Warm Springs Avenue is a sophisticated yet down-to-earth river-centric neighborhood in Idaho’s capital city of Boise.
In Warm Springs Avenue, the estates are charming, the residents are neighborly and everyone dresses down for a night out on the town.
“Boise is sometimes referred to as the Friendliest Town in the Pacific Northwest,” said Scott Latham, a Realtor with Group One Sotheby’s International Realty. “It lives up to its reputation. Many residents in Warm Springs Avenue know each other by name and greet each other at the local coffee shops.”
Lisa Kohl, a realtor with We Know Boise Real Estate, added that it’s a “laid-back” neighborhood where residents, regardless of their social status, like to keep a low profile.
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Boundaries
Approximately seven miles long, Warm Springs Avenue is the name of the street and of the neighborhood that contains some 400 homes. It starts just east of Downtown Boise at Broadway Avenue, which is its western boundary. It continues east past the Warm Springs Historic District, the Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site and the Idaho Botanical Garden, then the foothill communities of Warm Springs Mesa and El Paseo, before hitting Barber Valley and its newer-home communities.
About seven miles from the heart of Downtown Boise, it runs parallel to Parkcenter Boulevard.
The Boise foothills are to the north and the Boise River is to the south.
Price Range
The grand, historic estates along the west side of Warm Springs Avenue, some of which are set on nearly an acre, typically sell for $1 million to $2 million, according to Mr. Latham.
Because the neighborhood is so small, not many homes come onto the market.
Mr. Latham noted that the median price of the six current active listings is just over $1.1 million, and the highest listing price is just below $8 million. In the past year, 29 houses in the neighborhood sold, and the median sold price was just over $550,000.
“Occasionally, a smaller bungalow might pop up on the west end for under $500,000,” he said.
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Housing Stock
The neighborhood, which includes most of the 96 homes in the National Register-listed Warm Springs Avenue Historic District, is primarily comprised of houses constructed between 1870 and 1940. Their architectural styles range from Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival to bungalow.
“The old-estate mansions of eras past have a lot of history as well as charm and character,” Ms. Kohl said.
Most of the prominent homes date from the 1890s, when the wealthiest and most influential Boise residents moved there after the drilling of a hot-water well and the opening of a celebrated bathing resort.
“These were some of the first homes in the United States to use geothermal energy,” Mr. Latham said. “Some of the original pipes that distributed hot water were made of wood. Although many of the older systems have been retrofitted, many of these homes utilize some form of geothermal energy for floor, water and/or space heating.”
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What Makes It Unique
“The large and historic estates are an unmistakable part of the Warm Springs Avenue experience,” Mr. Latham said. “In front of several of the historic homes, you’ll still find the old horse hitching post, a nice reminder of Boise’s history.”
The street has other significant historical markers. Although the city’s system of streetcars stopped running in 1920, the Trolley House restaurant, a local favorite, has been restored and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “It sits on the spot that was the end of the line for the streetcars,” he said. “The owners have made every effort to preserve the history and charm of the building.”
Warm Springs Avenue is also renowned for outdoor activities. “The Boise Greenbelt and Boise River are part of the lifestyle of the community,” Mr. Latham said. “Many residents enjoy fishing, kayaking and bicycling. One of the traditions of Boise residents is to ‘float the river’ in the summer.”
Ms. Kohl, noting that Warm Springs Avenue is “its own little world,” said that it’s “one of the few old-era notable historic areas in Boise.”
She said its charm as well as its central location—it’s close to the foothills, the river and the downtown—make it highly desirable.
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Luxury Amenities
Aside from the aforementioned Trolley House restaurant and Barbacoa Grill, which is renowned for its Spanish-American fare and open-fire grilled steaks, West Springs Avenue is exclusively residential.
The amenities of Downtown Boise, however, are only a few miles from its west end.
“Downtown, which is a short pedal or drive away, is a huge draw for people,” Ms. Kohl said. “It’s vibrant, clean and full of local shops, boutiques, art galleries and eateries. Parking is easily accessible, and bikes are always welcome.”
Some of the more popular shops downtown include the high-end contemporary women’s clothing boutiques SALT by Pepper and Ruby Lou. Fancy Pants, which sells women’s apparel, features brands like Rag & Bone and Moussy Denim.
