Anyone from Boise, ID area?

[hiker]

I have a possible job opportunity in Boise ID. I know nothing about the area. Before I get too much further into the interview process, I would like to know a little bit more. Such as:

1. Is there an area of the city to avoid? It seems that a lot of the houses I have been looking at on-line are on the NE side of the city.

2.How are the schools? Is any district better than the others? Any Catholic schools? Any private schools for kids with learning disabilities?

3. We are looking at trying to get a little bit of land. Several houses are about 30 miles out of town. Do they plow HWY21 during the winter? What about the side roads to get to 21?

4. Do both cars need to be 4 wheel drive?

5. What sports are popular with pre-teen and teens? Football? Swimming? Hockey? Anything else?

6. What is the religous make up?

7. What do you like the best about living in the Boise area?

8. What do you like least?

9. Any opportunities for lawyers out there?

10. How hot/humid are the summers? Do you ever get wildfires?

11. Is it too dry or cold to garden?

12. How many months/days/weeks is the ground snow covered? When does Spring arrive?

 

[sufficientforme]

I lived in Idaho for three years and all of my immediate family moved there from WA and LOVE it! I really like Boise it has a small town feel but decent amenities. My cousins husband is an attorney there and seems to do well. Weather is hotter than you would expect in the summer and it can be smoggy there (I think they call it a weather inversion) Lots of houses on the market very reasonable(compared to what it was a few years ago) right now but I would NOT recommend moving to the area without a job lined up the market it very competitive because they have been hit pretty hard with the economy problems.
Boise gets very little snow but outside of the valley you are going to get a lot more, small highways are iffy IMHO a realtor will give you more insight. My brother lives in Meridian and loves it, he says the area around Nampa and Caldwell can get a little rougher people but nothing compared to most major cities.
I have moved A LOT and a site I recommend is city data, it has other people comments about the area etc, I find a lot of good information about our potential cities this way.
My cousins went to a private Catholic school there but I am not sure of the name so there is one or more there.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/search.php?searchid=31585892

 

[hiker]

Thank you very much. I would have a job already if we chose to move. I have used city search, but wanted to hear from my ss buddies too.

 

[sufficientforme]

It is where we plan on retiring, I really liked living there.
Idaho is a beautiful state especially for the outdoorsy types, fishing, hunting, gardening are a way of life.
A side note about religion, the LDS/Mormon religion is prominent but not so much in Boise area. In other parts of the state you will struggle with it if you are not, my husband found it incredibly frustrating work wise.

Forgot to mention in above post, I love the summer heat in Idaho, it is not humid it is dry heat which is the best in my opinion We usually had our first sign of winter the last weekend in October.