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I am finishing my masters degree in North Carolina and I am considering applying for a job in Juneau. I like to backpack, hike, fly fish, and rock climb. I also like to sit in a coffee shop and read and write. I am a 26 year old single guy. I have heard there are no women in Alaska, this can't be true! What are my options?
What is the younger social scene like?
Are there music/festivals?
What is downtown like?
How are house prices? Will I be able to buy my own home on $60-75K a year?
Picture of me: GradStudents (Our grad school website...I am the only David)
Once again, read the older posts. Lots of questions have been asked and re-asked and answered daily. Our resident Juneau expert will answer questions better I'm sure.
Once again, read the older posts. Lots of questions have been asked and re-asked and answered daily. Our resident Juneau expert will answer questions better I'm sure.
Yes...I tried this and haven't found the content I was looking for. I am not good at the forum thing though. It is probably just ignorance.
Last edited by ncseakayaker; 04-24-2008 at 11:58 AM..
Location: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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An Elephant's Graveyard
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncseakayaker
What is downtown like?
The "downtown," if you can call it that, is blessed with drunks and homeless people lining the streets. It is really lovely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncseakayaker
What is the younger social scene like?
Almost non-existent, unless you are considering dabbling in high school students. Many people who have any ambition in life or have anything going for them will relocate from Juneau shortly after graduating from high school.
There are relatively few people in their 20s and 30s - the demographic is heavily skewed towards the over-43 crowd, most of whom are married or divorced and, essentially, "playing out the string" in life. It is often said that Juneau is an elephant's graveyard for humans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncseakayaker
Are there music/festivals?
ROTFLMAO. Yes, nominally. But they are nothing to write home about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncseakayaker
How are house prices? Will I be able to buy my own home on $60-75K a year?
The housing market is drastically overpriced. But one would be wise to take a long, pensive look at the Juneau area before getting involved in any long-term commitment. Short-term, month-to-month rentals are more advisable initially. Wright Services is one real estate firm which specializes in month-to-month arrangements.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncseakayaker
I am a 26 year old single guy. I have heard there are no women in Alaska, this can't be true!
It is not true. But are we talking about Alaska overall, or Juneau, specifically? Also, are aesthetics a factor when considering this sensitive topic? If so, Juneau is about as low as one can go in that department, unless, of course, one is considering dabbling in high school chicks, as indicated above. But please remember, the better ones and/or the ones with any ambition in life will be relocating soon after their high school graduation, so do not count on any long-term prospects from that source unless you are willing to relocate with her.
Otherwise, there are plenty of married womenfolk from which to choose, as well as weatherbeaten post-menopausal divorcees scampering about.
Elsewhere in Alaska the female prospects are much better, particularly in Soldotna and Anchorage. The demographics in these areas are much more favorable than in Juneau, as are the aesthetics.
Of course, during the summer there is an influx of female seasonal workers in Juneau and elsewhere in Alaska. An average (or better) female "import" sticks out like a proverbial sore thumb in Juneau. Understand, my good man, that the demand for her services will be astronomical, so the competition for her attention is significant, numerically speaking. On the other hand, the Juneau bachelor scene is nothing to write home about either, so, it is not difficult to separate oneself from the pack if one has much to offer. That is, if one chooses to play the game. It is a matter of taste, standards, and where one draws the line, if at all.
By the way, have you developed a taste for Filipina or Indian womenfolk?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncseakayaker
I like to backpack, hike, fly fish, and rock climb.
In that case, you can do much better than Juneau, old sport. Especially in the state of Alaska. While there are some nominal trails snaking through the forests in the Juneau area, there is very little variation among them. Juneau is surrounded by modest bumps in the terrain which max out at 3500 feet or so (some of the more ambitious wordsmiths refer to these terrestrial protuberances as "mountains") but elsewhere in Alaska such hills are barely a blip on the screen.
Outstanding fishing and kayaking opportunities abound in Homer, Seward, and throughout the Kenai Peninsula. One can pretty much experience what Juneau has to offer in this respect within the span of a few days.
Also, be advised that the wildlife in Juneau is sparse. One may encounter an occasional bald eagle or black bear (*yawn*) or small deer, but forget about it as far as moose, buffalo, caribou, etc. are concerned. One would have to venture up into Alaska for that.
Parenthetically, as you may realize, it does tend to rain in Juneau, British Columbia. It can rain almost nonstop for weeks at a time, often accompanied by low clouds and fog which prevent one from beholding the peaks of the aforementioned 3000 foot bumps. A clear or partly cloudy day without rain is a big deal in Juneau, British Columbia, as you may have noticed by perusing elsewhere in this august discussion forum. A really big deal.
Although the patches of ice were treacherous on Basin Rd. earlier this morning, nevertheless I shall now embark under the non-rainy skies to cavort naked at Eagle Beach and count the grains of sand with resolution and alacrity.
Dude, don't listen to whoever that person is. He or she is flat out wrong. Juneau is the most beautiful city in the entire world. End of story.
