Of all the wonderful areas of Boise, I have made the North End my Home. I enjoy everything about the North End, from the close proximity to downtown to the historic homes and tree lined roads. The miles and miles of biking, hiking and walking paths just outside your door, combined with the great Restaurants, antique stores, coffee house and other shops of Hyde Park make this a very unique and coveted area to live in.

With thousands of visitors each year to enjoy the recreation, shopping, and seasonal entertainment this makes the North End a premier destination for travelers and locals alike.

Please see below for a short history of the North End of Boise as provided courtesy of Northend.org.


A Northend History

From the 1890’s into the 1950’s the Northend was first a remote area of town then the main area of residential growth with developments like Brumbach addition adding hundreds of homes and cottages to the grid layout north of State Street.

At the same time Harrison Boulevard began taking shape. Harrison Boulevard, one of Boise’s most picturesque thoroughfares, is named for President Benjamin Harrison, who signed the Admissions Act making Idaho a state. His visit in 1891 prompted the City Council and local landowner Jeremiah Brumback to rename 17th Street in honor of the 23rd president.

As Boise boomed in the first decades of the 20th Century, many of the City’s most prominent citizens built their homes on the Boulevard, resulting in a superb collection of architectural styles. With the addition of the median parkway and street lights in 1916. This unique combination of stately homes and medians make Harrison Boulevard one of Boise’s most historic and beautiful neighborhoods. Harrison Boulevard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated as a local historic district by Boise City in 1989.

As Boise grew through the 60’s, much of the Northend began a period of decline. The Queen Anne homes were being split into apartments to accomodate the growth of the student population at then Boise Junior College and the influx of new residents that grew Boise from a population of 34,000 in 1960 to over 75,000 by 1970. The Northend Neighborhood Association was formed to take on the issue and successfully changed the free-for-all zoning that threatened the intergity of the neighborhood in the mid 70’s.

The Northend Today

Simply the best place to spend an afternoon sightseeing, shopping, or just relaxing in a coffee shop or park, the Northend offers pedestrians and bicyclers an eyeful of historical and natural beauty. It is renowned for it’s trees, flowers and gardens, dozens of parks and is known nationally as the gateway to the Boise foothills, Bogus Basin Recreation Area and home to Hyde Park – the heart of the Northend.

The Northend is filled with history. Most of the neighborhood has been designated a Boise Historic Preservation District and boasts many sites that are listed on the National Historic Register. Wander these pages to learn more about this unique urban neighborhood!

(Information courtesy of www.northend.org)