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Did you know?
Idaho's first potato grower was
not a farmer at all, but a Presbyterian
missionary named Henry Harmon Spalding.
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North Boise
As with any neighborhood with character, North
Boise isn't for everyone. Its narrow streets
and alleyways lend themselves better to bicycles
than to Suburbans. Its older homes offer history
but don't always have all the modern conveniences.
It is home to many of the oldest and most beautiful
buildings in the city -- and many of the oldest
and most beautiful trees in the City of Trees.
The North End's showplace of homes is the refined
Harrison Boulevard, which runs north from downtown
toward Bogus Basin Ski Area. Elegant homes line
both sides of the boulevard; majestic trees
line both sides of the boulevard and the median
strip dividing it.
On either side of Harrison Boulevard are compact
neighborhoods laid out along a grid of narrow
streets and old-fashioned alleyways. They range
from quaint to shabby, although a renaissance
in the North End is converting more and more
shabby houses to darling homes. Young families
are moving into the North End and fixing up
older homes. Their home improvements, combined
with increasing demand, are increasing housing
prices.
The diversity provides much of the charm of
the North End. Neighborhood residents range
from artists to corporate executives, from young
families to senior citizens. And because of
the pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and the
housing density, as well as the attitude of
the residents, they're more likely to know each
other. Housing density in the North End is six
to eight units per acre, compared with three
units per acre in other Boise neighborhoods.
Among its retail centers is Hyde Park, a village
square located in the heart of the North End.
With small shops and restaurants tucked in next
to each other, Hyde Park has the feel of a small
town -- or a neighborhood in a large city. The
Hyde Park Street Fair, a North End institution
for 20 years, has grown from the streets of
Hyde Park into the open spaces of nearby Camel's
Back Park. The fair is a popular fall activity
for Boiseans from all neighborhoods.
The three crown jewels of Boise's riverside
park system -- Julia Davis Park, Ann Morrison
Park, and Kathryn Albertson Park -- are within
easy access of the North End. Camel's Back Park
is the largest of the neighborhood parks serving
the area.
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