Want to relocate..Must relocate (Anchorage, Fairbanks: environment, apartments, vacation)

[klynnk]

Where would the best place in Alaska be to move...after living in Southern Cal for a long time...I want a change. Love the outdoors. Hiking...etc. I'm a single woman with no kids...I've been all over the world but not Alaska...what is it like? Friendly, job opportunities? Home prices?

Any information would be great. I'm looking at Oregon and Colorado too.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[mal_flisk]

Depends on what you are looking for in a community. Anchorage is a typical largish city with access to all the amenities and is 20 minutes away from the real Alaska. Fairbanks has many of the same amenities, but is a much fiercer environment. Winters are harsher and summers are warmer. Juneau is milder all the way around. A lot depends on the work you plan on doing. Certain jobs are available only in the larger cities, and other jobs are more "bush" oriented. Money is always a driving factor. Cost of living is always higher in the bush, and people make do with less in the way of material things. The further away from the road system, the less folks dwell on the appearance of their circumstances. "Make it do or do without".

Hope this will give you some idea of the questions you need to ask.

[GoddessofRandomThoughts]

Originally Posted by klynnk

Where would the best place in Alaska be to move...after living in Southern Cal for a long time...I want a change. Love the outdoors. Hiking...etc. I'm a single woman with no kids...I've been all over the world but not Alaska...what is it like? Friendly, job opportunities? Home prices?
Any information would be great. I'm looking at Oregon and Colorado too.
Thanks in advance for any help.

I moved up here about a year and a half ago. Anchorage is a large city for Ak but not for lower 48. I'm from DC and around and I find Anchorage to be a nice size not too big not too small.

Jobs depend on what you do for a living. There are jobs here but of course not as many as in a larger lower 48 city. Go on line and search also the Anchorage Daily News classified.

Cost of Apartments doesn't seem to be any lower or higher than the DC area but not as many choices. Doesn't mean you can't find a place, just don't think , oh it'll be cheap. Lots of folks looking for roommates if you want to go that route at least for a little while.

Ak seems to be just as friendly as anywhere else maybe a little more so.

Anyway, those are my opinions I like it here and I really wouldn't have been considered totally outdoorsy.
I was ready for a change and thought of Oregon and Washington State but figured if I was going to move I might as well go all the way. Hey, you can always move back.
Good Luck!

[rotorhead]

First off, take some vacation time and visit before you jump in with both feet. Summer is usually more fun (unless you're the XC skier type or some sort of Nordic ice-fishing masochist) but the real test is winter or early spring. If you come up to ANC just after the snow melts but before it greens up and turns pretty, you're seeing it at its worst....if you can take that go ahead and sell the house in CA!

If you can swing it, take a couple weeks off and do some traveling to get a look at some towns of different sizes, things change pretty quickly once you leave the Anchorage bowl. Drive up to Fairbanks or down to Homer, or just hang out in ANC and really get an idea of what you're getting yourself into.