Intentions of Moving to Alaska (Anchorage, Kenai: apartments, rentals, mover)

[bigjamesnice22]

Greetings,

Recently my girlfriend and I had decided that we want to move up north, and Alaska has been put in high consideration. She is from Poland and I am from New York, although we are both currently living in Brooklyn, New York at this time.

There are a few... actually, a lot of things that I would like to know that I feel I can get better answers from residents of Alaska as opposed to websites about Alaska itself. Areas that we have considered are Anchorage, Kenai, and Juneau for the consideration of my questions.

First and foremost, most importantly, what is one's best option when looking for work in Alaska, especially if you don't live there yet? The both of us would like to secure employment before we set foot anywhere. I have a general education diploma (high school equivalent), and she has a Master's degree in law, but it is from a university in Poland. However, she does have a US general education diploma (HS) as well. Is there work available for people like us there in Alaska? What are the best prospects at this time? Anything goes really, as we would both love to get the ball rolling, and could always try to find better employment over time.

Secondly, how is it when it comes to finding a place to stay? I hear the cost of living is quite high there from a lot of responses on this forum. Would someone say that the price of living is lower, about the same, or higher than the cost of living in New York? I know here that we need to pay, at the very least, 1000 monthly just to live in a semi-decent place.

Lastly, are there any area's that don't require a vehicle? She currently isn't a license holder, and I am waiting to get my own license until I find a place to move, although I already have my learner's permit and pretty much am License ready. Also, how are the public transportation systems there?

There's a lot of other things running through my mind, but I don't want to make the post too excessive, especially for my first. These three things I believe are the basics and most important details to be covered. Thanks for reading this far.

[JavaPhil]

The only public transport in Anchorage is the bus system (People Mover). I couldn't say about Juneau, and I know of none in the Kenai. Work is available, but in general, you have to be in the right place at the right time to land halfway decent jobs, and doing that ling distance is problematic at best. I would ensure that I had at least 6 months of living allowances saved. Not trying to discourage you, as I like to see people with a little gumption show up. 1-BR apartments go from $800 to 1100 in Anchorage.

[snkalaska]

Kenai does sort of have public transportation. Central Area Rural Transit System, Inc. - Soldotna, Alaska - Welcome ...
Rentals are probably cheaper here than Anchorage, but somewhat limited. Employment is limited. My sense is there's a lot more people that want to live here than there are jobs. It is probably way cheaper overall than NYC. CityData has COL for NY at 177, Anchorage 90, Juneau 97, Kenai 90.