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Bown Crossing

Consider the Greenbelt Your Treadmill
Introducing the New Heart of Southeast Boise. Set along the river, at the end of ParkCenter Blvd., Bown Crossing is Boise’s first true mixed-use community with shops, homes and civic uses all within one neighborhood.

A home at Bown Crossing makes it easy to get out and enjoy life. Imagine living just steps from the Greenbelt, a library, and a neighborhood center of shops, restaurants and gathering places. That ought to get your heart racing.

Residential
When it comes to housing options, Bown Crossing offers you an unprecedented range of choices and prices to accommodate a variety of lifestyles. From one-of-a-kind homes to upscale, low-maintenance townhomes and luxurious lofts overlooking the Marketplace.

Carefully located away from traffic and noise, many Bown Crossing homes offer outstanding Foothills views. Better yet, it’s just steps from the recreation of the Boise River and Greenbelt, a mere three miles from the center of downtown Boise, around the corner from a thriving commercial district, and close to great schools and a brand new branch library.

With so much so nearby, you couldn’t ask for a more stimulating or convenient place to live.

Commercial
In an age of strip malls and drive thru’s the Marketplace at Bown Crossing is designed on an infinitely more human scale, a central destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Along the tree-shaded main street, residents and visitors are treated to an irresistible array of signature specialty shops and boutiques. Above the street, doctors, lawyers and architects conduct business in plush second-floor office space.

The Marketplace at Bown Crossing is perfectly positioned to become the premiere gathering spot for East and Southeast Boise.

Bogus Basin

Bogus Basin is just a short ride up the mountain from downtown Boise. One could even suggest, and I will, that a business traveler take the day or night off (there is night skiing too), and head up for some skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing or even tubing. Bogus Basin is simply amazing and certainly captured well in this Boise visitor’s blog post:

“My tour of Idaho came to a close at Bogus Basin on an especially busy Saturday. I grabbed my ticket at the ticket office in town to avoid any lines on the hill, and found the drive a little slow, but not unbearable. I suited up and headed to the slopes, and started with a tour of the hill, taking a series of runs clockwise around the hill until I returned to the base area for lunch.

After a bite to eat, I continued to explore the backside of the hill, and found every run very inviting, and nothing particularly steep or problematic. I had a blast seeking out powder in the trees, and the groomers held up quite nicely through the day. The layout of the hill, and heavy crowds, meant that the base area lifts had lines most of the day - but the lifts on the other slopes were moving very smoothly, and the lines all were very orderly.

I could hardly hope to see all of Bogus Basin in one day, but from the exploration I did accomplish, I found the hill an enjoyable cruise, with some great sections to interest most any rider. Aside from the large crowds due to Boise’s proximity, there is little to complain about at Bogus - despite the name.

As a tribute to my final day in Idaho, I thought it fitting to visit the run at Bogus known as “Last Chance” - a fine back diamond that held wonderful powder, and proved once again that Idaho has some of the finest snow around.”

Anne Frank Memorial

The Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial is a world-class educational park inspired by Anne Frank’s faith in humanity. It was built to promote respect for human dignity and diversity.

The Human Rights Memorial was designed and constructed to engage our highest ethical and spiritual values. It reminds us of the terrible costs of failing to act when action is required.

It speaks to the very finest within all people. Among many other things, the Memorial recognizes the struggles of a child who, though persecuted by the Nazi regime, chose to trust in the human spirit.

The Human Rights Memorial traces its beginnings to 1995 when concerned citizens brought the internationally-recognized “Anne Frank and the World Exhibit” to Idaho for a one-month stay. It was an enormous success, attracting more than 46,000 visitors—nearly 5% of Idaho’s total population.

The Human Rights Memorial contains over 60 quotes that were selected from among approximately 2,000 that were submitted. These quotes were drawn from leaders and human rights figures throughout history, representing almost every region of the world.

The design also features blossoming trees and flowers from around the world, benches and stainless steel images of human rights leaders, including Cesar Chavez and Polly Bemis.

Citizens from throughout Idaho and the country contributed $1.8 million to build the Human Rights Memorial. Idaho school children raised the funds to build the bronze statue of Anne Frank located in the “Attic” of the Memorial. The Human Rights Memorial is a living, vibrant interactive classroom for Idaho’s school children and it inspires people of all ages to contemplate the moral implications of their actions and the scope of their civic responsibilities.

