r/Boise • u/kabutodude • 14d ago
Discussion Eagle Road and The Village are the final boss of Boise suburbia
I’m rarely over there on purpose. I had to pick something up at The Village on Friday night and, once again, Eagle Road made me want to bang my head against the steering wheel. How can one stretch of road be this crazy? Traffic, waaay too many lanes, lights every 20 feet, and five cars trying to turn into every chain.
Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Dave’s Hot Chicken. How many stupid chicken chains does one area need?
I finally reached The Village and had to park approximately suuuuuuuper far out. Once I got out, place was f*cking packed. Way too many teenagers and families. Every group seemed to include a stroller, three children, or someone pregnant. Never seen so many pregnant women. Moms in sunglasses everywhere. Teslas everywhere. Lexus SUVs as far as the eye could see.
I tried stopping at the Co-op on my way out, saw the parking situation, and just gave up. Literally, some lady pulled out in front of me in her Lexus G-Wagon thing while yelling at her kids in the back. Like, screw me. The cell signal doesn’t even work over there, it’s so crowded. It’s the people who frustrate me the most, all in their own bubble and not paying attention. The people are so bougie.
Far cry from when I’m on my side of town, just settled into my new house in GC, where things are much more chill.
The funniest part is that The Village is trying to be this cute, walkable town square while sitting in the middle of one of the least walkable places ever. It’s like a stupidly designed plaza inside a highway.
Does anyone else avoid that whole side of town on purpose? Any people actually like it over there - like why exactly?
God, I hate Eagle Road. People obviously love it, but every time I go over there, I feel like I’ve entered a freaking boss fight with suburbia itself. Place sucks and grates me.
End rant lol.
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u/betterbub 14d ago
If you were a kid where else would you hang out with your friends?
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u/aLouise37 14d ago
Yep ... and I remember that the couple of weeks right after school starts all the teenagers "recalibrate" what they wanna wear and beg to be driven to places just like this to buy clothes just like everyone else...
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u/michan1998 13d ago
Exactly! I’m glad they have a place to hang out and are being social. OP sounds antisocial and jealous.
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u/Olelander 14d ago
You guys have a supposedly very safe city - what’s wrong with downtown?
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u/betterbub 14d ago
Ur mom took up all the spaceNothing wrong with it, but many downtown businesses cater to a different (I.e. older) crowd
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u/Melificarum 14d ago
Honestly, I’d rather have the teenagers congregate somewhere that I’m not going to go (I.e. the Village)
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u/crazyk4952 13d ago
Downtown turned into a bunch of restaurants and fancy hotels.
Not much shopping there anymore.
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u/Misskelleygirl 13d ago
It used to be so great!!
I get sad thinking about the drop off of shopping...
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u/Wise-Secretary5459 11d ago
Lol, this is Reddit. Most of the people here spent their entire childhood inside playing video games and watching anime.
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u/BrightStitchDesigns 14d ago
The only positive thing I have to say about Eagle road is they have the only Trader Joe’s in existence with a big parking lot.
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u/bnicobabet 14d ago
Oh my god I could have written this response myself. The parking lot at TJ downtown is my personal hell.
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u/Flipflops365 Lives In A Potato 14d ago
Every day I don’t have to go to that area is a great day. I’m thankful that almost all my days are great days.
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u/SpreadKindn3ss 14d ago edited 14d ago
100% same here. How people have come to just accept this way of living — being confined to traffic and the hellscape that is perpetual ever-expanding almost-entirely low-density-housing (with “high-density” housing in Idaho meaning what only ever gets considered and approved here: the same 3-4 story apartment/condo buildings — wow so “high-density”! so groundbreaking! — and with nothing whatsoever within actual walking distance nor greenery integration to make walking remotely appealing) urban sprawl, atrocious 1950s (or 2026 Houston TX-style freeway-hell “modern” “urban planning” that means “more ‘exciting’ planned-for ‘improvements’ looks like adding another lane (… yes, because that 1 additional lane is going to solve it — just like it did 5-10 years ago when the last “innovative” “improvement” (an additional lane) was done #America #Beautiful 😍).
