Moving to AK from Midwest w/TONS of Questions! (Anchorage: apartment, rental)

[Marty Van Diest]

PFD= permanent fund dividend. Don't consider it in your move. You have to live here a full calendar year before you will receive it.

You are bringing your job with you...so that's great. In fact, I might hire you for some stuff if you move to Palmer. I'm looking for a decent writer for free lance type work but don't count on much. I can't afford more than just a little every month.

I don't know why anyone likes Anchorage...but obviously a lot of people do.

[dreamingbig]

Anchorage is a different type of breed of a city in AK. Almost like the black sheep of the state almost.

[Jimothea]

Homer would definitely be closer to the family I have out there (near Kodiak) but I'd marked it off the list since it was small. I'm adding it to the list but I'm going to stick with the main choices, for now...

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by dreamingbig

I must of been thinking of both my wife's and I's careers. She's a nurse but also is in counseling the mentally ill and I do both construction and HVAC/Refrigeration.

Health care is still somewhat healthy in Oregon...especially in geriatrics...construction is dead though. Not sure about HVAC. But you and your wife might have a good enough chance here. The jobs that are the toughest to find here seem to be the ones that have traditionally been the easiest to get; i.e., the types of jobs that students or other part timers have usually worked.

[dreamingbig]

health care and hvac is always in demand where ever you go.

[bthorn31]

Originally Posted by dreamingbig

health care and hvac is always in demand where ever you go.

not everywhere. my healthcare employer just announced lay-offs coming for about 60 folks and there is a forecasted hiring freeze, again. A couple other healthcare providers in this area also have hiring freezes. My DH does HVAC - facility management and lost his job when the economy bottomed out. No one around here was hiring for HVAC unless it was as an installer at low low starting wage.

[Jimothea]

Depending on the job, the writing may be able to be done via internet.

Anchorage is "different breed" in what way? *forehead frown* Too many moose? lol. Just kidding. Really though, different how?

[gobrien]

Anchorage is just a bigger city than is found in the rest of the state and is jokingly called "Los Anchorage" or Seattle North.

[freezengirl]

When I read your posts I thought of Homer also. It is awfully small, however the trade offs may be worth looking into. Have you considered the Soldatna/Kenai/Nikiski area? It is by virtue of being more populated more likely to have a better economic base (consistantly) then lower down on the penninsula. I like Homer because of it's thriving arts community and because it is a small town. It is only 245 miles to Anchorage with daily flights to and from, should I want a temporary taste of the urban life.
I would advise you to consider for yourself and your family to narrow down your focus initially to wants/needs-how you want to live, how you work/write, do you need access to research for your writing? Do you function best with a lot of activity/people around you? Do you do better with fewer interruptions and more intimate relationships with the people you do interact with? What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Understanding your needs and wants is arguably the most important decisons to start with in contemplating a move to Alaska. Alaska is so huge geographically, so completely different then any other state in the lower 48, that it is mind boggling in some ways. Coming from outside to Alaska it is diffcult to grasp how the lack of road systems for much of the state impacts both in good and bad ways,the daily lives of people that live here. Alaska as a state is only fifty years old. That alone makes it one of the most interesting/challenging states in addition to it's limited infrastucture, vastness, climate, people, cultures and relative isolation from outside influences of the lower 48.

Alaska is known as the last frontier-that isn't just a slogan, it is a very real fact of life for Alaskans. History isn't a distant abstract concept as it is for most of the United States, it is right now for Alaskans. Where else could you actually talk to the people that helped write the state constitution, that helped to create Alaska as a state?

Once you can answer the questions in your own mind as to what you are looking for then you can start to narrow down your choices. There are the usual sources of basic information, state websites, chambers of commerce, local newspapers available online and of course citi-data. The people on this forum were incredibly generous with their time and insight into their communities and willingness to answer questions. I have found that to be a characteristic of Alaskans in general.

[dreamingbig]

Originally Posted by Jimothea

Depending on the job, the writing may be able to be done via internet.

Anchorage is "different breed" in what way? *forehead frown* Too many moose? lol. Just kidding. Really though, different how?

Some people just get bad service with vinegar getting purred in their coffee. Eagle River or Girdwood prime places to live. Not in Anchorage but close enough to Anchorage and both beautiful places. Eagle River only 15 minute drive from downtown Anchorage and Girdwood about 45 minute drive from south of Anchorage.