Pros + Cons of Living in Sitka (pros and cons, stores, moving to)

[icypenguin17]

I've been thinking of moving to Sitka for a while, but i wanted to know some pros and cons of living there from someone who does live there or has visited there. Thanks in advance!

[RayinAK]

Don't live in Sitka, but have been there a few times. Common sense will tell me the following:

a. If you are retired with a good pension, or have lots of money, it should not be a problem
b. If you don't have a good job at Sitka, it should be difficult for an outsider to get a good job, unless there aren't people in town who can't or don't have the skills, or don't have the credentials do the work required
c. Sitka is not connected to the road system. To get in and out you would have to do it via sea, or air
d. There aren't a lot of jobs in Sitka, other than government work

[mizzile]

I've spent a fair amount of time in Sitka. It's not my cup of tea for living, so here's my opinion:

Pros:

Nice, quiet small town
Good controls on development; no big box stores or too many chain stores, etc
Beautiful esp. when it's sunny

Cons:

EXPENSIVE
Seems quite snobby
Limited trail system and getting above treeline is a haul
Rain, rain, lots and lots of rain

And all the other stuff that goes with being off the road system in AK, good and bad.

[Metlakatla]

Sitka's all right, if you like lots of rain and wind. It's the only SE Alaskan community that's by the open ocean (not in a bay or behind a labyrinth of islands), so the winds can be strong.

[icypenguin17]

Thanks for the replies! I'm fine with rain, wind, snow, etc. I actually love all of them! And the road systems are fine with me, too. Still, i definitely don't want to live somewhere with snobby people. What makes them seem like that?

[AKtoWAtoUT]

Originally Posted by icypenguin17

Thanks for the replies! I'm fine with rain, wind, snow, etc. I actually love all of them! And the road systems are fine with me, too. Still, i definitely don't want to live somewhere with snobby people. What makes them seem like that?

They are talking snobby by Alaska standards, which would probably translate to an average person anywhere else.

[icypenguin17]

Oh, okay. So Alaskans are less snobby then everyone else........?

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by icypenguin17

Oh, okay. So Alaskans are less snobby then everyone else........?

Yes in the traditional way that snobby is used. They typically aren't going to try and dazzle you with their Mercedes or art collection. However, a fair number of Alaskans can be standoffish towards non-Alaskans. For the most part, this won't manifest in direct rudeness but it could making friends might be more difficult and take longer than in other places. Alaska seems to be a place where outsiders need to prove themselves. It's a little bit cliquish.

That said, as long as you are respectful of the way of life and appreciate the expertise of the locals, I think you would be fine. Whatever you do, don't talk about how things are done where you are from or how the locals are doing something wrong. That applies to everywhere, but people have a tendency to do this.

[AffeGeschaft]

Originally Posted by icypenguin17

I've been thinking of moving to Sitka for a while, but i wanted to know some pros and cons of living there from someone who does live there or has visited there. Thanks in advance!

Moving from where and why?

Gotta love these open-ended questions that provide absolutely zero context.

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by AKtoWAtoUT

They are talking snobby by Alaska standards, which would probably translate to an average person anywhere else.

Heh, could be. Though I had some run-ins with high-falutin' Sitka folk who seemed to think their small community connections made it necessary to worship the ground they walked on...