New Job in Bethel (Anchorage: hotels, buying, subdivisions)

[Ula Li'i]

Has anyone in this forum recently moved to Bethel? I have been reading a lot of the posts about this area, and Alaska in general, and just wanted some tips and lessons learned from someone who has been through the moving process already.

[warptman]

Funny, my new coworker moved up from Kentucky. I don't know him that well yet, I'll ask him when I see him.

[Ula Li'i]

[SIZE=3]Ask him if he moved away because of the cicadas. For the last few days we have been under attack by swarms of cicadas. The noise could drive you crazy! [/SIZE]

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by Ula Li'i

[SIZE=3]Ask him if he moved away because of the cicadas. For the last few days we have been under attack by swarms of cicadas. The noise could drive you crazy! [/SIZE]

I remember our last hatch here.. the fishing was unbelievable! That was years and years ago though.. We were shooting carp with a bow like they were going out of style! Great fertilizer!

[Ula Li'i]

This last weekend was good fishing, if you could stand to listen to the buzzing. It wasn't too bad in the morning, but as the day went on the noise got so loud you had to shout to the person sitting right next to you. Now I'm just waiting to experience the Bethel mosquitoes I’ve read so much about.

[susitna-flower]

Originally Posted by Ula Li'i

Has anyone in this forum recently moved to Bethel? I have been reading a lot of the posts about this area, and Alaska in general, and just wanted some tips and lessons learned from someone who has been through the moving process already.

I am sure you will find lots of advice once you get out there, but one thing I can tell you is to get hooked into ordering online....from what I have been told one good spot is drugstore.com for everything from TP to face cream....

Prices at grocery stores, fuel, housing, water, and sewer costs out in Bethel are out of this world....as far as moving itself, if you are paying the costs, bring what you need, try to get by with buying lots of things at yard sales.

I hope you do know it is 700 air miles from Anchorage, everything comes in by air, or barged in...no roads, which means even having a car is out of the question unless you are lucky enough to find a "Bethel rig" someone is getting rid of....so it is taxi or ride a bike.....But then there are only about 12 miles of roads so all you can do in a car is go around and around in circles...even 12 miles though in the winter time is much to far to go to get groceries without a vehicle of some sort....Good Luck and hope you find a good support system, several really nice churches out there, and great people....

[warptman]

Correction: Bethel is 400 miles from Anchorage and there is about 17 miles of roads here with the main highway from the airport down to the bridge(4 miles) and a spur up and around Ptarmigan street.

[Ula Li'i]

I have looked into ordering online and I understand that it’s much cheaper than purchasing items locally. I have some ideas (if they are accurate) about the cost of living and I have a relocation package that will allow me to bring some items with me.

I have been researching the area for the past 2 months and I think that I have some ideas about what to expect. But I also have moved to enough “unusual” places to know that there will always be surprises. I am planning on bringing one vehicle (98 Jeep Cherokee 4WD) but I will be without a vehicle for a few weeks, hopefully the weather will be nice enough to walk to work. Is riding a bike in the summer practical?

Warpt, do you know where I can find a map that shows the different subdivisions in town. It would really help me in trying to find a place to live before I get there.

[warptman]

Here you go:

City of Bethel --

BethelAK.Com - Information about Bethel Alaska including Camaitravel, forums, hotels, hunting

http://www.cityofbethel.org/vertical...EC4F583%7D.JPG

[Ula Li'i]

Any housing areas you can suggest (or not recommend) for a family?