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I have been researching for a few days into the possibility of moving to Sand Point, AK in the future, and could really use some more info. I am also considering a few other places still, which are listed at the bottom of this post.
I have traveled all over the world, and to very remote locations, so that part does not bother me. In fact, the most remote locations are always where I have felt the most content! I am looking for a place that looks similar to Tromso in the Arctic Circle in Norway, which I completely fell in love with - it seems most similar to the Aleutians, although it is at a more Northerly latitude than Deadhorse. I also lived half of my life in a mountainous area along the border of Canada (lower 48), so I'm quite familiar with multiple feet of snow and 8 months of the year being gray and frozen.
I've wanted to live in Alaska my whole life, and I'm not ready to do it yet, but I want to know enough about it to have a direction to head in when things in my life allow for such a change. I'm only planning to live there a year or possibly two (unless I fall in love with it!), so it's not the biggest deal in the world if I end up not liking it. I'd be there on my own, and would come with income so would not need to worry about local employment. I would consider something part-time perhaps if something was available, and since I have a doctorate and also have taught at the high school level I might be able to be helpful to the local school if they had any openings, but I want to keep as much of my time free as I can to explore and to write about my experiences.
I want something remote, but not so remote that if there was a medical emergency or natural disaster I could not reach help in a few days' time if necessary. Sand Point sounds a little too big to me in some respects, but given that the area seems prone to natural disasters like falling ash from volcanoes, earthquakes, and yearly hurricane-type weather, it's probably necessary for me to be within a few miles of such a town just to be prepared.
My thought was to bring in pretty much everything I need in a backpack and a rolling suitcase or two (which I'd probably fill in Anchorage and maybe take the ferry from Whittier), and operate kind of on a survival level. They do have a store for when I get low on supplies, it seems. But considering the wind force and potential for earthquakes, and the fact that there are no trees to burn for a fire, I'm thinking that living on the grid may be necessary, and in a house that is capable of withstanding these harsh conditions. I'd like to have internet if possible, and I saw on the govt. website that they can get up to 1.5mbps, but I could survive if I could only get occasional access (like at the local library?). If I can't get reliable cellphone service, I thought I would bring a satellite phone. I don't need much in the way of furniture, and could probably get by without any sort of vehicle although I would need to be within walking distance of town. Due to the lack of sunshine, the main thing I would go out of my way to bring would be a sun lamp, or at the very least full-spectrum bulbs. I could use them also then to grow seeds indoors for some plants and herbs to supplement my diet during the winter months when I run out of berries, etc.
Sand Point in particular seems like it is somewhat diverse, so perhaps (?) I would be welcomed there, versus a much smaller town that is nearly 100% Native where people might feel I am intruding. I have not been able to find anything about whether it is even possible to move there or find housing to buy or rent. I have seen statistics though that say that there are multiple vacant houses, even at the high point in the summer, so I'm hoping those might be habitable.
Aside from actually finding a place in which to live, I'm concerned about whether it is an issue that I am a 30s female and a stranger - would I be safe, or in danger of constant harassment or possible assault? I have seen that the area has struggled with meth use, which might add to my safety concerns if I might be subject to break-ins. I don't want to have to own a gun. From what I have read, it seems that there are no bears there to protect myself against when out walking. But, I am also concerned about the fish processing, given that if it smells year-round on the island that would probably make me sick and I wouldn't be able to manage it! Anyone know if the smell there is bad?
I'm a vegetarian and a bit outside of the mainstream, but I am a very friendly person and would love to get to know the locals and their culture. My hope though is that they would not be offended that I don't eat fish/fish or hunt, I don't drink, nor would I be attending the local church. Anyone know if these are live-and-let-live people? I love to be social, but I also love to spend long periods of time by myself - hence if one was available I would prefer a house a mile or so outside of town for the possibility of some peace and quiet. But I don't get the impression one has a lot of choice in housing. I saw that there are 2 motels that offer apartment living, but I don't know if that's meant for long-term rental, and they don't have working websites.
Since I'm still in the research phase, I'm also considering (in no particular order):
1. Cordova
2. Moose Pass
3. Homer
4. Ninilchik
5. Newhalen or Pedro Bay
6. Chignik
7. Togiak
8. Teller
9. Kotzebue
10. And maybe Haines, although I'd generally prefer to stay away from anything too touristy
I realize these are not all in the Bush, but I am trying to balance my desire for remote natural beauty with some more practical concerns like emergency services and social concerns. Some of the more popular places are just really beautiful seaside places!
I don't want my neighbors to resent my moving in, and I want to be reasonably safe in a physical sense, but otherwise I would like to be pretty remote and be able to be in an area with a lot of water views, mountains (but not necessarily huge ones), wildlife, and color. It would be great if such a place came with friendly locals who have some culture to share, who don't mind that I also have my own culture and may not live exactly the same way they do. I would prefer a place with some extremes - but places like Barrow for instance seemed too flat and industrial for me. I'd love to live in Antarctica if given the chance so the weather part of it is not what concerns me!
