Relocation Magazine 2023
Hey everybody, it’s Dave Edwards, Treasure Valley Dave in Nampa, Idaho. I want to share something with you that will be an excellent resource to understand what the Treasure Valley’s all about and find out if it’s a good idea for you and your family to move to Idaho: our newest relocation magazine.
About Dave Edwards
This relocation magazine starts by giving you a bit of information about me. That is helpful because you want someone that will fit with you. It’s not like we will be dating, but I want to ensure you know what you’re getting into. So if you want somebody wearing purple hair and stuff like that, that’s probably not me, so it’s good to know it upfront.
As you’ll find out here, I was a small business owner and retired from a police department before I decided to move to Idaho from California. I was in the military for a decade; I’ve done many things. I was even a long-haul trucker in the past.
What's in the Relocation Magazine?
Discussing the seasons of the Treasure Valley is essential, as we sometimes have all four seasons in one day. We also discuss the 10 reasons to live in the Treasure Valley, as well as the geography and climate. Then we drill down into a synopsis of what each community is like here in the Treasure Valley and what adventurous stuff you can do outdoors.
There is a lot of information about education as well. Let’s say your kids are already through school, and you still want to live in a community with educated kids. They aren’t going to leave the area once they graduate. Instead, they will stay here, plow back their knowledge into our community, and help Idaho become a better place.
Seasons of the Year in Treasure Valley
Of course, you should read a little about the seasonality in the Treasure Valley. One of the nice things about this part of Idaho is that we have four distinct seasons. So about when you get tired of one season, like, “I’m tired of winter,” spring is right around the corner. And then when you get tired of spring, say, “Gosh, I wish it would warm up so I could stay out really late, barbecue, and do stuff like that,” summer’s right there. And then you think, “Oh my gosh, can it ever cool down? And can we get into fall with the pumpkin spice?” Fall comes right around the corner. And then suddenly, you’ll smell Christmas in the air and go, “Oh my gosh, the holidays are here. Pumpkin spice. Nice.” So that’s the Treasure Valley for you.
Treasure Valley Idaho Map
Here’s a quick little map of all the cities in the Treasure Valley, and you will get an excellent idea of the relationship between where they are and what they are.
10 Reasons to Live in the Treasure Valley
Let’s spend a little bit of time on this.
1. More Family Time
A lot of that has to do with the commute. The commute, on average, is 17 minutes here in the Treasure Valley. Yes, there might be some traffic if you’re going into Boise right at the peak or rush hour. But you know what? On a bad day, if someone has a wreck and you’re five to eight minutes late for work, your commute becomes half an hour.
I also did some commuting in California, specifically in the Bay Area, and on a good day, it took two hours to go 40 miles. And on a bad day, oh my gosh, give it up.
2. Freedom
You do get more freedom. You don’t have all sorts of politicians coming down your neck and trying to get every penny out of you.
3. Four Beautiful Seasons
We just talked about the seasons in Idaho above.
4. Economy and Opportunity
That is so true. Other videos I’ve done recently talk about why this is such a great place to start a small business. Have you ever thought about that? Just come up here and be your boss. I know everyone’s got a dream in him, right? And the economy’s great, especially compared to the rest of the country. Our unemployment rate in Idaho is 2.4% or 2.5%, so you can find a job in Boise, Nampa, or any city in the Treasure Valley.
One more thing: when you move to Idaho for better career opportunities, your first job doesn’t have to be your forever job. It’s your escape job — get into that job. I’ve got past clients who had gone through several positions before landing the jobs they love.
5. Safe
I was just looking over a testimonial that a police officer client wrote, and he was talking about how safe it is here. And he’s from California. There are some crimes in the Treasure Valley, but when you compare this to where you may be living, there may be no comparison at all.
6. The Great Outdoors
You guys probably know about all the hunting, fishing, and hiking trails.
7. Arts and Culture
I know that because my daughter, Treasure Valley Kelly, graduated from Boise State as an art major and is now working in the field. How many kids do that? They graduate and start working in that same field. That’s cool.
8. Higher Education
There are many opportunities for that, and it doesn’t have to be university. We have local community colleges as well.
9. Summer Life
Oh, the summers are great here. You can go to a farmers market, outdoor music festival, etc. It’s just fabulous.
10. Winter Sports
We got Bogus Basin and Tamarack and all these other places where if you’re unlike Treasure Valley Dave and you are okay with getting cold all day, there are places to go.
Geography & Climate
We talked about the seasons. We’re down here in a valley and are protected by these mountains around the valley. That blocks the Canadian blast of wind in the Midwest that goes down into Texas.
While we are very protected here, the mountains around us collect all this snow during the winter. And then we have all this water during the summer that comes down and is held up in hydroelectric dams, so our electric rates are cheaper.
Furthermore, we have irrigation water for every house and your house water. And it’s like one flat fee for the entire year, so you can maintain your gardens and lush green yards. It’s fantastic.
