Seward--who knows it? (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai: how much, houses, transfer)

[Alaskagrl]

Anyone on here live in/have lived in Seward? How might it compare in some key ways to Southeast? (besides the obvious weather change)--I'm interested in learning more about it from an insider.

[starlite9]

Seward is a very nice town, it does rain a lot which is pretty much the same issue as all along the Southeast Coast to the Aleutian Islands with Kodiak in the middle.

The one advantage that Seward (Whitter and Homer too) has over many of the other towns in Southeast is road access to Anchorage and other services. Most of the other Southeast towns don't have road access (Haines and Skagway do, but to Canada) and rely on the State Ferry System (Alaska Marine Highway) and you are set to their schedules, otherwise you will need to fly to get out of town and again, weather plays a big part in your plans.

Seward is like other coastal towns in that there isn't a lot of land around to build on, it is costly to buy land or property.

My daughter worked in Sitka for a few years but couldn't afford to buy a house (Seems to start at about $400,000.00 for a cheepy). People of means have come up from the States and run the prices of houses up so high for a "Summer Cottage", the local children can't afford to stay there unless they live with mom and dad. Pretty rough for those families that want to stay together in a community.

My daughter moved back to Fairbanks and bought a house there, but she really loved the Southeast as I do, but there isn't that many jobs that can afford that kind of house there on any numbers that one could count on.

Even a thirty year old trailer that is 12' x 60' in a trailer court, will go for $50,000.00, where anywhere else they are worth a couple of Thousand tops. These are on property that is worth more to sell and divide up to where those folks could have the land's trailer space pulled out from under them and then have a very worthless trailer.

One way to live in Southeast Alaska that appeals to many, would be to buy a boat in Seattle, fix it up the way you want and travel up the Inside Passage and live in the different towns in the small boat harbors, and when you want you can "Drag up Anchor" and move to another town to see what they are all like.

Seward is prob. one of the cheaper towns to live in because of access to Anchorage, but still not "Cheap", but any of them have a lot of good points that may attract you.

Good luck!

[rotorhead]

The central question about Seward and housing prices is...how close? If you want to work in Seward you could easily live out along the road where housing is a bit less expensive. If you want to live in Seward itself, try looking in the late fall or wintertime when the seasonal folks are clear. There is a significant transient population in town in the summer, many involved in the charter fishing industry and other tourism-related jobs.

Also keep in mind that the weather right in Seward is often much cloudier and is certainly rainier than the weather inland a bit, particularly in winter. The terrain rises quite a bit just a few miles out of town, and the cloud deck oftentimes stops right about there. I used to fly helicopters into Seward from the Anchorage area quite often, and there were many times when we could easily make it into Quartz Creek or Moose Landing but not all the way into Seward. We frequently got to about the big pullout/rest area outside of town, and that was as far as we could get...while the rest of the Kenai was clear and sunny. There were a few days when the situation was reversed, but only a few.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by rotorhead

The central question about Seward and housing prices is...how close? If you want to work in Seward you could easily live out along the road where housing is a bit less expensive. If you want to live in Seward itself, try looking in the late fall or wintertime when the seasonal folks are clear. There is a significant transient population in town in the summer, many involved in the charter fishing industry and other tourism-related jobs.

Also keep in mind that the weather right in Seward is often much cloudier and is certainly rainier than the weather inland a bit, particularly in winter. The terrain rises quite a bit just a few miles out of town, and the cloud deck oftentimes stops right about there. I used to fly helicopters into Seward from the Anchorage area quite often, and there were many times when we could easily make it into Quartz Creek or Moose Landing but not all the way into Seward. We frequently got to about the big pullout/rest area outside of town, and that was as far as we could get...while the rest of the Kenai was clear and sunny. There were a few days when the situation was reversed, but only a few.

Weather in all of the Coastal towns can be a real bear. Flying out of Valdez where I first learn to fly was the same thing, as soon as you got up towards Thompson Pass, it would sock in.

Cordova wasn't as bad unless you were trying to go though Portage Pass, and that was dicey a lot of the time too. From Cordova, you could get up the Copper River to Glenallen, then down the Chickaloon Pass to Anchorage, but was a three hour flight verses a rare day when you could go "Over the Top" directly to Anchorage in about an hour and a few min's depending on the winds.

If you don't like the lack of sun, lots of drizzly weather, then the Coastal Towns won't bother you much, but some folks really go bonkers after a while.

A clear sunny day was rare enough when we got one, the Captains of the Coast Guard Stations all along the Alaska Coast grant "Sunshine Liberty", where we got the day off to enjoy the nice day... We didn't get very many of them either... Never heard of that anywhere else either.

Seward is a pretty nice town to live in though, it does get run over during the "silver salmon derby" as does some of the other towns that have such contests, but winter slows things down a lot.

[Alaskagrl]

Thanks everyone--great info. Seward looked pretty neat to me. Unfortunately I discovered the job I was looking at is what they call a "permanent seasonal" (i.e., not a year-round deal); even though my current job is not what I want to stay in, at this point in time, I'm better off than lots of folks in that I have a year round job with benefits in Alaska and I think I better stay put a bit longer.

Thanks again.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Alaskagrl

Thanks everyone--great info. Seward looked pretty neat to me. Unfortunately I discovered the job I was looking at is what they call a "permanent seasonal" (i.e., not a year-round deal); even though my current job is not what I want to stay in, at this point in time, I'm better off than lots of folks in that I have a year round job with benefits in Alaska and I think I better stay put a bit longer.

Thanks again.

Sounds like one of the Federal Jobs they have there. If it is, that gets your foot in the door for transfers to other "Full Time" slots in the state.

If not, then too bad you won't make it up here a bit sooner! Keep trying though!

[Metlakatla]

Learn to read. She already lives in Alaska and has a job here.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Learn to read. She already lives in Alaska and has a job here.

I said the job sounded like a "Federal one", that gets your foot in the door. That is a term the Feds use for the National Park service, such as the Kenai Fjords National Park.

Kenai Fjords National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

That is one of the main Federal Jobs in Seward, other than at the Air Force's rec camp.

What did you think? Her posts already lists her as in Alaska, not where in Alaska... "Up here sooner" was refering to coming to a neat place like Seward.

[Metlakatla]

What did you think? Her posts already list her as in Alaska...

I was referencing this statement that you made, that's all:

If not, then too bad you won't make it up here a bit sooner!

I was only pointing out that she's already made it up here.

[Alaskagrl]

Hey it's all good...if you were curious, yes, I already live in SE Alaska--have for about 5 years. And I do already have a job here (2, in fact). I was looking for an upgrade within my particular agency; I qualifed very well for the job in Seward, but as I discovered--it's not year round and in this particular economic climate, I don't think it's wise to give that up at the moment, no matter how much adventure/change of scene I crave!

The extra money from upgrade would mean nothing if I got laid off for 4 months. But I'm always looking. Might end up in one of your towns someday. I'm not done exploring Alaska yet! I really liked Petersburg (bout the only other place in AK I've been so far). I'm told the rest of northern SE is awesome, too--Haines, etc.

Wassup, Met? How ya doing? talk to ya later.