MOVING to Anchorage end of the summer (Metlakatla: house, neighborhood)

[JasonAndJulie]

Wow. I guess I would start with not pissing off the locals trying to provide helpful information.

[misstobe]

Originally Posted by JasonAndJulie

Wow. I guess I would start with not pissing off the locals trying to provide helpful information.

how is telling me about military stuff that i did not really ask for helpful? i appreciate the people reaching out but it gets tiring with people telling me common military knowledge as if i am not aware. i want to know about anchorage as a whole not more about the army, thats why i asked about anchorage not the base.

[bongo]

You asking "what alaska is actually like" or "what Anchorage is like" is a pretty broad question that certainly includes Anchorage's military, misstobe.

The darkness & long, cold winters bother some. Others love to ski on the groomed trails & at Alyeska.

There are almost 90 home languages spoken in the school district, so it is a multi-cultural community.

The trails in the summer are wonderful for running. Just be aware of the danger of moose and bears. Run from moose. Never run from a bear.

Driving in Alaska winter may take some training or one can become a ditch-diver like many others.

Check out jobs at the indoor waterpark H2Oasis.

For your nightlife, there is a youth club for underage.

Shopping is certainly sub-standard, but many folks don't care about that. Carhartt jeans & hoodies are in style LOL. Prices on all products are higher than outside, so prepare for sticker-shock.

Alaska is an outdoor and scenery-lover's paradise. Many beautiful drives out of Anchorage, south along the Turnagain, Denali, glaciers, wildlife, hiking.

Folks here are just trying to help. If you come with an attitude you may have some issues!

[misstobe]

Originally Posted by bongo

The trails in the summer are wonderful for running. Just be aware of the danger of moose and bears. Run from moose. Never run from a bear.

I run a lot, but i have heard that there is no set bear or moose "country" like in colorado you pretty much know where you're going to find the bears and elk and stuff, very VERY rarely would you see one in a heavily populated area. But i thought i read something about the lines between us and the bears is very blurry therefore it's not uncommon to see them around anchorage. That may sound silly but if it is a rumor i would like to debunk it and if its true i would love to know.

[bongo]

Yes, there are bears in & around Anchorage, both black bears & brown (grizzly) bears. We have seen brown bears on the trails on the outskirts & in hillside neighborhoods but also black bears right in midtown.

[soldn2slavery]

You may be used to snow and cold, but the short days in winter may take some getting used to. And, it rains a lot in Anchorage, aka: Rain-chorage.

BTW... Army POST, Air Force BASE.

Sorry if I seem a little irritated, but at 18 years old, you don't know everything and not nearly as much as the people who are gracious enough to offer you information. Knowledge does not equal wisdom.

[misstobe]

Originally Posted by soldn2slavery

You may be used to snow and cold, but the short days in winter may take some getting used to. And, it rains a lot in Anchorage, aka: Rain-chorage.

BTW... Army POST, Air Force BASE.

Sorry if I seem a little irritated, but at 18 years old, you don't know everything and not nearly as much as the people who are gracious enough to offer you information. Knowledge does not equal wisdom.

I realize the difference but my boyfriend hangs out with the airmen and on that side more so he generally calls it base and i just refer to things as he does. And i do not know everything, obviously by me asking questions i am admitting to that but I hear enough about the military side and i have considered all of that and i just want to get more of a civilian point of view because that is how we will be living. I did not mean to offend anyone by my comments but we have talked about everything military and we know all those procedures, and i want to know more about anchorage, that is why I am asking. The only reason i included any of the military info was because i thought it made sense as to why i was going up there (it would've never been my first choice.. or second) so i guess what i failed to convey was i want to hear about the civilian aspects, i appreciate all the help but i want to get to the heart of my question; which is regular life in anchorage.

[adaminandout]

Dont really get why some people are jumping down her throat... I get what she is trying to say and it is hard to tell tone from typed words on the internet but i dont think she is being rude. I think she is just saying she would like answers to her questions, my wife does the same thing if you're not getting to the point haha. Anyways we lived on BASE ( and i was in the army but like she said it is merged so much a lot of the guys just call it base since the airmen have the better utilities and stuff) so i can not say too much on the civilian life but i can say you guys are young so im sure you will find plenty to do. There are lots of indoor pools so i would say google that for your job but on the weekends there are a few decent malls and there is bowling and going out to dinner, etc. so if you're not too outdoorsy of if its just too cold for you then there are still options. anything more specific? just ask!

[roadfamily6now]

Anchorage is nothing like CO. It's rainy and dreary here most of the time. You either love it or hate it.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by misstobe

I run a lot, but i have heard that there is no set bear or moose "country" like in colorado you pretty much know where you're going to find the bears and elk and stuff, very VERY rarely would you see one in a heavily populated area. But i thought i read something about the lines between us and the bears is very blurry therefore it's not uncommon to see them around anchorage. That may sound silly but if it is a rumor i would like to debunk it and if its true i would love to know.

Be careful running or biking on wooded trails, particularly in the spring when mother bears with new cubs are out. Moving quickly is interpreted by bears as "charging behavior," so they may feel threatened if they suddenly encounter a swiftly moving human moving in their direction.