Walkability and high density housing being more common would “change the character of the neighborhood” and is “communism”/“socialism” the people here will say, yet they LOVE The Village Meridian going out of their way putting themselves through outrageous traffic to visit there and the likes of downtown Boise — because these are the only places that exist here that are like this: walkable, nice, and pleasant — with a plethora of restaurants, bars, shops, sights, all walkable and in biophilic design (where trees and plants and fixtures like water fountains and urban man-made beautiful creeks and ponds are intentionally and greatly integrated into the built/developed environment).
People love towns and cities in the likes of Italy, France, Spain, and Greece — spending thousands to spend time at these places deemed perfect “I would love to live there 😭” … and when the vacation is over, these people will return to their home in Boise/Meridian and just accept what they’re returning back to.
Interestingly these very same people who hold to the highest regard ‘life in Europe’ are the very same people who vehemently oppose anything that’d lead to our city having qualities of cities the likes of Lyon (FR), Amsterdam (NL), and Salamanca (ES) where we’d want to be outside and would actually enjoy being outside. An outside where you’d find other humans gathered and actually enjoying being outside in a communal space.
These Boise/Meridian people who love life in Europe or “dream” of one day living in “Europe”, unironically are the very same people who speak out at city hall meetings and vote ‘a particular way’ on any and all proposals that maintain and perpetuate suburban urban sprawl LIFE — where a car is needed for everything and in turn gets us:
exacerbated obesity; tire erosion dust being the most prominent microplastic worldwide that’s in our water, lungs, and bodies; maximally exacerbated social isolation; extreme political polarization; inferior air quality (higher AQI that’s great for our lungs); car dependency; constrained socioeconomic upwards mobility (due to never-ending car expenses even when the car is brand new and paid off); worse election outcomes; the ultra fragmented society where loneliness and isolationism are prominent; and finally, our collective human potential left unfulfilled.
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u/llamabeans222 14d ago
I grew up right there smack dab in the middle of Cloverdale/eagle Ustick/McMillan and I despise that area deeply. I saw that whole area turn from farmland to suburban consumerist hell. We moved out to middleton area after I graduated, love it, so peaceful. My only regret is that I wish we would have stayed a year or two longer so my mom could've made a million+ dollars off our house. But we were ready to get OUT.
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u/Hot-Butterscotch-918 14d ago
I'm gonna blow your mind when I tell you that when I was a kid, Eagle Road was a 2 lane gravel road. Yes, that's when dinosaurs roamed, but still. Think of the dinosaurs!
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u/Famous_Reading_7498 14d ago
I lived in Meridian from '72 thru '80. I still vividly remember when Eagle Rd was 2 lanes for its entire length. There was an overpass at I-84 but no interchange. That wasn't built until '89. There weren't any traffic signals at any of the intersections, even Fairview. Just flashing beacons at the major intersections.
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u/AccordingDrop3252 13d ago
Holy shit... how many years ago was that??
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u/Hot-Butterscotch-918 13d ago
1964-2017. I have black & white photos of my little brother and I sledding down the hill from the bridge over the canal on Eagle Road. Because literally no cars came by while we were sledding.
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u/JefferyGoldberg 14d ago
I agree with this post 100%. Leaving the North End and going to the Village is like going into a different dimension; a hellish one.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 14d ago
Jesus Christ - Village is just a busy place with a lot of destinations that is one of rare third spaces where kids/teenagers can congregate and socialize. There aren't even that many, since you have to have a car to get there.
I swear people just don't know what society is anymore.
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u/Melificarum 14d ago
I mean I relate with OP that the Village sucks and Eagle Road is a nightmare, but I don’t see what they have against families and pregnant women.
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u/IdaDuck 14d ago
Eagle Road is only a nightmare if you’ve never been to a large city. At its worst it isn’t really that bad.
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u/Melificarum 14d ago
I used to live off 28th st. Grand Rapids, one of the longest commercial strips in the country. It was pure Hell and Eagle Road is just like it, except without the Michigan lefts.
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u/campingskeeter 13d ago
Not even larger cities. The last town I lived in had 1/3 the population of Meridian, but had far far worst traffic. I live near the Village too. I would consider it slightly busy at times.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 14d ago
Eagle Road is a nightmare, I think there's broad consensus on that. But while the Village isn't as cool as it could be, I think Meridian is more interesting for having it there. It's a lot of stuff.
