moving to the Anchorage area from Wales (College, Eagle: real estate, mover)

[nts550]

I will be moving to the Anchorage area shortly. I currently live in Wales and enjoy great mountain biking single-track straight out of my garage 7 days a week. I will be working on Elmendorf Base, so being close to work would be nice too.

Where would the best place in Anchorage to live/buy a house be?
Does anyone know any good mountain biking realtors?

My budget is $250k. I have been looking at the University Area and Eagle River. Hilltop looks nice, but it's out of my price range.

I've read BAD things about Muldoon, Spenard and all the area's that end in 'View'. Is this right?

My criteria is:
1. close to trails
2. close to work / ability to ride to work and not get run over
3. garage
4. close to a grocery store
5. <$250

Eagle River looks good, but doesn't seem to have the amount of trails as East Anchorage. However, I like the back-country skiing access from town.

Any advise would greatly be appreciated.

[heathen]

University area with close access to Far North Bicentennial Park is probably your best bet overall. You cannot assume that you'll be able to bike to work on Elmendorf every day of the year (maybe if you live on base). I'm pretty sure they plow the bike path along the highway that heads out that way, but it's not exactly high on the priority list. Remember we get frequent snowfall for almost half the year.

What's a mountain biking realtor?

[nts550]

thank you for the advice....A mountain biking realtor is a Real Estate Agent that rides a mountain bike?

[Wdexp]

Well the best thing you can do is to check it out for your self as you will get all kind of opinions here on this forum. Look at this link to the Anchorage Police Crime map Anchorage Crime Map I have lived here in Anchorage over the last three years and some areas of town are better than others. You will want to keep your head on a swivel and be mindfull of your surroundings.

[bongo]

College Gate (university midtown area) area backs to APU skiing & biking trails & from there one can traverse the city. College Alps condos are an option. If you are in to cross-country skiing there are groomed trails that also traverse the city. One can track ski, skate ski, or free style.

My husband rode his bike to work in winter from that area with studded snow tires. There is also the option of putting one's bike on the front of PeopleMover (city bus) for part of the commute.

You could go in the Boniface entrance to the base, right? It's much more challenging to try to bike to Government Hill gate.