Reddit asks users to describe Boise in 5 words. Here are our favorites, tell us your words
Downtown cruise too darn loud.
Sorry, we’re just playing along with the latest hot post on a Boise subreddit from this past weekend asking users to “Describe Boise in five words.” And nothing describes a Friday or Saturday night in Boise better than the obnoxiously loud sound of revving engines around downtown Boise as a result of the so-called downtown cruise.
A Reddit user posted the challenge on the Boise subreddit on Thursday evening, asking people to use five words to describe Boise based on their experience in the city.
Since then, the post has picked up over 100 comments with a wide range of submissions — some of them complimentary of the city and some not so complimentary.
We’ve compiled some of the best submissions into one spot. For readers who are interested in adding their own description to the mix, they can scroll to the bottom of this article and submit their own five words to describe Boise. We’ll feature the best submissions in a future story.
We’ll start with a positive submission:
“It’s gorgeous by the river”
The 100,000 people who float down some portion of the 102-mile long Boise River would likely agree that it is gorgeous. In fact, Idaho Statesman readers voted floating down the Boise River as their favorite summer activity earlier this year; 25 miles of the river passes through the city along the Boise River Greenbelt.
But keep a sensible head and an eye open when floating down the river — two individuals were hospitalized this past weekend when a person did a backflip off the Baybrook Bridge and landed on a group of rafters. Also, it’s advisable to know the state laws on life jackets and wear one yourself whenever possible.
“It used to be affordable”
There were a few posts with similar sentiments to this — some of them more diplomatic than others. But the idea was the same: Boise housing and rental prices have gone through the roof in recent years.
The Statesman has been covering in-depth Boise’s housing crisis in a series called Affording Boise, which looks at topics such as the latest governmental definition of “affordable” and how power is shifting toward the buyer.
“Wildlife in a capital city”
It may seem a little out there, but just in the last couple of weeks two bull moose have been relocated from the Treasure Valley. Last year a 250-pound black bear had to be put down in the North End.
“Too hot, dry and brown”
The proof is in the pudding on this one: Boise finally broke a 50-day dry streak last week, recording not even a tenth of an inch of measurable rain for the whole of July.
But for Reddit user mayflower0011, who made the post, some good news is on the way: a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told the Statesman last week that Boise is heading into a more active meteorological period that’ll see more storms move into the region.
“Foothills, greenbelt, BSU, kindness, inversion”
It’s not a sentence, but it certainly describes Boise. Ridge to Rivers has an online map tool that’ll tell you the conditions of every trail in the Boise Foothills, while this online guide will tell you all of the parks and attractions along the Boise River Greenbelt.
It’s hard not to associate Boise with Boise State University and the Broncos, and here’s an explanation of what inversion is. Spoiler: It’s not nice.
As for “kindness,” we’re just glad Reddit user happyhikercoffeefix thinks that about the city.
Tell us what you think
While the people of Reddit gave us plenty to chew on, we want to hear from you: What five words would you use to describe Boise based on your experiences? Tell us in the survey below, and the best submissions will be used for a future story.