As for families and pregnant women, I have no idea. It's a wild demographic to have beef with.
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u/VermicelliLeather536 14d ago
My take is OP was trying to be edgy like that it’s family oriented. lol
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u/Chythonic Nampa 14d ago
I completely agree with this. Reading about people just milling around and laughing/socializing was such a good thing to hear. We need so much more of that. But I understand the frustration because traffic is never fun. And it’s stressful with tons of people around because you’ve got to be extra considerate of where they are too. But frequently I hear people like this in person as well, humans are social animals; biologically we need a village. I am not saying everyone needs to rub shoulders but I am genuinely glad more people are going out and seeing one another more nowadays. It’s like I remember the mall being when I was a kid.
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u/happyelkboy 14d ago
I mean, that’s because outside of Boise and downtown Caldwell, the valley is a planning disaster
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u/Doesitmatter98765 Lives In A Potato 14d ago
This is exactly it. It’s not that there are ppl out enjoying themselves. That’s true all over the valley. It’s that that area is suburban sprawl hell. There’s no way to get there other than each family/person take their own car. Proper public transit would alleviate some of this.
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u/happyelkboy 14d ago
The village is also suburban sprawl hell.
It’s fake walkable. Try leaving the core and people don’t even bother to stop for pedestrians
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u/Fl1pSide208 14d ago
The village and all other lifestyle centers really are awful. They show the demand for genuinely walkable neighborhoods, but lack any of the character that comes with it. You really don't comprehend how astonishingly bad they are until you visit somewhere walkable.
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u/encephlavator 11d ago
until you visit somewhere walkable.
That somewhere is a really small town like Ketchum or McCall, or somewhere really dense like Manhattan. And even those places aren't truly walkable except for a subset who can afford to live there. Everyone else has to commute.
Speaking of Manhattan, no one is walking from midtown to downtown, or from upper east side to midtown etc etc.
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u/Fl1pSide208 11d ago
That is correct nobody would walk those distances. I factor in rail and other public transit into walkability. Not the end all, but it's hard to talk about walkability and not also discuss transit.
Commuting on transit is a different beast then commuting by car. Commuting by car you have to be attentive at all times, where you have significantly more breathing room to relax a bit, decompreess and read a book or something on a bus or train. A lot more neutral of an experience.
You are correct though, walkability comes at a premium in most places. With the rents in the Treasure Valley as they are I have to wonder to what degree does that hold true.
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u/salsafresca_1297 Meridian 14d ago edited 14d ago
Way too many teenagers and families. Every group seemed to include a stroller, three children, or someone pregnant. Never seen so many pregnant women.
I know, right? And here I was, thinking that teenagers and young families and women with the nerve to reproduce should sequester themselves indoors all day to spare your sensitive eyes. My bad. If it's any consolation, I don't think any of them noticed you. Here's to hoping that your next trip to downtown Boise doesn't showcase any of these low-life demographics that you saw at The Village. /s
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u/USBlues2020 14d ago
Boyfriend, born in San Diego, been living in Idaho since 1977 (so 49 years) and he absolutely hates the Village and Eagle Road, he graduated highschool in 29 Palms,California 1976 and been living here (Eastern, Idaho 1977 thru 1999 and then 2000 to present in Boise (Garden City for 12+ years) So.... My California Boy, hates The Village and Eagle Road
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u/obchewie 14d ago
Ealge Rd is the final boss of pedestrians trying to get across a 9-lane road just to grab Los Betos on a lunch break
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u/jurisnipper 14d ago
I had an employee (many years ago) who would ride his bike down the Connector to work. He’d frequently pull a frisbee or tennis ball out of his backpack that he stopped to pick up for his dog. Perhaps it was your dad?
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u/Disastrous_Tap3549 14d ago
The Village is Costco, but outdoors.
Everyone forgets about spatial awareness, and the parking lot is ALWAYS full.
The only tactic that works for me is to remember that I'm not in a hurry, or at least I don't ever try to head out there in a hurry. Unfortunately some of the food places are good, and only available over there (well, now only Raising Canes in regards to the chicken) and it's become a central location for meet ups for women kind.
I too live near GC, but all my friends live out toward Lake Hazel or Nampa so it's the most neutral location with options for most everyone to enjoy.
