BoyZeanz

[Sawtooth]

Here is a small collection of people shots or paparazzi shots, however you define it, of photos I have taken over the recent years as I've walked and biked the streets and parks of Boise, Idaho. I originally posted this in the Mountain West forum but thought I would post it here as well.


Enjoy!



• Video Link




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[IMG][/IMG]

[boulevardofdef]

Whoa, Boise is looking great. As I looked at these photos, I found myself thinking, Boise seems like it could be the next Portland or Austin -- am I wrong about that? Are these misleading? And then I got to the photo that says, "Boise is ... Kicking Portland's Butt." So, seriously: What's going down in Boise? Are the hipsters taking over, despite Pauly Walnuts' warnings?

[Pinion]

Much more interesting/culturally diverse than I was expecting. I've been looking for another somewhat-close town to explore - might be worth the drive.

[Sawtooth]

Originally Posted by boulevardofdef

Whoa, Boise is looking great. As I looked at these photos, I found myself thinking, Boise seems like it could be the next Portland or Austin -- am I wrong about that? Are these misleading? And then I got to the photo that says, "Boise is ... Kicking Portland's Butt." So, seriously: What's going down in Boise? Are the hipsters taking over, despite Pauly Walnuts' warnings?

Boise may have similarities to a few other cities or it mght be that they have some similarities to Boise, who knows. Boise definitely has its own identity and a lot of that is based on the isolated location next to the mountains, forests and desert and the river running through the city which assists in feuling the creative culture here. There is a hipster scene and sometimes I feel like I should have a little tiny backpack on in order to fit in at a few bars. The cycling scene is much larger.

Originally Posted by Pinion

Much more interesting/culturally diverse than I was expecting. I've been looking for another somewhat-close town to explore - might be worth the drive.

If you do make the drive and have extra time to burn, enter Idaho south of Creston, B.C. along the International Selkirk Loop highway and continue south towards Coeur d'Alene and all the way down the state to Boise. It is more scenic then driving the interstates.

[Shawn]

Thanks for another great Boise thread, Sawtooth! I know I shouldn't be by now, but I too still get surprised by the diversity always on display in your threads. Very cool.

[seaskyfan]

Such a great Downtown. Thanks for the photos!

[mttop]

You sure know how to put together great photo threads Sawtooth!

I love all of the outdoor activities Boise offers. The people look good too.

[Sawtooth]

Thanks Shawn, seaskyfan and mttop. I realize the diversity in Boise is a surprise for many not familier with the city and I appreciate how Boise has citizens from all around the world much like most larger American cities do. Boise is also a popular city for refugees to be placed and live as they become familier with American life.

Maybe I should have snuck portland into my thread title and I would probably have a lot more comments lol.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by Sawtooth

Maybe I should have snuck portland into my thread title and I would probably have a lot more comments lol.

Don't worry about comments, just keep posting threads like this. We Bostonians tend to be only vaguely aware of what's happening west of Worcester - I forget Springfield is actually in Mass. Idaho? That might as well be Siberia. But your Boise threads and some other forumers' efforts at highlighting Midwestern and Mountain West cities I would otherwise not have a chance to visit has gone a long way in educating me about my own country's beauty. Keep 'em coming please!

Edit: Actually, I had a positive image of Idaho before, largely from Napoleon Dynamite. Gotta say that movie was pretty much my only image of Idaho (outside of "potato") until your Boise threads.

[Chef]

It looks like it has a lot more street life than I expected. Most cities it's size in the northeast and Midwest are pretty dead.

[Cottonwood]

Awesome thread. Boise is probably one of the most vibrant cities of its size in the USA and is more vibrant and eclectic then some larger cities I have lived in....SLC and Omaha come to mind. One of the great aspects of Boise is that downtown is the center of everything. There are no worries here about what needs to be done to make downtown happening and vibrant and urban because it already is.

[volguus zildrohar]

Not too shabby. Thanks for the shots.

[Sawtooth]

Originally Posted by Shawn

Don't worry about comments, just keep posting threads like this. We Bostonians tend to be only vaguely aware of what's happening west of Worcester - I forget Springfield is actually in Mass. Idaho? That might as well be Siberia. But your Boise threads and some other forumers' efforts at highlighting Midwestern and Mountain West cities I would otherwise not have a chance to visit has gone a long way in educating me about my own country's beauty. Keep 'em coming please!

Edit: Actually, I had a positive image of Idaho before, largely from Napoleon Dynamite. Gotta say that movie was pretty much my only image of Idaho (outside of "potato") until your Boise threads.

Thanks Shawn. I will be posting more threads this summer, there's always something going in town, for instance this weekend is Ironman Boise 70.3 and the North Fork Kayak Championships up on the Payette River which brings into town the best kayakers from around the world to run what is referred to as some of the worlds most difficult whitewater. I'm also going to be visiting some Idaho mountain resort towns soon and may decide to take some photos to post.

What to say about Napoleon Dynamite lol. That movie offers a very limited view of life in a rural Idaho town mainly because the area it was filmed in and based on is in extreme Southeast Idaho within miles of the Utah state line and that area of Idaho is more influenced by the northern Utah culture then it is influenced by the rest of the state of Idaho. I tend to think of that movie as portraying life in the Cache Valley of Utah and the Preston area of Idaho which is also part of the Cache Valley. Ironically a lot of people I know here in Boise have never been to Preston and that corner of SE Idaho.

Nevertheless it is a funny movie.

[Danny]

Very nice and interesting people shots. Great job, Sawtooth! Thanks.

Boise is a city full of life and cultures, as I see, besides its amazing natural scenery.

Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain!

[Smuttynose1]

Driving through Southern Idaho is so incredibly boring and the areas so sparsely populated, that Boise just kind of shocks you. I was impressed by how vibrant it was. It manages to pull in some substantial buildings while maintaining a small scale that fools you into thinking you're in a relatively small college town.

[Sawtooth]

Thanks Danny

Originally Posted by Smuttynose1

Driving through Southern Idaho is so incredibly boring and the areas so sparsely populated, that Boise just kind of shocks you. I was impressed by how vibrant it was. It manages to pull in some substantial buildings while maintaining a small scale that fools you into thinking you're in a relatively small college town.

Let me guess, you were on Interstate 84? Most Idahoans will admit the stretch between Boise and Burley/Twin Falls is relatively mundane in a state with so much natural beauty. The interesting and scenic areas are off the interstate and run parallel, for instance Highway 30. If you are a geography and geology nerd this area is very interesting. The Snake River plains is one of the most extensive extinct lava fields on earth and has a lot of surprising areas. There are the deep canyons, Craters of The Moon, Thousand Springs, several hot springs, lava tubes, ice caves, and areas with some of the oldest known human occupation in North America and of course one of the grandest water falls in the West. Some of the largest natural springs in North America are hidden south of the interstate in scenic gorges. A theory is that the Snake River Plains is a remnant of Yellowtone, the caldera under Yellowtone began south of Boise and moved eastwards and is currently where Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming meet.

The Snake River plains kind of play tricks with your eyes because the mountains are never very far away. Within an hour north of Twin Falls you can be in the Sun Valley area and surrounded by tall mountains and alpine forests. Boise sits at the base of forests and mountains that spread out contiguously towards Canada.





Here is an example of what makes the Snake River Plains so interesting and surprising and the Interstate passes over this and most people do not even know this canyon is below them.
I took these several years ago. This is Malad Gorge and the Devils Washbowl. In the first photo, in the background, the Interstate is visible over the gorge.