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I live in Maine, but have been watching the ice webcam from Barrow. I have no interest in moving there, but was wondering what the main employment was and how can the people afford to stay there for any amount of time.
Barrow is the center of things on the North Slope and they have a decent population, by AK standards. There are the same kind of jobs that you would find in any town of that size. A good amount of people work for the school district, while others work for the borough, federal and state government, the tribe, medical services, oilfields, etc. Still, goods are very expensive that far north, so many people rely on a subsistence lifestyle. Compared to many other, smaller villages Barrow has a few more opportunities for employment and resources.
I'm from much farther south in the state though, and I'm guessing you'll get a more in-depth look from someone else in this forum. I think there may be one or two people who currently/used to live there?
Barrow is the center of things on the North Slope and they have a decent population, by AK standards. There are the same kind of jobs that you would find in any town of that size. A good amount of people work for the school district, while others work for the borough, federal and state government, the tribe, medical services, oilfields, etc. Still, goods are very expensive that far north, so many people rely on a subsistence lifestyle. Compared to many other, smaller villages Barrow has a few more opportunities for employment and resources.
I'm from much farther south in the state though, and I'm guessing you'll get a more in-depth look from someone else in this forum. I think there may be one or two people who currently/used to live there?
Thanks for the reply. I had thought that the oil production was further east than in Barrow. There is or used to be a military base to the north of the town. We have some towns around here, where the school is the major employer.
Thanks for the reply. I had thought that the oil production was further east than in Barrow.
Oil production is further east, but none of those guys actually live on the slope. They all fly "home" to somewhere. Many to Anchorage or Fairbanks, but I knew a guy who called Barrow home while he was working up there. I'm just assuming he's not the only one in town that does that.
I think Hannah must have meant that Barrow is the center of the North Slope Borough rather than the center of the oil production. That would be more like Deadhorse.
I've always been curious about Barrow, too. I cannot imagine living so remote in such extreme cold with long periods of continued darkness. And no way out of town without a plane. To me, Barrow is a very strange and mysterious and eerie place. I cannot imagine ever willingly move there but I am curious about the people who do move there from the lower 48 and how they adjust psychologically. I cannot imagine wanting to live in such a cold place. I think that would make general day to day life so much more difficult than it needs to be. Especially coming from the lower 48 where life is a little more convenient.
I wonder what it's like living there? How hard is it to get a plane to another town, like Wainwright? Is it expensive,to get a plane like that? Can the average citizen of Barrow afford a plane ride to another town, to maybe see a high school basketball game?
Type in the words "Barrow, Alaska" in the search box on You Tube and there are several videos of Barrow you ( the op) might be interested in.
I'm curious about all extreme places on earth that are populated by humans.
Oil production is further east, but none of those guys actually live on the slope. They all fly "home" to somewhere. Many to Anchorage or Fairbanks, but I knew a guy who called Barrow home while he was working up there. I'm just assuming he's not the only one in town that does that.
Probably not, but he's one of the few. There are way more residents of other states working at Prudhoe Bay than there are Barrow residents. I doubt if the vast majority of slope workers ever even see Barrow.
Anyway, as far as what people do for a living in Barrow, the North Slope Borough is the biggest employer. There's some tourism, some state and federal jobs, some oilfield support jobs.
Last edited by Metlakatla; 12-26-2015 at 01:17 PM..
I've always been curious about Barrow, too. I cannot imagine living so remote in such extreme cold with long periods of continued darkness. And no way out of town without a plane. To me, Barrow is a very strange and mysterious and eerie place. I cannot imagine ever willingly move there but I am curious about the people who do move there from the lower 48 and how they adjust psychologically. I cannot imagine wanting to live in such a cold place. I think that would make general day to day life so much more difficult than it needs to be. Especially coming from the lower 48 where life is a little more convenient.
I wonder what it's like living there? How hard is it to get a plane to another town, like Wainwright? Is it expensive,to get a plane like that? Can the average citizen of Barrow afford a plane ride to another town, to maybe see a high school basketball game?
Type in the words "Barrow, Alaska" in the search box on You Tube and there are several videos of Barrow you ( the op) might be interested in.
I'm curious about all extreme places on earth that are populated by humans.
I've looked at a lot of those videos on you tube. It seems so different there than what I'm used to. On the ice webcam, you get to see the trucks come and go, and I've wondered just what life was like for those people. I suppose it's all what you get used to.
Where do the supply barges land? No wharf that I can see. The ice would probably remove that in the winter anyway.
I think Hannah must have meant that Barrow is the center of the North Slope Borough rather than the center of the oil production. That would be more like Deadhorse.
Yes, that's what I meant. Thanks for catching that, Met. I'm a teacher so I think of everything in terms of school districts. To me, the North Slope translates to NSBSD.
As for the oilfields, I didn't mean it as "this is what everyone in Barrow does for a job." I was just expressing it as a potential career option for someone living there, primarily because I know someone who does that.
Oil production is further east, but none of those guys actually live on the slope. They all fly "home" to somewhere. Many to Anchorage or Fairbanks, but I knew a guy who called Barrow home while he was working up there. I'm just assuming he's not the only one in town that does that.
And many of them continue on to the lower 48 to live and spend all the money they make on the slope.
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