Considering Alaska - questions (Anchorage, Juneau and: relocation, travel, job)

[Quartz]

I'm thinking of relocating, and Alaska keeps coming to up on my list, even though I've never been there (yet!). I'm seriously thinking of checking it out in 2008....

(1.) A friend of mine (who used to live in Fairbanks) says I really need to visit the state in both the summer AND the winter to see if is right for me. Can anyone suggest months when I should (or should not) try to visit for summer/winter?

(2.) My "ideal" relocation possibilities so far are Juneau and Homer. Any other suggestions of places I should check out? I've always lived in Midwestern art towns and small cities, so I think Juneau, etc. might be a better fit for me than Anchorage. I'm 30-something, single, and no kids, if that makes a difference.

(3.) That said, is there any part of Anchorage that has a "small town" feel to it? I keep reading that Anchorage has by far the most job opportunities....

Thanks for helping me explore this. Ah, it's so time to take a risk!

[missy2]

Go for it! I would love to do the same, but my husband is an euro chicken. You think he wouldn't mine the cold.

[Arcticthaw]

To taste Alaska winter anytime from December to early March. -23 today in Fairbanks.
Summer I would say from Memorial day through Labor day with Mid June as the best month. Late July and Aug we get some rain. Allow at least 2 weeks to see what you want. Anchorage is big, and there maybe some outlying areas that will give the feel you want, but the commute to town would probably negate the positives. Homer is turning into an artsy / hippy kind of place from what I hear. I haven't been there for several years. Juneau is not on the road system so to travel costs extra.

Fairbanks has some of the best summers but also colder dryer winters. Ester which is just outside Fairbanks is another artsy community and about 10 miles from town. You get the advantage of rural living with close proximity to the University and a major hub and shopping center.

[Xa'at]

I think you would like Juneau. It's good sized, not big but certainly not small, very artsy town. In the summer there is always at least one concert, art show, etc weekly (you just need to know where to look), and even in winter there's still a lot going on. We have an orchestra (they're quite good), several choirs, an adult hockey league, etc. Whatever your passion is, (unless it's something weird, like cannibalism) chances are there's other people here (wait, I can't say here, can I? Whoops, uh, there) who share it and have started a club in order to do it in large numbers. Compared to the rest of Alaska, we are very liberal (big "ex"-hippie population) but there is a large libertarian community and hunting, fishing, etc is a big deal for most.
I've heard a lot of people compare Juneau to San Francisco. I've never been to San Francisco, so I couldn't tell you if it's true or not, but I do see a lot of similarities to the rest of the Pacific Northwestern cities, not so much to the Alaskan communities farther north.
I have a lot of pictures of the area on flickr, check here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laquati...7600824434685/. They aren't all that recent, unfortunately I have been out of town since July, and they are all of summer because for whatever reason I never seem motivated to take pictures in winter ("oh, look, here's some slush!" "And over here, we have Mt. Juneau and the Channel, look at all that slush!") but as soon as I get back I plan to go crazy.
In the meantime, think about this. If you lived in Juneau, this could be the view out your window:

Feel free to pm me if you have more questions.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Quartz

I'm thinking of relocating, and Alaska keeps coming to up on my list, even though I've never been there (yet!). I'm seriously thinking of checking it out in 2008....

(1.) A friend of mine (who used to live in Fairbanks) says I really need to visit the state in both the summer AND the winter to see if is right for me. Can anyone suggest months when I should (or should not) try to visit for summer/winter?

(2.) My "ideal" relocation possibilities so far are Juneau and Homer. Any other suggestions of places I should check out? I've always lived in Midwestern art towns and small cities, so I think Juneau, etc. might be a better fit for me than Anchorage. I'm 30-something, single, and no kids, if that makes a difference.

(3.) That said, is there any part of Anchorage that has a "small town" feel to it? I keep reading that Anchorage has by far the most job opportunities....

Thanks for helping me explore this. Ah, it's so time to take a risk!

You might want to also consider moving to Anchorage for an entire year as a renter. Not only will you experience all four seasons, but it will be easier for you to see what particular area in Alaska appeals to you the most. Homer is about a 5 hour drive from Anchorage, and there are other small towns just north of Anchorage like Palmer, Wasilla, Houston, Sutton, and Willow. Other small towns between Homer and Anchorage worth considering include Sterling, Kenai, and Soldotna.

Anchorage definitely has the most job opportunities because of the size of its population, and it also has a lower cost of living than other Alaskan towns and cities. So a move to Anchorage, even temporarily, will help minimize your risks.

Alaska is such a big place, it is impossible to do it justice or get a good sense of the place with just a couple two-week visits. The weather alone ranges from a temperate rain forest to desert-like conditions.

[Xa'at]

Oh, forgot to add... the best time to visit Juneau in the summer is either July or August, August tends to be a little warmer but there's more stuff going on in July. We have a great 4th of July celebration. All summer there's "Concerts in the Park" every weekend, plus "First Friday", which is an art gallery tour type thing that happens the first Friday every month. In addition, UAS puts on concerts quite often on campus in Auke Bay.
Although April is not actually winter, I would recommend it for your other visit. You really can't beat the Alaska Folk Festival!

[Xa'at]

Agh, I keep thinking of things to tell you...
If you want to get a good taste of Juneau without having to make the plane trip, you can start by listening to a radio show called "A Juneau Afternoon" on KTOO News (available online at http://www.ktoo.org/) every weekday at 3:00pm AKT (4:00pm PST). It's hosted by a guy named Jeff Brown- kind of our village clown. Google him, he's hilarious.

[Tressa]

Alaska is definitely awesome place to live, I choose Anchorage as I was raised in LA, CA. When you think about that Anchorage isn't so big. Like others have said for the best job opportunities as well as best pay Anchorage is the place to be, Wasilla is growing and soon they will have similar opportunities. As far a artsy places to be Girdwood and Talkeetna comes to mind and both are drives from Anchorage, round trip to Talkeetna is a long days drive while Girdwood is a bit over an hour away. Both location have different types of festivities during the spring and summer months. Juneau is a grand place but island fever has the tendency to set in and I would have difficulty with that but some folks are perfectly happy with that taking into account the fishing and sight seeing things to do.

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by Tressa

Juneau is a grand place but island fever has the tendency to set in and I would have difficulty with that but some folks are perfectly happy with that taking into account the fishing and sight seeing things to do.

It's true, it takes a special person...