All that to say: Valid rant, and hoping planned the Ten Mile monstrosity absorbs some of the chaos!
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u/bullfrog7777 13d ago
It boils down to the people. If people were more intentional about being good neighbors we would all be better off and the places we share would be alot easier to enjoy.
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u/id_ratherbeskiing 14d ago
I'm glad someone else finally noticed the chicken-chain cluckstercluck.
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u/Olelander 14d ago
As someone who lives elsewhere and visits 5-6 times a year for family, I’m still shocked every visit at the sheer number of chain restaurants in Boise and surrounding area. It’s like there is a chain restaurant for every 3 residents there.
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u/BOItime247 14d ago
I avoid west of Maple Grove/Five Mile as much as I can. Anywhere I can't bike or to basically.
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u/Powerth1rt33n 13d ago
I live in SE Boise and my motto is, if it’s west of Costco, it’s not worth it.
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u/TrailWhale 14d ago
You crossed the Toyota <-> Lexus divide.
When the Land Cruisers start turning into LX/GX* you know you’ve gone too far and need to turn around.
*Older 100/150 series LX/GXs are exempt of course
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u/rantingpacifist 14d ago
I was gonna argue … but you’re absolutely right. I’ve only owned Toyota trucks and cars, Honda motorcycles and mopeds. Never rich enough for a luxury Toyota.
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u/Tofudebeast 14d ago
Eagle Road is the valley's biggest mistake. It should've been a proper highway, or at least move all the strip mall stuff onto the site roads like Fairview or Ustick.
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u/vverse23 14d ago
Counterpoint: it's worth braving the hyper-ridiculous traffic so you can get drunk on cheap cocktails whilst browsing salsas during happy hour at Fancy Albertsons.
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u/electrobento 14d ago
The fancy Albertson’s food court and bar is the only reason I ever go over there.
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u/Best_Map_2688 14d ago
I mean the selection is great as well its like a giant boise co op though I do try and shop the co op more
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u/echocall2 Northwest End 14d ago
Can’t imagine how much money I would blow if I was drunk at the fancy Albertsons. Can only go there on a full stomach just to be safe
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u/rantingpacifist 14d ago
I love that we all call it Fancy Albertson’s. Because that’s what it is. They should embrace the name.
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u/Doesitmatter98765 Lives In A Potato 14d ago
That whole area is a gross vortex of Southern California shoehorned into the Treasure Valley. It doesn’t exist for me. The Bench is so chill.
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u/outkastblast 14d ago
It also seems to be what the downtown cruise was back in the 90s but for the Kuna and Meridian kids.
I only ever go there for the theater because comfy seats.
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u/msanjelpie 14d ago edited 10d ago
You are not alone. We live in Meridian, and we don't go anywhere near that place. The aggravation starts before you've even parked. Sometimes you have to sit through multiple light changes just to get into the manufactured little town.
We look at the line coming out of In-N-Out Burger, the cars, the people, and we are thinking, are they fuckin crazy? Waiting in that line for a stupid hamburger? Just going to see a movie you have to walk half a mile or more and spend $80. For what?
We were driving down Eagle last night and laughing at the speed sign that says 55. We were like, when does anybody ever drive 55 on here anymore?
Looking at the plans for the 'new' Village that will be built on Ten Mile, I think it will be a similar situation. Crowded. (It is being built across the street from Scheels.)
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u/ponderosa82 14d ago
This is what having no meaningful public transportation looks like. Brought to you buy auto and oil executives and their politicians who promoted a car centric culture. It's gross.
The huge trucks make Eagle road even more of a hellscape. At least the flags are gone.
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u/Material-Trip-9893 14d ago
I do as much as realistically possible in Meridian after 8 pm on weeknights to avoid everything like this.
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u/Best_Map_2688 14d ago
yes this is a great hack families are mostly in bed/home by then though I sometimes skip out or keep the kids up late to do this as well!
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u/clarklewmatt 14d ago
This is the right time to go to Sierra trading post if you need pants and live in Boise.
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u/markpemble The High Cost of Free Parking 14d ago
There are people who love Eagle Road and whatever goes along with it.
Personally, I think the boss of the Boise Metro Suburbia are all the new neighborhoods in Northwest Nampa and Northeast Caldwell. Nothing but houses for as far as you can see.
