Neighborhoods Boise - Meridian
Is Downtown Boise Safe?
Downtown Boise is ridiculously safe, even late at night or in dark alleys. Part of the charm and beauty of Boise is the large middle class who are all ready to lend a helping hand when others are in trouble. This acts as a deterrent to the two hoodlums lurking about. The fact that the gal in front of you may have a piece in that purse also acts as a deterrent. No thug without 2 nickels to rub together wants any part of her. Or her husband or brother for that matter. You still see trucks with gun racks cruising the street daily. Helps with home invasion crimes as well!
What’s The Northend?
Only the best, greatest, grooviest, hipster hang out neighborhood between Portland’s Pearl District and somewhere in Boston Ma.. Ranked as one of the top 100 neighborhoods in the country years ago it must be up to number 12 or 13 at this point. Cute, convenient, outdoorsy and fun. Famous for the Hyde Park Street Faire and the overall cool vibe. Bike and rescue dog with bandana required to move into this neighborhood! Made up mostly of quaint old craftsman styled homes with alley’s and garages behind. It is sandwiched between downtown and the foothills with easy access to downtown, The Ridge To River Trails System, The Parks and Greenbelt, Bogus Basin and Bsu! It is also the most expensive area on a per square foot basis in the valley! Long on style short on masters and garages. There are larger homes along Harrison and in the “golden triangle” which encompasses 18-26th streets from State to Hill Road, roughly.
Where Is The Boise Bench?
Located south of downtown past the river and parks is an flat elevated plateau or “bench”. It is an ancient flood plain that runs from roughly Broadway avenue west all the way to Caldwell. If you are standing on the edge of the bench overlooking downtown you are “on the rim”. This bench is roughly 150 feet in elevation higher than downtown. The homes located right on the rim are widely considered to have the best view in the Boise Metro Area with the city in the foreground and the Boise front and mountains in the background. The Bench includes everything between the rim and the freeway. Extending west out to Cole road. The Bench has become known as the poor man’s north end. It is the only option for older homes other than the northend and off of Warm Springs Boulevard. The close in Bench off Latah and Vista Avenue features homes that were built primarily in the 1940’s after World War II. Out near Cole Road homes built in the 1960’s and 1970’s are more the norm. People relocating to Boise that elect to buy a home on The Bench enjoy easy access to all the big parks, shopping downtown plus in and around the Boise Towne Square Mall. Everything is here, from The Cheesecake Factory to Cabela’s. If you are coming for a visit don’t miss out on the fish Taco’s at Reel Foods! The airport, Costco, the original Boise LDS temple are all right here! Hit the freeway for easy access to Lucky Peak for water skiing or zip through the northend to get to Bogus Basin or the Ridge To Rivers Trail System!
Thinking About Moving To West Boise & Where Is It?
Located on the same ancient elevated flood plan as The Bench, West Boise is everything between the rim (see the Bench) and the freeway all the way west to around Eagle road. Technically Boise goes past Eagle road near the intersection with Chinden boulevard where the Target is, and Meridian extends East of Eagle road near The Village and the Freeway. But unofficially, Eagle Road is the divide between Meridian Idaho and Boise! Relocating to West Boise is great for lots of stuff. Close in, you are still close enough to ride your bike to downtown. You are Book ended by the best shopping in the valley with The Village on the west and the Boise Towne Square Mall on the east. West Boise Homes for sale are older 1970’s Brady Bunch style homes near Cole road and newer more contemporary homes in subdivisions like Hobble Creek and The Legends near Eagle Road. For budget conscious families that want big footage at a low cost the 1970-80’s subs fit the bill for many.
Interested In New Homes In Southeast Boise?
New homes in Southeast Boise had been a long time coming, but that has all changed. The area north of the river and east of downtown along Warm Springs Boulevard has many quaint old turn of the century homes and a mix in the foothills of midcentury modern and newer mansions. But the Boise home buyer who wants all the convenience of a new home, with large masters and stylish décor had a real issue until recently. It was either way west or bust. For the past 100 years, the “Barber Valley” was once comprised of a combination of a lumber mill and cattle ranch owned by the Harris Family. In the early 2000’s the Harris family struck up a deal with the city to allow development of 2 phases for development. Long story short that started it all and once the remainder of infrastructure was finished the area took off like a house on fire. The explosive growth is still happening. Today the area boasts schools, the Shakespeare Festival, retirement living, town homes, view homes in the foothills and family style cul-de-sac developments. Close to the foothills, Lucky Peak and with the greenbelt running right down the middle Southeast Boise is a great place for active minded peeps, young and old alike. This is the only area that you can ride a bike into downtown Boise still under development. At this point more than 60-70% of the available dirt has been developed and the few remaining parcels are going fast. Of course there will always be existing homes coming up for resale. But if you what a new home in Southeast Boise, strike while the iron is hot.
What Is Harris Ranch?
Harris Ranch was the old cattle ranch and was the largest property holder in the Barber Valley in Southwest Boise. It has been developed into residential homes in various developments.
See Homes For Sale In Harris Ranch North, Harris Ranch, Dallas Harris Estates, Harris Crossing At Harris Ranch, Harris Ranch Mill District, Mill Station, Park Place & East Valley, Among Others!
Where Is Southwest Boise?
