downtown boise Katie Warren/Business Insider

Everyone wants to live in Boise, Idaho, right now.

The midsize Pacific Northwest city is experiencing a major growth spurt. Forbes named it the fastest-growing city in the US in 2018. Its population grew by 18.2% from 2010 to 2018, and by more than 3% from 2017 to 2018.

While most people moving to Boise come from smaller towns in Idaho, the foremost place that out-of-state transplants are moving from is California, primarily from the Los Angeles metro area.

Almost 80,000 people moved to Idaho in 2018, and more than 21,000 of them were from California, according to US Census data.

According to locals, people are finally figuring out how great of a place Boise is to live. In 2019, Boise was named the best place to live for millennials, as well as the best US city to buy a house.

I recently spent four days in Boise exploring the city and talking to business owners and residents. As someone who lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan, I was curious to get a feel for Boise’s downtown and see what kind of lifestyle it offers for big-city transplants. After four days, I can, for starters, say this: Boise does not disappoint.

Keep reading for a look at its vibrant downtown area, which is bustling with breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, coffee shops, and new luxury apartments.

Boise, Idaho, has been called the best place for millennials to live in the US. I spent 4 days there, and a walk through downtown makes it clear why it’s so popular.

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