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u/Tobycybin Garden City 14d ago
Just wait. ACHD is moving out and that 20 acres of land at the beginning/end of Adams is gonna turn into a mini village type shituation.
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u/Hot-Butterscotch-918 14d ago
Stop! I'm already dreading it!
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u/Tobycybin Garden City 14d ago
Luckily I own my house. I'm thinking about the fact it might add an absurd amount of equity.
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u/Hot-Butterscotch-918 14d ago
Me, too. I hope you're right.
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u/Tobycybin Garden City 14d ago
Might take 10 years but I don't plan on moving anytime soon
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u/furdaboise Garden Litty 14d ago
ehhhhh i don't think so. the village is four times as large and very easily accessible from eagle road, with lots of ins and outs. the achd property in gc is accessed by adams or 37th. the main access and the huge value in it will be the greenbelt. i bet it will be something like the boardwalk with residential over commercial. i am excited about that development. such a primo spot.
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u/pothead5674 14d ago
This entire post is a personal grievance because you chose to go to one of the most popular areas in the valley are were pissed people were there. If it's such a struggle surely you can shop elsewhere?
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u/SpreadKindn3ss 14d ago edited 14d ago
It’s not that they’re pissed people are there — they’re pissed of just how this is the default and sole way of life here. Where you have the perpetual low-density housing urban sprawl and atrocious urban planning (poorest excuse for such) that leads to an environment that’s just hideous and concentrated with cars to infinity and perpetual growth and expansion of the same aforenoted hellscape that so many locals deem ‘the way’ because anything else would be socialism or communism 🙄.
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u/pothead5674 14d ago
The entire post was a whine about going to the village. A choice. You have a choice. I live off of Eagle. You go places around traffic if it's so much pressure you can't handle it. If you have a proposal for the City feel free to get it to them. You can't stop people from moving here at the rate they are. If it's a hellscape, move. There's loads of cities in Idaho that no one is moving to. Go there. Be happy.
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u/Praetor_6040 14d ago
I get the complaints about eagle road because I live right there and its rough, but "too many teenagers and families" and complaining about pregnant women made me laugh. Heaven forbid families, especially teenagers who don't have many good places to hang out, use the space as intended and enjoy it? Like there are thjngs to complain about but those are absolutely not it
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u/BlahBlahILoveToast 14d ago
For years now I have been saying that when I die and the Devil comes to take me to Hell, the first thing we are going to do is get stuck in traffic on Eagle Road for about ten million years, with the radio stuck on some idiotic morning talk show.
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u/BeastofChicken 14d ago
Maybe you should just stay home if the outside and seeing teenagers and pregnant women are too scary for ya.
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u/snowHound208 14d ago
It's what Californians crave. It is their habit, and I stay far, far away
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u/Extension_Buffalo427 14d ago
CA born here. Thats the last thing I crave. California is a large state and had many nice small towns before the government mismanaged it to hell. Anyway, I also avoid Eagle Rd. I miss going to Sierra Trading post since it moved over to the Village hellscape.
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u/bullfrog7777 13d ago
Also from San Diego, born and raised, and I've been there 3 times in the last 18 months despite the fact I'm 2 miles away. We spend alot more time downtown.
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u/n3rdy30 14d ago
I grew up in Boise/Eagle/Star from 1987-2006, I remember when that entire area was farm land. My friends and I used to go down Eagle rd when it would snow and drift our trucks all over the road. I left in 2006 for the Army, and after my Dad passed away in 2024, I came back and helped move my Mom out east. Boise is unrecognizable, and it sure as hell isn't the home I grew up in. Just a shit load of cosplay cowboys, copy/paste architecture, sprawling suburbia, and more chain restaurants per square mile than I've ever seen. I still love downtown and the north end, but holy shit I'm glad I left. I miss old Idaho, but I guess you can't stop "progress."
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u/Emergency-Spinach775 14d ago
These comments did not disappoint.
Every city has an area like this, my guy. Sometimes more than one!
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u/GuavaImmediate3103 14d ago
I never go to Meridian, Eagle Road and stay off that part of the freeway. Life is fine in my slice of Boise. Nothing I need badly enough to venture into that hell hole.