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On-the-radar fine-dining restaurants include Chandlers Steakhouse, a reservations-required surf-and-turf establishment in Hotel 43 that is renowned not only for its food but also for its handcrafted cocktails, award-winning wines and live jazz entertainment. Owyhee Tavern is another notable steak-and-seafood restaurant.
In Warm Springs Avene, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival & Reserve is a prime example of the versatile offerings of the neighborhood. The 770-seat outdoor theater, where residents and visitors watch the bard’s plays performed live from bring-your-own-lawn chair seats, is surrounded by a nature reserve. “It’s not uncommon to see deer or a heron,” Mr. Latham said.
The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site, which opened in 1872 to house some of the West’s most notorious criminals, is in the neighborhood, as is the 50-acre Idaho Botanical Garden, which once was the prison’s nursery and farm, and now hosts a variety of family-centric events.
The Natatorium, a public aquatic center, is on Warm Springs Avenue, and the 4.6-acre Idaho Fish and Game MK Nature Center and the 28-acre Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park are only two blocks from the neighborhood.
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Along the river, there are the Ann Morrison Park, a 153-acre green spot, and the Boise Greenbelt, a 20-mile-long recreational and alternative transportation trail.
“The natural beauty continues to the north in the foothills with miles of groomed hiking and biking trails, which are part of the Ridge to Rivers trail system,” Mr. Latham said. “It’s not uncommon for people to get together and hike in the foothills or meet up at Table Rock—an iconic hiking destination overlooking Downtown Boise and the valley—to enjoy views of the beautiful sunset.”
There are a number of private schools in the neighborhood. Riverstone International School, established in 1997, is an independent day and boarding school for students in preschool through high school in Warm Springs Avenue. It has an International Baccalaureate program and an enrollment of 345.
Bishop Kelly High School, a private Roman Catholic institution that dates to 1890, is about a 10-minute drive from the neighborhood.
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Who Lives There
Mr. Latham said “there’s a good mix of professionals of all ages as well as artists and retirees who call Warm Springs Avenue home.”
In addition to long-time residents, Ms. Kohl said that the neighborhood attracts “a variety of demographics and people from all walks of life, including families and business professionals who work downtown.”
Aerial view of luxury properties in Warm Springs Avenue.
LuxuryVideoProductions.comNotable Residents
Warm Springs Avenue has been home to many prominent politicians and influencers over the years, including 19-Century Mayor John Lemp, the millionaire frontier brewer who was also known as Boise’s Beer Baron.
More recently, Idaho native Aaron Paul, who won an Emmy for playing Jesse Pinkman in the AMC TV series “Breaking Bad,” owns a home in Warm Springs Avenue, according to published reports and property records.
Outlook
Mr. Latham said it’s still too early to gauge the long-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the Warm Spring Avenue or Boise metropolitan area real estate markets. For the overall Boise market, he noted that in April 2020, real estate closings were down 12% compared to a year ago.
In the Boise metropolitan area, the ratio of homes under contract to active listings is one barometer to watch while assessing where the local market might be headed, he said, noting that in April 2019, there were 1,910 homes under contract and 1,523 active listings. And at the end of April 2020, there were 1,606 homes under contract and 1,530 active listings.
“Although the number of listings now versus last year has essentially remained unchanged, there was a 16% decrease in pendings or sales under contract compared to a year ago,” he said. “That ratio is lower but not drastically lower.”
He has confidence that Warm Springs Avenue will continue to be a draw for local and out-of-state buyers alike.
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“Since the early days of Boise, Warm Springs Avenue has been an attractive area to live,” he said. “It’s unique in that residents are within walking distance to downtown, the Boise River, Boise Greenbelt and Boise Foothills. Real estate along Warm Springs Avenue should continue to remain strong or slightly stronger than other parts of Boise given the location, desirability and character of this unique area.”
Ms. Kohl noted that so far, Boise, which was declared the fastest appreciating city in the nation for the last three quarters of 2019 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, appears to be weathering the pandemic well.
“In general, in the city as a whole, we just broke records as far as pricing,” she said, adding that home prices have risen nearly 80% in the past five years.
“Warm Springs Avenue is such a small area and demand is so high that we’ll continue to see growth,” she said. “Right now, in particular, buyers are looking for the kind of quality of life it offers.”
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