Any info on living in Sand Point, the other East Aleutian islands (Unalaska sounds too big and like it does not have enough Native culture - I'm looking for balance), or any of the above places from people with direct experience would be really appreciated! I realize I could try contacting local govt. officials, but I don't want to bother them unless I'm pretty sure about moving there.
Thanks!
Last edited by StarfishKey; 02-08-2015 at 02:59 PM..
Your looking for a remote place and Unalaska maybe too big? But your also thinking about Homer and Ninilchik? They are on the road system and definitely not remote. You have a broad range of needs and wants and locales there, you should come up for a visit and check them out for yourself.
Your looking for a remote place and Unalaska maybe too big? But your also thinking about Homer and Ninilchik? They are on the road system and definitely not remote. You have a broad range of needs and wants and locales there, you should come up for a visit and check them out for yourself.
I already explained why I included some places that are larger, if you read carefully.
This thread is asking about Sand Point and the Aleutians East Borough primarily, although I threw the others in there in case someone might be able to comment on the other spots. It would be nice if people could address what was asked. I'm pretty sure the point of City-Data is not just to tell everyone to spend their money to show up to every place in person before learning what life is like there.
As I noted, I am not in a place right now to go, I am researching for the future. Is there really no way to learn about life in other areas other than by waiting the few years to be able to go in person? I'm pretty sure that's what the internet is for...
I'm really not asking for strangers to decide what my priorities are in looking for a place - I have very specific reasons for looking at the places I'm looking at, and they are not likely the same reasons that others would use in choosing a location. I'm not asking for help with how to make a personal decision, I'm just asking for more information on what living in Sand Point or some smaller towns in that region are like. AND if it is even possible to move there, given that I can't find any clear representation of housing to buy or to rent there online. Why would I spend $500 for a plane/ferry ticket there from Anchorage if it is not even possible to move there because there is no housing?
I'm pretty sure it is fair game to ask questions on City-Data about these types of basic issues BEFORE one spends a ton of money and time showing up there in person. If you're going to post on a thread, it would be polite if you at least attempt to answer the questions on that thread. I know that there is at least one Sand Point resident who used to post on C-D, but I have not seen posts from him in close to 2 years, so I don't know if he's still reading here.
[By the way, when people (and there are a ton, many of them misinformed) ask about what it's like to live in the Florida Keys, where I live, I don't just write "come here and find out yourself." I do my best to answer their questions so they can plan an informed trip rather than wasting time and money coming to a place they may not be well-suited to anyway. That's what a moving/vacation forum is for!]
This is the wrong place to move to if you wanna live off the grid and be a vegeterian. Just eating plants isn't compatible with survival up here. Very short growing season and not hot enough for many plants. I'd ditch that part of the plan before you move up here. Just remember that moose, deer, rabbits, bears, etc. all eat plants so therefore they should be considered as part of a vegan diet.
And lastly you can't expect to learn what it's like up here by simply researching on the internet. That's just totally unrealistic. I'd suggest you repost this after you've made your initial visit and are serious about moving up here. Then we can give you some real hard hitting advice based on your actual experiences. I'm always leary of people that use the term "fall in love with it". You fall into a pile of bear scat when you aren't paying attention to where you are putting your feet. You LEARN to love bear scat after you've studied it and understand exactly what it is and what it can tell you.
No one is saying you can't ask questions. What they are saying is that you could have all of your questions answered on this forum but that is still not a substitute for actually going somewhere and getting a gut feeling for it. You might not like the answers you are receiving but they are completely on-point.
I was just trying to help. I am pretty sure I am also allowed to post my response on city data and if you don't like it, you can ignore it. That's the nature of the beast when asking interest strangers questions.
I suggested a visit, because some of those places are drastically different, and I think it's good advice. I also responded because I used to live in Homer and have been to Ninilchik both of which were on your list of possibilities. I imagine it would be hard to move to one of those other places on your list without visiting first as most things aren't posted on Craigslist and are instead local word of mouth. You could also try to direct message the poster from Sand Point. Your list of locales, makes you come across as slightly uniformed and naive about these areas as it would be similar to someone posting they are interested in Key West but also Jacksonville.
Anyways I know nothing about Sand Point, if you decide to move to Homer instead maybe I could offer advice more to your liking. Good luck being a vegetarian in one of these locales. Produce is expensive and of low quality, even on the road system. Anyone worried about internet speed and strange smells who also doesn't like to hunt or fish would probably fit in better somewhere on the road system... I recommend moving somewhere on the road system for your first year. There are plenty of out of the way places, with much less "culture shock." Good luck to you.
I appreciate the responses, but I think it's pretty backwards to suggest someone pay to visit a place FIRST, before researching. That is not how I live my life. I ask a ton of questions and do a ton of reading FIRST, and THEN I visit.
