Downtown Boise

Downtown Boise is an ever changing, ever evolving masterpiece that is the heart of our beautiful city. It holds so much history and culture. It hasn’t been without challenges though. The Boise Downtown Association stays very busy trying to keep our city center vibrant and bustling. It seems, we, as residents, are easily distracted by malls and online shopping. Lured away by promises of free parking and drive thru cuisine. Quick to abandon our offices and lunch spots for remote work in our pajamas... I don’t really have a point but I hope that Downtown Boise thrives and prospers for many many more years.

Now for what you all came for, my personal stories... I have to share them here because my kids don’t like them. When I was in high school I scored this sweet job at The Idaho Hospital Association downtown in the Hoff Building. Thinking back I’m not really sure why they hired a teenager to be their receptionist but that’s beside the point. Think “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.” It was a pretty sweet gig. I got a permit for the parking garage that was connected to the Bon Marché. I would frequent the clearance racks there after work for my “professional” attire. The job itself was pretty awkward. At the time, I figured everyone there was like 100 years old, I think they were weirded out by me as much as I was weirded out by them. They were probably also wondering why the receptionist was a 16 year old. I eventually was let go/fired. They said they wanted to make the position full-time and that I was welcome to apply... I decided I should probably finish high school.

The moral of the story is that downtown is mostly haunted but it is your civic duty to support it.

Don’t feel overwhelmed, just do one thing at a time.

—Heidi