Anyone relocate from Chicago/New York/LA ? (Fairbanks, Metlakatla: home, buy) - Alaska (AK) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Metlakatla · 07-10-2009, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warptman

Kittymama, I think I speak for everyone else...when you move to Texas, we don't want to hear you whine about you wanting to come back to Alaska when you don't make near as much as you did back in Fairbanks...lol

Sorry, Warpt, but you don't speak for me.

This lady is being honest. She doesn't like the winters in Fairbanks. She gave it a good shot.

I don't like the winters anymore either...strange, I used to.

Alaskapat528 · 07-10-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittymama

Interesting Glitch should say that. I've noticed that a lot of women struggle with the dark winters, but enjoy the summers, and a lot of men don't like the excessive daylight in the summer, but don't mind the winters. Just a generalization and anecdotal evidence more than anything else, I know, though I've heard medical types say they notice that in their patients. I've also heard that a lot of people like living here for about 5 years and then that 5th year, the winter really gets to them. I suppose that was the case with me. I didn't *hate* living here until my 5th winter and then I just couldn't stand the winter. But when I first moved here and a realtor was showing me houses she said, "There are 2 types of people who move to Alaska. Those who decide that it fits them so well, they can never live anywhere else and those who when they get to their 5th winter decide they can't stand it anymore and then the house goes on the market that spring. Most of them BELIEVE they're the first type when they get here." Again, anecdotal evidence, but something to point out. Then there are the kids who grow up here because their parents were the first type who sacrificed everything to come to Alaska for a more self sufficient life. They've been told all their lives that life in the lower 48 is more difficult and yet, they wish they had better shopping, more career choices, don't really like the winters, and they've been culturally conditioned to think you can't actually live someplace nice until you retire. So they sacrifice their youth on a hard life that was really their parents' dream.

There's an ad that one of the banks has been running in the paper that says that "Alaska's Economy is a 3 legged stool." One leg is government, the other leg is petroleum and the other leg is the other resources. I think this is an important point for someone to consider when relocating here. Most of the high paying jobs have to do with natural resources - petroleum, mining, fisheries biology, timber, etc... or else are with the government. In those careers, you can make far more money here than in the lower 48. But I see that you intend to apply for customer service type jobs in Anchorage. Yes, there are indeed *some* of those jobs because there is enough of an economy here to support some of them. But the demand for that kind of stuff up here and the advancement potential is not all that high. A major telecommunications company or computer company is not going to relocate to Alaska no matter what tax breaks were given. First of all, most of the people who come here for "Alaska" come to get away from that excessive growth because they don't want to see the population quintuple in a few years. Second of all, it is so expensive to build here and difficult to get people to really stay for the long-term, so a major employer isn't going to seriously look at it. The economy is driven by the resources that Alaska produces.

That's not to say you won't be able to find a job here. What I'm saying is that your advancement potential and choices will be lower due to a limited and isolated economy. If you're the sort of person who can work in the classified department of the same newspaper for 30 years and land the job, then great. But white collar opportunities are going to be less here (that's fine, unless that's the sort of work you want) and the pay differential for living in Alaska isn't going to be as great as the blue collar jobs either. On the whole, it seems to me that here blue collar people make more money and have nicer houses and cars, whereas a lot of white collar people don't have nearly the pay and benefits they would in the lower 48. Nothing wrong with that - it's honest labor and those are the jobs Alaska actually NEEDS the most.

I guess I'd ask what is about Alaska that makes you want to move here. If it's a smaller town and more winter sports or outdoorsy activities, I'd look into New Hampshire or Maine. The reason I ask is because you want a customer service job in Anchorage. Anchorage is considered by most Alaskans to be a "city" like "Seattle." Not to say that you can't get out and see Alaska by living there. And if you're single and that's your goal, you don't really lose anything by trying it - provided you can get employment. And yes, Alaska hasn't had as many layoffs as the lower 48, but the economy is taking a hit, and there aren't a lot of new jobs being produced. Tourism (which generates a lot of those customer service and advertising jobs) is really down this year. That's true everywhere, but this is a harsh place to risk being alone and stuck. It's expensive to leave if you get stuck here. The type of job you're looking for is the type that will get cut if revenue is down. If you looked for customer service work in New Hampshire and got laid off and had to look further, you could expand your search all the way to Boston. Get laid off here and you don't have many options. If you're the self sufficient type, you can replace some income with labor - hunt, fish, trap, garden, build a cabin, etc... A lot of people come here to do that too. But if you're not the self sufficient type and you end up unemployed, it's expensive to leave and harsh to stay. I watched an administrative assistant from Texas struggle with the winters to the point that she got fired for incompetence. She was competent in spring, but when the winter came, she was so sleepy and depressed, she couldn't function. She had no money saved up to leave and ended up at Wal-Mart to eat because she couldn't even afford a plane ticket out of here. If she doesn't leave this summer, she'll probably get fired from that job this winter for the very same reason. That sort of stuff happens because people don't know they can't take the winters until they get here and then they have nothing saved up and no where to go. Oftentimes, they don't even know that it's the winter that's making them feel so bad, they just don't feel good and then they start feeling better and think they're well until next year when it happens again.

If you check the Maine and New Hampshire Forums you will find they have been hit real hard with the economy and jobs. Folks on the Maine forum "stress" the importance of either having a job or being rich when moving there. Maine, like Alaska, is beautiful but the gorgeous scenery won't pay rent or put food on the table.

Alaskapat528 · 07-10-2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Sorry, Warpt, but you don't speak for me.

This lady is being honest. She doesn't like the winters in Fairbanks. She gave it a good shot.

I don't like the winters anymore either...strange, I used to.

The winters are rough. Kittymama mentioned Maine, they also can get brutal winters and we won't talk about their noreasters.

I know there are alot of people up here who love to ski, snowboard, etc. which makes winters great for them. I'm sure not real crazy about the winters either...maybe those snowbirds have it right lol.

Moose Whisperer · 07-10-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Sorry, Warpt, but you don't speak for me.

Nobody speaks for Met!

warptman · 07-10-2009, 03:40 PM

Not even himself!

Jonotastic · 07-10-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Sorry, Warpt, but you don't speak for me.

lol @ above

The problem I have with winter in Alaska is how little the sun shows...if it's a cloudy day, it feels like it has been night for 24 hours. However, I still enjoy the snow. I only spend a month in it and I'm back in Florida so maybe that is why lol.