moving to barrow,AK (Fairbanks: rentals, motels, living)

[Crystalchic82]

Hi i'm new to the forums so if this has been asked before forgive me Me and my husband where thinking of moving to Barrow, and i was just wondering how to go about obtaining housing there(preferably before moving)? All the websites i have found haven't been any help at all I was also curious about what would be essential to bring(as we would be obviously flying out and have limited space)? Also would a car be needed in Barrow or is it possible to walk everywhere even in winter? Any advice i can get would be very appreciated

[allforcats]

Hi Crystalchic. It will probably be some hours before the experts come on this forum, so in the meantime here are recent City-Data threads on the subject. I hope you've done a lot of research already, and know what Barrow is and looks like. This will show you what Barrow looks like:
http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson/

Have fun reading!

http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...ng-barrow.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...ng-barrow.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...ow-yes-no.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...ave-offer.html

[Crystalchic82]

Thx for the threads allforcats they gave me some info i hadn't known before

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Crystalchic82

Hi i'm new to the forums so if this has been asked before forgive me Me and my husband where thinking of moving to Barrow, and i was just wondering how to go about obtaining housing there(preferably before moving)?

You probably want to talk to whoever it is that you'll be employed with. If they are bringing in people they will no doubt be on top of who has housing. Otherwise, I can give you at least one phone number to call, once you are down to knowing a date.

All the websites i have found haven't been any help at all I was also curious about what would be essential to bring(as we would be obviously flying out and have limited space)?

Welllll... shipping is expensive. Are you planning on staying for the rest of your life? A year? (For that matter, do you know what you are getting into at all?????)

Things that don't weigh much are obvious items to ship up. Heavy stuff depends on how long you'll be here, as most people simply leave behind anything heavy when they leave. I year or two of storage might be reasonable if you don't plan to stay.

Also would a car be needed in Barrow or is it possible to walk everywhere even in winter? Any advice i can get would be very appreciated

That's a tough one to answer. Lots of people here do not own cars. They walk or take a cab. It costs $5 a ride basically, so going to the Post Office will cost you $10, and so will a trip to the store. You might not want to walk when it is -30F and the wind is blowing 20 MPH... or you might actually like doing that (some people do).

But getting a car here from Fairbanks will cost you $4-5 thousand. And any car that is here is worth that much if it actually runs.

Alternatively, many people have a 4-wheeler (ATV). Not as nice as a car, but much less expensive to operate too. (You'll need some really good clothing though, come January and February.)

Look up my email address and send me some email. Make sure the word "Barrow" is in the subject so that I do see it. Tell me about what your job prospects are, why it is you want to live here, about kids and so on, and where you live now. We can have an interesting discussion...

[Crystalchic82]

Well Floyd thank you for answering my car question and i sent u a message so hopefully that's what u meant by email and i'll soon be able to pick ur brain of all the knowledge u posses about Barrow

[Trapper_john]

Hi,

I've made the decision to move to Barrow, but I can't find anything about accomodations. I'd even rent a room if I knew one existed. I've been scrounging the web for any sign of rentals. Anything at all.

Can anybody suggest anything. Motels, lodgings, rooms, people who need roommates?

Anything would be great.

[Trapper_john]

Look up my email address and send me some email. Make sure the word "Barrow" is in the subject so that I do see it. Tell me about what your job prospects are, why it is you want to live here, about kids and so on, and where you live now. We can have an interesting discussion...[/quote]

Can you help me, too?

[Zelda2009]

Hi Crystalchic,

I just joined this forum and this is my first post, so forgive any mistakes I make. My husband just applied for a job in Barrow and I have had the same problem you did about finding any housing information. Just wondered if you moved and how everything is going. Can you give us any advice?