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pfid does not speak with a forked tonque. That post above is a really, really great synopsis of what you get when you "get" Coeur d' Alene, ID. We lived there for 6 months, the last half of 2012, but left because I couldn't find work in the Allied Healthcare industry there we left. I landed work in sunny, hot New Mexico. As far as that goes, there are way too many applicants per job in healthcare (and other industries, too) so it can get very frustrating to job search in northern Idaho. Beautiful, beautiful country though. I do respect what God created in that region. Rest assured of that!
If you like sunshine you won't find it in Northern Idaho for a big part of the year. The summers are nice and warm and almost no rain. The "pretty period" of fall is short. The trees are beautiful in the fall but loose their leaves and get ugly fast. The first snow can come at the end of October and may not leave until June. The end of fall into winter and spring are extremely gloomy! Cloudy most of the time. No you won't always have a white Christmas either. It may snow, there may be no snow at all or you may just have dirty snow thats been on the ground a few days. As far as driving goes its not the 4x4 that you need its common sense. The problem with people who move here after living in a warmer climate is that they don't slow down or they think that just because they have a 4x4 they can drive faster, then a few miles up the road you will see them in a ditch. I have had small cars with front wheel drive that do ok if you put studs on. I prefer my Suburban its not just the 4x4 but its the weight of the vehicle that helps you get around. It feels great when winter is over to just do the speed limit again LOL Oh and the traffic through CDA is awful. Its hard to get up to 45mph speed limit without stopping behind a line of cars at the next light. There is crime here mostly due to the meth problem and Spokane being so close. You must lock up EVERYTHING. Personally I will never live in CDA again. The politics are awful and they seem to only be concerned with tourist. Post Falls and Hayden are nice though and an easy drive to Costco. If your thinking of buying property out of town you may want to consider the winter roads. They can be ugly and commuting to Spokane or even CDA for work is probably not what your use to. Jobs are scarce and some employers are starting to pay low wages and have an attitude that if you don't like it they have 50 others waiting in line. Idaho is a conservative state and we like it that way. People here hunt, fish and like their guns and don't like people who move here that try to change it. I'm not saying you would because you sound very nice but this is the reality. They do NOT like Californians at all so be prepared even on your visit. There are some good Churches and the schools seem to be clean and most are newer. I homeschooled my kids but for a short time they were in elem. school and the teachers were great. Unfortunately due to the poor economy in N. Idaho my husband had to take a job in California. We have been here 2 years and I absolutely can't wait to get out of here. We live in a great area but we hate California. So he is working on taking a job in southern Idaho. I love Idaho and after being here for 2 years I can't wait to get back. Anyway I hope that helps. I am just trying to give you an honest idea of what your getting into. Have a safe trip!
I keep seeing mentions of the Meth problem. Is this something that is disproportionate in NID or is it just a product of everywhere? I can't recall any sort of issue with that where I live, crime is very important to me. One of the criteria I want is living in a place where I can leave my things unlocked and not have to worry. I do that right now but most around me dont, is that roughly the same I can expect in CDA area? I am also not sure what to make of the winters. Here in CT we can get our share of snow and cold weather but I am not sure if it's worse there in NID. We visited in May and are planning on making the move to the area next spring. We're going to be bringing my wifes job with us but for me I will be looking for work. The job market might not be all that great but even on our visit I saw more help wanted signs and notifications than I see here in CT. It also helps that daycare is 1/3rd of the price so even a minimum wage job would have me turning a profit.
I realize that Connecticut is no better than California politics wise but rest assured the reason I am moving is because I want to join others like myself and have absolutely zero interest in bringing anything with me only preserving the things I am moving to Idaho for. The last thing I would want to see if us move to Idaho only to have it end up like what I left, that would defeat the point of moving. So I will be very wary of changing tides and probably active politically to ensure that doesnt happen. It will be nice to not be the only voice representing my views. I would though appreciate some elaboration of the meth problem and the realistic expectations of crime and how the winters are to people coming from other winter climates. Thank you.
If you are coming from Connecticut, I doubt you will have problems with the winters in NID. You read a lot of comments on CD referencing winter because so many of those wanting to move to NID are from the states south of Idaho that do not experience the symptoms of cold temperatures.