Located in the heart of Boise’s cultural district, at the intersection of the Boise Greenbelt and 8th Street, the Human Rights Memorial is nestled between the Log Cabin Literary Center and the Boise Public Library, across the street from the Idaho Historical Museum and the Boise Art Museum.

Train Depot

There is something about a train station that sparks nostalgia and Boise’s Train Depot is no different. It’s timeless charm takes one back to a period when rail travel was more common than flight. Although Union Pacific ended service here in 1971, the building remained a prominent fixture of the Boise skyline. It unfortunately fell into  a state of disrepair until Morrison-Knudsen Corporation purchased the depot in 1990, and using old plans and photographs, restored much of the depot to its original state. In January of 1996, the City of Boise took possession of the building and it is now used for special events in the evenings.

The grounds of the Boise Train Depot are often used for wedding ceremonies and entertaining. Beautifully kept, the park-like grounds are graced with a series of small ponds which are home to some of the largest gold fish I’ve ever seen. There is even a small man-made cave which shrouds a stalactite and a stalagmite. The Train Depot and its grounds are definitely a must see in the City of Trees.

BoDo

Bodo, a revitalization and development project of Mark Rivers, is precisely the type of new urban development Boise has sought after for years. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s Boise’s downtown corridor struggled to gain its footing as a walkable and hospitable venue for pedestrian shoppers, but BoDo changes all of that.

With high end merchants like PF Cheng’s and Ann Taylor’s Loft, Bodo is a charming inner-city retreat for foot travelers. As a thriving segment of historic 8th Street, BoDo becomes a keystone for what is to come with plans in committee for the new Library District.

On the North side of the plaza visitors will find ice hockey, the Grove Hotel and summertime fun in cool  fountain. Live music on Wednesday’s Alive After Five becomes a citywide gathering spot for people of all ages as the city celebrates week after week. When other cities head for home, Boise comes alive and struts its stuff.

Basque Block

Boise’s Basque Museum & Cultural Center provides a look into the heritage of the Basque communities of Idaho and surrounding areas.

Boise, Idaho has long been a central location where Basque immigrants first congregated after coming to the United States from the Spanish Basque Region. As immigrants established their lives here, Basques became well known for their hard work and perseverance.

The Basque Museum & Cultural Center provides a look into the Basque heritage by exhibits, collections, and tours. As a cultural center, it’s a gathering place for events and educational opportunities - in which people of all backgrounds can participate in Basque activities.

Located in downtown Boise, Idaho, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center provides an active central location for maintaining the Basque culture in the United States.

Boise River

The Boise River is a great place to enjoy a day in the sun and stay cool while doing it. Floaters will put in at barber Park, located just 6 miles East of downtown. That is where the fun begins.

On any given summer day you’ll find hundreds of floaters drifting along the Boise River in rafts, inner tubes and kayaks. The Boise River is a draw because of its tranquil beauty and serene feeling of the great outdoors and its immediacy to downtown and the Boise Park System.

As you float along the Boise River note that there are two small waterfalls. Be careful as they will sneak up on you and have toppled many floaters over the years. It is unlawful for floaters under the age of 14 to float the waterway without a life jacket and strongly encouraged for all. Be safe and be smart while enjoying this natural treasure.

The Boise River floating experience ends at Ann Morrison Park. The City of Boise has constructed two take-out points on either side of the foot bridge. From here it is a great opportunity to enjoy more fun in the sun as you relax under giant shade trees and BBQ the afternoon away.

Idaho State Capitol Building

One of the shining jewels of the City of Boise is the Idaho State Capitol Building. The Idaho State Capitol building has housed more than a century of state governors and legislators and stands proud in our great city. In this post we’ll share many of the facts around this great piece of architecture linking us to our past.

Location: In Boise between State and Jefferson Streets, 6th & 8th Streets

History: For almost two decades, Idaho’s territorial government was housed in various private buildings around downtown Boise. After failed efforts to get the federal government to fund a capitol building, the territorial legislature finally agreed in 1885 to appropriate $80,000 for a territorial capitol. The red-brick structure, located on the block between Jefferson and State and Sixth and Seventh streets, served not only the last four years of territorial government (1886-1890) but the first twenty-two years of statehood. In 1905, as the state’s population mushroomed with the advent of federally funded irrigation projects, a Capitol Building Commission was authorized. In addition to receiving detailed instructions from the Legislature on where and how to build the new Capitol building, the commission was expected also to build a new, separate structure to provide heat and electricity. Nothing was said about indoor plumbing, though the territorial capitol was served by an outhouse. All was to be paid for from the sale of public lands designated for this purpose in the statehood admission act, plus the $66,003.35 then in the Public Building Endowment Fund, for a total of $350,000. Despite the provisions of the 1905 law, the final cost was $2,098,455.05 for the structure and $130,833.10 for interior furnishings.

