Which city in the lower 48 compares to Anchorage? (contractors, storage)

[313 TUxedo]

Originally Posted by mizzile

There's no place like this, anywhere. The lower 48 is too populated for anyone there to understand what an Alaskan city is like.

There are places in the lower 48 with very low population density, even some East of the Mississippi, for that matter (Northern Maine and Upper Michigan)

Marquette, MI has similar isolation, appreciation for the outdoors and even weather not so far of the mark, but nothing in the 906 can compare to the 907's pipeline economy, native vs. outsider issues, and seriously skewed male/female ratio.

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by 313 TUxedo

There are places in the lower 48 with very low population density, even some East of the Mississippi, for that matter (Northern Maine and Upper Michigan)

Marquette, MI has similar isolation, appreciation for the outdoors and even weather not so far of the mark, but nothing in the 906 can compare to the 907's pipeline economy, native vs. outsider issues, and seriously skewed male/female ratio.

It is not even close to being the same as anywhere in Alaska. It's a whole different world up here.

There is also no "skewed" male/female ratio, that is a myth.

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by mizzile

It is not even close to being the same as anywhere in Alaska. It's a whole different world up here.

There is also no "skewed" male/female ratio, that is a myth.

It is a little skewed. 108 males per 100 females for the state, 103:100 for Anchorage.

Marquette, MI is worse than Anchorage: 107 males to 100 females.

MTU (Michigan Tech) is far, far worse. The city of Houghton, where MTU is, has 160 men to 100 women... If you don't include children, it jumps to 175:100. To me, that's the very definition of sausage fest

[mizzile]

That's not really "skewed" though is it? Having a totally even ratio isn't too common. But those MTU numbers are hilarious! Must be a good place to be a straight woman. Though they're all engineers, though, so perhaps not.

[SityData]

Everytime I am in Anchorage - I forget where I am - I think I'm back in the lower 48

Yup !!! That's the best description I've heard yet !

Valdez is a super nice place & community (to stay).

[SityData]

Originally Posted by ysr_racer

What kind of money do you guys use up there?

Here in America it's 2011, what year is it in Alaska?

Doesn't your igloo melt in the summer, or is it winter all year long?

How do you live without indoor plumbing or electricity?

What language does everybody speak?

In one simple sentence: American dollars 2011, no & no one lives without indoor plumbing & electricity & this is the spoken language you are reading.

I suggest you quickly return to the institution you have wandered away from and go back to watching discovery channel.

[blackzzz01]

Originally Posted by SityData

In one simple sentence: American dollars 2011, no & no one lives without indoor plumbing & electricity & this is the spoken language you are reading.

I suggest you quickly return to the institution you have wandered away from and go back to watching discovery channel.

P.T. Barnum was right...There is a sucker born every minute.

[naturesdreams]

you guys are too funny...

[danreynolds1975]

for me (and I've lived in a LOT of cities) would be Santa Rosa, California if it was 15-20 degrees cooler and had moose wandering around inside the city.

Both are fairly close population size (Santa Rosa is approximately 250k people last time I checked), both have lots of parks and green spaces with large state parks just outside the city, the people in both areas are friendlier than the national average, and you tend to see more small businesses and businesses unique to the region in Santa Rosa like you do in Anchorage. There are mountain ranges just outside both cities (admittedly the mountains surrounding S.R. are much smaller than those outside Anchorage, but you get a similar view), and coastal access is very easy in both cities. Both have some rough patches here and there, but in both cases those areas seem to be easily avoided.

I know that Santa Rosa isn't a major, easily identified city, but from my experience, it is the closest that I've experienced to Anchorage.

[LittleJazzyP]

Originally Posted by tigre79

I'd agree with that. From my experience, in the Lower-48, Alaska doesn't really register. It's just a vacation cruise destination, if anything. It's not a real place where real people live. But I'm not sure it's the only state like that. Hawai'i certainly has that "not a real place" thing going, and probably other sparsely populated states like North Dakota and Wyoming, as well. Heck, I never really thought about Maine until I met a couple people from there.

I think you got that spot-on. I moved here a little over a year ago, and my friends were as fascinated (and in some cases as horrified) as if I had said I was relocating to Mars.

Alaska *is* sort of a mythical place for a lot of people. I had folks ask me, seriously, if I would have electricity, if it would be snowing when I got here (in Anchorage, in August? I guess it could happen, but...), and where I would get food. All I could say to that was, it's a major city, we have Walmart and Costco and McDonalds, just like you.

Having said that...Anchorage really isn't like anyplace else I've ever been. My friends back home thought I was going to be plopped down on a set of "Northern Exposure," and I have to admit, every time I see a moose ambling across the road in my neighborhood, I think they might be right. Except...it's a busy urban road, and that moose is sharing it with trucks, cars, and city buses. You don't see that in Chicago (one place with which people have compared the winters.)

So...I can't really say what other city Anchorage is like. I can, however, describe some things I have noticed about it that are unique to me, as a new resident:

There really aren't any suburbs here. Once you are out of town, you are out.

There is not much old architecture that I have noticed, probably due in part to the earthquake. No old brownstones, no Victorian homes, nothing like the historic districts I have seen in other cities. I don't know if they existed before the quake, or if Anchorage simply never had them, but it is strange to me how new most things here seem to be.

Things seem a bit more eclectic here, in terms of land use. I think I need more sleep before I try to delve further into that one...

Anyway, I cast my vote with those who say Anchorage is pretty damn unique.