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I've only been in Seward since January. I think it's hard to really get a good entire feel for a place without being there a year at least but so far I really like it. I'm enjoying trees- I can just smell them- I never realized how important they were to me. I also love the natural beauty of Seward. It's just shock and awe gorgeous here. We are still in the adjustment phase though and are looking for a better rental..... All in all I can't wait to get out and see more of AK this summer.
I hear is a beautiful place, and am anticipating seeing some of Seward this summer also, hopefully with the boat
I have seen many, many pictures of Barrow both in the spring and in the winter and I like what I see. Phoenix is beautiful too when you first get here. Then you take your rose-colored glasses off and see a bunch of illegal immigrants, homeless people, and gangbangers. How beautiful is that?
I would much rather see miles and miles of pristine snow and ice than see the things I see here.
Barrow was the worst travel assignment I ever had. I hated the ER there. The town is basically a dump and there really isn't anything to do. I can't imagine why anyone would want to go there permanently. Those beautiful pics of the tundra leave out the smell of raw sewage that is Barrow. Miles of pristine snow and ice may exist if you get out of Barrow but if your in town expect mud, dead animal parts, metal junk of all sorts, garbage, standing dirty water, and floating trash. I would say go there as a traveler before you agree to any contract but then you'd be committed to 13 weeks- YIKES- god be with you.
Barrow was the worst travel assignment I ever had. I hated the ER there. The town is basically a dump and there really isn't anything to do. I can't imagine why anyone would want to go there permanently. Those beautiful pics of the tundra leave out the smell of raw sewage that is Barrow. Miles of pristine snow and ice may exist if you get out of Barrow but if your in town expect mud, dead animal parts, metal junk of all sorts, garbage, standing dirty water, and floating trash. I would say go there as a traveler before you agree to any contract but then you'd be committed to 13 weeks- YIKES- god be with you.
I agree with your post, but Floyd thinks Barrow is orgasmic so when he reads this you are in trouble. Honesty about Barrow is not permitted here.
13 weeks? How do you think teachers feel? And the superintendent resigned in March (actually left in February). Hope you don't have kids, or at least they're grown!
I have seen many, many pictures of Barrow both in the spring and in the winter and I like what I see. Phoenix is beautiful too when you first get here. Then you take your rose-colored glasses off and see a bunch of illegal immigrants, homeless people, and gangbangers. How beautiful is that?
I would much rather see miles and miles of pristine snow and ice than see the things I see here.
ROTFLMAO!! Hit the nail on the head with that one didn't cha! I have yet to have anyone other than Floyd tell me how wonderful Barrow is...
When you talk to people who only came here for the money and can't hack the adventure level, what do you expect?
I've never claimed that Barrow is the right place for everyone. It's just dead stupid for the bunch of you who can't hack it here to be claiming it is the wrong place for anyone.
There are hundreds of people here who don't want to live anywhere else. They fill an interesting niche too... of course most of them are Inupiat, but some are Koreans, Filipinos, Hawaiians, Somoans.
I know one Thai fellow who says he's wanted to live in Barrow since he was a teenager and first studied geography in highschool. His concept of "success" was when he had enough money saved up to move to Barrow and buy a business (he bought several!). Years ago I used to talk often with one the first two Filipinos who came to Barrow. He passed away some time back, but his delight in living here was a topic we talked about fairly often.
Oddly enough (or perhaps not), there are few Caucasians from the US that particularly like Barrow. That's probably not a coincidence! The Inupiat people control the government here. One result, which folks from the Lower-48 do like, is that money gets spread around (and they can get some of it, usually, even though they never lose their status as "transient".). They don't generally like the lack of White Preference and tend to object vociferously to Inupiat Preference. And they generally just grossly object to having a government run with a set of values that are not the same as found in the Lower-48 where they are comfortable. Most other people come here fully expecting to have to learn a different way of life (i.e., the Koreans, Thais, Filipinos etc.).
But tell me, if this is such a horrible place, why are there 4000 people living here when it is not a major hub of any kind and has little to offer other than being a great place to live!
It's really all in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. I've never been to Barrow, though I hope to visit one day. Everyone likes and dislikes something different. What is great for one can be horrible for another.
I sleep in Wasilla now, I say sleep because I can't say I live here, I live in other parts around. We moved here because it was a starting point, and we can't get out of Wasilla soon enough. Don't get me wrong, we do love being and living in AK, just not Wasilla. We don't want to live in an area that is nothing but pieces of the -48 planted on a strip.
Who knows, when I do visit Barrow, that just might be the place I'm looking for, time will tell.
I think you need to "live" in an area for a few months before you can say if you like it or not.
I thoroughly enjoy reading all of the posts on here regarding Barrow. I not only want to hear the positive things, but the negative too. If someone asks me how I like Phoenix I give them the honest answer I would like to hear.
It is a very large city and there is a plethora of things to do everyday. It is hard to not be able to find something if you want it. Say, you want a collection of Coach bags, there is a store for that. Perhaps you want a Land Rover or Ferrari. Heck, I'll show you where the dealerships are.
I also tell people what a beautiful city it is. The highways have beautiful landscaping on the side of the roads. The houses all have beautiful landscaping. Palm trees abound. And the weather is absolutely gorgeous 350 days a year. At Christmas you can wear shorts and a t-shirt.
However, all those things are only the good things. I could also tell you that Phoenix is the number 2 place to have your car stolen. I could tell you that everyone has a sense of entitlement here. Everyone wants a free handout. You can drive down a beautiful palm tree lined boulevard and see it littered with illegals looking for day labor. A drive out on the indian reservation will show you how well our local tribes value the land. Junk and trash litter the land. Houses have windows torn out and junk cars litter the yard. It seems as though they have no respect for the land.
I expect that living in Barrow is going to be a learning experience. I am sure there are things I will love about the town just like there will be things I will hate about it. I am open to learning a new culture and savor the idea of a small close-knit community and all it has to offer. Hell, I am even enjoying packing all my stuff, selling my other stuff, and counting down the days until I leave for Barrow. May 25th can't come soon enough.
On your way up, bring a Land Rover D90 please They are hard to come by anyway in the US.
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Barrow will be a Bust
I have yet to have anyone other than Floyd tell me how wonderful Barrow is... 