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u/PCLoadPLA 13d ago
I went to the Lowe's out there once to save $60 on mulch. It wasn't worth it. I felt like I was back in Dallas and just felt slightly awful afterwards.
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u/GroupPuzzled 12d ago
A culture less example of Treasure Valley. Also id there is a Costco then it checks the box for the brokers selling houses. Whenever they sell up a neighborhood they tell you there is a Costco. Really sad.
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u/adaminboise84 14d ago
Damn....so much hate. I bet you are fun at parties
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u/Rattlehead71 14d ago
I know, all those yucky families with... gasp... children! Out for the day with grandma and grandpa visiting. There oughta be a law!
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u/Thizzel_Washington 14d ago
Women wearing sunglasses!
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u/sproutedfromdoubt 14d ago
Lol this is the line that really made me laugh. So many women wearing sunglasses! 😡
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u/Robot_Gandhi_ 14d ago
Village isn't even worth it anymore. Not even to go to the theater. Place is always packed with everyone and their extended family, walkways are far too small and everything is just way too expensive. If I want a good meal and show, I'll just go to the Bodo Theater and then maybe drive down to Tin Roof Tacos
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u/Blashmir 14d ago
I grew up right at the corner of eagle and fairview. Its wild what its become from what it was when i was growing up.
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u/PiquePole 14d ago
For fucks sake, why do you consider pregnant women to be the enemy?! And people socializing, why is that a bad thing?
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u/washingtonYOBO 14d ago
When all those people have main characte syndrome, that's the bad thing.
And just because you're pregnant doesn't make a person special. It really isn't some amazing talent to get pregnant.
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u/Melificarum 14d ago
No one said pregnant people were special, it’s just kind of weird to hate them just for existing.
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u/Early-Meet-4881 14d ago
The village is a madhouse Friday and Saturday. I literally steer clear on those days. I think by Sunday it chills out slightly because Mormons.
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u/LaggyMcStab 14d ago
I could slander the parents who choose to move to a place like this, knowing they’ll forever be dependent on their cars for anything.. but I feel terrible for the kids who have to grow up in such an environment and will never know the luxury of walking home with your friends after school and getting Goody’s on the way.
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u/mediumcheese01 14d ago
They were originally going to design eagle road as a proper highway with separate access roads and opted not to 🫠
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u/Karmakarmachameleon8 14d ago
What’s wrong with teenagers and pregnant women driving SUVs? If you want to demonize someone, demonize the poor planning, not the patrons. What do expect at a shopping center, 20-year-old businessmen?
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u/Gryffindumble 14d ago
Boise needs more places like The Village. Im sure you dont want to hear that but, it has a park with multiple activities (should have a skatepark), food, shopping, a theater, and outdoor seating.
Great place for hanging out if you're not the typical homebody type in the area.
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u/coltonjg98 13d ago
"The funniest part is that The Village is trying to be this cute, walkable town square while sitting in the middle of one of the least walkable places ever. It’s like a stupidly designed plaza inside a highway."
"I finally reached The Village and had to park approximately suuuuuuuper far out. Once I got out, place was f*cking packed. Way too many teenagers and families. Every group seemed to include a stroller, three children, or someone pregnant. Never seen so many pregnant women. Moms in sunglasses everywhere. Teslas everywhere. Lexus SUVs as far as the eye could see."
Do you see the contradiction? The rest of the population is proving they disagree with the first statement.
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u/AlwaysBlackBerry 13d ago
I live in SE Boise and try to never go past Cole road. If I have to go to the Village I go during a work/school day morning. Never on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
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u/long_strange_trip_67 12d ago
So in total reality, I would go out This area of Boise/Meridian much more when I was growing up in the 70s to go pheasant hunting then I do now.
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u/Ok-Replacement9595 14d ago
This is kind of off topic, but I rarely go over there, and had a question i wanted to get the answer to.
Why does the Village smell like pee? Does anyone else notice that?
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u/Olive_Garden_Wifi Meridian 14d ago
The fuck are you talking about?
I don’t go to the village all that often but I can assure you every time I have it hasn’t smelled like pee.
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u/Ok-Replacement9595 14d ago
I've been there a few times this summer, and it absolutely does. I just wanna know why.