Hopefully there is someone who will chime in with current crime statistics, but I lived there for 13 years and it seemed to me that most of the crime was either domestic or drug related. I would not consider C'da to be somewhere you can leave your things unlocked. Our last home before we moved nearly 3 years ago was not seen from the street, and we had a long, wooded driveway with a gate. And I still didn't leave anything unlocked. I know drugs are a problem everywhere, but it did seem like we had more than our share. Our first home was in Post Falls in a neighborhood we wished we had never bought in (we were super young and naive). One day, news trucks were all over the street to get footage of a meth house getting busted two door down. We sold that house and moved into a condo while our new home was being built. The neighbors turned out to be drug dealers. We moved into our new home in Hayden and got a knock on the door one day by drug enforcement saying there was going to be a take down on the next street and to stay inside - and this was a neighborhood you would never expect to see this. I never felt unsafe, but these things (and more) did happen while we lived there. I've heard lots of people say NID is the meth capital, but lots places make the same claim. If you look on this map (2013), you can definitely see there is activity in NID, but there are certainly places that are worse off. I can also see there is virtually no activity where I live now, which is why I no longer hear about it. The map is from CNNmoney.
I am not trying to turn you off Idaho, but I am trying to give you an answer to your question about meth. We loved living in NID and moved on because of career advancement. I return to visit whenever possible and fly my kids back to visit family. It's a beautiful, beautiful place and if your wife already has a job so much the better! There is a lot of help available right here when you are choosing a safe place to live. My advice: rent first no matter how good of deal you think you have found. Live for 6 months to a year in a rental and figure out what neighborhoods feel right to you and make your choice between Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and Hayden after you have lived here for awhile.
I keep seeing mentions of the Meth problem. Is this something that is disproportionate in NID or is it just a product of everywhere? I can't recall any sort of issue with that where I live, crime is very important to me. One of the criteria I want is living in a place where I can leave my things unlocked and not have to worry. I do that right now but most around me dont, is that roughly the same I can expect in CDA area? I am also not sure what to make of the winters. Here in CT we can get our share of snow and cold weather but I am not sure if it's worse there in NID. We visited in May and are planning on making the move to the area next spring. We're going to be bringing my wifes job with us but for me I will be looking for work. The job market might not be all that great but even on our visit I saw more help wanted signs and notifications than I see here in CT. It also helps that daycare is 1/3rd of the price so even a minimum wage job would have me turning a profit.
I realize that Connecticut is no better than California politics wise but rest assured the reason I am moving is because I want to join others like myself and have absolutely zero interest in bringing anything with me only preserving the things I am moving to Idaho for. The last thing I would want to see if us move to Idaho only to have it end up like what I left, that would defeat the point of moving. So I will be very wary of changing tides and probably active politically to ensure that doesnt happen. It will be nice to not be the only voice representing my views. I would though appreciate some elaboration of the meth problem and the realistic expectations of crime and how the winters are to people coming from other winter climates. Thank you.
I live in the Sanders Beach area of CDA and we always lock our house up. We have had a toolbox stolen out of our carport and one morning we awoke to find the front bumper of the car was gone. Car prowling is fairly common but since we don't want a broken window we leave are cars unlocked and never leave valuables in the car. Some people do leave their houses unlocked but I wouldn't. Summer brings a lot of people to town some of whom are just looking for some easy cash.
Our winters are fairly easy but they can vary greatly. Some winters we get a lot of snow and it sticks around, others we get very little snow and lots of rain. An easy winter for me means not having to shovel the roof. I've only had to shovel the roof twice in the 44 years I've lived in Eastern WA and North Idaho.
Everything is relative to population in my opinion. People who live in NID and complain about crime, who haven't lived in other places, really don't have a reference point. Try living in Las Vegas or southern California. More people = more crime, no matter where you are. When looking at crime you should look at the proportion of crime to people.
I keep seeing mentions of the Meth problem. Is this something that is disproportionate in NID or is it just a product of everywhere? I can't recall any sort of issue with that where I live, crime is very important to me. One of the criteria I want is living in a place where I can leave my things unlocked and not have to worry. I do that right now but most around me dont, is that roughly the same I can expect in CDA area? I am also not sure what to make of the winters. Here in CT we can get our share of snow and cold weather but I am not sure if it's worse there in NID. We visited in May and are planning on making the move to the area next spring. We're going to be bringing my wifes job with us but for me I will be looking for work. The job market might not be all that great but even on our visit I saw more help wanted signs and notifications than I see here in CT. It also helps that daycare is 1/3rd of the price so even a minimum wage job would have me turning a profit.
I realize that Connecticut is no better than California politics wise but rest assured the reason I am moving is because I want to join others like myself and have absolutely zero interest in bringing anything with me only preserving the things I am moving to Idaho for. The last thing I would want to see if us move to Idaho only to have it end up like what I left, that would defeat the point of moving. So I will be very wary of changing tides and probably active politically to ensure that doesnt happen. It will be nice to not be the only voice representing my views. I would though appreciate some elaboration of the meth problem and the realistic expectations of crime and how the winters are to people coming from other winter climates. Thank you.
