Katie Warren/Business Insider
Boise is having a moment.
- Boise, the mid-size capital of Idaho, is having a moment.
- Its population grew by 18.2% between 2010 and 2018, and Forbes ranked it the fastest-growing city in the US in 2018.
- Most out-of-state newcomers are coming from California, followed by Washington state and Utah.
- Microbreweries, luxury condos, and Brooklyn-esque coffee shops are popping up in the Pacific Northwest city of 229,000 people.
- I recently spent four days there, and most of my time was spent in Boise's thriving downtown area, which is full of locally owned bars and restaurants, microbreweries and cider houses, and new luxury apartments.
- A river runs through the heart of the city, along which is a 25-mile stretch of tree-lined trails called the Greenbelt.
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Everyone wants to live in Boise, Idaho right now.
The mid-size Pacific Northwest city is experiencing a major growth spurt. Forbes ranked it the fastest-growing city in the US in 2018. Its population grew by 18.2% between 2010 and 2018, and by more than 3% just between 2017 and 2018.
While most people moving to Boise come from smaller towns in Idaho, the foremost place out-of-state transplants are moving from is California, primarily from the Los Angeles metro area.
Almost 80,000 people moved to Idaho in 2018 - more than 21,000 of them from California, according to US Census data.
According to locals, people are finally figuring out how great of a place Boise is to live. In 2019, Boise was ranked the best place to live for millennials as well as the best US city to buy a house.
I recently spent four days in Boise exploring the city and talking to local business owners and residents. As someone who lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan, I was curious to get a feel for Boise's downtown and see what kind of lifestyle it offers for big-city transplants. After four days, I can, for starters, say this: Boise does not disappoint.
Keep reading for a look at its vibrant downtown area, which is bustling with breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, coffee shops, and new luxury apartments.