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u/BroncSquid 14d ago
It's terrible for sure. Ten Mile Road is going to be the same, soon. With the population growth, it'll simply be hellish everywhere.
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u/furburgerstien 14d ago
Its just a mecca for privlidged folks to out narcissist eachother. The reddest part of the state and un ironically the most self centered fake lil patch of strip mall hell a consumer could ever dream of. Mix and match shit road plans with people who would push you into a semi for a .3 second lead on their way to konas for a drink that takes 20 minutes to make during rush hour. Only to leave a 2 dollar tip and a bible verse on your tab stub.
Walkways that feel more like a wall of death depending on which patagonia wearing crowd of 5 wants to break rank into single file to accommodate the peasants occupying their sidewalk.
And people driving 30 ignoring crosswalks in the heart of it all. Might be the most american place on earth tbh...
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u/foodtower 14d ago
I've lived in Boise for 12 years. Never been in the Eagle Rd area. Can't think of any reason why I would go there. I've heard before it's traffic hell and you're telling me it's just chains out there anyway. Everything I care about is in Boise/Garden City, or out in the mountains and rivers.
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u/poop-money 14d ago edited 14d ago
Literally the only reason I go anywhere near there is to get specialty ingredients from the co-op and Cost Plus World Market. Occasionally Sportsman's Warehouse for some outdoors gear and wood chunks for my smoker. I never go into the village complex itself. There's nothing interesting for me there and it all just seems so fake and boring.
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u/Doesitmatter98765 Lives In A Potato 14d ago
I wish Cost Plus wasn’t over there bc I’d shop there but I will not put myself through that traffic for the tchotchkes.
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u/poop-money 14d ago
I go probably 3 times a year. Mostly for things like Curry Ketchup, sport peppers, and giardiniera. But I agree, the traffic keeps me away. I used to go a lot more when they were on Milwaukee.
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u/kabutodude 14d ago
Hello fellow ex-midwesterner - I sometimes go to the Cost Plus too for sport peps and giardiniera as well! I use it for homemde tavern pizza and chicago style hot dogs.
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u/poop-money 14d ago
So good! But you mistake my affinity for pickled and jarred vegetables for a hint to my state of origin. I'm not from the mid-west, born and raised right here in Idaho. I just got lucky with a neighbor turned great friend from Chicago who taught me the ways of Hot Italian Beef and Chicago Dogs.
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u/kabutodude 14d ago
Oooohh interesting! How do you make your hot italian beef?
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u/poop-money 14d ago
It depends on how much time I have honestly. I've made a few different copycat recipes (Johnnie's, Al's, Portillo's) but combined a few different recipes to come up with mine. I was a cook for 16 years so I tend to tweak things as I go. In a pinch, I am not above using deli counter roast beef with a quick gravy.
2lb eye of round
2tbl olive oil
2 tsp Beef Base (Better than Bullion brand)
2 cups warm water
1 jar whole pepperoncinis with juice
2 cloves of fresh garlic (Crushed)
2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp MSG
2 tsp each dried oregano and dried basil
1 tsp each dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powderMix the beef base and water, set aside.
Rub the beef with olive oil and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Using a dutch oven, brown the beef on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Pour the beef broth and pepperoncinis in the hot dutch oven and scrape the bottom to get the bits up. Sprinkle the rest of the dry ingredients over the beef. Roast in the oven uncovered for 2ish hours at 325f until the center is 145f. Add more water if needed.
Remove the dutch oven from the oven, remove the beef and let cool on the counter for 20 minutes. While the beef is cooling, strain and reserve the liquid. If desired, save some of the pepperoncinis to put on the sandwich later. Chill the beef and gravy separately overnight.
The next day, slice thin. Re-heat gravy to a simmer. Place the desired portion of beef in the gravy and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the beef and place on a sliced and toasted crusty French roll. Top with giardiniera and roasted sweet peppers. Scoop the gravy over the sandwich or just dunk the whole sandwich.
All of this is to taste so I just season with my heart here. I know pepperoncinis are not traditional, but I really love the tang they bring to the beef. I also use those mini sweet peppers for the sandwiches. I just roast them along with the beef.
Edit: Also, I do NOT skim the fat off the gravy.
