Boise, Idaho

Boise is the capital city of Idaho. The Boise River Greenbelt is a series of tree-dotted trails and parks hugging the water's edge. In an art deco building, downtown’s Boise Art Museum has contemporary works and an outdoor sculpture garden. The grand, sandstone Idaho State Capitol Building is nearby. The Old Idaho Penitentiary contains 19th-century prison cells and gallows, plus historic military weaponry.

Boise is a recreationalist's paradise. If you value the outdoors and time spent among rivers, mountains, canyons, deserts and lakes – and all the activities encapsulated therein – it's worth a serious look.

Downtown Boise is booming. New construction is all over the area. The Zions Bank building, completed in 2014, is the tallest building in the state and sits at the city's center. Locally sourced food and drink dominate the summer patio scene. Boise's residents may spend their days enjoying nature, but they fill their evenings dining on locally sourced cuisine, enjoying an opera performance and sipping delicious cocktails.

Idaho's capital sits squarely on the boundary of urban and rural, civilized and wild, refined and raw. Yes, there are wilder places. Yes, there are more urbane places. But Boise is a good place to live if you enjoy easy access to both.