Your Northwest Boise Guide: What to explore, where to eat along West State Street

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State Street is one of Boise’s busiest thoroughfares, connecting the city’s downtown with communities along the base of the Boise Foothills and the city of Eagle. As a result, many of Northwest Boise’s main attractions have been built along State Street, including some of Boise’s most popular restaurants.

But Northwest Boise isn’t all just focused around historic State Street. The neighborhood stretches deep into the Foothills, offering some of the best hiking and biking trails and some challenging golf courses for those who enjoy hitting the greens.

Where is Northwest Boise?

Although Northwest Boise’s borders extend along Idaho 55 and deep into the Boise Foothills, most of the population and activity are situated along the neighborhood’s southern edge.

Northwest Boise is built around State Street, from 28th Street on its eastern edge to Idaho 55 to the west, where it meets Eagle. Some of the neighborhoods included in Northwest Boise are Quail Ridge, Collister and the many communities along Hill Road.

Food and drink in Northwest Boise

You don’t have to venture away from State Street to find what you’re looking for in Northwest Boise, and for many folks, that’s Merritt’s Family Restaurant. Self-described “scone specialists,” Merritt’s has brought breakfast, lunch and dinner to Idahoans since 1975. The diner used to be open 24/7 but has since changed its hours to 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

For something a little lighter, Caffeina Roasting Company in the Collister Center outdoor mall serves smaller snacks such as bagels and breakfast bowls, as well as a range of coffee, smoothies, and even beer, wine and cider.

If you’re looking for something to do a little later in the day, Sockeye Alehouse is just off Hill Road on the neighborhood’s east side and the perfect spot for a beer or two. Sockeye boasts a vast collection of craft beers, from year-round lagers and wheat beers to seasonal pilsners and blondes.

Other State Street food and drink:

• The Lift - American pub with a dog-friendly patio, 4091 W. State St.

• McCleary’s Pub - Irish bar with live music, 9155 W. State St.

• Corona Village - Traditional Mexican restaurant, 4334 W. State St.

• Flying Pie - Build-your-own local pizza chain, 4320 W. State St.

Activities away from State Street

Although State Street is the heart and soul of Northwest Boise, you can still venture northward into the Foothills and find yourself in a beautiful part of the city.

Shadow Valley Golf Course is a par-72 course five miles north up Idaho 55. We Know Boise Real Estate describes a full 18-hole round as “like two strikingly different courses” that forces golfers to adapt their game. The National Audubon Society also certified the course, an acknowledgment of Shadow Valley’s conservation attempts to protect the natural beauty and wildlife around the course.

Northwest Boise is also home to the 18-hole Quail Hollow Golf Course and the nine-hole par-3 Pierce Park Greens and Driving Range.

Closer to State Street, you’ll find the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. It’s a 76.5-acre cemetery set at the base of the Foothills that hosts a yearly Memorial Day ceremony, which often includes a flyover from the Idaho Air National Guard, speeches from military personnel and flags placed on every grave.

The James Castle House is also close to State Street. Located at 5015 Eugene St., the house is a historic site and museum that was once the home of James Castle, a deaf man and self-taught artist born in 1899. Castle created thousands of pieces of artwork throughout his life, according to the historic site’s website. The house is now used as a museum to house Castle’s work and exhibitions from guest curators.

Like any neighborhood pushing up against the Foothills, Northwest Boise has excellent hiking and biking options. Some of the best choices include:

• Polecat Loop - 5.4-mile loop, dogs must be on leash

• Veterans - 1-mile trail accessed by the Dry Creek Cemetery

• Seaman’s Gulch - 1.75-mile trail, controlled dogs off leash

Boise’s rare dogbone roundabout

For the longest time, Hillside Junior High School had a significant problem; heavy traffic before and after school thanks to a three-road intersection of 36th Street, Hill Road and Catalpa Drive.

The solution was a unique one: A dogbone roundabout.

In 2016, the Ada County Highway District, with the help of engineering consultancy firm Kittelson & Associates, designed a bizarre intersection with two roundabouts connected by a narrow road resembling a cartoon dog bone.

Dogbone roundabouts are relatively rare, with the Ada County Highway District claiming that similar roundabouts only exist in Towson, Maryland, and throughout Australia. There is also a dogbone roundabout in Carmel, Indiana.

“With the roundabout on the parent drop-off side of Hillside, (it) is extremely effective in getting parents and students to and from Hillside,” former Hillside Junior High principal Dr. Randy Lance previously told the Idaho Statesman. “With over half of the students being dropped off and picked up daily, the flow of traffic is continuous with little, if any, stopping.”

Boise's Neighborhood Guides

Over the next several months, the Idaho Statesman will be publishing neighborhood guides. Here are a few:

• Boise Bench Guide: The city's multicultural wonderland

• East Boise Guide: An old — but new — part of downtown

• Garden City Guide: The up-and-coming hot spot

• North End Guide: Boise's hiking and biking neighborhood

• North Meridian Guide: Idaho’s fastest-growing city

• Northwest Boise Guide: Exploring West State Street

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