Welcome to Boise

Downtown Boise is the cultural center of the city and home to more than 100 shops, 80 restaurants and several microbreweries and nightlife venues. Downtown Boise is a vibrant livable community that is walkable and friendly. Community events such as the Saturday Farmer’s Market, First Thursday, and Alive-After-Five outdoor concert series on the Grove bring large crowds to the area. The 8th Street Marketplace provides a lively pedestrian zone lined with boutiques, local restaurants, and bars. Downtown Boise’s popular attractions include Julia Davis, Ann Morrison and Kathryn Albertson parks, the Idaho State Capitol, the classic Egyptian Theatre, the Boise Art Museum, and the Basque Block.

Just on the other side of the river from downtown is Boise State University, surrounded by residential neighborhoods and businesses catering to the student population. The unique blue playing field at the 37,000-seat Albertsons Stadium on the BSU campus, home to the Boise State Broncos football team, is a major city landmark. The university campus is home to the Taco Bell Arena, which hosts a variety of concert and sporting events, as well as the Morrison Center, which hosts the Idaho Ballet, Broadway shows and many other cultural performances.

The North End is Boise’s historic treasure and is comprised of many of the city’s older homes and quiet neighborhoods near downtown. It’s known for its tree-lined streets such as Harrison Boulevard and the Historic Hyde Park District with boutiques and popular eateries. Residents look forward to the Hyde Park Street Fair each year located at the locals favorite Camel’s Back Park.

The proximity to the foothills, the Greenbelt, and downtown makes Northwest Boise a favorite among many locals. Tucked between the City of Eagle and Downtown Boise, it contains a mix of old and new neighborhoods with some areas of older homes that have a similar aesthetic to the North End. Amid its many conveniences, the beauty of the Boise Foothills running along the northern side is what makes this neighborhood great.

This is the part of Boise locals take friends and family when visiting. From the northeast corner of Downtown along Warm Springs Road sits historic grand mansions, the Old Idaho Penitentiary, Idaho Botanical Gardens and the Warm Springs Mesa. This area gets its name from the natural hot springs that flow from Boise’s fault line and warm many of the homes in the area. It is one of Boise oldest, most expensive and sought-after neighborhoods with its good schools, popular restaurants and direct access to Downtown. As you make your way further east, known as Boise’s East End, newer communities like Harris Ranch in the Barber Valley are highly sought after. This master-planned community is amazing in growth, location, and stewardship. Once fully developed, Harris Ranch will include more than 2,800 homes with pedestrian access to trails, restaurants, shops and the Boise Foothills.

The Bench, as locals call it, offers some of the best view of Boise in that it sits about 60 feet higher than Downtown. It’s generally an older residential neighborhood with a strong sense of community, oldschool culture and hipster vibe. The Bench gets its name from the sudden rise, giving the appearance of a step, or bench. It is home to the Boise Union Pacific Depot, offers easy access to the freeway and downtown, and overlooks beautiful Ann Morrison.

Southeast Boise covers a large area from Boise State University to the very edge of the city at Micron Technology. Most of Southeast Boise was developed in the last thirty years with suburban-style homes, including one of Boise’s most exclusive neighborhoods, River Run, offering riverfront properties. And a newer, growing addition to this region is the popular Bown Crossing. This community is surrounded by unique neighborhoods with quaint homes. Offering some of the best restaurants in Boise, along with specialty shops, a new library and a vibrant community spirit, Bown Crossing has quickly gained attention of many families moving to the area.

What once was known for its sparsely populated neighborhoods and acre-sized plots, Southwest Boise is now a booming residential community with a suburban feel. The widespread growth of new homes and neighborhoods near Interstate 84, theaters, shopping, Costco, golf and the airport has made this section of Boise a desired location among new comers and long-time residents alike.

West Boise is home to Boise Towne Square Mall, the largest in the state, as well as many restaurants, strip malls, and residential developments ranging from new subdivisions to apartment complexes. West Boise accounts for a large section of the city’s residential population connecting Boise to the cities of Meridian and Eagle, Idaho. One of Boise’s top employers, Hewlett Packard’s printing division is also located here, employing more than 3,000 employees.