It seems now days Boise is on a list for everything from “Best Places to Live,” to “Top Places to Retire,” to “North America’s Coolest Downtowns.”
Although, what do all these lists really mean and do people truly pay attention to all of these accolades?
The Boise Valley Economic Partnership says with technology at everyone’s fingertips, all these top spots are playing a pivotal role in all of the growth Boise has seen over the last couple of years.
“There's not a month that goes by that Boise, Idaho, doesn't make top 10 on some list,” Boise Regional Realtors President Katrina Wehr said.
The “Top 10” lists are now inspiring people to act.
“If I can get somebody on a plane and they land in Boise, Idaho, the quality of life here sells itself,” Wehr said.
All you have to do is ask Susan Smith, who retired to The Terraces of Boise from Boston after she came out here just once to visit family.
“I came out to visit her after I retired and I kinda fell in love with it,” Smith said.
Forbes Magazine has also named the City of Trees one of the top places to retire.
“Those lists are out there and they go viral as soon as they hit and they get shared and re-shared and shared and so the consumer looks at it,” Wehr said.
It’s something Smith even researched before making her trek out west.
“I think I checked into that and Boise was there, and Boise still continues to be there and rightly so,” Smith said.
Clark Krause, the executive director for the Boise Valley Economic Partnership, believes this is what’s happening, people are seeing Boise ranked on a top list and then doing their research.
“Whether you're doing business here or you're trying to buy a home here or you just want to come here and mountain bike, you're finding that it's affordable, it's accessible, and there's quality here.” Krause said.
Krause tells KTVB with technology at everyone’s fingertips, positive press about the city of Boise is a lot easier to find.
“I used to tell you that years ago that accolades didn't matter when I saw them in the press, but I think they really do matter,” Krause said.
So Outside Magazine’s “Best Rocky Mountain Secret” may not be a secret much longer.
“I don't think you're going to see it slow down here. I think you're going to see positive healthy growth here for a long, long time to come,” Krause said.