Living in Northern Idaho

Joined
Feb 3, 2014
Messages
1,554
Location
Boundary Co. Idaho
Those with open arms. Have your county property re assesed and spit. Cut a 1/2 acre chunk off and sell it to someone who wants to come to NIdaho? Great opportunties there.
 

SWOHTR

WKR
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Messages
1,439
Location
Briney foam
You can also use your life experiences to form your own personal conclusions and base line.

More than welcome to have your property re-assessed and split to put someone new in your backyard. I'll pass.
Interesting.

I’ll pass too, but that’s because I no longer live there. Wouldn’t do it anyways.

PCS’d three times since then.
 
OP
DJG1994

DJG1994

FNG
Joined
Jan 28, 2021
Messages
12
Location
Arizona
He asked for an “honest” opinion. I am honestly telling him what I think. The problem is real. I am being honest that if I met him out and about and he was as honest as he was in the initial post I would honestly be cordial but would not go out of my way to help or befriend him. We are overrun with remote workers.

I can empathize with that. The reality is that my line of work in software is all remote these days, and there's not much I can do about that. Regardless of where I live, it's going to be remote work.

I also don't think 'milking' an area is a fair assessment. I'd like to think I'm an upstanding citizen and someone who contributes to society which can be done in more ways than just holding a job within the local infrastructure.
 

Spoonbill

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
689
I can empathize with that. The reality is that my line of work in software is all remote these days, and there's not much I can do about that. Regardless of where I live, it's going to be remote work.

I also don't think 'milking' an area is a fair assessment. I'd like to think I'm an upstanding citizen and someone who contributes to society which can be done in more ways than just holding a job within the local infrastructure.
I wouldn’t let the comments about remote workers discourage you too much, there are plenty of people born and raised in Idaho that have remote jobs due to the difference in pay.

I live in a different part of the state, but from what I have seen the people that cause the most issues are the ones trying to change Idaho to be more like the states they left, rather than embracing the local culture. As long as you don’t do that, you shouldn’t have too many problems.
 

BuckSmasher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
106
Location
North ID
I can empathize with that. The reality is that my line of work in software is all remote these days, and there's not much I can do about that. Regardless of where I live, it's going to be remote work.

I also don't think 'milking' an area is a fair assessment. I'd like to think I'm an upstanding citizen and someone who contributes to society which can be done in more ways than just holding a job within the local infrastructure.
Absolutely. That dude sounds selfish and ill informed. My neighbors that built a huge house are constantly pumping large amounts of cash into everything from local dealerships, to landscapers and restaurants are hardly 'milking' anything. That dude doesn't know how capitalism works. We all can't be service workers for his convenience.

Most folks are friendly up here. Most folks also have a 'us four and no more' mentality about growth, I think you can read this thread and see that clearly. They want to close the gate behind them, me included really. Just not willing to be a jerk about it. Like Spoonbill said above, most folks here label themselves as political refugees from other parts of the country. Don't try and make Idaho like Arizona and you'll be just fine. If anything it is easier to meet new folks because so few of us are from here.
 

johnsd16

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
336
Location
North Idaho
Absolutely. That dude sounds selfish and ill informed. My neighbors that built a huge house are constantly pumping large amounts of cash into everything from local dealerships, to landscapers and restaurants are hardly 'milking' anything. That dude doesn't know how capitalism works. We all can't be service workers for his convenience.

Most folks are friendly up here. Most folks also have a 'us four and no more' mentality about growth, I think you can read this thread and see that clearly. They want to close the gate behind them, me included really. Just not willing to be a jerk about it. Like Spoonbill said above, most folks here label themselves as political refugees from other parts of the country. Don't try and make Idaho like Arizona and you'll be just fine. If anything it is easier to meet new folks because so few of us are from here.
Neither selfish nor uninformed. I work hard in service for the community and entire panhandle and have a lot of knowledge about the actual matters at hand as it pertains to the healthcare and schools in Kootenai county. I sent you a pm.
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
560
Location
Coeur d' Alene, ID
I would take a serious look at your finances beforehand and be sure you can afford the housing costs (rental or buying). The area has all the recreation that you speak of, but be sure you will have the funds available to partake. I would say you need to be making 6 figures at a minimum to live here these days, and that would take some budgeting. If you do make the move, don't buy a pass to Schweitzer until you check out Lookout Pass. If its powder you crave or you enjoy backcountry skiing, that is the place to go! Schweitzer is the place to go for fog and ice :) I am biased I suppose.
 

