When we speak of suburban Coeur d’Alene, we typically mean the areas north of highway I-90, which separates the old Coeur d’Alene peninsular from the large stretch of Prairie that runs northward to Hayden and Dalton Gardens. Within this stretch there is yet another north-south divide between the older neighborhoods in the south and the newer master-planned developments in the north that border on Hayden.
The master planned developments are a bit easier to talk about, since they are similar to suburban neighborhoods found all across America—but in a good way. The largest of these is Coeur D’Alene Place, which has as its centerpiece Bluegrass Park, with a disc golf course, playground, splash pad, and an abundance of grassy areas and trees. Built over the last 30 years mostly by the Greenstone Developer, Coeur d’Alene Place has matured into a tree-lined, family-friendly neighborhood with an impressive set of bike and walk trails and city-maintained parks.
Roundabouts keep traffic moving at a moderate, steady pace off the main roads of Ramsey and Atlas that border the neighborhood. Schools within the neighborhood score high and are easily accessible by bike and foot. On Ramsey, near the Maverik gas station, there are some shops and restaurants that you can easily access within the neighborhood. And while the neighborhood has some apartment complex interspersed in it, they are of good quality and right next to brand new, expensive developments, and the neighbors from different socio-economic backgrounds typically get along just fine, with their kids sharing the same schools and parks.
Homes in CDA Place are at the higher end of quality. Not many are custom builds of great quality, but they are above average in general. The older ones do have vinyl siding and some other dated features, but some of the newer neighborhoods have very desirable architectural characteristics. There isn’t really much drama in Coeur d’Alene place. If you like neighborhood walks on consistent sidewalks and walkways, if you like clean lawns throughout and don’t mind a little bit of HOA intrusion to keep things up to snuff, then CDA Place is hard not to recommend.
If you want backyard chickens, hate HOAs, need acreage, and hate former Californians (even if they fled to get away from what California became), then CDA Place probably isn’t for you.
Moving on to two neighborhoods that are very similar to CDA Place and in the same general area, we also have Sunshine Meadows and The Landings in north CDA. These are just West of CDA Place, and are in many ways CDA Place’s more laid-back little brother. The neighborhoods are just as family-friendly, with tons of great parks and walkways, but the HOAs are little bit less restrictive and the culture a bit more tight-knit compared to CDA Place. Homes in Landings and Sunshine Meadows, however, are a little lower quality, in general than CDA Place and a bit lower in home values overall. The schools are still good, though, and the neighborhoods no less safe. The lots are also a little bigger than CDA Place’s large homes packed onto small-ish lots, so if you want a quarter acre or so, you might want to try in Sunshine Meadows or Landings over CDA Place.
If you want your N Idaho to be a little more N Idaho in terms of lacking in restrictions, but still want a suburban homeowner experience that fits your busy, family-focused life, then Landings and Sunshine Meadows are great choices.
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