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I am currently looking for a job in Juneau, from Delaware. If I go, and it's not certain at this point, I would be going with my boyfriend, who will be working in Skagway for the summer, and in Juneau in the winter. He's changing his residency to AK, and I will most likely do so also; we're not just staying for the one summer. And, before anyone points out that it's stupid to uproot for a boyfriend/girlfriend, I've been looking to get out of Delaware for quite a while, and Juneau seems to be closer to the type of place I'd like to live than where I currently am.
The boyfriend's done seasonal work in Skagway before, so we know that we wouldn't be seeing each other every day, and that the costs of going back and forth on the ferry are rather high.
So, since I'm going to be in an unfamiliar place, I'd like to know a little more about it, and perhaps talk to some people who actually live in Juneau and can show me around a little bit if and when I do move.
First off, do not move until you have a permanent full time job. Second, the likelihood of your boyfriend getting a job over the winter is very small. Unemployment goes up during the winter as the seasonal jobs go away and construction slows/stops because of winter. In other words, there are a lot of people competing for the same jobs.
Living in Juneau is expensive. Rent runs anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per month. Your food bill can run anywhere from 25% to 100% more than what you're used to. We have a Costco, Walmart, Fred Meyer and Safeway for chain food stores, plus a couple on local grocery stores. Gas is currently $2.23/gal, but averaged in the $4-5 range most of the summer.
To offset the high living expense, we have many recreational opportunities here. Fishing, boating, kayaking, sightseeing, hiking, camping, etc., are available during the summer. Skiing, both downhill and cross-country, ice skating, hockey, etc., are available during the winter. There are also adult sports leagues going throughout the year. There are concerts and a local theater group plays that go on during the year, but not as many as available in a bigger city.
For transportation, there is a city bus service and taxis, but IMHO it's more convenient to have a car. Ferry service does run daily to Skagway during the summer and costs $50 each way. Figure about 6 hours each way because it stops at Haines. There is a 5 screen theater in the valley and a 2 screen theater in town, so you can see the latest movies.
I'm actually interviewing this Thursday (phone interview, of course) for a permanent full-time tech job with a company in Juneau. My bf is heading out in time for the tourist season, so he'll be leaving before me. I definitely wouldn't go anywhere before I had a job.
He's got a tentative job lined up for the winter, but he was told the same thing that you told me . . . that jobs are hard to find in the winter and, while he's got a good shot at this particular job, there is no guarantee.
Which reminds me . . . the first time I looked for a Alaska job bank, I found AlexSYS. When I saw it was only for Alaskans, I emailed the email address given for questions, and was told alternate sites to look. But the other advice I was given was to just come up and stop by a job center!
I own a car here, but I usually bike most places . . . Juneau doesn't seem to be huge, but how bike-friendly are the roads? Or weather (rain's not bad, ice is . . .)?
I've looked through the for rent listings on craigslist, so that's give me some idea of the cost of housing. I have a rather large dog, and while I see dog-friendly on many of the listings, I'm sure that he's going to limit my housing opportunities. I can leave him here; I have friends who can take care of him, but I'd much rather not, obviously.
Besides the expense (because I had heard that Juneau's expensive), my second concern is feeling isolated because I don't know anyone. At least for the six months of the tourist season, I'll probably be limited to seeing my bf on the weekends, due to both the cost and our schedules.
This is the main reason I joined these forums; in the hope that in the next few weeks, I might meet a couple nice people who could show me around a bit, or at least give me a hint on where to go to meet interesting people and find some friends. I'm not the type who always needs to be surrounded by people, but I also don't want that one day or weekend a week to be the only human contact I have outside of work.
Oh! And, being a programmer, the most obvious question I should've asked is about internet access. I'm not so ignorant that I think Juneau doesn't have it (although I've had friends suggest as much, hopefully joking), but I have no idea who the available service providers are or how much and how fast the packages are. Any information on that would also be welcome.
Biking to the Valley in Juneau in the rain or snow isn't a lot of fun. And it rains a lot. It's at least a few miles to Juneau from there. It seemed like about five miles from the airport to downtown. I'd think twice about limiting myself to a bike. Just my opinion of course. Some folks are born tough and rugged and then there's me.
Right now, do not stop, google "extended stays in juneau, ak". tourist season is coming and rentals are going to be lean. you're best bet are probably the breakwater or the driftwood, avoid the prospector, and for god's sake avoid the bergman.
you can use a bike with ease in jnu depending on where you live and work
there are 2 parts to jnu, downtown/harbor and the "valley". if you're gonna work downtown, the first 2 mentioned are good choices. you can walk to work.
any more questions, just ask.
Biking to the Valley in Juneau in the rain or snow isn't a lot of fun. And it rains a lot. It's at least a few miles to Juneau from there. It seemed like about five miles from the airport to downtown.
actually mal, it's more like 10 or 11 miles from the airport to "downtown".
I 2nd you in the fact that it is no fun biking fron the valley to downtown, that's why there is the bus (public trans).
Since I am always driving a rental, I never checked the mileage, but I know I would live in the Valley as it is cheaper than downtown. Douglass might be cheaper, too, but since I don't live there, I couldn't venture to guess.
@Danny - I'll be working in the Downtown area, so I'd prefer a place around there. However, I checked out both the Driftwood and the Breakwater, and their rates would break anyone's budget long-term. They're reasonable if I was staying a week, but not a year or more. I'm looking for a place to rent, either an apartment or a trailer . . . from what I've seen on Craigslist, houses are going to be much more expensive.
I also used Google Maps to check the distance between Downtown and the Valley. From where I'd be working (the East-ish side of Downtown) to where Egan Drive (7) splits into 7 and Yandukin is just under 8 miles. Not a bad bike ride when it's nice out, in the rain, I'm sure I'll be taking the bus. But I will try to find a place Downtown and hopefully just completely avoid that problem unless I need something from the Valley.
I emailed five different listings that are "dog-friendly" from Craigslist last night (about 5-6 PM Juneau time) with some details about my dog, but I haven't heard back yet. Some of the listings had phone number, so I'll try calling some of them later today if I still haven't heard anything. The area code for Juneau is 907, correct? Most (if not all) the numbers only included the last seven digits.
@Danny - I'll be working in the Downtown area, so I'd prefer a place around there. However, I checked out both the Driftwood and the Breakwater, and their rates would break anyone's budget long-term. They're reasonable if I was staying a week, but not a year or more. I'm looking for a place to rent, either an apartment or a trailer . . . from what I've seen on Craigslist, houses are going to be much more expensive.
Yes, JNU is area code 907.
Extended stay is good only if you choose 30 days or more. It ususally runs 900 to 1200 a mo. Also sales tax is waived if you pay 30 days up front.
Trailers and houses are expensive because usually you pay everything. Heat, electricity, etc. It adds up fast.
Since you're working downtown, see what the people at your workplace recommends.
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