jeedo

FNG
Joined
Jul 15, 2021
Messages
20
Location
7B
I'm about your age and my wife and I love it up here. We came from Wisconsin to leave the idiocy there, and being God fearing Christians living traditional lives we've been accepted into the community and call Northern ID home, actually more so than what we left behind. We've found however that everything is expensive here so make sure you find a good job. Worth a good visit if you're seriously considering it.
 

Coach529

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
294
Location
Idaho Panhandle
I have been here since 2017. Crazy how much it has changed since then. We came from North Dakota and love the opportunities, but do wish it was less busy. I do not regret our move a bit. We live in Post Falls.

There is a lot of anti-outsider sentiment, which I understand I guess.

It is getting tougher and tougher to get away from people when you go into the woods.
 

Randle

WKR
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
2,176
Location
Nope
Its also the mentality that comes here to get away from where ever they are getting away from then tell us we should go to California and learn how a real business is run.
Give me a break.
 

jkensek

FNG
Joined
Apr 25, 2023
Messages
11
I want to get some honest opinions on living in Northern Idaho as a younger cat (28 years old), specifically in the Sandpoint/CDA area. Trust me, I know everyone's default answer is not to move there since everywhere in the west is crowded these days, but it's all relative.

I've dealt with rambling fever in the past, which led to living internationally on three separate occasions. Unfortunately, rambling fever has caught ahold of me yet again, but this time I have my eyes set on Northern Idaho - for skiing (at Schweitzer), summer lake access, hunting, and general outdoor recreation. A current goal I have is to ski 30+ days in a season, and the only way I'll be able to do that is by having a mountain right in my backyard. From all my traveling, Northern Idaho has the best lakes, hunting, and fishing to complement the skiing.

I'm from Arizona and have lived here almost my entire life, with all my immediate family still living here - which is why my biggest concern is making friends in a new area while working remotely.

Rather than the general questions around hunting, it would be huge if anyone could give me a general feel of the social landscape up there. I plan on visiting Sandpoint and CDA this summer with my girlfriend to sell her on the idea of relocating.
I lived in western Montana and it could also be a good option. Missoula is a decent city with a university so there is quite a bit there. Skiing is okay. North is kalispell and whitefish. This is close to glacier and the skiing there is world class. This is also close to Flathead lake, the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi. I visited CDA in 2021 to do the Ironman and it is a beautiful setting as well.
 
OP
DJG1994

DJG1994

FNG
Joined
Jan 28, 2021
Messages
12
Location
Arizona
I'm about your age and my wife and I love it up here. We came from Wisconsin to leave the idiocy there, and being God fearing Christians living traditional lives we've been accepted into the community and call Northern ID home, actually more so than what we left behind. We've found however that everything is expensive here so make sure you find a good job. Worth a good visit if you're seriously considering it.

That's great. I'll be out there in mid-July, and we plan to move in late August or September.

Maybe we can connect for a beer sometime once I'm out there!

Its also the mentality that comes here to get away from where ever they are getting away from then tell us we should go to California and learn how a real business is run.
Give me a break.

Certainly won't be bringing that attitude there or anywhere. Funny enough I have some relatives that just moved down to Arizona from the region.

I lived in western Montana and it could also be a good option. Missoula is a decent city with a university so there is quite a bit there. Skiing is okay. North is kalispell and whitefish. This is close to glacier and the skiing there is world class. This is also close to Flathead lake, the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi. I visited CDA in 2021 to do the Ironman and it is a beautiful setting as well.

One of my buddies moved to the Whitefish area a few years ago and it is fantastic out there.
 
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