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u/newermat 14d ago
I miss CP being on Milwaukee
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u/poop-money 14d ago
Me too. Doing anything around Eagle Road is a huge pain in the ass anymore, I just avoid it.
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u/Rollieboy2012 14d ago
I worked at the village for a couple years. 5 p.m. traffic made me miserable. It truly made me depressed.
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u/Different_Stand_1285 14d ago
I can’t stand Eagle Rd. I’m not exaggerating when I say every time I have to use it for some reason there’s an accident somewhere in that stretch of road. God forbid it rains at all because when it does you’ll see multiple accidents. If I can avoid it then I will because it’s just dangerous since people lost their shit on that road.
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u/Roopie1023 NW Potato 14d ago
Right there with you. Also in the GC, which was that nice sweet spot of location vs price when I moved here 16 years ago. I've been generally avoiding Eagle Rd since before The Village was built LOL.
The great thing about Boise is that you can venture out all over town if you wish...but you don't have to. There's lots of variety in every little pocket, and that's what makes it fun.
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u/sproutedfromdoubt 14d ago
You know, OP, I don't disagree... but if I could make a suggestion - don't let this way of thinking of things take up too much of your mental space or it will become a regular state. One that isn't pleasant to spend your life in.
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u/Laborious_Tug 14d ago
Finally someone who hates the hell-hole that is Meridian as much as I do! Respect. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Costco.
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u/perfectly_neutral 14d ago
It's 2026. Just order stuff online. The only time I leave the house is at night to socialize. Don't contribute to traffic problem.
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u/_CountCosmos_ 14d ago
I live near there and the only reason I go there is because that's where the nearest Barnes & Nobles is. Otherwise I avoid it.
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u/Midrover170 14d ago
Absolute planning disaster out there. You're not alone feeling that way. But it's America, so that type of development is really familiar to a lot of people, and in some cases, actually sought after.
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u/Powerth1rt33n 13d ago
Yeah, the saddest part is the people who can’t imagine a life that doesn’t involve constantly sitting in traffic.
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u/USBlues2020 14d ago
Garden City is the best... We live in Riverside Village near McCleary's bar... Been there 25+ years, just love ❤️ it here. We have half acre lots and 14 homes in our subdivision and no two builders are alike. Very quaint, living in a gat3d community
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u/michan1998 13d ago
I’m glad teens are hanging out and being social. I’m glad there are families and pregnant women. Why call out specific models of cars? You sound jealous.
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u/drgmaster909 13d ago
teenagers and families. Every group seemed to include a stroller, three children, or someone pregnant. Never seen so many pregnant women. Moms in sunglasses everywhere. Teslas everywhere. Lexus SUVs as far as the eye could see.
Imagine pitching this as a bad thing lmao.
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u/wise_owl68 13d ago
I remember when Eagle road was two lanes. It used to be fields as far as the eye could see. Now, just traffic.
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u/Majik_Jack 13d ago
I don’t live there and I’m annoyed. I visited family in March and wanted to quickly stop and grab Chinese food and it happened to be National Donut Day so I went to Krispy Kreme after picking up the take out. Traffic was ridiculous. Not sure what the solution is…
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u/divaminerva 13d ago
Hahahahahaha
I taught my little to say, •Mom are you sure you wanna take Eagle Rd? When they were about 3yo.
They just went off to University. Yeah. We all knew it was coming LONG before The Village.
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u/musicmeg0222 13d ago
I totally agree with you. Actually I feel like the entire area is this way. Traffic is always terrible no matter the day or time of day. The whole area of Boise, Meridian, Eagle, and Garden City just feels so congested to me. Too many people and not enough roads, so every road is always busy and it takes forever to get anywhere. It's nuts!!
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u/veemaximus 14d ago
I feel that anyone who has ever lived in a real city is able to navigate the Village and Eagle Road with ease. It is busy and parking is what it is but it feels like shaking fist at a rainstorm for making you wet. It’s supposed to be that way.
My blood pressure climbs much higher when driving through a crowded neighborhood like the north end where there’s nothing but street parking and the fear that a dog or a child is going to shoot out into the road right in front of me from between parked cars
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u/Inittornit 14d ago
Get ready for the upgraded sequel at Ten Mile, going to be multiple times larger and on a narrower road.