It was okay living there but there is not much really to offer for a social life. The place is a bit windy but I think all of southeast Idaho is that. That is why I have seen so many wind farms for producing electricty near Idaho Falls and between Pocatello and Twin Falls. Pocatello is over 50% Mormon as is much of that part of Idaho.

I come from a very active Mormon family with all my exteneded family in that area very TBM. My father was very active in the church being a Bishop, Stake President, and Mission President and finishing off the last 25 plus years of his life as the stake Patriarch, however he was too old and senile to even know that much about my leaving the church about four years ago just before he died at age 91.

Pocatello is an old railroad town who's major employer is the university. There are a lot of PHD's and professional people who work at the university, in the medical profession, or at the Idaho National Laboratory.

Pocatello is also a Democratic blue collar town but much of that employer base is now gone.

The city neither booms or goes bust. I have a friend from Seattle that moved there and just loves it. He says you can get anywhere in town in 15 minutes.

Nightlife is basically beer bars but the university does have a nice fine arts auditorium if you like that sort of thing.

I live in Pocatello.

What those guys said is true. It is pretty friendly here, a little clique-ish when you get into the Mo population, like you'd expect.

The University adds culture and diversity.

The gay bar is on Center St with a bunch of regular bars. Quite a few straight people come into the gay bar and hang out. I've never felt threatened or even out of place in Pocatello. It's no San Francisco, but the parts that I have seen and the people I have met have all been quite accepting, friendly, and nowhere near as judgmental as the Mormons I meat in Utah.

It is, however, a small town. If you are used to a small town or if you are from a big city and can slow down and do without the selection (bars, restaurants, theater, etc..) a big city has to offer, I think it would be an OK place to live. It would not be the first place I would pick to live, but if life took me there, as life sometimes does, I would have no problem moving there.

My mom and dad are from there grandparents and many relatives are still there. I love that town always feels more like home than growing up here in utah ever did.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2011 12:54AM by musicangelgirl.

I live in Pocatello and am a grad student at ISU. I've lived here for 13 years and like it :) I wish I knew more ex-mormons though.

Hey I was woundering if I can get any of your contact information ? e-mail or phone number would be nice.... I am an undergraduate and I got acceptance at both Idaho State University and Portland State University and I have no clue which to chose! I'd highly appreicate it if you could ask you a few questions about Pocatello! Thanks

And would not willingly move back. Although I do go back and visit. My dh was born and raised there.

never lived there, but I did spend a month there one weekend in my teens.

I grew up in Pocatello (Highland High grad in the mid 90's) before moving away about 10 years ago for work. I was back last year for vacation and found it incredibly frustrating and irritating. The pace of life is frustratingly slow (including all of the speed limits) and so much of life revolves directly around "the church".

It's true you can get anywhere in town in 15 minutes but the truth is there really aren't that many place you'd want to go, particularly on Sunday. Most of my family still lives in the area and they are the primary reason for our periodic visits. Family and outdoors opportunities are the only reasons we visit and we have absolutely no plans to move back - ever.

I don't mind it too much, had to work there once a week about 8 years ago. The city layout was easy to figure out, but if I had a choice to live there, I don't think I would choose it.

Well I left in 76 for my mission, made the mistake of going back when I was done, parents moved to Boise while on my mission, and then left because of the crazy @#$%& going on in my life at the time! It is crazy TBM there and if you arent in the clique then you are not accepted anywhere. There are enough jack Mormons to be friends with, but nothing to do there and as the saying goes, in Pocatello, the wind doesnt blow, it SUCKS! And indeed it does!

IF anyone is into camping at all about a half hour from there is a really gorgous area called Massacre Rocks the boating is awsome and they have camp grounds I grew up going there every weekend in the summer while I stayed with my grandparents good times. Has anyone ever been out to Fort Hall thats one place I wanna go out to.

Why would you want to go to Fort Hall?

Indian gaming, cheap cigarettes.

Pocatello is near Lava Hot Springs. I love Lava.

Pebble Creek is also a cute little local ski area.

I think the LDS population is getting smaller. I had a family member tell me, they were getting young married couples attending ISU in her regular ward.

I lived in Pocatello for 3 years, and got my degree at ISU. There are some great restaurants (Molto Caldo pizza, Ming's Cafe), and the university is nice as well. Overall, its a decent enough town. I never had substantial problems with the LDS population there, but as a student I was able to meet a lot of different kinds of people. The winters suck, though. I don't miss those.

I live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and my neighbors are Jews who moved up here from California. They go to the Jewish temple in Pocatello for their services. They say the people they have met there are really nice and were surprised at how educated and cultured the people there are.

...at my incredibly boring brother's place during Christmas break. I was at USU and he was teaching at ISU. I don't remember them having a TV, but if they did, it was probably only to watch general conference. I eventually decided I'd rather be stranded on the highway than be stuck with him and his family. I made it back to Logan, through a foot or more of snowfall, and was never so glad to be all by myself in an empty apartment. But none of that was Pocatello's fault.

Several years later I voluntarily spent another couple of days with that incredibly boring brother. I must be a slow learner.

It's an okay town. If you live near the university it's not so bad, lots of diversity there. I was a grad student at ISU and really enjoyed it but I was living in Idaho Falls. Of all the Southeast Idaho towns it's probably one of the least Mormony and I think that's due to the university influence. I think it's a good place to live if you enjoy outdoor activities as there are a lot of nice camping, skiing, boating etc type areas nearby. But there's no denying, the winters suck in Southeast Idaho.

Pocatello is MORmONY ? compared to other Eastern Idaho big towns, Idaho Falls & Rexburg, its like Las Vegas!

Lived in nearby (by Idaho standards) Idaho Falls in mid-60's. Summer is the week everybody goes swimming instead of skiing.
Those cold winds coming down from the arctic will get your attention.

Pocatello is repressed. If you are not Mormon or in someones ward, then you get the cold shoulder. City leaders and officials favor to those who are in a ward. there is a church in every sud-division, or every quarter mile, all the new houses built have to have the mormon storage pantry in order to sell. They run potential businesses off. I suppose to keep the unemployment record. If you are not mormon you won't get a job that you applied for even tho you invested 4-6 years in school. and the only time you see the whole police force is at nite when the bars are getting ready to close. They over look speeding, driving the wrong way on a one way street. But will stop you for no blinker!

Summers: Hot & windy

Winters: COLD & windy

I worked there for a while, I don't recall any symphony orch. or opera, tho ISU may have them.

RR train crews used to be larger (6), now they're only 2 crew members unless there's a trainee (pun, ha ha).

Radio controls & CTC (RR version of automation) made RR stockholders a TON OF MONEY; it's always a rumor that BY accepted some UPRR stock in lieu of cash for the LDS part of construction labor & materials from the 1800's.