I never said I was not going to visit before moving, I don't get where everyone is getting that impression and jumping all over me for it. As you know, visiting various remote places in Alaska that are far away from each other is expensive, and time consuming considering that weather can be unpredictable and cancel travel plans out of nowhere. I don't plan to visit all of these places. My main interest is in Sand Point, and that's why I posted a thread about Sand Point.
I have been to 34 countries around the world, 43 states out of 50, and have lived in many different places in my life - there is not a single place that I didn't like at least partially, and didn't learn a lot from visiting or living in. I'm not that picky. Who really cares if I move there and it's the wrong place for me? It's only a year, I'll learn something anyway, I have no kids or significant other or pet to harm in the process of my adventure, and I don't need a job there. I don't get why people are so concerned that I should be uncomfortable - I just want to know about SAND POINT, or if it's not allowable to move there, somewhere else in the nearby islands.
Don't worry about me being vegetarian - I live in the Florida Keys, and if anyone knows even a little bit about it down here, it is the last place you're going to find fresh produce (food doesn't grow in coral rock, so we have to ship everything in from about 100 miles away), most people here do nothing but fish and drink and talk about fishing and drinking... but I absolutely love it here! As I said, my concern is with moving to a place where people are OFFENDED by my choice not to partake. I on the other hand LOVE to be around people different from me. It will not be hard at all to survive by bringing in a ton of dried rice and beans in my luggage when I arrive, and then when I run out purchasing some at the store., and supplementing it with some small greens I grow in my apartment. That's how I survive now, after all. Sand Point even has 2 restaurants, so it's not like I'm going to starve to death! People are so overdramatic... How do you figure I survived in the bush in Ethiopia, or living without a home in very remote Central America, or in the Arctic Circle in Norway? Do you really think they have more internet or are more friendly to vegetarians in those places?
I also specifically said that living off grid was probably not safe in Sand Point. But why read carefully before disagreeing with me?
It makes absolutely no sense to suggest I move to a place off a road "for my first year," when I am only planning on moving for 1 year total! I wonder if people are even reading what I wrote before responding so emphatically with unasked-for advice... It would seem that the answer is no.
People should stop being so concerned with trying to guess what kind of person I am and what my comfort level would be in a strange place, and just focus on answering the questions asked in the thread. I have survived many things in my life, and being in a place with rather mild temperatures and rainforest conditions, slow internet, an actual store, ferry and airplane service, and a preference for fishing is hardly the worst I have gone through. Compared to many things I have survived, that is relative luxury.
Why the hell would I move to a remote place so far away if I didn't want culture shock? If I wanted to be safe and comfortable, I would stay in one place, rather than gallivanting all over the world always pushing myself to try new challenges. You people sound like you need to get out more if checking the internet occasionally at the local library and growing your own sprouts in a cup sounds like hardship to you.
No one said I wouldn't also visit the place before my move. But I think it is completely reasonable to ask questions of locals before my visit, long before I decide to move. That's how people who think carefully about big decisions MAKE a decision.
I don't know why something so simple has to be so unpleasant. If you've never been there and don't know anything about the place, how about not posting an answer and leaving the thread for people who actually have information about the locale to share.
I know that if someone were to ask me what it is like to live in the Keys, and MANY people have asked me that, I certainly would try to give them some information from my personal experience of living here. I go out of my way to give as much detail as possible, and I tell them a lot of the bad because that's the part they never hear about in tourist brochures, and that's the part that many people can't live with when they move. No one who is sane would think that reading about a place is all you need to know to get what it's like to live there - and if that were the case, no one would ever visit another place in person! But that is not the same thing as simply asking what the local experiences of people are like, which is invaluable information to have before one decides on a place.
Unfortunately, it would appear that no one who has responded to this thread so far has even BEEN to Sand Point. So it's ironic that some people feel one has to VISIT A PLACE IN PERSON to even ask questions about it, but no one has to know anything about a place or have ever even been there to ANSWER QUESTIONS A STRANGER ASKS ABOUT LIVING IN THAT PLACE. I find that ironic.
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Please, this thread is still open to anyone who's actually lived in or at least BEEN TO Sand Point or at least the Aleutians, don't be put off by the silly arguments and please do post not only for my benefit, but because judging by the fact that questions about the area come up every few years on C-D, there are sure to be others reading on here who would like to learn about your home region!
Oh god. Not another one who's going to grow vegetables in her apartment. I'll be back to set you straight when I finish up a bit of work. Don't even think about trying to tell me how to answer your posts, btw.
ETA if you show up in Sand Point spouting "you people this, and you people that," you're not going to last more than a week.
Quote:
Don't worry about me being vegetarian - I live in the Florida Keys, and if anyone knows even a little bit about it down here, it is the last place you're going to find fresh produce (food doesn't grow in coral rock, so we have to ship everything in from about 100 miles away),
100 miles away? However you handle it? Such a distance....I'd say that your experiences in the Keys pretty much equips you to handle anything in the Aleutians.
Last edited by Metlakatla; 02-09-2015 at 03:22 PM..
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