Bown Crossing: Southeast Boise's Hidden Gem
Posted by Lisa Kohl on Monday, January 31st, 2022 at 12:46pm
Boise’s Bown Crossing, a live-where-you-work neighborhood, rests against the iconic foothills and just below the scenic Table Rock plateau. As one of Southeast Boise’s greatest treasures, Bown Crossing takes Boise’s best attributes and packs them into a small-scale community. Your ease of life flows as gently as the nearby Boise River.
Known for its charming shops, quaint restaurants, and intimate streets, Bown Crossing teems with small-town friendliness and next-door neighbor comfort. At around eight city blocks, it’s comparatively smaller than other Boise subdivisions and neighborhoods. Still, its size doesn’t mean it lacks any charm or amenities. In fact, Bown Crossing’s modest area is one of its premiere qualities.
With South Bown Way splitting the residential and commercial sections down the middle, life in Bown Crossing means always being a minute’s walk away from brilliant boutiques, extraordinary eateries, and the beloved Boise River.
A trip to Bown Crossing means seeing giggling children on bikes, families enjoying a relaxed meal on a restaurant patio, and locals welcoming you like long-lost relatives. Whether you’re driving through or taking a detour from your stroll on the Boise Greenbelt, it’s worth experiencing the laid-back lifestyle that makes Bown Crossing so special.
Why Boiseans Love Living in Bown Crossing
The community thrives on its relaxed feel. Bown Crossing shares the same walkability and next-door convenience of Boise’s other coveted neighborhoods, but its less-formal vibe creates a uniquely casual work-and-live experience you can’t find anywhere else.
Step out of your front door and you’re within walking distance of the Boise River, Ridge to Rivers Foothills trail system, locally-owned shops and eateries, doctor’s offices, Riverside Elementary School, and a full-service veterinary hospital. The only necessity not included within Bown Crossing proper is a grocery store, with the nearest just a mile west on Parkcenter Blvd.
You’re 15 minutes from downtown, 10 minutes from the airport, and if you’re looking for a change of pace, Bown Crossing is surrounded by nearby entertainment and recreation options. The Boise Greenbelt also offers an eco-friendly commute, connecting you to the rest of Boise with a paved biking and walking path that practically runs through your backyard. The Homeowners Association ensures the street looks its best and landscapes feature native plants and grasses. Because of its relatively small size and the lifestyle that comes with living in Bown Crossing’s tight-knit community, you can’t help but get to know the people around you, and neighbors grow close as they share a life of comfort and convenience.
Bown Crossing Homes & Real Estate
Development started in the early 2000s, and most homes were move-in ready by 2007. Those early listings went fast as residents flocked to the outdoor access and short downtown commute. All together, Bown Crossing is a mixed-use development that encompasses 35 acres and includes residential homes, retail spots, and restaurant spaces.
Bown Crossing homes for sale typically range from 600k to over a million dollars and include single-family and patio-style homes, townhouses, and classic loft spaces. The houses and attached townhomes are on relatively manageable yards, and the patio homes feature small, extra-low maintenance lots. The lofts above the commercial buildings offer contemporary living spaces, highlighting the live-and-work Bown Crossing lifestyle.
Businesses feature an Italianate aesthetic that flows into the Mediterranean architecture of the residential neighborhood. Homes emphasize the style with stucco exteriors and designs and floor plans that focus on an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Square footage, price, and lot size vary greatly, offering something for every owner’s specific needs.
Bown Crossing fits like the final puzzle piece, nesting perfectly between Parkcenter Blvd, Boise Ave, Riverside Elementary School, and the Boise River. As a result, it will never expand, and new developments will not be springing up in Bown Crossing proper. However, in recent years, the surrounding undeveloped land and larger plots have started to be developed to accommodate Boise’s growing population. New homes are coming up in the areas surrounding Bown Crossing, but the quaint lifestyle residents love is fixed to stay as evergreen as a trip down the Greenbelt.
Bike-friendly and built for modern convenience, Bown Crossing is an attractive option for anyone looking for a small, laid-back, peaceful neighborhood with an upscale feel. Whether you’re interested in hearing the sounds of the Boise River from your backyard or in enjoying a quick walk to your favorite restaurant, Bown Crossing’s relaxed, live-and-work lifestyle has solidified itself as one of Boise’s premier neighborhoods.
Living the Bown Crossing Boise Lifestyle
Bown Crossing is a place where home and play mean the same thing. With backyard access to Idaho’s wilderness and down-the-street restaurants and entertainment, Bown Crossing’s allure starts at the Ridge to Rivers trailhead and spans Boise’s picturesque outdoor landscape.
At the corner of Parkcenter and Bown Way, you’ll find a paved path leading to the Boise River Greenbelt, inviting you on an eco-friendly Boise tour. Whether you’re hopping on a bike or taking a family stroll, the Greenbelt leads you along tall cottonwoods and curving eddies, showcasing the Boise River’s natural beauty.
This section of the Greenbelt is a popular spot for walkers and runners, and the river is usually dotted with people fishing, swimming, or floating. It’s the perfect combination of work, play, nature, and family. These essential pieces of the Bown Crossing lifestyle—bits that most cities try to combine artificially—mix and mingle naturally, blending into a one-stop-neighborhood-shop of everything residents value.
Not far down Boise Ave is Barber Park, a sprawling city park and the traditional put-in location for river rafters and floaters. It sits along the Boise River Greenbelt and houses picnic tables, an event and education center, a playground, a basketball court, views of river wildlife, and a large grassy field where many neighborhood sports teams gather to practice. Teeming with natural beauty, Barber Park adds even more convenience and comfort to life in Bown Crossing.
