Good/Bad things about Anchorage? (to rent, tenants, camp)

[gobrien]

Housing costs are supposed to be 1/3 of your budget, so to get a decent place you do need to make upwards of $20 an hour or be in a two paycheck family or roommate situation. It is hard to pay if you are a single parent even if you are a college grad with a career.

[Bob Blockus]

If one can manage to survive several months in Anchorage. Apartment, Utilities, Transportation. It is then said one can manage year round in Anchorage. Networking Skills for finding right jobs a plus. Anchorage has the opportunity being the biggest city in Alaska. Say its 50% Win 50% down fall.

[tigerfan3]

Originally Posted by gobrien

Housing costs are supposed to be 1/3 of your budget, so to get a decent place you do need to make upwards of $20 an hour or be in a two paycheck family or roommate situation. It is hard to pay if you are a single parent even if you are a college grad with a career.

Still, housing here is much cheaper than cities like NY, San Fran, LA, Boston, and many, many others. Even college towns like Ann Arbor, Mi or Boulder Colorado have housing costs like Anchorage.

But I'd say most people would need that $20 an hour you mention.

If you can pass a background check (those are critical, don't move here if you can't) and a drug test and you have any skills in almost any field at all though, you're likely to get at least that.

I delivered pizzas my first two months in Anchorage and made that.

The job market here is far better than in many states in the lower 48. The economy never suffered here like it did in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, etc.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by highlife2

Lots of homeless people becuase everything up here is extremely expensvie and rent/mortgage takes the cake.

My experience in seeing homeless people where I live (and they sleep right outside my apartment building at night) is that they've got something broken internally that needs to be fixed (drug problem, emotional problems, history of childhood physical/sexual abuse). They tend to not be very good at getting along with other people, which makes them unemployable even if they have some job skills.

Providing people with free or cheap housing can help, but only to a degree. A lot of these people don't make very good neighbors and trash the places where they live, turning apartment buildings into slum dwellings.

Trying to solve the homeless problem from the outside-in has very limited success.

[blueflames50]

some people just do not understand the logistics of being on the other side of things...example they want to be paid top dollar in their job but everyone else is suppose to make squat compared to them...cheap meals, low rents, low mortgage etc....having never been on the "other" side of any of their complaints they will never get that landlords have to pay for renovations such as new roofs, septic, damages and INSURANCE for the renters who unreasonably sue over bogus issues....restaurants who's cooks and waitstaff are entitled to a good wage and the owner also has to pay insurance for the customers who sue, this is just the tip of the iceburg of landlords, business owners etc who some of the general working public haven't a clue about but can complain. They want the highest wages possible but everyone else is gouging... Anchorage is no different than any other city in the US for insurance, rent, wages, restaurants etc. in fact what some are stating for rents in Anchorage are cheap compared to here at the tune of $1800 plus utilities for being the cheapest rents available...topping at $2800 with utilities and no parking as that is additional!

[highlife2]

Originally Posted by tigerfan3

I've met many people who don't want a "home" and who say it's actually easier in the winter, mainly because because the areas they camp in aren't as crowded.

Until it gets below freezing and especially when its below 0, I dont even like walking from my car to fred meyers let alone just loitering around in that weather and sleeping in an unheated tent, thats a recipe for death.

[highlife2]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

LOL, i have to agree. I tell DH all the time that I'd save up my panhandling cash and buy a ticket to somewhere Warm!!

No sense in living in this place where you will die in the winter from exposure.

(of course if a homeless person was resourceful, they'd be able to live off the land here, as in Alaska, but it would not be easy)

Made even more difficult by fish and game regulations.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by highlife2

Down sides:
Rent and real estate are sky high for anything half way decent
Eating out is extremely expensive
hiking in the summer you need a bug suit because the mosquetoes are really bad

Good things (if your upper middle class where money is no object):
Great views once you leave anchorage on your private plane or helicopter
Awesome snowmaching on your 10k polaris and 200$ in gas to get out to a place to ride.
Salmon fishing in remote areas (need that private plane or helicopter otherwise your combat fishing with everyone from anchorage).

Alaska is great as long as you can get off the roads becuase there is a relativly large popluation density around anchorage the valley and the kenai and very few paved roads and everyone and their brother is on the seward and glenn all summer long, the nick name for the seward past potters marsh is the death highway because its the only through fare to the kenai penensula and everyone and their brother is on that road, its an absolute night mare at certian times.

So if she is comming up here and working at the dairy queen I would strongly recommend her not come because your going to be too broke to do anything, if she is an MD and making 100k or is monied up from somewhere it could be a good time.

Yup $ on the backside of the number, where did you go to school, I forgot..syou must have moved and reincarnated with a new name, but like cheers, everyone knows your name....

[highlife2]

Originally Posted by Grannysroost

Yup $ on the backside of the number, where did you go to school, I forgot..syou must have moved and reincarnated with a new name, but like cheers, everyone knows your name....

Ahh I thought I had my ignore list filtered down, thank you for the identifying post.

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by highlife2

Until it gets below freezing and especially when its below 0, I dont even like walking from my car to fred meyers let alone just loitering around in that weather and sleeping in an unheated tent, thats a recipe for death.

I guess there might be people tougher than you. I can't say I'm shocked by that possibility.