Boise

Boise will be known for:

"Environmental stewardship;
A predictable development pattern;
Stable neighborhoods and mixed-use activity centers;
Being a connected community;
Being a community that values its culture, education, arts, and history, Having a strong, diverse economy; and Being a safe, healthy, caring community."

Quoted from BluePrint Boise - 365pages
(View All City Plans )

Ranking Criteria

Where is the best place to settle down for a 9-5 guy or girl that loves kayaking and snowboarding? The thrills, the accessibility, and the livability are all factored in my personal ranking for Best Places to Live for Kayaking and Snowboarding. Get to know about me for an understanding about who I am and what would be relatable to you.

Boise: Motif

Of all the best places to live for kayaking and snowboarding, Boise Idaho is my top ranked location in the country.

When you ask people what they do, they respond with their hobbies, not their job titles. World class whitewater, good snowboarding, Muti-million dollar skatepark, Multi-million dollar whitewater park, world class downhill mountain bike course, and host of other outdoor passions… all 15-45 minutes away. On the weekends when you can drive a little further out (2hrs) you have hot springs, top quality snowboarding, hiking in the mountains, even sandboarding.

Boise: Kayaking

I really enjoy the paddling here. The Payette is you local backyard run with incredibly easy logistics. A really unique feature is that “Banks” is the take out for both the Payette north fork (advanced) & Payette south fork (intermediate) along with the put in for the Payette Main (beginner). Having everyone congregating in one spot is really great as you can mix and mingle skill groups so everyone can meet up and hangout no matter where they are at in their paddling journey. The water is chilly but not excessively cold. The clear waters make up for this though! Growing up in Northeast I’m used to murky rivers with muck along the sides. In Boise, you get clear waters and sandy river beaches. For a full list of runs surrounding Boise view Boise Whitewater Guide

Boise: Snowboarding

I would give the local resort, Bogus, a B rating. While not Salt Lake City Skiing or Denver Skiing Boise offers similar thrills of natural terrain skiing. Bogus needs the street credit it deserves as it is the only high-altitude night skiing that I have seen. With an impressive ___ trails at night. Meaning you can go on a Tuesday night after work. Icing on the cake is that due to some strange time zone design, Boise area gets an extra hour of daylight. Whohoo!!!

Boise: Livability

Boise is great for families and singles. There is low crime. People are up for conversations. You’ll hear the term ‘Boise Kind’ and that is a real thing. People treat other people as if everyone is neighbors. Additionally the city is large enough that there is plenty of events happening and if you are open to spending a few dollars, endless things to do. Go boxing 🥊 , go fencing 🤺 , take ballroom dance lessons 💃, get some Botox 👄, cooking classes 🧑‍🍳, the list goes on!

Boise: Housing

While still cheaper than Denver, Boise charm comes at a cost. While there are surrounding areas to live. You will want to live close to downtown as possible. Surrounding neighborhoods are more affordable but adding 45 minutes of traffic to any activity you want to do really brings down what Boise has to offer.

Boise vs. Salt Lake City Rivalry

While on my AirBnB tour of the country I lived in DLC for two months and while I would explain how Boise was next on my tour and would be warn d that ‘They are kind of weird up there’ flash forward to me living in Boise and ironically in conversations about SLC I will be told about how ‘They are kind of weird down there’ Being a person from PA I have always found this pretty funny because they are also the nearest neighbor either remote area has!

Boise Transplants

About 50% of the population is transplants. From my experience there are locals that will look away once they know you are from out of town. Especially if you are from California. However, don’t let that deter you. Understand that this happens and don’t take it personally. Be courteous, show you are the kind of person that adds to the community and you will be fine 👍