Anchorage is full (Hope: wedding, shop, train)

[Metlakatla]

Maurice, it's makes no sense that people are moving to AK to glom onto the PFD in order to pay their bills.

I said this before but I'll say it again here: There seems to be a difference between most of the people who are moving up now than their counterparts of years ago. When I was as old as you are now, back in the Stone Age, people were moving up for what they could get, with plans to hotfoot it back to the -48 and soon as they could. Those days are over, and the people who move up now are doing so for better reasons -- primarily because they simply want to live in AK. What would you rather have, a city (I said city because we're talking about Anchorage here) with people moving there just to take all they could and leave, or a city with people relocating to it because they actually want to be there and to be part of the community?

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Maurice, it's makes no sense that people are moving to AK to glom onto the PFD in order to pay their bills.

I said this before but I'll say it again here: There seems to be a difference between most of the people who are moving up now than their counterparts of years ago. When I was as old as you are now, back in the Stone Age, people were moving up for what they could get, with plans to hotfoot it back to the -48 and soon as they could. Those days are over, and the people who move up now are doing so for better reasons -- primarily because they simply want to live in AK. What would you rather have, a city (I said city because we're talking about Anchorage here) with people moving there just to take all they could and leave, or a city with people relocating to it because they actually want to be there and to be part of the community?

As one of these people, I can say that my interest in Alaska is not related to money. If I wanted to get rich, Alaska would be one of the last places I would look to. Hell, I could go to North Dakota right this minute and work for those folks and make more money than I have ever seen in my life. Still, there seem to be two basic approaches to the "where to live" thing, at least for single folks.

A) Find a high paying job in any old crappy town, and just move there, take the job, and make your money, even if you hate the place more than words can tell. To me, that sounds like a recipe for misery.

B) Find out where it is that you want to live, and then do your damnedest to find work there at all costs because you really love the place and really care about living there. This is my approach, and neither the place I live now, nor any of the places I may someday live (I have backups in case Alaska isn't what I hoped it would be), are places you go to get rich. In fact, for example, here in Asheville, you really have to love living here (or just be stuck here), because you're going to drive an old beat up car, and you're going to live in some less-than-ideal housing. Big whoop. It's an amazing place to be, and after just having been in Alabama for three weeks, I can tell you I wouldn't trade a place like this for the world. I'm sure many of you feel the same about Alaska.

[cjg5]

Hey Maurice, I am a REAL Washingtonian, and furthmore, a REAL Seattleite. Born and raised, 27 years old and have never lived anywhere else. (Both my parents are REAL Seattleites as well!). And guess what, REAL Seattleites such as myself are a rarity. There are so many transplants here that people actually get excited when they come across a true Seattleite! Do I feel that people should stop coming here? NO! Do I feel that some transplants shouldn't be able to consider themselves Seattleites if they've been here only a year or two? HELL NO! Some transplanted Seattleites and "truer" Seattleites than me! And it has NOTHING to do about where they came from, as much as it does about their ATTITUDE about living here. I love Seattle, it will always hold a very special place in my heart, but I'm tried of living in the city, and I want a more desirable climate. I want more REAL seasons, an overall DRIER climate, and a smaller town. (My top choices being somewhere in Eastern Washington, or Interior Alaska. Possibly even having property in both and traveling back and forth).

Now some people come here (to Seattle) and do nothing but complain. They aren't Seattleites. BUT, some people come here and not only LOVE it here, but they have the most positive attitudes about every aspect of being here, including the rainy rainy winters, and do everything there is to do here rain or shine, taking advantage of all the city and outlying areas and whatnot have to offer during all seasons in all weather. They love how liberal it is. They love the geography. They may have come from somewhere else, but they are true Seattleites at heart with the attitude to prove it. They embrace this area and love every second of being here. And I am happy for them, and not a little whinny B about them moving in to MY city.

You need to fine tune what you think makes someone a "real" anything. You were born there. You were raised there. Big huge whoop. People can't chose or help where they are born and raised. But when they are old enough they can chose to change where they live, if they have the means to, and become as much of a REAL whatever they want to be, so long as they move with their hearts (rather than their pocketbooks or some other trivial reason) and have the positive attitude about being where they are at, to love and embrace it for what it is, and to stay for the long term when they realize they have found where they truly want to call home.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by Alaskapat528

Hey Redjacket, off subject here for a sec...isn't your address on your location the Amityville house?

It is.

--Butch

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by RedJacket

It is.

--Butch

Thought so...I saw the house when we were in Long Island.

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by cjg5

Hey Maurice, I am a REAL Washingtonian, and furthmore, a REAL Seattleite. Born and raised, 27 years old and have never lived anywhere else. (Both my parents are REAL Seattleites as well!). And guess what, REAL Seattleites such as myself are a rarity. There are so many transplants here that people actually get excited when they come across a true Seattleite! Do I feel that people should stop coming here? NO! Do I feel that some transplants shouldn't be able to consider themselves Seattleites if they've been here only a year or two? HELL NO! Some transplanted Seattleites and "truer" Seattleites than me! And it has NOTHING to do about where they came from, as much as it does about their ATTITUDE about living here. I love Seattle, it will always hold a very special place in my heart, but I'm tried of living in the city, and I want a more desirable climate. I want more REAL seasons, an overall DRIER climate, and a smaller town. (My top choices being somewhere in Eastern Washington, or Interior Alaska. Possibly even having property in both and traveling back and forth).

Now some people come here (to Seattle) and do nothing but complain. They aren't Seattleites. BUT, some people come here and not only LOVE it here, but they have the most positive attitudes about every aspect of being here, including the rainy rainy winters, and do everything there is to do here rain or shine, taking advantage of all the city and outlying areas and whatnot have to offer during all seasons in all weather. They love how liberal it is. They love the geography. They may have come from somewhere else, but they are true Seattleites at heart with the attitude to prove it. They embrace this area and love every second of being here. And I am happy for them, and not a little whinny B about them moving in to MY city.

You need to fine tune what you think makes someone a "real" anything. You were born there. You were raised there. Big huge whoop. People can't chose or help where they are born and raised. But when they are old enough they can chose to change where they live, if they have the means to, and become as much of a REAL whatever they want to be, so long as they move with their hearts (rather than their pocketbooks or some other trivial reason) and have the positive attitude about being where they are at, to love and embrace it for what it is, and to stay for the long term when they realize they have found where they truly want to call home.

Well said! I'm glad that I was born in Alaska but I could have just as easily been born in Virginia or Michigan. It's what's in your heart that makes you a real Alaskan, not where you were born.

[Rance]

I wasn't born in AK, but I was born again in AK!

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by Rance

I wasn't born in AK, but I was born again in AK!

Yeah, I feel more close to God in the wilderness than I ever have in a church.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by gobrien

Yeah, I feel more close to God in the wilderness than I ever have in a church.

I feel very close to God in the bathroom as I'm currently prepping for tomorrow's colonoscopy. The jug of chit I have to drink tells me God has a real nasty sense of humor.

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by RedJacket

I feel very close to God in the bathroom as I'm currently prepping for tomorrow's colonoscopy. The jug of chit I have to drink tells me God has a real nasty sense of humor.

Ugh, my sympathies. Hope there is no cancer or other unpleasant problems.