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Hello-- I will be moving to Juneau next month to begin work for a federal agency there, and I've looking at various living options--
I hope to rent a three bedroom house (I'm a single mom with two girls, two cats, and a lot of people who are already planning to head north to visit!), although the rents in Juneau are fairly stunning compared to what I'm currently paying in Richmond, VA, so I realize I'll be paying at least $1800 for that.
I've been looking through Craiglist and the Juneau Empire listings (if you know of any other good rental sites, I'd be thrilled if you'd toss them my way) and am wondering how people feel about life in the Valley compared to life downtown--
We're fairly liberal-minded, coffee-shop-and-book types, and I love the idea of being near downtown where we can walk to various destinations instead of being trapped in the suburbs. And I also love what I've seen (pictures in books and online, so my imagination is running wild) of the views of the mountains and the channel. But is living downtown comfortable, especially during the manic tourist season? And are there many families there, or have most migrated to the Valley?
Thank you for any and all suggestions-- and if you know of any really good coffee shops, book clubs or cultural suggestions, or if you're familiar with any novice-type hiking clubs (although I know it's probably a bit irrational, I'm paranoid about bears so would rather start off in groups!) or other welcome-to-Juneau type organizations or activities, you would truly be easing my nerves a bit by giving me something to look forward to.
Thanks again to all who respond, and I am very much looking forward to moving to your part of the world!
Well, there are town people, valley people, Douglas people and people who live out the road. Figure that any house in town will likely be smaller. Douglas has a mix of small and big homes, on small lots. The valley and out the road have bigger sized lots with a mix of home sizes.
Based on your likes, town would fit you, but you can pretty much live anywhere as most travel would be less than 30 minutes. As for rentals, I'd stay away from Craigslist as I've seen cheap rentals that have to be scams. Sources for rentals include the Juneau Empire and Capital City Weekly newspapers which can be found online. I'd also search for real estate companies as many also manage rental properties. When we moved her, we rented through Taku Realty, which specialized in rentals.
For coffee shops, there are a couple of Heritage Coffee Shops located downtown. Another is the Rookery which was recently opened by some friends of my oldest. There are a couple of bookstores downtown with the main one being Hearthside Books. Parks and Rec organizes several hikes throughout the year, however, most of the main trails have plenty of hikers so bears are not a problem (trails are posted if brown bears are seen).
Hopefully Juneaubound will chime in as she still has a new person's perspective. I believe it will be her one year anniversary either late December or early January.
Hello-- I will be moving to Juneau next month to begin work for a federal agency there, and I've looking at various living options--
I hope to rent a three bedroom house (I'm a single mom with two girls, two cats, and a lot of people who are already planning to head north to visit!), although the rents in Juneau are fairly stunning compared to what I'm currently paying in Richmond, VA, so I realize I'll be paying at least $1800 for that.
I've been looking through Craiglist and the Juneau Empire listings (if you know of any other good rental sites, I'd be thrilled if you'd toss them my way) and am wondering how people feel about life in the Valley compared to life downtown--
We're fairly liberal-minded, coffee-shop-and-book types, and I love the idea of being near downtown where we can walk to various destinations instead of being trapped in the suburbs. And I also love what I've seen (pictures in books and online, so my imagination is running wild) of the views of the mountains and the channel. But is living downtown comfortable, especially during the manic tourist season? And are there many families there, or have most migrated to the Valley?
Thank you for any and all suggestions-- and if you know of any really good coffee shops, book clubs or cultural suggestions, or if you're familiar with any novice-type hiking clubs (although I know it's probably a bit irrational, I'm paranoid about bears so would rather start off in groups!) or other welcome-to-Juneau type organizations or activities, you would truly be easing my nerves a bit by giving me something to look forward to.
Thanks again to all who respond, and I am very much looking forward to moving to your part of the world!
backpage.com is another good site. they have section on Alaska.
