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Old 05-08-2021, 10:43 AM
 
2 posts, read 6,901 times
Reputation: 13

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Hi! I am interviewing for a job in Bethel Alaska and I hope to gather some information about the area. I have been doing my research but hope someone can provide up to date information. I really appreciate any feedback provided. I am really trying to figure out if the area is a good match for my family.

Can someone share their experience relocating with teenagers? How is the school system? How was the transition for teenagers? Did they make friends quickly? I have a 13 year old and 16 year old.

How difficult is it to find suitable housing with pets? I have 4 cats and 1 dog (120lb German Shepherd). All of my pets are well behaved and are not destructive. Any recommendations who to call or web sites to visit? How much is rent for a 3 bedroom?

I know this question sounds stupid but, how do dogs go outside when the temps are so low? The reason I ask is because my German Shepherd is 6 years old. We adopted her in December 2020 (134lbs) and one day it was around 10 degrees and she was playing in the snow for about 3 minutes (I was videotaping) and it really bothered her arthritis. She almost could not make it back in. She is in a lot better physical shape (120lbs)
now so it might not be a problem.

How difficult will it be for my husband to find work? He has always worked construction.

The hospital pays relocation and provides 30 day housing. Will 30 days be long enough for me to find housing?

Should I bring my car? From what I read it sounds like a lot of people do not.

How much does it cost to fly into Anchorage?

Is Bethel safe?

I live where it does snow. But, it’s hard to really wrap my mind around negative temps. I want an adventure and feel this is a once in a lifetime opportunity just trying to gather as much info as possible. Thank you.
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Old 05-08-2021, 01:49 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,815 posts, read 18,101,386 times
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Don't know Bethel personally. You may get some of your questions answered by making contacts with school system employees or a parents group. Your family's experience with smaller communities will affect how well they might fit in, but small town AK is still going to be a major upheaval. Whatever you do, realize that if it doesn't work out you'll be needing to move back out again. Have a plan.

Yes, your dog will "feel" the winters, but depending on how stoic she is, she may not show it. If she has arthritis now she may be in pain a lot.

As for climate, lots of places get snow. The cold isn't the only aspect that makes long winters harder. The loss of daylight often makes more of a difference (SAD etc). Comparatively, Bethel doesn't get that cold.

Don't know about available work in the trades, but the AK economy in general is very depressed. There may not be much building going on. Your husband needs to research construction-related companies located in Bethel and inquire about business trends and possible openings.

You say you want an adventure but how do your kids feel about it? Are they being honest with you? Not great ages to pull them out of their schools.

Alaska Airlines lists flights to Bethel for $264 one way.

There probably isn't much housing available so the pets may be an obstacle.

Last edited by Parnassia; 05-08-2021 at 02:03 PM..
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Old 05-08-2021, 04:14 PM
 
2 posts, read 6,901 times
Reputation: 13
Thank you. I appreciate the response. My 13 year old is excited about the possibility of moving but my 16 year old is not. I agree not great ages to make such a big move. Thanks for the info on the housing too. I would not move without my pets under any circumstance. Thanks again!
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Old 05-08-2021, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Rural North Dakota
138 posts, read 153,730 times
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Do you live in a small town? Moving from a big city to bethel will be a big change. Bethel is not on the road system. No 2hr drive to the big city like many people in rural America. I live in the middle of nowhere 75 miles from the nearest stoplight in the cold northern state of North Dakota. While I have thought of considering a move to Alaska at some point for the experience in a place like Delta Junction, there is not a chance that I would consider living in a place like Bethel that is off the road sytem.
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Old 05-08-2021, 09:57 PM
 
1,761 posts, read 860,465 times
Reputation: 2854
Quote:
Originally Posted by homeschooldad1 View Post
Do you live in a small town? Moving from a big city to bethel will be a big change. Bethel is not on the road system. No 2hr drive to the big city like many people in rural America. I live in the middle of nowhere 75 miles from the nearest stoplight in the cold northern state of North Dakota. While I have thought of considering a move to Alaska at some point for the experience in a place like Delta Junction, there is not a chance that I would consider living in a place like Bethel that is off the road sytem.
Lots of us gussuks have moved to places like Bethel and have done quite well. I wouldn’t move to North Dakota on the road system or not. And you don’t live in the middle of nowhere when you can hop in your car and drive 75 miles to a stoplight.
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Old 05-08-2021, 10:00 PM
 
