Boooooooooooring!

POST FALLS - An online real estate blog has ranked the city of Post Falls as the second most boring city in Idaho.

According to Movoto.com the city of Ammon, just outside Idaho Falls, is the only city more boring than the River City.

Coeur d'Alene, on the other hand, ranked the second-most interesting Idaho city. Boise was the least boring of the 22 cities ranked by the blog.

The website based its rankings on how young the population is, the nightlife, live music venues, arts and entertainment venues, active life options, number of restaurants and the number of fast food establishments.

"Post Falls - land of live music, fine dining, and tons of young people... Oh wait, sorry. That's Boise. Post Falls, on the other hand, has... well, a lot of fast food," the blog wrote. "Other than that, Post Falls has a serious lack of music venues per person (as in, practically none), it has the seventh-fewest young people, and it has the eighth-fewest restaurants per capita (as in, non-fast food. Like actual restaurants.)

"But hey, at least there's Famous Willie's Barbecue," the site concluded.

City Councilwoman Kerri Thoreson, who also ran the chamber of commerce for a number of years, said she doesn't take the list very seriously.

In fact, she said, having that type of publicity on a real estate blog could actually attract people who don't want to live in the hustle and bustle of a larger city.

"I think anytime you make it on one of these lists, it's a good thing," she said. "It means people are paying attention to you."

Thoreson, who has lived in Post Falls for the past 30 years, said in the 1980s the city leaders were trying to dispel the "bedroom community" label.

"But I never looked at being a bedroom community as a negative thing," she said. "I think Post Falls is a great place to buy a home and raise a family."

Apparently so do many others. In 1985, Thoreson said, Post Falls had 4,400 residents. That population exceeds 30,000 only 30 years later.

"I don't know this for sure, but in economic development land, I'm not sure if the number of fine dining establishments comes into play," she said, pointing out all the companies that chose to relocate to Post Falls including Ground Force, Cabela's and Buck Knives.

"These are companies that chose Post Falls, and I am not sure that fine dining was one of their criteria," Thoreson said, adding the blog must have missed White House Grill and Fleur De Sel.

Mayor Ron Jacobson had a similar reaction to the ranking.

"The fact of the matter is Post Falls was a bedroom community," Jacobson said, adding that wheels are in motion to change that dynamic.

The city of Post Falls is in the process of revitalizing Spokane Street to make it more inviting to potential employers. He also pointed to the remodel of the old Hot Rod Cafe as evidence that businesses are still attracted to the city.

Jacobson said city leaders are working to create an inviting atmosphere.

"Our hope is to attract more of those types of businesses," he said. "As a city, we are ready and able to assist anybody who wants to open a business."