Reno vs. Anchorage (Fairbanks, Homer: health insurance, to buy, deductible)

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaPlaya

YES! We suck in the Bay Area, not all of us, but a lot. Didn't used to be that way, but it now is and is one of many reasons I am looking to get out of this area and Alaska is just one of several areas I am considering moving to, so am enjoying this post. Best wishes with whatever you decide OP!

If you think AK will be some sanctuary from human disregard, selfishness, and blatant disrespect, you're in for a wakeup call. People trash and behave badly on public and private land here too; to a disgusting degree. We have a lot of so-called "end of the roader" attitude. People who are unable or can't be bothered to respect anyone other than themselves so they get as far as they can on their last dime or before their method of transportation finally dies. Then they squat in squalor. Obnoxious, aggressive, amoral behavior, crime, arrogance and ignorance. Granted, AK has more than its share of pristine remote places where the few scattered visitors/residents behave themselves, but that's partly because they are quite difficult for a broader cross section of humanity to reach. Many towns are peppered with or surrounded by unkempt fringes of abuse and neglect; casual tossing aside of the inconvenient, toxic, too-expensive-to-deal-with-responsibly, unsightly detritus of society. Maybe because it's AK, but the stark contrast can make your heart ache even more than it might somewhere you'd expect to see it.

[NORTY FLATZ]

That's truly sad.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

If you think AK will be some sanctuary from human disregard, selfishness, and blatant disrespect, you're in for a wakeup call. People trash and behave badly on public and private land here too; to a disgusting degree. We have a lot of so-called "end of the roader" attitude. People who are unable or can't be bothered to respect anyone other than themselves so they get as far as they can on their last dime or before their method of transportation finally dies. Then they squat in squalor. Obnoxious, aggressive, amoral behavior, crime, arrogance and ignorance. Granted, AK has more than its share of pristine remote places where the few scattered visitors/residents behave themselves, but that's partly because they are quite difficult for a broader cross section of humanity to reach. Many towns are peppered with or surrounded by unkempt fringes of abuse and neglect; casual tossing aside of the inconvenient, toxic, too-expensive-to-deal-with-responsibly, unsightly detritus of society. Maybe because it's AK, but the stark contrast can make your heart ache even more than it might somewhere you'd expect to see it.

I have a different view than yours. The type of personalities you have referred to exist in every US state, not just Alaska. Every state of the union has people like the ones you have mentioned above, but in larger numbers in Alaska. I had been in a lot of places before I retired from the military, and have been in Alaska since the 1970's.

The bottomline is as follows: if one is not happy with the place one lives at, more than likely one won't be happy with any other place one moves to if one only notices "negatives" in others. My advise to others who desire moving to Alaska because they can't stand the people they surround themselves with, is to first move to another neighborhood or neighboring city, because moving to Alaska will be like moving overseas. Also, if you suffer from certain mental issues, including loneliness or depression, there is a good chance that you will do something crazy. Read about SAD and why this mental state is so common in Alaska.

[Northrick]

Well, there is the old parable:


A farmer is working his field near the road. A traveler comes along and asks what the people are like in the town up ahead. The farmer asks, "what are the people like in the town you came from?" The traveler replies, "they are the meanest, most despicable people you've ever met." The farmer says, "well, you'll find more of the same up ahead."


Later, another traveler comes along and asks the farmer the same question. The farmer also asks the same question, "what are the people like in the town you came from?" The traveler replies, "the nicest, most generous people you've ever met." The farmer responds, "well, you'll find more of the same up ahead."

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

If you think AK will be some sanctuary from human disregard, selfishness, and blatant disrespect, you're in for a wakeup call. People trash and behave badly on public and private land here too; to a disgusting degree. We have a lot of so-called "end of the roader" attitude. People who are unable or can't be bothered to respect anyone other than themselves so they get as far as they can on their last dime or before their method of transportation finally dies. Then they squat in squalor. Obnoxious, aggressive, amoral behavior, crime, arrogance and ignorance. Granted, AK has more than its share of pristine remote places where the few scattered visitors/residents behave themselves, but that's partly because they are quite difficult for a broader cross section of humanity to reach. Many towns are peppered with or surrounded by unkempt fringes of abuse and neglect; casual tossing aside of the inconvenient, toxic, too-expensive-to-deal-with-responsibly, unsightly detritus of society. Maybe because it's AK, but the stark contrast can make your heart ache even more than it might somewhere you'd expect to see it.

Anyone who refutes this has clearly never lived on the panhandle. It was worse before Canada closed its borders to felons, because then they could just drive up. This type usually makes it as far as Ketchikan, where residents are quick to point them in the direction of POW, and the next thing you know, they're rolling off the ferry in Hollis (ala Billy Brown when he came dragging his passel of brats up in a bus up for the check).

I noticed a lot less of this up in Fairbanks and the Upper Su, probably because it's simply harder for end-of-the-roaders of limited means to get to, and just as difficult, if not more so, for them to stick around. On the lower panhandle, it's possible and even cheapish to spend the winter in ratty old trailers and other types of substandard housing. I think it may attract those looking for something like Slab City.

I think SE gets more than its share of Alaska dreamers and those who are attracted by the idea of an outlaw lifestyle. The outskirts of my community are looking pretty Third World these days. Of course there's more to it than this particular element, but it's there, and it's noticeable.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by Northrick

Well, there is the old parable:


A farmer is working his field near the road. A traveler comes along and asks what the people are like in the town up ahead. The farmer asks, "what are the people like in the town you came from?" The traveler replies, "they are the meanest, most despicable people you've ever met." The farmer says, "well, you'll find more of the same up ahead."


Later, another traveler comes along and asks the farmer the same question. The farmer also asks the same question, "what are the people like in the town you came from?" The traveler replies, "the nicest, most generous people you've ever met." The farmer responds, "well, you'll find more of the same up ahead."

Agree with both the replies above. You'll find decent people everywhere. You'll find indecent people everywhere. Just seems that some dream that AK will turn out to be some sort of Shangri-la occupied by the best of humanity. That the hardships of the place brings out the nobility in those living such a romantically adventurous life. The grass is greener on steroids. Sadly, it just doesn't work out that way. I've met a lot of newcomers yearning to escape what troubled them about their south-48 lives only to find they didn't escape anything...they brought it right along with them.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

Agree with both the replies above. You'll find decent people everywhere. You'll find indecent people everywhere. Just seems that some dream that AK will turn out to be some sort of Shangri-la occupied by the best of humanity. That the hardships of the place brings out the nobility in those living such a romantically adventurous life. The grass is greener on steroids. Sadly, it just doesn't work out that way. I've met a lot of newcomers yearning to escape what troubled them about their south-48 lives only to find they didn't escape anything...they brought it right along with them.

That's what I mean to say in my previews post. We do get a crowd of people who want to see the other side of the mountain (dreamers?). But there is something that has been happening in recent years, and that is the more strict rules for driving through Canada, and even Alaska. The driver licenses are highly monitored by government agencies these days. A lot of people aren't allowed to drive through Canada, too. It is also very difficult to fly unless one has a Real ID driver's license, or a military ID (or passport ID, or a passport).

[jameswilliam143]

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[jameswilliam143]

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[Lampert]

Originally Posted by Snowballs

FWIW, there's one thing that attracts me to Alaska over the lower 48 (and it's maybe sorta weird): the drawbacks! I see the cold and darkness as insurance against the population boom that has ruined Reno and Tahoe (for me, at least).

Move to WV, population peaked in the 50s. You can rest assured the decline is going to keep going.