Alaska dream come true? (Anchorage, Bethel: relocation, real estate, jobs)

[lilstosh]

I am looking at Bethel to relocate my wife and my dogs. I am a registered Nurse and have contracted with IHS in the past on the Warm Springs reservation. Any help on real estate, potential jobs, I have looked at some and am currently filling out my Federal Applicaton. I have frends lving in Anchorage and Soldotna. I would like to have things going by late spring or early summer. Picures would be great local paper if there is one, radio stations, etc. I love hunting fishing photography and anything outdoors. I look forward to establishing some contacts in that area. My son and his family are going to follow after I get situated, he is a Nurse Practionerand his wife has a degree in Sociology. We are serious about settling in for the long haul. Thanks.

[warptman]

You can go look back at all my threads in here. I have pictures of Bethel and the area in City Data. Also look for threads by spleenificus, he's moving here, too.

[User 2]

Bethel proper, has a population of 6 or 7 thousand, right warpt?

Surrounding population base must push it up higher.

But are there really that many jobs, or is there just real high turnover.

I ask, because of so many people saying they are all moving to Bethel.

Seems to me, there must be just as many moving out?

Thoughts?
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[warptman]

Its right around 6,000 here now. Be warned, move here with an open mind and a good sense of humor. Everything is cheap where you come from, things are expensive here. Don't come here and try change things for your own good, you won't make any friends that way. Turn over is high anywhere and there is people moving here and moving out.

[User 2]

Originally Posted by warptman

Its right around 6,000 here now. Be warned, move here with an open mind and a good sense of humor. Everything is cheap where you come from, things are expensive here. Don't come here and try change things for your own good, you won't make any friends that way. Turn over is high anywhere and there is people moving here and moving out.

I don't know why all these folks say they are moving there, I'm just figuring carrying capacity must have been reached some time ago.

For all these new people to get jobs, there must be a very high turnover rate.

I hadn't recalled any large scale projects creating many new jobs......

Turnover for any decent jobs in my area is just not very high, ....if people are lucky enough to have a good job, they aren't giving them up.

I just figure, ...must be Bethel is very different in that respect.


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[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by User 2

I don't know why all these folks say they are moving there, I'm just figuring carrying capacity must have been reached some time ago.

For all these new people to get jobs, there must be a very high turnover rate.

I hadn't recalled any large scale projects creating many new jobs......

Turnover for any decent jobs in my area is just not very high, ....if people are lucky enough to have a good job, they aren't giving them up.

I just figure, ...must be Bethel is very different in that respect.


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Prolly not. I would guess that many people do move there, and promptly move back, simply not prepared for the realities of living in rural Alaska. We tell them it gets cold, things are expensive, and oftentimes there's no easy way out. But words are words, and maybe they truly don't understand the meaning of "-40" and "off the road system" until they actually experience it.

[stiffnecked]

When I was working in Barrow we have newly hired police officers that never made it past the airport. Some worked just long enough to not have to pay the relocation allowance back. The turnover was high 25 years ago and still is. I've move back to Barrow, for a while. Then I'd move on just like the rest of the transient population.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by lilstosh

I am looking at Bethel to relocate my wife and my dogs. I am a registered Nurse ...............My son and his family are going to follow after I get situated, he is a Nurse Practioner and his wife has a degree in Sociology. We are serious about settling in for the long haul. Thanks.

Until I retired a year or so ago, I lived in Bethel for 13 years. I retired to Baker City, which, by coincidence, seems to be where you are presently living.

I should start by saying that I am very happy that I lived in Bethel for 13 years – for me it was a unique and enjoyable experience. But I must also say that Bethel is not for everybody – for some, living in Bethel is a miserable experience.

A few comments……………

Your original post is titled: “Alaska dream come true?’. The first thing you should realize is when you are dreaming of Alaska, I can almost guarantee that you are not dreaming of Bethel. But that does not mean that you should not consider moving there.

Unless your friends in Anchorage and Soldotna have lived in Bethel, they have no idea of what it is like. Their advice is useless.

You will not know what Bethel is like by visiting for several days. It is so different from anything else you have experienced, you have to live there for as least six months before you begin to understand it.

Anybody qualified in health care will have absolutely no problem finding a job:
Careers

A degree in Sociology will not qualify your son’s wife for a job in Bethel (or virtually anywhere else, for that matter ), but if she is reliable, she will have no problem finding work.

Your dogs will love it.

[warptman]

Karlsch, once Bethelized everyone returns. When are you returning for a visit or for drift fishing? Everyone loves that part of it in the summer, we have all species of salmon here. You have to have a open mind when living here. I grew up here, it will be home sweet home. I get out at least 5-6 times a year and out of state at least twice to keep sanity. I'm taking off again in April for a month or so, driving down to Montana and back.

[Arcticthaw]

Well this is refreshing!
As much as I enjoyed the forum when I first found it, I was starting to think we needed more supervision to stay on topic and stop the negativity. I really prefer not to need such supervision, and enjoyed the allowance to veer offtopic a little to chat with relevance to the subject matter.

Thank you.