1,761 posts, read 860,465 times
Reputation: 2854
Quote:
Originally Posted by BethelBound0914 View Post
Thank you. I appreciate the response. My 13 year old is excited about the possibility of moving but my 16 year old is not. I agree not great ages to make such a big move. Thanks for the info on the housing too. I would not move without my pets under any circumstance. Thanks again!
Your animals are going to keep you out of a lot of rentals. Especially the cats.
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Old 05-09-2021, 01:36 AM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
2,792 posts, read 5,565,978 times
Reputation: 2528
Bethel is a larger hub village, but it's still a village. Getting in & out is expensive. Living there is expensive. This video is a couple of years old, but it gives you a feeling for prices: https://youtu.be/uQpxNFbDV4w
Drugs & alcohol abuse is definitely a problem, even among teens. The hospital has recently gone through an addition and remodel and is in great shape.
I grew up as a white kid in a native village. Granted, this was 3 decades ago, but I was only marginally accepted by the native kids...
And of course, winter is rough...
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Old 05-10-2021, 03:32 PM
 
Location: Palmer, Alaska
894 posts, read 2,189,107 times
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Being off the road system, Bethel is very expensive. I hope the job you're interviewing for isn't for anything listed on USAJobs, because it's not enough money to live on a single income. I haven't spent any time in Bethel outside of catching a flight to a small village, but I have a good friend from Bethel. He couldn't wait to get out of there.
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Old 05-10-2021, 09:07 PM
 
Location: interior Alaska
6,895 posts, read 5,792,091 times
Reputation: 23410
Quote:
Originally Posted by homeschooldad1 View Post
Do you live in a small town? Moving from a big city to bethel will be a big change. Bethel is not on the road system. No 2hr drive to the big city like many people in rural America. I live in the middle of nowhere 75 miles from the nearest stoplight in the cold northern state of North Dakota. While I have thought of considering a move to Alaska at some point for the experience in a place like Delta Junction, there is not a chance that I would consider living in a place like Bethel that is off the road sytem.
I think you've got it backwards on what can be a harder adjustment for an urban/suburban resident when coming to Alaska. There are pros and cons to road system small towns versus similarly sized towns accessible only by air or ferry. (Delta Junction has under a thousand people in the city limits, but most Delta residents don't live inside the small city boundaries. The actual Big Delta/Delta Junction community has more like 6,500 people, which I believe is comparable to Bethel.)

Delta is one of the most livable small road system towns, and Delta doesn't have a store where you can buy, like, underwear. If you want underwear, you're gonna need to order it online or drive to Fairbanks or Anchorage. Because it's on the road system, it's just assumed that people are going to make things work for stuff like shopping, health care, etc. And sure, people do, but it's not convenient.

On the other hand, a community like Bethel is set up to operate more independently. Services and goods may be expensive, but they're to hand.

Places like Delta have few municipal offerings. Places like Bethel have professional police, fire, public transit, garbage collection, utilities, etc. In Delta some of these services may be provided in a more limited way by the state, or by local volunteers or businesses, but it's hit and miss. You have to do for yourself. Bethel has a real airport with routine commercial flights; Delta has a landing strip for bushplanes. In Bethel cabs are plentiful; I don't believe Delta currently even has any rideshare drivers, let alone cabbies. Bethel is more walkable, Delta is more sprawled out. Someone in Delta who can't drive (or has car trouble) is fully out of luck.

Sure, it can be more of a hassle to get people and things in and out of Bethel than to get out of Delta because there's no road. But realistically, especially in winter, you can be just as closed off from the world in Delta as off the road system. All it takes is an avalanche to the south and a bridge washout to the north - or just a big storm - and you're not going anywhere for quite a while. And meanwhile there's no local hospital.

I mean, I would personally prefer to live in Delta than in Bethel, just because I like Delta better. But if you're looking for the conveniences of urban/suburban life, you're more likely to find similar amenities in communities off the road system than in the rural communities on the road system, generally speaking.

Last edited by Frostnip; 05-10-2021 at 09:21 PM..
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Old 05-14-2021, 09:29 PM
 
Location: Bettles Field, AK
311 posts, read 490,149 times
Reputation: 220
Quote:
Originally Posted by homeschooldad1 View Post
Do you live in a small town? Moving from a big city to bethel will be a big change. Bethel is not on the road system. No 2hr drive to the big city like many people in rural America. I live in the middle of nowhere 75 miles from the nearest stoplight in the cold northern state of North Dakota. While I have thought of considering a move to Alaska at some point for the experience in a place like Delta Junction, there is not a chance that I would consider living in a place like Bethel that is off the road sytem.
Living off the road system may be a dream but it can be extremely expensive. The cost of groceries in the Alaskan Bush is three to four times the places on the road system. Also, put in consideration that you will have to fly everywhere else out of town and it is very costly.

I briefly lived in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and the round trip plane ticket to and from Anchorage alone is around $1,200.
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