So I'm moving back to Wasilla! (Anchorage, Palmer: stores, activities, parks)

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by Glitch

The city limits is very clearly marked for both Wasilla and Palmer, and they are about 10 miles apart along the Palmer/Wasilla Highway. However, businesses and residences continue to line the highway the entire distance between the two city limit boundaries. They are not in the city of Palmer or Wasilla, but in the suburbs of both. If you took down those city limit signs, you would be hard pressed to tell where Palmer ends and Wasilla begins.

The same is also true in the other direction, down the Knik-Goose Bay Road. It used to be only very sparodic development until you got to Settler's Bay, 8 miles west of the Wasilla city limits. But today, there is development all along those 8 miles. If you took down the city limits sign, you would swear Wasilla stretched to Settler's Bay.

Yes, that's true, in fact here are the maps. Palmer (http://www.cityofpalmer.org/vertical/Sites/%7BCEEE28AE-9003-4337-8BE2-A1961FF16E3D%7D/uploads/%7BD1F3B4D7-C6F8-4B0C-A0BD-93FB71C54388%7D.PDF - broken link), Wasilla. But the fact is that somewhere between Palmer and Wasilla you will have a Wasilla address on one side of the line and a Palmer address on the other. It has to do with the post office. The line is somewhere close to the ATT Sports Center on the Palmer/Wasilla Hwy.

So people call themselves Wasilla or Palmer even though most of us are not in either one. I live about one mile from the Palmer city limits. Mat-Su Regional Hospital is about 5 miles from Palmer and Wasilla but it's considered Palmer. I know the cities each want to extend their boundaries and it's only a matter of time.

[warptman]

More confusion to the Palmer/Wasilla debate...Hartley Motors is on the Parks and it's address is Palmer Alaska. To me this is Wasilla, or should be. My uncle lives on the south side of Trunk Road, to me this should also be called Wasilla, but his address reads Palmer.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by warptman

More confusion to the Palmer/Wasilla debate...Hartley Motors is on the Parks and it's address is Palmer Alaska. To me this is Wasilla, or should be. My uncle lives on the south side of Trunk Road, to me this should also be called Wasilla, but his address reads Palmer.

If you think that is confusing, the legal description of my property says I live in the township of Houston, and I get my mail at the Knik Post Office, even though my mailing address says Wasilla.

[malagagirl]

Originally Posted by Glitch

The city limits is very clearly marked for both Wasilla and Palmer, and they are about 10 miles apart along the Palmer/Wasilla Highway. However, businesses and residences continue to line the highway the entire distance between the two city limit boundaries. They are not in the city of Palmer or Wasilla, but in the suburbs of both. If you took down those city limit signs, you would be hard pressed to tell where Palmer ends and Wasilla begins.

This was exactly my original point. YES, I get it that the heart of the towns themselves are very different and no one would confuse the two. I also understand that there is a distinct legal boundary for Post Office and Tax roll purposes. But in practice, the inbetween unincorporated Borough area is pretty darned ambiguous.

[malagagirl]

Originally Posted by Glitch

If you think that is confusing, the legal description of my property says I live in the township of Houston, and I get my mail at the Knik Post Office, even though my mailing address says Wasilla.

Holy cow! That's is pretty wild.

I'm writing a lecture for the online Sociology class I teach (for an Idaho college even though I live in Oregon and hope to soon move to Alaska...)
It addresses the topic of social networks and the way we identify with place. What community do YOU feel most a part of?

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by malagagirl

What community do YOU feel most a part of?

Palmer, AK

[malagagirl]

That's hillarious considering the Houston/Knik/Wasilla info.

Palmer is where I was originally looking to move, but if I'm working in Wasilla I'd just as soon live there and have less of a commute. Yeah, I've heard all the stuff about how Wasilla is turning into one big strip mall and has no charm, but after living in a rural agriculture out in the middle of no where place for the last 8 yrs I'm tired of having to drive 10-15 miles just to buy a loaf of bread.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by malagagirl

That's hillarious considering the Houston/Knik/Wasilla info.

Palmer is where I was originally looking to move, but if I'm working in Wasilla I'd just as soon live there and have less of a commute. Yeah, I've heard all the stuff about how Wasilla is turning into one big strip mall and has no charm, but after living in a rural agriculture out in the middle of no where place for the last 8 yrs I'm tired of having to drive 10-15 miles just to buy a loaf of bread.

Wasilla is only a "strip mall" from the perception of those who never leave the Parks Highway as they drive through town.

[malagagirl]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Wasilla is only a "strip mall" from the perception of those who never leave the Parks Highway as they drive through town.

Yeah, that was my perception. There are some lovely area.

My experience has been that nearly every place I've been (and that's A LOT of places!) has both nice things about it and crummy things about it. We each choose which to focus on.

In preparing for this move I've been taking a metal mason jar ring and having that represent first a 10 mile circle then a 50 mile circle. I decide what things I really want within 10 miles (groceries, medical care, library, fishing) and what things I want within 50 (about 10 things based on my own preferences, values and quirks). That helps me sort out what will be my best place to land. But I do not expect anyplace to be perfect. I'll just focus all I can on the good stuff and take the not so charming in stride.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Wasilla is only a "strip mall" from the perception of those who never leave the Parks Highway as they drive through town.

Exactly. Leave the Parks Highway and the city limits, it's just as pretty as Palmer, if not more so.