How do you guys live in alaska??? (Fairbanks, Hoonah: apartments, violent crime)

[Jonotastic]

If you can survive a NY winter, Alaska won't be a problem. It's a really dry cold, I remember being in NYC during Christmas freezing with a thick jacket, beenie, and a scarf. Then you add the chilling wind gusts passing between the skyscrapers. The hardest part will be adjusting to everyday life. Not having many choices in restaurants, shops, etc.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

If you can survive a NY winter, Alaska won't be a problem.

I respectfully disagree with your first sentence, not the rest.

It's the dark short days that makes it different than those marvelous snowy winters people get in the lower 48.
For some people it's the pits, for others it's no issue. But they don't find out until they get here.

[HighlandLady]

I, for one, am quite content with the fact that the short days are a no issue. The only thing I have noticed is the feeling of needing more sleep. Other than that, the cold is exhilarating, as long as I don't consume too much coffee before venturing out When the snows occur, it is a beautiful thing.

[warptman]

Short dark days? Where in Alaska? Never noticed, new to me...

[InfectedMushroom]

Ahhh....someone's raising the dead!

[Rance]

I thought short dark days were normal? Everyplace else has long abnormal days! This time of year...I get up in the afternoon and it's dark, I go to bed in the morning and it's dark. 2 weeks of nothing but working under the bright lights. Will be nice to see some actual daylight again.

[kittymama]

I moved here from Boston. It is fun for about a year. Then it gets old. I miss the stimulation of the big city. I miss style and shopping. I hate, hate, hate the winters. I hate being this isolated from the rest of the country and the fact that it takes a day to fly anywhere from here. I think coming here for a year job or study program is great, but packing up here to move and stay would get old unless you have the right type of personality. I will tell you what that is - that is someone who would rather live off the land and build a life with his or her own two hand than have certain conveniences. A lot of people here embrace the cold and like to go out in it. I'm normally a people person, but the winters here make me want to hole up and avoid people. However, you can't do that - you have to go out in it. Like I said, a great place to go to school, but not to stay so much. Just a city slicker perspective.

[Barkingowl]

Kitty did you live in the city or out on the North Shore or one of the suburbs? I'm originally from Marblehead.

FWIW the days down here in NC are much like the days up there. We start off with dark mornings & the sun goes away by 5:30pm. Its been heavily overcast here for a few weeks. Very dark clouds with brief hints of sunshine. We've been getting a lot of rain. At least 12" according to our rain gauge. We have all the perks of a major city & all the downsides of one too.

If money was no object I'd like to have a house in Ketchikan & one in Palmer or Anchorage. Ketchikan reminds me a lot of Maine. It bills itself as a city but its really a small town filled with friendly folks. I think that living there would be a lot of fun.

I really liked Anchorage because it doesn't have a big city feel to it. I don't like being overwhelmed with choices. What impressed me the most about the city from an amenities point of view was the range of art available & the hidden gems of restaurants. There are so many cool stores that just don't exist down here & the greatest perk of all is that Alaska is 1/2 hour away! That cracks me up when I thought about it standing on Flat Top looking out over Anchorage, Cook Inlet & the Valley.


Anchorage



Ketchikan

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by InfectedMushroom

Ahhh....someone's raising the dead!

The zombies don't bother me that much anymore, you just gotta learn to deal with them.
In fact, we just voted a couple out of office....

[kittymama]

I lived in Cambridge for one year and Revere for 2. I'm originally from Texas and that's where I'm moving back to - but definitely a city in TX (probably Austin). I've discovered that I'm definitely a city person because I prefer the amenities. I don't think you run into less people in the grocery store here or wait in shorter lines or anything like that. As for traffic, yes traffic is better than Fairbanks. But give me traffic backed up on the freeway over driving in 40 below with ice fog anyway. I live in the "city" of Fairbanks, so I haven't really done true wilderness living. But given that I find even city life here to be lacking and too much of an arctic challenge, it's a sign that I don't have the right kind of personality. Alaska isn't really a place you can stay ambivalent about like many places you can move to. You will either find you love it or hate it.