Idaho was once a small state on a big map. “Idaho?”, people would say, “Isn’t that where Napoleon Dynamite was made?” Well, yes, and we’re quite proud of that, but it’s so much more too! And luckily, people are beginning to recognize just how much Idaho has to offer.
The Gem State’s capital city, Boise, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US right now, attracting out-of-staters from all over. So, what makes Boise so great? Why should folks consider visiting, or even relocating, to the City of Trees?
From hotels and entertainment, to outdoors and restaurants, here are some of the best attractions that you should check out on your next trip to Boise!
HOTELS
Luxurious and iconic, the Grove Hotel dominates the Boise skyline from the heart of Downtown. The Grove Hotel provides easy access to Boise’s bustling nightlife (they even offer bikes), but also offers plenty of comforts for a night in with food from Trillium Restaurant, a full service spa, and a 5th floor pool with a view!
One of the newer additions to Boise, this luxury boutique hotel already has the prestigious Four Diamond Award from AAA—a rating unique to only 4.2% of all hotels in North America!
Complete with themed rooms, contemporary architecture, deluxe amenities, all emphasizing local culture—from local beer and wine tastings to works by local artists—Inn at 500 Capitol is offering a unique Boise experience!
FOOD & DRINK
With locations in Boise, Nampa, and Caldwell, Flying M Coffeehouse is a small, locally-owned coffeehouse that’s absolutely bursting with personality.
Flying M offers a warm, welcoming space where you can pick up your morning coffee, chat with friends, or start writing the next Great American Novel. They accommodate vegan and gluten-free diets, offer fantastic drinks, and have fun and quirky gift shop with plenty of local creations. It’ll be your local hangout before you know it!
Bittercreek Alehouse/Red Feather Lounge
Sister restaurants, Bittercreek and Red Feather are located side-by-side in Boise’s downtown. Together, they offer some of the best cuisine, beer, and wine in Boise, while prioritizing locally sourced food as much as possible.
If you want to treat your palate (or maybe even a date) to some of Idaho’s own produce in a classy setting in the heart of Downtown, Bittercreek and Red Feather are the place to go.
OUTDOORS
Idaho isn’t known as a mountain state for nothing. The Table Rock area offers a variety of hiking and biking trails for adventurers of all kinds.
One of the most popular trails leads from the historic Old Penitentiary (now a local landmark and museum) all the way to the top of Table Rock, excellent for a workout in the summertime with a rewarding view of the city waiting at the end.
Looking for some winter fun? Bogus Basin resort offers skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, and more. What’s that? Want more summertime activities too? How about even more mountain bike trails, hiking sites, summer tubing, or horseback riding?
Not only does Bogus Basin offer a ton of outdoor fun, but it’s entirely non-profit! Every dollar spent goes to equipment, facilities, staff, and outreach to keep these services open to Boise.
ENTERTAINMENT & Arts
There’s something magical about seeing a movie on the big screen. The Flicks is a small, local theater in Boise that offers a wide range of films that you may not see in larger theaters—including indie films, foreign language pictures, Oscar nominees (they even show all the nominated short films every year), and more!
Ever seen Shakespeare under the stars? The Idaho Shakespeare Festival offers five plays every Summer in the local ISF outdoor amphitheater, producing classic Shakespearean comedies and tragedies, as well as contemporary musicals and murder mysteries.
Offering fresh takes on every genre, even the most skeptical viewer will be amazed at the vibrance and energy of live theater at ISF.
COVID was a bummer, especially when it cancelled Treefort 2020, but Boise’s premier music festival is already making plans to return in 2021! This downtown musical extravaganza has featured headliners like Built to Spill (a local favorite), Youth Lagoon, of Montreal, as well as hundreds of other indie bands from all over.
Making up for 2020, Treefort has announced two festivals in six months, with a Fall Treefort in 2021 and the regular Spring festival in 2022! It’s not an event to be missed, bringing together the entire Boise community and local businesses into other “fort” events like alefort, artfort, comedyfort, filmfort, and more.
This is only a small sample of what Boise has on offer. There’s plenty more to uncover: the ice cream potato of Westside Drive-in, the Boise Art Museum, Freak Alley graffiti gallery, the list goes on.
If you’re an agent looking to make a name in Idaho real estate, these local landmarks and attractions are a surefire way to build interest in your properties and neighborhoods.
Looking to learn more about the Idaho real estate market? Read up on our forecast for Boise’s post-covid market trends here!
