Thinking of moving to Boise soon.... (Idaho Falls, Paul: rentals, coop, job market)

[OutOfTheCage]

I have the opportunity to relocate in a few months and am setting my sights on good ol' Boise. I've lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area my entire life (I'm 24) and am wanting something new. I am single and have no kids yet. The dismal climate here in Dallas, as well as the growing illegal immigrant problem is becoming irksome.

The main things I am looking to fulfill by relocating to Boise is:

1. Colder climate
2. Close to mountains and freely-accessible nature trails and parks. The more scenic the better. I am a frequent hiker.
3. Easygoing atmosphere.
4. Growing or stabile job market with my current employment field, Information Technology
5. Several unique stores and shops to choose from, including health food stores

I really enjoy the simple pleasures in life and I'm a huge nature buff. Boise city appears to be just the right size... The downtown area does not seem overbearing or congested. Those of you Idaho'ans out there, if there is a better spot in Idaho that matches the above, I would love to hear about it! Feedback is greatly appreciated as I am still researching other places thoroughly. I'm glad I found this forum, lots of useful information here. Thank you everyone.

-Abraham

[baseball6]

Everyone here that I have talked to says have a job BEFORE you come....that the market is a little slow here now

[Sher Kan]

Slower than slow! Good luck, Micron and HP dumped thousands of IT people over the last few years. For a large city, Boise seems to be a bit of a townie place, who you know. Be prepared to work retail/service industry jobs, not much more available.

[Syringaloid]

The two biggies, Micron and HP have layed off people but there are small high tech companies you might check into, Microsoft has a hub here in downtown Boise. Be prepared for a lot of competition.
This news about a Seattle IT company expanding into Boise was in yesterdays paper.

Seattle IT services company expands to Boise | Business | Idaho Statesman (http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/03/1103110/seattle-it-services-company-expands.html - broken link)

Paul Graydon, vice president of sales, said they were attracted to the Treasure Valley by a growing number of start-ups spawned by people leaving jobs at big tech companies in the area and the concentration of businesses in Ada County.

³We see a lot of growth potential in the Boise area and look forward to doing business there,² said CEO James Watson.

[onlymystory]

Yeah if you're in IT, definitely have a job before you move up here. Either that or be willing to work a call center while you look. That said, as a former Fort Worth native, Boise's nicely affordable on a more standard hourly wage.
If hiking and outdoors is more your style, I highly recommend downtown at the least and more the Warm Springs end of town at best. You'll need to look in person for good rentals in those areas though. Most of the ones advertised online are more expensive than the average for that area.
There are a number of unique stores and restaurants in Boise, you just have to look for them and ask people. We have one of the largest per capita ratios of chain restaurants so it can mistakenly seem like that's all there are. (Still can't find chips comparable to a Mexican Inn though. My uncle has to bring them up in his suitcase on visits ) Healthwise, during all seasons the Boise Coop is great for pretty much every option you can think of. Its a little spendier but that seems to be the case for healthier options. A few fruit/veggie stands operate year round and from April until October the farmer's markets are open too.
Hope that helps!

[Nosneros]

I've read a bunch of these posts and no one seems to address a specific, good neighborhood. I want something that's NOT suburbia. My son is 15 and I will have a job. I want a decent, safe school for him, and I want LOTS of places to go. I would prefer a city-esque atmosphere, and would prefer a house. I'll be renting originally, as I have no idea how long I'll be staying. I used to live in Sugarhouse in Salt Lake. Anything similar to that? I have spent the last year in Idaho Falls and want to kill myself. (Posted this in multiple threads, as activity seemed more recent in some)