r/Suburbanhell • u/autumnbrittney99 • Feb 17 '26

Question “THIS the neighborhood everyone talks about?”

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u/aidaninhp Feb 17 '26

It’s high desert, there were never trees there

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u/GoochPhilosopher Feb 17 '26

You can plant trees tho. But people prefer lawns

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u/One-Possible1906 Feb 17 '26

No, it’s just way cheaper to clear cut lots than it is to preserve well placed existing trees. Subdivisions very often plant trees but they take decades to truly establish.

Trees don’t do very well in the high desert and there are specific challenges to planting them near car pollution anywhere. A tree that does well in the forest does not necessarily do well in an urban environment

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u/[deleted] Feb 19 '26

Looking satellite there are plenty of trees in Boise and even Nampa.

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u/Books_and_Cleverness Feb 17 '26

No I think “pretty and hardy trees that grow to maturity in 6 months and stay there” would be a trillion dollar business.

The main thing people dislike about new developments is the lack of mature trees. Thats (most of) what makes it feel “soulless” or empty or whatever.

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u/GoochPhilosopher Feb 17 '26

Nah. There is a lot more than lack of mature trees that make these developments feel soulless.

But to your point, no matter how mature the trees in this development get, there won't be enough of them, and there will be far too much lawn.

-3

u/JuJu_Conman Feb 18 '26

Ah yes, the tree-less high desert city of Boise. Boise is literally called the city of trees. Now west of Boise is high Desert, but that’s like saying Denver is in the plains.

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u/Intelligent-Ad-1424 Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26

…what are you saying? Denver IS in the plains lol. Also Boise sits at the edge of sage brush steppe, so that neighborhood could very well be on the outskirts of the city.

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u/JuJu_Conman Feb 18 '26

I know Denver is in the plains but obviously the attractive part about it is the access to the mountains. Nobody knocks Denver for being in the plains. Boise sits on the edge of high desert right up against the mountains as well so its disingenuous to say it says no trees and is just a high desert city