Hello-- I will be moving to Juneau next month to begin work for a federal agency there, and I've looking at various living options--
I hope to rent a three bedroom house (I'm a single mom with two girls, two cats, and a lot of people who are already planning to head north to visit!), although the rents in Juneau are fairly stunning compared to what I'm currently paying in Richmond, VA, so I realize I'll be paying at least $1800 for that.
I've been looking through Craiglist and the Juneau Empire listings (if you know of any other good rental sites, I'd be thrilled if you'd toss them my way) and am wondering how people feel about life in the Valley compared to life downtown--
We're fairly liberal-minded, coffee-shop-and-book types, and I love the idea of being near downtown where we can walk to various destinations instead of being trapped in the suburbs. And I also love what I've seen (pictures in books and online, so my imagination is running wild) of the views of the mountains and the channel. But is living downtown comfortable, especially during the manic tourist season? And are there many families there, or have most migrated to the Valley?
Thank you for any and all suggestions-- and if you know of any really good coffee shops, book clubs or cultural suggestions, or if you're familiar with any novice-type hiking clubs (although I know it's probably a bit irrational, I'm paranoid about bears so would rather start off in groups!) or other welcome-to-Juneau type organizations or activities, you would truly be easing my nerves a bit by giving me something to look forward to.
Thanks again to all who respond, and I am very much looking forward to moving to your part of the world!
Hi and congratulations on the job and the move.
I arrived in Juneau on January 9, so yes heading towards a year now.
Where you choose to live depends on what you are looking for. People are scattered all over the places already mentioned, but by far most live in the Valley.
I chose not to live there because it is very high density (until you get onto the Back Loop), but I remember looking at homes in the Valley on top of each other and thinking "this could be any subdivision in any town in the country".
It wasn't what I wanted or envisioned when I moved to Alaska, so I chose to rent Out the Road. I chose to rent not because of the high prices (although like you I had sticker shock) but honestly because houses can stay on the market for a LONG TIME here, and if I ended up leaving Juneau I didn't want to get stuck with a house I couldn't sell for years.
I still have a house in Tennessee that I couldn't sell and now have a couple of nice renters in there who pay my mortgage. Which is great. But being stuck with a $80,000 home and a $590 monthly mortgage payment if I lose the renters is a whole different story from being stuck with yet another house in Alaska that costs me $300,000 and a $1500 (or more) mortgage. Yuk.
I saw a lot of REALLY awful places that were listed on Craigslist and in the Empire before finding the house I have now. By that time I was already here, was staying at a hotel downtown on an extended stay basis ($1000 a month), had a chance to scope the area out, decided what areas I wanted to live in and could see home rentals in person.
Everything is close to everything else here in Juneau, so whether you live in the Valley or downtown you will still have a lot of easily accessible options for culture, athletics, coffee shops etc.
I know quite a few people who live in both places (Valley and downtown) and everyone seems pleased with their choices. Downtown you can walk to more stuff than you can in the Valley. But downtown houses are even smaller, yards are even smaller and homes are even more closer together than they are in the Valley. Everything in this town seems to be a trade-off and decisions re: places to live depend ultimately on what your bottom line priorities are.
There are lots of coffee shops here in town and every one of them has a bulletin board attached to it where you can find information on events going on in the area. There are also bulletin boards outside many grocery stores that provide the same info. They actually pay folks to go around to these boards weekly and update with upcoming events.
Since this is the capital and an isolated town, Juneau has a HUGE amount of clubs, organizations, associations, leagues etc. etc. etc. for its size. A couple of sites to start with:
There is a state museum, a city run museum, speakers groups at University of Alaska SE, book clubs, recitals/symphonies etc. at both the high schools, and lots more stuff.
The city parks and recreation department offers groups hikes on Wednesdays and Saturdays every week. I have been on a few of them - they are free, you just call the day before to find out where the upcoming hike is and where and when to meet, and show up. The people are awesome and know every trail in town really well. Info: Parks and Recreation - Juneau, Alaska
Thank you so much to everyone who responded-- as my moving date looms closer I've been starting to enter a state of subdued panic, so the more I can learn from people who are there, the more the stress eases!
akck, thank you for the coffee shop/bookstore recommendations, and for the insight into housing options, and thanks to you, Bob Blockus, for the additional resource! Very much appreciated.