The Boise architectural firm of J. E. Tourtellotte and Company won the competition to design the new capitol; construction began in the summer of 1906, The capitol’s central section was completed late in 1912, and offices were moved over at that time. The 1913 inauguration of Gov. John M. Haines was held in the new building. Tourtellotte and Hummel-successor to the original firm-had already been awarded a contract to design east and west wings. Their construction began in1919; the whole capitol was completed by the end of 1920.

The state Capitol building is nearing its 100th birthday, and plans are being made to renevate the whole building in time for its centennial bash in 2005. The estimate for the renovation is between $35 and $65 million. The Idaho Capitol Commission has been directed to launch a private fund-raising drive to try to recruit corporate and other donors to help cover the coasts. The Commission is also looking a other fund-raising ideas such as the sale of special license plates. While still in the planning stages, there may be a whole new floor open to the public in the top of the dome area, and magnificent new vistas of downtown Boise from new public rooms on the Capitol’s south side. Much of the restoration work will involve overhauling the heating and air conditioning systems as well as the plumbing and electrical systems. Repairs will be made to the fragile “scagliola,” or faux marble laid by Italian artisans, doorknobs, light fixtures, legislative chamber furnishings, and even the sandstone exterior.
Interesting points: The major external construction material was sandstone, obtained from a quarry on Table Rock just east of Boise that the state purchased for use on the capitol. Labor in cutting and moving the stone came from inmates at the state penitentiary, which was just below the quarry.
Idaho’s Capitol building is the only one in the United States heated by geothermal water. The hot water is tapped and pumped from a source 3,000 feet underground.

Four types of marble were used for the Capitol’s interior: Red marble from Georgia, gray from Alaska, green from Vermont, and the black marble is from Italy. Chandeliers were purchased in Chicago that would accommodate both gas and electric lighting.

Statistics: In 1905, the Idaho legislature passed the bill authorizing construction of the Capitol building. The architects of the Capitol Building were J.E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel. The dome and central parts of the Capitol were built first, from 1905-1912. The wings (House/Senate chambers) were constructed during 1919 and 1920. The original cost to construct the Capitol was $2.1 million. Replacement costs today would be over $100 million, with many materials considered irreplaceable.
From the first floor to the eagle atop the dome, the Idaho Capitol building stands 208 feet tall; the floor area of the building when completed was 201,720 square feet. There are over 50,000 square feet of artistically carved marble in the building. The eagle atop the dome stands 5 feet 7 inches, and is made of copper with bronze plating.

Currently, the Idaho State Capitol Building is undergoing a massive expansion project which includes underground wings on both the East and West sides of the building. Our legislature has been temporarily displaced; they are located, when in session, just East of the Idaho State Capitol Building in the old Ada County Court House.

Thank you to George Seybold and Ajay Shah for teaching out team more about Boise networking opportunities.  We’ve set up a blog(this one), redone our website, and set up accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and My Space.  A few other things to be aware of:

Linked In meeting August 18th at 5:30pm at Venice Coffee House at Overland and Maple Grove.  Wonderful Boise networking opportunities to expand your sphere.

Boise Ice Breakers August 28th at 7:00pm at The Office, 6125 Fairview Ave(across from Kyotos).  Expand your sphere and meet other people looking to cross network.  RSPV: tracieconk@hotmail.com.

BNI Treasure Valley Accelerators meeting every Thursday at 11:45am at Fuddruckers on Eagle Rd.  Come meet other networking minded individuals.

If any of you are looking to increase your Boise networking these are great opportunities.
On a side note, if you are looking to be “in the know” about social/business networking, contact George Seybold.  He specializes not only in Boise networking events,  but internet presence and online marketing.  Email me for his contact information: tracieconk@hotmail.com.

Hope to see you all at these Boise networking events.

We are learning all about exciting tech tools in Boise.

Visit our new linkedin profiles: jenniferconklin & tracyconklin and link in to us!

Also, twitter is something I’ve just heard about.  It’s thrilling.