thinking of moving to alaska, can anyone answer some questions? (Anchorage: to rent, sex offenders)

[heavenzmama]

hello,
i was looking up towns in alaska....i found that the town Craig only had
3 sex offenders and the least crime out of the ones i liked.
can anyone tell me more about this town? would you suggest it?
i would like to live inland but people say it is cold and i do not
want to be in winter all year round!
is it also true they pay you in october to live there? if so how much?
even children under 10?
i need to find a town that has low crime and good school system.
i would like one in which you can walk to things rather quickly.
i do not want to live in a big city tho!
i would like a town that is ok pay and low housing cost if possible.
my husband is a bus driver and i am a cashier...so need somewhere
that needs those lol
i have an infant of 17 months so thats why i need low crime.
can anyone help me on info so i can move up there prepared!
would it be cheaper to leave all furniture behind and car??
thank you anyone whom can help me with my annoying questions lol
i would greatly appreciate it! thanks ^_^

[rotorhead]

Try looking at some of the past thread on these subjects if you don't get any answers. Craig is very remote by US standards, probably not what you're expecting unless you're used to living on an island. Yes it has roads, but they're not connected with the mainland in any way and POW Island has "some issues" as far as the schools and the job market goes.

Rainey, you out there?

[AryssainAustin]

hello Heavenzmama,
I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for over 6 years now in Austin,TX. I think I can tell you a thing or two about Alaska.
haha I had to laugh at Pgvicar post because he's probably right about Craig having only three people that live there.
If you are thinking about moving there, please do yourself a favor and go check out the place first.
I can't imagine anyone living anywhere else besides Anchorage, Juneau, Seward, Alyeska or maybe Fairbanks everywhere else is unthinkable in my opinion....if you are really serious about moving to Alaska please check these place out.
Winter starts around October and last till April or May. June most of the snow should all be melted. July it starts getting warm in the 50's-60s. August summer starts temp. around 60's-70's maybe 80's if you're lucky.
September temp. starts to drop and by now everyone is getting ready for winter again. hope you like winter sports because there isn't much to do in the winter. summer is short but it's beautiful. If you like fishing you'll enjoy summer.
Food and housing are pretty expensive.
To answer your question about the state paying people to live there..lol
it's true. Actually the money everyone receive in October is call the Permanent Fund Dividend and every year is a different amount.
yes even new born gets the money..if you weren't born there you have to become a resident for at least 2 years to be qualify to receive it.
If you want to find out more about this check out their website State of Alaska - Permanent Fund Dividend Division
overall Alaska is a pretty nice place to live but after a while the long winter gets to you and you feel kinda isolated from the rest of the world.

Hope this helps..let me know if you have any more question.

[AryssainAustin]

oh other city you should check out are Eagle Rive, Wasilla.

[AryssainAustin]

eagle river..sorry

[Tressa]

I currently live in Anchorage been here for 32 years, if you are planning on coming up just to get paid by the state (PFD) don't bother it's not worth it unless you have loads of kids. It's my understanding that bus drivers up here don't make much of a wage and cashiers are even lower, the cost of living is higher especially if you plan to rent Achorage is the lowest cost of living other than housing. Winters are harsh don't let anybody fool you, we have a great deal of depression during the winter months.

The crime rate has esculated since the beginning of the PFD and some of us are hoping it just goes away and then maybe the crime rate will settle down don't know for sure.

As far as Craig goes that's an island in the pan handle of Alaska, southeast Alaska is beautiful but it's isolated and wet the majority of the time, this year they were hit with large amounts of snow passed the record of several years back. Cost of living is very high there and unless your a fisherman I'm not sure what the employee stats are. Your best bet would be Fairbanks for a small town feel but extremely cold in the winter but they seem to survive and enjoy it up there, the summers are the best and up there they are very warm. The school system up here is nothing to write home about especially for your young one, more schools failed the no child left behind than passed.

Alaska takes a special kind of personality to make it up here, I was alwsy told that if you can make it in Alaska you can make anywhere. You may want to reconsider the idea or think good and hard about it.

[akladysoul]

I have lived in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Soldotna. I currently live in Nome.
I have found the crime much less than in other locations I've lived in within the lower 48. Nome has a large sex offender database, but when I inquired locally it has been explained that it's high because of the culture allowing it in some of the native histories. I'm not ok with that, but cultures are different.

Nome has been fabulous to me. I came here without having visited. Opened a business and make loads of money. I'm selling my janitorial company now where I work less than 40 hours every week and only evenings to move to Washington where my new business takes me. The housing costs are higher here, but so are wages. feel free to contact me directly if you have questions. I'd recommend nome, or just about any place in Alaska. This is one location that you can certainly ride a 4 wheeler to the grocery store (most do) or walk anywhere. I still suggest a car for the really cold days (we get some now and then.) There are 3 Alaska Airlines jets in here daily so it's easy to get to the city.

[Rance]

It still never ceases to amaze me how people think it's "winter all year round" up here!
And people please...we don't get paid to live here! We live, work and die here. And we get a dividend from the oil royalties. Runs 800 to 1100 bucks a qualifying person. And even if you have 10 kids...it is not enough to live off of. Your gonna need jobs. And those can start to dwindle come fall and into winter. Most of the Kenai Peninsula is growing. I'm sure you can get school bus driving work darn near in any town. Also plenty of stores and restraunts for cashiers. I'm sure the valley (palmer/wasilla) is just as good.
But don't for a minute think you can just move in and start getting paid to live here. You'll have to be here a year to even qualify to fill out the form.

[Tressa]

Originally Posted by Rance

It still never ceases to amaze me how people think it's "winter all year round" up here!
And people please...we don't get paid to live here! We live, work and die here. And we get a dividend from the oil royalties. Runs 800 to 1100 bucks a qualifying person. And even if you have 10 kids...it is not enough to live off of. Your gonna need jobs. And those can start to dwindle come fall and into winter. Most of the Kenai Peninsula is growing. I'm sure you can get school bus driving work darn near in any town. Also plenty of stores and restraunts for cashiers. I'm sure the valley (palmer/wasilla) is just as good.
But don't for a minute think you can just move in and start getting paid to live here. You'll have to be here a year to even qualify to fill out the form.

Well said, lets just hope they listen

[wan2Batraveler10]

I just wanted you fellows to know that I wouldn't dare move to Alaska for a check. I think it's wonderful place even without the check. I hope I do get a chance to visit it, even if its just to see the northern lights and Mount Mckinley. Hooray for
Alaska!