Also, Juneaubound, WHAT an amazing post-- I read it to my girls (who are also a little nervous), and learning about various events/clubs/activities available cheered them up a lot.
And I LOVE your blog-- I have the spent the past hour sipping coffee and scrolling through your gorgeous photos and prose, and... simply amazing. (And I called the short people over to see your pictures of eagles and bears, and there was great "oooohing" and "ahhhing."
Anyway, I was inspired to set up an account to follow your blog, and so look forward to reading more by you-- I really am inspired by your intrepid spirit.
So thank you again to everyone, and if this is an indication of the generous spirt of Juneau, I have a lot to look forward to!
I cannot offer much here other than i visited Juneau for two days for a interview. I am originally from Chicago, and currently in Kotzebue.
Lovely town. The downtown gives you that San Fran feeling, with everything compact. I drove up some of the roads higher up downtown and they were essentially 1 lane roads. It was nice to walk around downtown, and see coffee houses, bagel shops, and other nice stuff. The tourist section is campy, but at least you can get sweets, cold weather gear, and other stuff there easily.
Douglas Island seems to be what early Juneau must have been like, compact with a nice feeling. The valley, like others have said, is more spaced out and looks very much like what you would see in any older suburb in the US, think of suburban Cleveland.
I rented a car and drove around for the day, and was shocked at how long the road runs in North Douglas. The Jeep dealership was also a shock, more like a garage that had a few new jeeps stocked.
Since the Fred Meyer sits near the airport, which seems to sit equidistant on the road between valley and downtown (I might be off on this, but it felt that way) you arent really hurting your shopping options either way. The Fred Meyers is wonderfully stocked, and the prices were darn cheap compared to the arctic.
The real disappointing thing was the lack of good restaurants. I would have thought any state capital would at least spawn a few very nice steak and seafood houses, but none of the local folks I was interviewing with were able to recommend anything notable. But i guess it is a chance to develop your cooking skills.
It rained the two days i was there, of course (i actually just got back today). The weather was warm compared to Kotzebue, it was in the 30s. Everyone was friendly and smiley.
Leaving downtown and heading toward the airport, there were some good looking apartment complexes, they might be a good first place to rent while you look and learn.
I spent 25 days in Juneau and I found a small restaurant in a "warehouse" type building connected to where the cruise ships dock. There wasn't any ships docked that day and had the best clam chowder I've ever had in my life and the sandwich was fabulous. Didn't look for a dinner since I was there for lunch but must try it.
I did walk the shopping areas in downtown on a day there were 3 ships in the harbour and OMG... bumper to bumper people... crazy so just a heads up about tourist/ cruise ship season. Otherwise the scenery and local people were great, friendly. I fell in love with Alaska because of my experience and hope to be moving in June 2012 to AK... Good luck to you and your family.
Naturesdreams, that would have been the Hanger you ate at, and it certainly does have some stellar chowder. Without children, my choice would be out the road or downtown. Contact Dorain Gross at Gross-Alaska Theaters; the 20th Century Theater building is both moviehouse and apartments, with elevator, though these days I'm not sure if they're still being rented at all. Time was that the apartments were usually held for the legislators due to proximity to capitol business, etc. Out the road is a wonderful option if you don't mind the commute and winter conditions that, at times, can be more than you bargain for when you set out in the morning. Of course, the view is stunning all the way to town, so leave early and give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the trip. The cost is as you find it. I had a bungalow at Tee Harbor which cost me $1000 a month with my own dock and beach - and no water. It was worth every cent. People have apartments in their basements and garages, of course, but spring is definitely a hardest time to find a place because summer workers are snagging everything on the market. Once legislature shuts down, some places come open but you can expect a staggering price tag for those homes - and they be guaranteed to legislators again the next year. Go. Look. Find for yourself. Douglas is a less sunny option, but if you don't mind the driving, it may be where you find success.
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