South west Boise is the area south of the freeway and west of the airport. There are numerous infill subdivisions that supply new homes for sale reasonably close to downtown Boise. It was developed originally in the 1970’s on one half to 1 acre lots with classic 1970’s big square footage homes. Think Brady Bunch but not as nice. These homes were typically on well and septic as the services had not made it here at that time. Around 1980 the city would not allow any more development until sewer, gas and water were in place. What we ended up with was a patchwork of open farm fields and 1 acre subdivisions mixed together. Fast forward to 2000. With the housing bubble fast approaching and as a result of rising land costs in Meridian, it became more economical to extend the necessary services. As the services went so did the subdivisions filling in the open spaces. What resulted is a mix of new developments on smaller lots with city services and new homes. From CBH to Hubble filling the niche for tight fisted shoppers, and developments like Hazelwood and Hazelwood Village for retirees or families that want granite and fireplaces.
What Is The Best Thing About Living In Northwest Boise?
Northwest Boise has the greenbelt running along one side and the foothills on the other! So runners walkers and bikers love it. Plus it is just a short 10-15 minutes drive and you are downtown, at the Boise Towne Square Mall or part way to McCall! West of 36th street and north of the river all the way to highway 55 you will find Northwest Boise. Here there are a variety of ages, styles, designs and price ranges suited for the whole spectrum of Boise home buyers. In close near 36th street are small single levels built in the 1940’s to 1960’s. Stroll down along the river near The Plantation and Riverside Village and experience opulence and water front living near the green belt. Further downstream are patio homes for easy living and even some newer family style homes along old Horseshoe Bend road. The foothills have stunning view homes in Quail Ridge and Arrowhead Canyon! There is a little something for everyone in Boise’s Northwest!
Is Hidden Springs Idaho A City?
Hidden Springs is in North West Boise and is not technically its own city. That said it is kind of in its own little world. It has the Merc for convenience items, a public elementary school. The housing is a mix of McMansion style view homes on the ridges, Smaller family style homes on the flats, some garage behind, others with the garage in front. A community garden and access to the foothills ridge to rivers trails help make hidden springs a popular concept subdivision. Surrounding developments on 10 acre parcels, quick easy access into downtown Boise, Eagle or the Highway north are also desirable traits.
Is North or South Meridian Idaho A Better Place To Live?
Meridian Idaho has 4 distinct regions for housing in the local MLS. The best one to live in is really up to you and your lifestyle. Like to walk or bike on the green belt? Want quick access to downtown Boise? Maybe you work in Caldwell and want to be way west. Each part of town has a distinct set of geographic and socioeconomic reasons that it may be right for you. There are a certain number of things that are more or less equal throughout Meridian Id. Home prices are more or less the same. Pick a plan in Northwest Meridian built by a particular builder and that same home will be about the same price in South East Meridian. The schools are about the same. So I will outline the pros for each different part of Meridian Idaho.
Northeast Meridian- Advantages include close to the greenbelt and the west Boise YMCA. If Eagle road is all jammed up and bumper to bumper, up as it often is going to or from the freeway, you can take surface streets into downtown Boise in about the same period of time. You have quick and easy access to shopping and restaurants along the Eagle road corridor, in downtown Eagle and west along Chinden at the new Costco. Typically when compared to northwest Meridian, you will start at the head of the line and they will start at the rear of the line.
Northwest Meridian- One advantage is that there is more dirt and more subdivisions, so typically a better selection of homes. There is a new Costco planned for this part of Meridian. The new LDS temple is a beacon on Linder road. The Eagle Island shopping center has just about everything you could want. You can use Linder via State street to get a quick start on the weekend camping trip out Highway 55. Ten Mile freeway access eliminates the need to fight your way up Eagle road.
Southwest and Southeast- This area of Meridian has been the last to really explode housing wise. Therefore the selection of homes here is good. Freeway access is easier than coming up Eagle road to get into downtown Boise for work, dinner or a game. But The Village is only 2 miles up Eagle road from the freeway if you must. If there is a wreck on the freeway you can take the surface streets and get to downtown Boise or the airport. The kids are often close enough to the Roaring Springs Water Park to ride their bikes.
What About Eagle Idaho?
Long billed as the land of quiet country acreage's, recent explosive growth west of Linder road has shattered that perception. In the 1970's Hewlett-Packard relocated their entire printer division here. It was a huge influx of money and people with money. The result was tons of growth in Eagle. Eagle Hills Subdivision and a wholesale chopping of the 40 acre cropland north of town in to 5 and 10 acre ranchettes. As you move further west to the Ballantyne Lane area you see Mcmansions on one and two acre lots. These resulted from the expense of bringing sewer up Ballantyne. Once sewer reached the open fields west of Eagle High School it has become "Katy Bar The Door" development with subdivisions, lot sizes and builders virtually identical to west Meridian.
Is Boise, Meridian, Eagle Or Star A Better Place To Live?
This is a loaded question and the answer is not the same for everybody. Will you be attending a large number of events that happen in Boise if so finding something closer in will be a bonus. From annual events and sporting stuff, to Alive After 5 and First Thursday, tons of the gatherings that make Boise awesome take place in the downtown core. The Convention Center, Jump. Boise State University, Restaurants Hockey…. et. al. happens in downtown! That said if you want a new home or are limited by budget sometimes a little more driving is in the cards for you. Meridian has the least expensive dirt and therefore the least expensive new homes of the 3. Eagle while generally considered large lot and acreage “upper end” is actually a mixed bag. It has 1970’s subdivisions like Eagle Hills, some 1990’s smaller stuff on quarter acre lots in developments like Eagle Pointe. Larger tract style semi customs in the likes of Brookwood and Lexington Hills and then total over the top customs on ½ to 2 acres in Tahoe Ridge and The Estate at Corriento Bello! The 1990’s homes and the 1970’s homes pricing structure is only 1% more than the same home in west Boise or Meridian. So if quick aces up Highway 55 to get to rafting, hiking or McCall tops your list, spending that extra 10k might pay dividends later.