Is Meth a problem? Yes it is, but (to my understanding) it's not a bigger problem in NID then other parts of the country. Folks on this Forum who have more knowledge about illegal drug use than I do, say that Meth is becoming less a problem while improper prescription drug use has become the new preference. While I am not an expert, I have heard that the inappropriate use of drugs like Oxycontin and Percocet are popular today. When used improperly, these strong pain relievers are highly addictive. Once again, I don't believe that this is a bigger problem in NID then other places. I do believe that we have become a nation of drug users, be it legal or illegal. Pharmaceutical companies must be pleased.
There is no doubt that illegal drug use in any form can lead to more crime. I'm sorry. If criminal acts never happened in NID, I would still lock up my doors and belongings. No sense in tempting anyone, IMO.
Let's talk about the winters again. I'm not sure what the winters are like in Seymour, Connecticut, but I'm guessing they are pretty much like the winters in NID, with one qualification. Winters here in the Idaho Panhandle surely are longer than winters in Seymour. Take this statement "to the bank": NID winters start earlier and finish up later than Seymour winters.
We get folks relocating from mild climates like Southern California, for instance. Their experience with winter includes skiing one weekend as a teenager and having watched the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" several Christmas seasons in a row. They have little experience with cold and snow and they are shocked by the winters in NID. Shouldn't be a problem for you folks from Seymour. One more thing about our winters. Some years we get lots of snow....other years, not so much. Same with the cold. Some winters are quite mild, but sometimes.... Hey, throw a bigger log on the fire, put on those warmer socks, and take a snooze. Dream about the three precious seasons that will follow the winter.
And, finally, politics. If you love this country and the freedoms granted by our Constitution, you accept the old adage, "live and let live", and you believe in helping your neighbor, you'll fit in nicely in NID.
I suspect I am the guy pimit2 was referring to. I work in the field of Substance Use Disorders. I agree with everything he said. Drugs are no more a problem here than elsewhere. I think a quick look at C-D facts about CDA will show a lower crime rate than most of the nation.
Lots of great responses, first about that map. I guess that is why I was completely ignorant about Meth as all you need to do is look at CT on that map to see it's virtually a non issue where I am right now. One thing caught my eye about that map and it seems to be about a hard number of meth labs, not a percentage. So having Kootenai County being the shade of blue that it is with it's population being so low compared to other darker shades would possibly give the appearance of more labs due to the density of them, at least that is my assertion.
I am probably a weird person to begin with when it comes to locking the doors thing. My wife grew up in NYC area and she locks everything, I just hate living like that though. I don't like to fear my neighbors and have a general mistrust of people. Does where you live in the CDA area matter in regards to having your car broken into? If you live say up in Hayden near the lake is there any likelihood of people breaking into your car to steal a GPS?
Long winters don't bother me, I like the cold weather and despise the humid mess we have right now in the summer. One thing I was wondering was how do the lakes/ponds freeze? One of the things I enjoyed a ton growing up is playing ice hockey but it usually required days of cold temperatures without snow. Do you ever see kids playing ice hockey on ponds? Do any of the lakes freeze up? I know they have a rink in town but nothing really beats the real experience and I wanted my son to get that.
How about the amount of snow. This last winter we got a nasty blizzard that dumped what seemed like 3-4 feet of snow on us and well shoveling that out of my driveway was a multi-day affair. It took the town a few days to clear our street and we were all essentially trapped in our driveways until then. I havent had to shovel my roof but people in the area were doing that the last couple of winters. Roof Rakes were all the rage a couple of years ago if I remember correctly. How does the town deal with the snow. I heard some stories where it can take a while to get your street plowed. Do you get storms that will drop 3 feet of snow at a time, if so is it often or is it more like once in a lifetime kinda thing?
Thanks for taking the time to answer these things. More info is never a bad thing, and I have scoured these forums back a few years but nothing beats direct answers to specific questions.
The small lakes typically freeze, but this last winter my lake was not safe enough to hold the annual ice fishing day that they put on. Two weeks earlier though I saw people fishing out there. I have seen some kids clear out a rectangle to skate on. The long term average in CDA is something like 68" of snow. The last few years were up and down 173", 145", 18", 120" and I think last one was 84" or so. Not a mistype on that eighteen inches. Roofs did collapse on that real heavy year.
I lock my car doors wherever I go. Just keeps a whole segment of opportunistic crimes from ever happening. This is a tourist area and right next to 600000 other people who may not be as nice as your neighbor. I have read in the paper before of windows getting busted to grab a quick electronic gadget.
I don't see many stories about meth in the paper and they will write a story about a cow being stuck in the fence so I am sure they would if it were a huge deal. I have not seen it or all these tweakers people talk about, but I don't go looking for it either.
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