If you haven't visited downtown Boise recently, place it on your bucket list. Downtown Boise is ranked as one of the "top ten best places to live" across the nation. This effortless and vibrant city offers locals and visitors alike an experience that is quite uncommon in urban landscapes. Downtown Boise is known as a small city where the people are friendly, it's easy to navigate by vehicle or on foot, and the nightlife is hopping. Both housing and the cost of living in this area are reasonable when compared with similar capitol cities. For newcomers who have made this city their home, there is simply no turning back. People love downtown Boise.
While the 2014 count by the US Census Bureau reveals an ever-growing 426,000 plus population in Boise alone, residents actually find downtown Boise a close-knit community that houses approximately 2% of the total Boise population. Boise is shared equally in number by the male and female population, and the Census statistics show that it's a great location for children and seniors as well. Just over 6% of the population is under 5 years, 25% is over 18 years, and almost 13% are over 65 years.
If you are seeking housing in Boise, a look at market trends from Movoto shows the list price for a 2,054 sq. ft. home to be about $249,900, although you might expect to pay more in the downtown Boise area. That is an impressive square foot price of only $127 if you get a great deal, and the average time on the market is only 75 days. While home prices have increased nearly $10,000 in the past several months, Boise still offers an extremely affordable opportunity for new residents. A favorable option for downtown living includes trending high-rise condos, which may be difficult to find. When you want walking distance to daytime office space or an evening destination, condo living is as close to downtown Boise as you can get.
For career seekers, downtown Boise is home to thousands of companies. Combined with the surrounding cities, there are over 42,000 businesses to support new families who thinking of making downtown Boise their next home. The commute time for most careerists is less than 20 miles within the city. Qualified workers can expect a median household income of $55,000 up to $100,000, depending on their skills, experience, and fit with the right company. While Idaho's high school graduation rates have dropped somewhat to 77.3%, this figure is only 5% less that the US graduation rate.
Downtown Boise has a charm that is hard to find in a big, or not so big, city. Centrally located in the Boise valley, the downtown culture offers a blend of fine art opportunities, intellectual events, musical talents, dining alternatives, and more, jam-packed into a vibrant and beautiful 15-block space. At the heart of downtown Boise is the State Capitol Building, only a few blocks from Boise Centre on the Grove where patrons enjoy a weekly Saturday market, Alive After Five concert series, and regular conferences, events, and activities. Also nearby is BoDo-or Downtown Boise Historic District, one Boise's long-standing areas featuring shopping, the Bodovino wine bar, a coffee house, a movie theater, and several blocks of dining options.
Other downtown Boise cultural alternatives include the Linen District, the Boise Art Museum, and drive-through Julia Davis Park located along the Boise River. Here residents enjoy Art in The Park, concerts in an outdoor band shell, Zoo Boise, and more. Family oriented and pet-friendly, downtown Boise is situated under a blanket of trees in Summer and a ground cover of gold and orange foliage in late Fall. Home of the Boise Broncos, Boise State University is minutes from downtown with scenic views and many modern campus buildings catering to students.
Varying sports activities are popular for outdoor adventurers, as the Boise foothills offer mountain biking, hiking, and walking. For those who love the mountains, Boise has it all, with three nearby ski resorts to choose and some of the best fishing, hunting, and camping in the nation. In Spring of 2016, check out JUMP, or Jack's Urban Meeting Place, currently under construction in downtown Boise. Inspired by the late J.R. Simplot, this new and innovative center is a community for gathering to inspire human potential.
For families and singles seeking the good life and easy vibrant living in a cultured city, you have met your match in downtown Boise. Parking, driving, dining, and adventures are easy to achieve, and are just some of the benefits that make downtown Boise a hot spot on the northwest map. Downtown Boise residents often enjoy balmy weather from February to November and take in year-around fitness options on Boise's 20-mile greenbelt.
Downtown Boise offers a variety of ongoing events and activities for every age and every interest, including a Holiday Tree Lighting, the Boise Twilight Criterium, a number of benefit runs, and First Thursday, when vendors display their goods and services over wine, food, and fun. Whether you want to take a stroll along the beautiful Boise River, pedal your way through downtown on the Boise Bike Bar, or dine on an outdoor patio among the trees, this versatile location has something for everyone.
If you need a quality vacation or you want to check out home ownership for a potential future in downtown Boise, you won't be disappointed. Residents and visitors alike experience easy, vibrant living in a relatively safe environment. The Boise Connector is your route to and from the city, a brilliant infrastructure to support new downtown Boise growth and excitement.