Boise
This magazine goes through a bit about Boise. It breaks out some of the different areas of Boise, and there are some decent areas that you may want to explore and check out (e.g., downtown, Boise Bench, etc.).
Caldwell
Caldwell is out on the other side of the valley, and you’ve probably heard about the Indian Creek Plaza that has the Indian Creek going through it. And if you have yet to see that, check out some of my other videos about Caldwell because it’s a fabulous place to visit.
Eagle
Eagle is a fantastic little community. Treasure Valley Marine lives in Eagle, and I get reports that it’s so community oriented. It’s just like a small city with a small-town feel, but it’s got everything you’d want. So it’s close to shopping, your job, and other places.
Emmett
Emmett is up on the other side of Eagle, 14 miles outside the valley up to the north, and in its own little valley. And it’s just as cute as a postcard.
I believe 6,000 people live in Emmett, and there’s so much space that you can spread out. So if you’re looking for that slower pace of life, Emmett might be the place for you.
Garden City
Now, Garden City is small, but it’s right between the north side of Boise and Eagle and has a remarkable history. It’s right on the Boise River, and the residents have a lot of fun stuff, including the state fairs.
Kuna
Kuna is down at the south end of the valley. It’s certainly growing, and it offers effortless access to Boise. So you get on Highway 69 for a few miles, jump right into the freeway, and then next thing you know, you’re in Boise.
Meridian
Look at the views you get from Meridian. The picture in the magazine is The Village. It’s an upper-scale shopping area, yet it’s unpretentious. So you can go down there to hang out, have a great cup of coffee, a nice snack, and do some shopping too.
Middleton
Middleton is another cute little city. It’s agriculture in nature, maybe with 6,000 people, but they have a lot of new subdivisions out there. It offers a slower pace of life and is family-oriented.
Nampa
Nampa is where I live. It’s a great little city. Don’t let this picture fool you — it’s more than just agriculture. We have all the old industries centered around agricultural things like the cheese and sugar beet factories. A little bird told me they’re installing some filters on their mechanisms so we don’t get that burnt peanut smell in the air anymore. So check out some of my other videos about Nampa; I could spend all day talking about all the great things happening here.
Star
Star is up next between Eagle and Middleton. And it feels country-ish, especially if you go downtown and see the Merck, the old Mercantile Exchange. It’s right there along the Boise River and has great walking paths. Star is the place if you want to chill out.
Other Cities in the Treasure Valley
Of course, other communities exist, such as Parma, Wilder, Fruitland, Payette, Mountain Home, and Idaho City.
Here are some great places to go, especially in the wintertime.
- McCall
- Bogus Basin
- Bruneau Sand Dunes
- Shoshone Fall
- Celebration Park
- Craters of the Moon
Idaho: Adventure Awaits
Well, it certainly does. Do you like to camp? I do. That’s different from my kind of camping, though. Mine comes with a Holiday Inn on the front, but whatever.
You can also go fishing, hiking, and golfing. More importantly, there are hot springs all over the place that are perfect after a day of hunting and biking.
Parks
We have such a variety of parks. For example, we have the Greenbelt along the Boise River, Ann Morrison Park, where they have the big Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic, and Whitewater Park. If you want to surf in Boise, you can do it in the latter.
You can float to the river during the float season. Just get on the inner tube and take life easy. You can also experience the Birds of Prey habitat, the Basque Block, the Shakespeare Festival, and the wineries. There are almost 30 wineries, especially out here just to the west of Nampa, between Nampa and the Snake River. A lot of them have tastings and things like that.
Higher Education
Deeper into the magazine, there are tons of information on the schools. We got public schools, private schools, and charter schools. Homeschooling is a big deal here, and there are many support networks for parents who want to do homeschooling.
As for higher education, we sent our daughter to BSU, and we cash flowed it. She graduated after four years with no student loan debt, thanks to some grants and tuition assistance we got. What a great gift to give your kid that they can leave college without any student loan debt and do something they want to do and then get a job in that field. It’s fantastic.
Aside from Boise State, the College of Idaho is also great. Northwest Nazarene University here in Nampa has a beautiful campus. And the Boise Bible College and College of Western Idaho are on the other side of our parking lot.
Healthcare
The healthcare section of the magazine highlights some of the prominent providers in Idaho.
Teleworking
Did you know we have electricity here in Boise? Yes, we do. This is the perfect place if you could swing it to where your job lets you work from home and telecommute. You might be making those big California money, spending smaller Idaho dollars, and enjoying life.
Wrapping Up
Well, that’s it for what we have in this magazine. If you found this video helpful or know someone who needs to see it, please share, like, and subscribe to the channel. So if you want a copy of our relocation magazine, visit our website or contact us.
This is Treasure Valley Dave, I’m always looking forward to helping you get home.
