Might be moving to Anchorage (Kenai, Wasilla: housing, rent, lease)

[Lisadunc]

Hello!
Might be moving to Anchorage in March 2008. Can someone please advise the best place to buy a home that is in a good neighborhood? Eagle River, Kenai Peninsula?

We are moving from Michigan to Anchorage so any ideas or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Rance]

Depends on who you ask. Me being from the peninsula...I'd have to go with the peninsula. What kind of work are you going to be in (if any) might make a difference on where you live.

[Lisadunc]

My husband is actually being asked to move to Anchorage. I have been reading the posts in this forum and trying to figure out where the best place is to live. He likes to hike and fish and doesn't want to live to far away from work. I work for Fedex as a freight forwarder right now, but not sure if they will have room for me in Anchorage.

[Rance]

Well if he's going to be working in Anchorage you'll not want to move to the peninsula. Either in Anchorage, south like Indian or Girdwood, north like Peters Creek, Eagle River, Chugiak, Palmer, Wasilla...maybe Houston. If you don't live in Anchorage there will be some commuting. Up to an hour or so each way.

[rotorhead]

Second on that one about the commute. Don't assume that just because you CAN drive somewhere that you'll ALWAYS be able to drive there. They're pretty good about keeping the Glen highway between the Palmer/Wasilla area and Anchorage open, but the rest is more tenuous in wintertime. Even those who live in the valley need to have a plan for the kids/pets/etc. if both parents work in Anchorage and the road is temporarily closed.

Personally, I don't consider Girdwood a viable commute to Anchorage for a dailiy commute. Once or twice a week maybe, but not every morning and evening. There is only one road, and it crosses several avalanche areas on the way. There have been numerous times in the recent past where that road was closed for a day or two, at least once for several days. Not to mention that that particular road is one of the most dangerous in the state traffic wise...two lanes at highway speeds, winding, dark, slick, no center divider and very few passing or shoulder areas (usually none when it's plowed). It's a pleasant enough drive in the daylight and Girdwood is a nice (though expensive) place to live, but in wintertime you've only got maybe 5 1/2 hours of daylight to work with so you'll ALWAYS be driving in the dark.

We lived in Eagle River for a couple years and we both worked in Anchorage. The drive is only fifteen-twenty minutes in summer, maybe twenty-thirty in winter most days. The houses there are somewhat more affordable than Anchorage itself, depending on what kind of house you're looking for. We never did see that particular route closed but of course it's possible if they get enough snow that the plows can't handle it.

If we moved back we'd live in town, especially with gas prices headed the way they are.

BTW, please check the backlog of thread on this subject, there are a TON of them. Just use the "search" function, it'll lead you to more specific questions that you might want to know.

[CL99]

I visit Anchorage quite a bit, and have family friends in Wasilla and Palmer. When I was there this time last year the commute wasn't bad. I am getting ready to move to Wasilla and work in Anchorage due to the housing being cheaper. I would rather have a bigger yard and be able to commute somewhere, and be able to have a nicer home JMO.