Young Couple Wanting to Move to Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks: crimes, public schools)

[TeachrGirl17]

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback, it's been really helpful! I have another question..been hearing a lot lately about earthquakes. I do know that Alaska has them, but never having experienced one before, is it a huge concern there? How frequent are they?

[gobrien]

There was that bad one in '64 but nothing damaging since. It is a concern but our buildings since then have been built to withstand them. My biggest worry re earthquakes would be gas mains becoming dislodged in the winter and being cold for a bit.

[bortstc37]

even the biggest earthquake would do little more than make you fall over. earthquakes themselves are not dangerous (unless you're unlucky enough to be right over a piece of ground that opens up.

it's the buildings that you have to worry about. being inside them could be bad news, but you can minimize risk by living in a small house that is well built, and by working in a strong building. hell, you can even live comfortably in a yurt (a lady in the next village over does, she seems to love it).

[AADAD]

The quakes here so far are not bad. you feel them but they are more rolling feel than the sharp and sudden we got in California. So far not to bad but they are present from time to time.

[gr8living]

Originally Posted by bongo

Tell all the folks down there that they'll have a place to stay when they visit you in Alaska & their tune might change about being nuts!

Oh, yeah. Most of the people who thought we were nuts, now see all of our pictures and smiles and beautiful surroundings and are booking flights to come visit us this summer.

[Addy23]

I have lived in AK for about 21 years I'm ready to leave but I think that it is a nice state I've just had enough of it. I need some sunshine in my life. Teaching jobs are great. The key to getting threw the winters are doing winter activitys. Being stuck in the house will make you krazy. Anchorage is the only city that I would ever live in or consider living in. The valley is nice but I could not do that drive into anchorage everyday in the winter. It is dangerous in my opinion. If you could find jobs in palmer, wasilla area maybe consider living there. Anchorage is too small for all the people in it right now. And just a reminder winter is usually 7 to 8 months long it gets old after a while. Good luck

[angelface101]

Originally Posted by talkin2mch

I am 20 and my husband is 26 =) and we have lived here (Soldotna) for 6 years and are getting ready to move to Spokane, Washington in May. It IS a beautiful place in the summer and is probably a dream land for the outdoor enthusiast but the winters are HELL. seriously :-p and we have a 3 year old daughter and there just isn't enough to do here. Anchorage is dirty and there is a lot of crime there (in my opinion) If you ever plan on having children I wouldn't recommend living there. And I agree with everyone else you should definitely come visit first before making your decision. Either way I wish you guys the best of luck!

How much do you know of Spokane? There are parts of Spokane that are more scary and dangerous than Compton. Talk about dirty. No offense. I lived several years in Kennewick and know that there is a lot of trouble over in Spokane. The land is ugly too. I was just up in Anchorage last week and the beauty blows me away. The winters will be comparable to what you are used to but the summers are way hotter. There is definitely much more sunlight year round in Spokane. I do remember there being a couple feet of snow on the ground with it being sunny out. I hope you have good reason for moving to Spokane and I hate to be negative. I just thought it funny comparing the crime in ANC to Spokane. Good luck to you!

[surfer chick...]

I always think living in Alaska has a lot to do with how you adapt to anything. I adapt very well to anything so when I moved to Alaska 10 years ago right smack in the worst snowstorm at that time and didnt freak out, I knew Id be fine. But if you are picky and dont like certain things, like rain or clouds or too hot weather,then Alaska may not be for you. There are so many good points to living there. My pros have always been #1 The dividend #2No sales tax(Anchorageand not sure other places) or lower sales tax #3 Generally higher pay; at least some places #4 Peace and Quiet; again some places #5 Less traffic than say, California #6 Postcard settings #7 The best thing about living in Alaska to me is every year I go on two vacations.
Anchorage is nice but still a city. I have never been to Southeast Alaska but hear it is really nice.

[glacierwolf]

If you can handle 6-9 months of darkness and 24 hrs of daylight, risk breaking your vehicle from possible moose collision, severely cold climate, weather changes by the moment, mosquitos,gnats,no trespassing signs,delayed transportation due to weather,jokes for being a southerner, you might survive.

[ak.nessa]

Summer is warmer in Fairbanks. There is a lot of crime in Anchorage, it reminded me of Los Angeles, just colder and more depressing. But summers are OK, lots of mosquitoes though. You might like Alaska, but I HIGHLY recommend visiting BEFORE you decide to move up there. I grew up in the lower 48, got married and in my mid-20s now but lived in Anchorage and Fairbanks for a while with my husband (we also thought it would be a fun adventure, because we are so outdoorsy and active). Turns out most of the year it's so miserably cold that we never wanted to do anything outdoors. If you like cross country skiing then that might give you something to do in the winter. There are good people in AK, but you will find an overwhelming amount of rude people (especially if you're used to Florida). The customer service is horrible, food and gas prices are ridiculously high, and rent is so high you will both have to have full time jobs. The reason my husband and I gave up on Alaska is #1 it was depressing, and #2 it was too expensive. We simply couldn't afford the rent + food. There is great hunting and fishing in the lower 48 if that's what's drawing you to AK.

Also, you have to have a horse, ATV, plane, sled dog team, etc if you want to go anywhere remote. Keep that in mind. It's really hard to experience the real Alaska unless you are wealthy enough to own more than just a 4x4 vehicle. By the way, you will NEED a 4x4 vehicle, and you will need to winterize that vehicle because of how cold it gets in winter time.

Please send me any questions you might have, because I basically did the exact thing that you are thinking about doing, and I thoroughly regret doing it. I am now living in Oregon with far more outdoor opportunities, plenty of fishing/hunting/hiking down here, but it's so much cheaper and the people are so much nicer down here.

If you are still considering AK...please take my advice and visit Alaska before you move there. It's not for everyone.