First of all, if you're the kind of guy who likes to party-hearty, Juneau probably isn't for you. We have like one night club, and it's so hooky a lot of people avoid it like the plague.
On the other hand, we do have a social scene- tons of art galleries, music festivals, etc. We're home to Alaska's only professional theatre troupe. We just finished the Alaska Folk Festival, which is flat out awesome, then there's Juneau Jazz and Classics and a few others.
Outdoor opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, etc abound. And we do have an excellent coffee company that runs a couple of shops plus a few more drive thru stands scattered around town. Our library system is great and if you can't find the book you want, they'll ship it in from Anc, Fairbanks, or wherever it is, for you.
The no women thing is an absolute myth. I give you my solemn word that there are a lot of women in Juneau. I happen to be one myself.
Downtown is beautiful, as long as you stay away from S. Franklin, which is almost all tourist shops which get boarded up during the winter and during the summer... well, let's just say it gets a little crowded.
Whether you can afford a house on your salary depends largely on how well you save your money, how much of your money you spend on other stuff, and what kind of house you want. A single person moving to Juneau generally does the apartment rental thing, at least for a while, simply because buying a house sight unseen is a very, very bad idea.
One last thing- if 60-70 thousand a year is what you would make in NC, you can expect to make more than that here. Wages are high compared to most of the lesser 48. The flip side of the coin, though, is that we have one of the highest cost of living for a city of our size in the nation. I would not be surprised if after we start getting our new electricity bills that we get the top place.
I have some pictures of the area here: Flickr: Xa'at's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laquatique/ - broken link)
I would also recommend going here: https://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=4936766.
That is a list of all the posts I've made on the Recent Photos thread. Also, search the forum for posts about Juneau, I and others have made quite a few.
There are a few people out there who cannot handle living off road, get cabin fever and start spouting nonsense about Juneau. I can only assume that's what happened to the above poster. It's true that Juneau isn't for everyone, but trust me when I say if it is right for you, you'll never want to leave.
If so, Juneau is about as low as one can go in that department, unless, of course, one is considering dabbling in high school chicks, as indicated above. But please remember, the better ones and/or the ones with any ambition in life will be relocating soon after their high school graduation, so do not count on any long-term prospects from that source unless you are willing to relocate with her.
Dude, what is wrong with you? That is so unbearably offensive, I can't even handle it.
Dude, don't listen to whoever that person is. He or she is flat out wrong. Juneau is the most beautiful city in the entire world. End of story.
First of all, if you're the kind of guy who likes to party-hearty, Juneau probably isn't for you. We have like one night club, and it's so hooky a lot of people avoid it like the plague.
On the other hand, we do have a social scene- tons of art galleries, music festivals, etc. We're home to Alaska's only professional theatre troupe. We just finished the Alaska Folk Festival, which is flat out awesome, then there's Juneau Jazz and Classics and a few others.
Outdoor opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, etc abound. And we do have an excellent coffee company that runs a couple of shops plus a few more drive thru stands scattered around town. Our library system is great and if you can't find the book you want, they'll ship it in from Anc, Fairbanks, or wherever it is, for you.
The no women thing is an absolute myth. I give you my solemn word that there are a lot of women in Juneau. I happen to be one myself.
Downtown is beautiful, as long as you stay away from S. Franklin, which is almost all tourist shops which get boarded up during the winter and during the summer... well, let's just say it gets a little crowded.
Whether you can afford a house on your salary depends largely on how well you save your money, how much of your money you spend on other stuff, and what kind of house you want. A single person moving to Juneau generally does the apartment rental thing, at least for a while, simply because buying a house sight unseen is a very, very bad idea.
One last thing- if 60-70 thousand a year is what you would make in NC, you can expect to make more than that here. Wages are high compared to most of the lesser 48. The flip side of the coin, though, is that we have one of the highest cost of living for a city of our size in the nation. I would not be surprised if after we start getting our new electricity bills that we get the top place.
I have some pictures of the area here: Flickr: Xa'at's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laquatique/ - broken link)
I would also recommend going here: https://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=4936766.
That is a list of all the posts I've made on the Recent Photos thread. Also, search the forum for posts about Juneau, I and others have made quite a few.
There are a few people out there who cannot handle living off road, get cabin fever and start spouting nonsense about Juneau. I can only assume that's what happened to the above poster. It's true that Juneau isn't for everyone, but trust me when I say if it is right for you, you'll never want to leave.
First of all, if you're the kind of guy who likes to party-hearty, Juneau probably isn't for you.
Nope that isn't me. In fact that type of atmosphere is part of the reason I want to get away. When I said downtown I really meant somewhere there are shops and people get out and walk and converse with neighbors and that kind of thing. The town I live in right now is very decentralized and has no real culture.
We have many offices in Alaska so I would have the potential to move around if I don't like Juneau.
I like to take pictures (though mine don't look like Xa'at pictures) and it seems like a great place for that.
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An Elephant's Graveyard
