Coeur D'Alene/Boise/SLC - Moving from Minnesota (Salmon, Eden: renting, home)

[HerpaDeDerpDaDerp]

Hello,

Ever since traveling to Banff, Canada last year, I've had a new urge to live somewhere new. My co-worker/friend recently moved out of state and it has inspired me to do the same. I am tired of the same regiment each day, and would like to start a new chapter in my life. I grew up in Eden Prairie, but I currently live in Red Wing, MN and it's too small and old of a town for me. I need to be surrounded by people closer to my age [28]. Red Wing just doesn't feel like home to me.

My friend suggested that I apply for jobs I am interested in and see if they will fly me out for an interview as that is what a couple companies did for her. I have accepted applications to CDA/Boise/SLC and am waiting to see what the next steps are for my interviewing process.

Anyways, I wanted to jump on this forum since it looks like a good place to get some knowledge. I decided on these cities since they seem to rank highly with a good amount of outdoor activities and lean politically conservative, like myself. They're also close to some great parks and I would like to get into hiking/backpacking more.

I am most concerned about moving to SLC. As an atheist (scary), I am worried I may become annoyed by the LDS everywhere. However, my family is Christian, and that hasn't bothered me too much. I just do not want it shoved down my throat. I've had a Mormon friend when I was younger and him and his family were very nice. I am not concerned about my interactions with Mormons, just being around it and living in it.

Boise doesn't seem that scenic compared to CDA and SLC, but it's not bad from what I can tell. SLC has beautiful white top mountain views in almost every direction you look. CDA is heavily forested with nice pine trees and lake vistas. Boise just looks dry. However, downtown Boise looks the best in my opinion. I like how the streets are closer together giving it a small town feel while having a lot to do. SLC seems spread out, but does seem to have better a infrastructure, at least from pictures and Google Maps Street View.

CDA is unknown to me. I really am interested to hear from people who have lived or been to CDA and can compare it to Boise and SLC. I'm a slight bit concerned about racism in the area. I hope it's just all overblown. CDA looks like it has a special charm, but I don't know if that charm will wear off after a short time.

I know I need to visit these places first to make my decision, and that is what I intend to do this March, but if you had the choice, which place would you live?

Thank you for taking the time to read!
Daniel

[banjomike]

The LDS shouldn't concern you regarding Salt Lake City. The city itself is not longer an LDS majority because it has become so international and tech-oriented. While many of the suburbs are mostly LDS, the folks who live in them don't try to push their religion on newcomers; if anything, they tend to ignore the newcomers.

The misunderstood thing about the LDS is they are actually quite tolerant of other religions and atheists in Utah, especially in the Salt Lake Valley. The higher the Mormon population is in a place, the less their missionaries need to go recruiting non-believers. It's in the places where there are very few Mormons that the missionaries are the most active in their outside recruitment.

In Utah, the LDS church is the old established religion. Missionaries there work much harder on trying to get lapsed church members back into the fold than going out for guys like you.

Like any long-established religion, they have lots of members who are members in name only and never go to church at all. Those are the folks the missionaries go visit the most.

I've lived among the LDS all my life, and while they can be stand-offish at first, once they get to know a newcomer, they can be very good neighbors. In general, If you behave yourself, so will they. They aren't very intrusive people.

No one is going to try to shove religion down your throat, but you would find some things in SLC that aren't typical to a large city; for its size, SLC doesn't have a lot of hard-liquor bars, for example. In the suburbs, the night life might not be as jumping as what you're used to, and you will find a lot of closed businesses on Sundays. You might not hear very many common 4-letter swear words, either. You will hear some odd substitutes they made up though.

But in general, the folks there wouldn't care about your religious beliefs (or the lack of them).

[volosong]

Originally Posted by HerpaDeDerpDaDerp

...but if you had the choice, which place would you live?

I did have a choice and for my retirement home; chose a small town a handful of miles distant from CdA. Did not seriously consider SLC due to its size and nixed the Treasure Valley due to its summer heat.

[nm9stheham]

IMHO, Boise is just as scenic as SLC. SLC is bigger and more spread out. It is just as dry in the area as Boise. You can get from either right up into the mountains very quickly.

Neither SLC or Boise is Banff! They are cities, and SLC is edging bigger and bigger. Both quite different from Red Wing.

CDA is a whole 'nother thing....not a city like the other 2, so it is a very different deal. Much less dry, much ore forested than the other 2.

Racism? LOL Stop listening to the nonsensical drivel by folks who WANT there to be a problem to explain their own biases.

[HerpaDeDerpDaDerp]

Originally Posted by nm9stheham

IMHO, Boise is just as scenic as SLC. SLC is bigger and more spread out. It is just as dry in the area as Boise. You can get from either right up into the mountains very quickly.

Neither SLC or Boise is Banff! They are cities, and SLC is edging bigger and bigger. Both quite different from Red Wing.

CDA is a whole 'nother thing....not a city like the other 2, so it is a very different deal. Much less dry, much ore forested than the other 2.

Racism? LOL Stop listening to the nonsensical drivel by folks who WANT there to be a problem to explain their own biases.

I figured the racism was all a bunch of hoopla anyway. Do Boise and SLC have similar 90 degree summers?

[Wulf335]

We moved to CDA a few years ago from the upper midwest. We chose this area in part because it's close to the mountains and forests. I love to hike and this area is fantastic for that! I love NW Montana too but the winters here in CDA are a lot milder.


I think the Boise area is kind of plain and nothing special.


North Idaho is very conservative (as is most of the state) but Boise is far more liberal.

[Sandpointian]

If you look at the demographics on a county level, the state cleavages quite interestingly.

South of the Salmon River (Pacific-Mountain time zone demarcation), all counties are > 10% LDS (exception county with Boise). North of this line, none are.

Rally depends on what you seek and why. I suggest. renting in both places for a year

[Shaner]

I went to school in boise and I am atheist/Agnostic and I was annoyed at the LDS influence. With that said, Boise can be cool, lots of nightlife and energy, but its brown. Floating the "river" is hilarious and the reservoir is tiny. I grew up on CDA lake so maybe I am biased. Love it up here in CDA, probably wont be leaving.

[Syringaloid]

The OP states he is an atheist. Boise has a low LDS percentage compared to the rest of the state and Utah, so if he doesn't want to be "annoyed" by a religion then I would not consider North Idaho because it is infiltrated with wacky Evangelicals from California who have altered the political landscape and who vote in equally wacked politicians.

Of note is there is a large enough LDS population in North Idaho and Eastern Washington to support an LDS Temple in Spokane.

Also, there are two large reservoirs outside of Boise city limits, Lucky Peak and Arrowrock and they are rather large bodies of water holding back Boise River water. They are not poisoned like Lake Coeur d'Alene is.

[HerpaDeDerpDaDerp]

Thank you all for your input. I think I will dismiss SLC for now, but plan on taking a road trip this Spring throughout Idaho and western Montana.