Neighborhood Schools
Bown Crossing falls within the boundaries for Riverside Elementary, East Junior High, and Timberline High School, all top-rated schools in the Boise School District. Many families also choose the seven-minute drive down Parkcenter Blvd to the highly-popular Sage International School of Boise.
Sage International is a K-12 public charter school that equips students to engage in local and international issues. Sage is the only Boise school that incorporates French language instruction rather than Spanish. It also utilizes a four-day week for students, where Fridays are reserved for professional development to ensure instructors are best-equipped to teach their students. Sage International’s curriculum follows the International Baccalaureate approach, an education that fosters diversity, curiosity, and a healthy appetite for learning. Its K-12 campus unifies learning, eliminating the jarring jumps between elementary, junior, and high school and any need for students to ramp up in the earliest months at a new school. Sage’s innovative and international approach to education makes it one of the most popular learning options in Southeast Boise.
The Shopping and Dining Scene
From a desire for a gluten-free mushroom burger to a hunger-pang for a hand-crafted risotto and a glass of locally produced wine, Bown Crossing’s restaurant scene has something for everyone. Keying in on Boise’s beauty, many restaurants offer outdoor patios for scenic summer dining.
Tavern at Bown Crossing: It’s fine-dining in a casual-but-classic atmosphere. Their menu covers many continents, offering burgers, sushi, seafood, steak, and a full bar stocked with local and international options. With outdoor seating and a grand rooftop patio, you can leave the dinner jacket at home while you enjoy an upscale dinner in the heart of Bown Crossing.
Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria: Wood-burning pizza ovens and a generous beer and wine list make Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria a Bown Crossing favorite. Their patio is a favorite summer gathering place, and outdoor gas fires keep the tables packed through the fall and early spring. Flatbread’s kid-friendly atmosphere draws many neighborhood families, and their incredible pizzas keep everyone coming back.
Locavore: A locally-owned favorite, Locavore, meaning “grown locally,” has been providing healthy, regionally-focused meals to source-conscious eaters since 2010. The menu is wholesome, made from scratch, and native, with dishes emphasizing a creative approach to farm-fresh foods. Their fantastic 50-seat patio is a popular spot for brunch on the weekends.
Boise Fry Company: Potatoes are sacred to this state, and Boise Fry Company knows how much they mean to Idahoans. So, they put potatoes as their menu’s main course. B.F.C sources a wide range of high-quality, locally grown potatoes for a long list of fry choices to accompany their top-tier burgers. From shoestring purple fries and grass-fed bison burgers to homestyle yam fries and vegan burgers, their menu offers five-star options to feed every appetite.
Once your hunger is taken care of, be sure to visit the shops and businesses brimming with Bown Crossing charm. We recommend at least a quick stop by the Library, Cravin’s Candy Emporium, or the Bown House.
Library! At Bown Crossing: A new addition to the Boise Library family, the Bown Crossing location is a neighborhood staple. The new Library building features a sustainable, eco-friendly, and gorgeous design. It also houses meeting spaces, quiet study rooms, public events, endless rows of books, and more.
Cravin’s Candy Emporium: a visit to Bown Crossing isn’t complete without a stop at Cravin’s. As an old-fashioned candy store, they offer homemade gelato and a wide range of classic and modern candies. From long-lost favorites to new takes on treats, Cravin’s bright colors and nostalgic music brings the kid out in all of us.
Bown House: as the neighborhood’s namesake, the Bown House is a Boise-loved historical treasure. Built in 1879 along the Oregon Trail, the two-story stone building resides on the Riverside Elementary School grounds. Built with sandstone from Table Rock, the Bown House is a critical part of 4th grade Idaho history curriculum, with tours teaching more than 2,500 students a year about Boise’s earliest years.
Bown Crossing is a hidden gem in Southeast Boise, and buying a home in the neighborhood means joining a tight-knit community that works, lives, shops, and plays together. With mature weeping willows, native landscape, cozy neighborhood streets, and nearby parks and walking paths, Bown Crossing has become one of Boise’s most charming areas. Whether it’s a quick drive or an afternoon stroll, be careful—Bown Crossing is known to steal your heart.
Bown Crossing at a Glance
- Location: The Bown Crossing Neighborhood resides in Southeast Boise between Parkcenter Blvd and Boise Ave. South Bown Way splits the neighborhood between its residential and commercial sections. The Barber Valley neighborhood lies across the Boise River to the northeast. The Spring Meadow Community is just north, offering 1980s traditional-style homes at a similar price point. To the southeast, Wood Duck Island holds highly sought-after million-dollar homes set on meandering streets to maximize life along the Boise River.
- Distance from Downtown Boise: 15 minutes
- Distance from the Airport: 11 minutes
- Walk Score: 42
- Bike Score: 78
- Median Home Value: $872,200
- Average Rent: $2,820
- Median Age of Home: 2005
- Average # of Homes Sold in a Year: 6
- Nearby Things To Do: 8/10
Lisa Kohl
Lisa is a top Idaho Realtor and creator of WeKnowBoise.com. Whether buying or selling a home, we provide full-service real estate solutions dedicated to helping our clients achieve their goals. From Southeast Boise to the North End, up to Eagle and west to Meridian, or right in the middle of the Boise Bench and downtown - We Know Boise.
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