The Ugliest City in Idaho Is Just 30 Miles From Boise
Sure, we're a little biased but we feel like Idaho is one of the most gorgeous states in the country.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: OUR STATION DIDN'T CREATE THIS LIST. IT DOES NOT REFLECT HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CITY!
From the gorgeous snowcapped Sawtooth mountains to a handful of crystal clear blue lakes to the Niagra of the West, there's beauty just about anywhere you turn in Idaho! That's why we're sure that the bloggers at "Alot Travel" had their work cut out for them when they were working on their list of "The Ugliest Cities in Each State."
The unfortunate cities that found themselves on this list were called "ugly" for all kinds of different reasons. Lack of maintenance, poor design choice, ugly attitudes, lack of things to do and weird paint colors were all factors that were mentioned in cities across America.
Which town did they pick as the ugliest in Idaho?
Emmett's Mayor, Gordon Petrie, introduces his city as "the gateway to Idaho's backcountry." He sells its beautiful views of the foothills and proximity to the Payette River in the welcome video on Emmett's website. From spending time there, we know that all the great scenery and cute businesses he shows off are the real deal. Apparently, Alot wasn't buying it and that makes us sad.
Why Did They Pick Emmett as Idaho's Ugliest City?
We're going to call it lack of education. Alot's article claims:
Emmett, Idaho, is so uninteresting that there’s barely any information to be found on the tiny town. You might have seen the edited pictures of a sprawling lush green landscape, but the reality isn’t photoshopped to perfection. We’re sure they’re trying to get someone to visit the town for more than a drive-by.
They go on to support their argument with negative reviews of Emmett that current residents posted on Niche.
Yikes. That's not a good look for Emmett but we think it's a little unfair to call Emmett "ugly" based on a handful of negative reviews when there were far more positive reviews on Niche!
In Defense of One of Our Favorite Idaho Small Towns
Emmett's got a lot going for it! We can think of half a dozen reasons why a trip to Emmett is worth the drive:
- The Emmett Cherry Festival
- Some of the Best Small Town Restaurants in the State
- Black Canyon Park
- Stoney's is one of the Treasure Valley's newest and hottest concert venues
- Creative family events like Coffin Races and Water Wars
Sure, parts of Emmett look a little older than say Boise or Meridian, but it's hardly ugly. There are a lot of things to love about it. We think Alot needs to find a new "Ugliest City in Idaho" because this isn't fair to say without actually spending some time there!
Now we all know if they had mentioned THIS as a reason why Emmett was ugly, we may have been inclined to agree:
Emmett High School is pretty ugly...
KEEP READING: 15 More Small Town Idaho Restaurants That Are Worth the Drive
Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart
15 Small Town Idaho Restaurants That Are Worth the Drive
Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart