Possible move to AK soon

[riceme]

Well, Haines has an... almost otherworldly beauty. Not surprising that your friends love it there.

I would have to agree with Frostnip that you should not rule out Fairbanks, or the "greater Fairbanks area" as an option. There are some truly nice areas outside Fairbanks.

If you're a Florida native and you're looking to possibly move to the Interior, I can't help but think that you must love extremes. I do, and it's one of the things I love about living here. However, I would still strongly encourage you to visit during the winter. Six or seven long months of winter and -40*F is not for everybody. Before the first freeze I dig up some soil and put it in a big coffee can so I can smell it during winter... because the thing I miss the most during winter is surprisingly not the sun but the smell of dirt. I seem to recall that someone else on this forum does the same thing.

[6.7traveler]

I'm not biased but Delta Junction is the best town in the entire interior .

I love all the North Pole hating on this thread. I about spit my coffee out when North Pole was described as the "Arctic South". I've never been a huge fan myself and if you're from FL think of Polk county but colder.

In all fairness, I've heard there are some nice areas of NP though and a lot of people my wife works with love it there.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

I'm not biased but Delta Junction is the best town in the entire interior .

I love all the North Pole hating on this thread. I about spit my coffee out when North Pole was described as the "Arctic South". I've never been a huge fan myself and if you're from FL think of Polk county but colder.

In all fairness, I've heard there are some nice areas of NP though and a lot of people my wife works with love it there.

Specifically I was thinking of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, post-Ivan.

The people I love the most in this world live in North Pole, so I spend a lot of time there, but geez. And they want me to move back there :-o

I like DJ... you all have just about the best grocery store around. I always stop and stock up on good stuff when I drive through.

[AlaskaErik]

I personally would never consider NP or Fairbanks. It's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Since there is no natural gas line, heating is very expensive and you'll need a propane tank if you prefer a gas range. Since so many people heat with wood, air pollution is particularly bad in the winter. If you don't heat with wood, you'll find your heat bill in the winter will be astronomical, unless you live in a small 15 by 15 foot well insulated cabin. Southcentral Alaska has a lot more to offer in the way of affordable living. Energy costs are much lower and outside of Anchorage, housing is pretty reasonable. Travel costs will also be lower and you'll have a much better choice of destinations and one less leg on your journey. And if you like to fly Space A, you'll have much more to choose from at Elmendorf than at Eielson. And there is just a lot more to do in Southcentral. I grew up in Alaska and I've had family who lived in Fairbanks and for me, living in Southcentral a no brainer.

[riceme]

^It's true that this is a particularly tough place to live for people with allergies, etc. In the winter it's the fine particulate from wood smoke and in the summer it's the birch pollen. Fortunately neither bother me but I don't know how those folks even live here.

Birch pollen blasts Fairbanks allergy sufferers worse than ever - Alaska Dispatch News

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by litlbitnva

My husband and I have been talking about moving to Alaska for several years but he was active duty so we couldn't just up and move. Well, he retired last June and now that dream is looking like a possibility as soon as the end of August, beginning of September. Areas we have considered are Palmer, Eagle River and North Pole. We are not looking to live in a neighborhood. The most important thing to me is making sure the kids are in a good school district, especially one that can meet the needs of a child with high functioning autism. We have kids in high school, middle school and elementary school. Any insight into those areas mentioned above would be most appreciated. If there are other areas that would be good to consider I'm open to that as well. We still need to be some what close to military bases. Leaning more towards being closer to Anchorage than Fairbanks. Thanks.

Not that finances are a sole indicator of performance, but of the big three school districts, Mat-Su is the most secured financially.

[Metlakatla]

You need to visit. Making a relocation decision because someone you know loves living in Haines doesn't account for the fact that most of Alaska is nothing like Haines, especially NP. I'd also be concerned about state funding for school programs possibly being on the chopping block in the future.

[Metlakatla]

Too late to edit -- not to say that your primary reason for wanting to move to AK is because your friend loves it in Haines (why not Haines, btw?), but Alaska is huge, and what's true for one part doesn't apply to others...I think you should look seriously at Palmer.