Ustick Road, now a five lane lateral through West Boise suburbs, was once home to apple orchards and its own townsite. Despite the asphalt takeover of the last century, it’s a community revitalizing itself from the inside out.
Growing Community Hubs and Opportunities
Nowhere is that clearer than at Common Ground Coffee & Market, a 2023 coffee shop that delivers on its promise of being a community hub. Many Hey Boise readers are avid fans, and it’s quickly become one of the busiest and most welcoming coffee shops in Boise.
All that is thanks to co-owners Sarah Keck and Laurie Pearman, though they’re quick to attribute their success to the hunger of their community. Last year, they told Boise they’re still getting thanked for opening, “for taking a chance on the neighborhood, for investing in the community, because this place is so ready.”
Just next door to Common Ground is the Catalyst Arts Collaborative, an arts center that rolls out a consistent (and impressive) quantity of classes and events, including painting and clay classes.
Farther down the road at the intersection of Cole and Ustick is a staple among Boise’s Asian community: the Idaho Capital Asian Market. The store stocks foods you can find at very few other grocers in town, with the most diverse range among Asian cuisines. If you haven’t shopped there, just start going to try new snacks, and you’ll find new favorites in no time!
Mountain View Park is a classic neighborhood park, so go for a local feel. (Blake Hunter / City Cast Boise)
Public Spaces and Green Areas
If the Ustick neighborhood has a fault, it’s a lack of green spaces. The area doesn’t have the luxury of the Boise River running through it, or the Foothills on its boundary, but its parks pull their weight.
Ustick doesn’t have its own neighborhood association, so it’s hard to define its boundaries — however, Mountain View Park is undoubtedly part of the neighborhood, and it’s just tucked off the road enough to feel like an enclave.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, a stretch of Ustick Road will become a park. Open Streets Boise, which had a smashing debut on Latah last fall, has picked Ustick for its next location.
The Library! at Cole & Ustick is right down the street and next to the Idaho Capital Asian Market. One of the newest builds among the city’s libraries, it has the best natural lighting of any of them, so it has a spacious feel (it’s great for remote working).
The beautiful Ustick library! (Blake Hunter / City Cast Boise)
A tip for a vista: The drive or walk along Mountain View Drive offers a unique and gorgeous view of downtown Boise and the surrounding areas, especially at sunrise.
