but I have always received very good medical care here and haven't felt lacking. I wonder if there is some other way to research it online though.

Rese

I agree with Daydreamin that we have plenty of sunny days and sometimes long for a good thunder storm. One thing to mention is during the winter, because Boise is in a Valley we get a pretty good inversion. (Dark dreary grey sky, kind of like smog) A good snow or rain helps that clear, or just a 20 to 30 min drive up the mtn you see clear sunny skies. (really weird) Anyways, it can last for a few weeks but really nothing major.
As for Hospitals and health care, Im like daydreamin in that I dont know how they compare with others.