Are we crazy? Moving from Colorado... (Anchorage, Barrow: schools, income, property taxes)

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

Once you have your self established here to where you can recreate without being around mobs of people, AK is great, but getting to that point is both painful and time consuming (own plane, hangar, private recreational property/cabin, maybe a boat and snowmachine, etc) your own house so you are not dealing with dirt bag land lords, etc.


Once you can actually be independent in AK its nice.

I think this is quite true, really. Mostly the part about it being painful and time consuming to get to the point of being able to enjoy Alaska, and I'd add not really possible for a lot of people. AK is great if you are wealthy. Really difficult to enjoy anymore if you are not (because of the mobs of people Pitts mentioned, and other reasons I suppose).

[pittsflyer]

Originally Posted by mizzile

I think this is quite true, really. Mostly the part about it being painful and time consuming to get to the point of being able to enjoy Alaska, and I'd add not really possible for a lot of people. AK is great if you are wealthy. Really difficult to enjoy anymore if you are not (because of the mobs of people Pitts mentioned, and other reasons I suppose).

This very issue also challenges a lot of my political views as Alaska is one big catch 22. As someone who really wants to be a libritarian when I see the massive Wal-Mart like parking lots at the Sutton coals hills with so many people riding 4 wheelers and having massive bon fires during high fire risk I really embrace the libritarian view point (give the land back to the state and either sell it off or put up a fence to keep out the riff raff). But then when I am at other parts of the state and see nothing but no trespassing signs and land that is so locked down you need permission and to pay a fee in order to execute on your own hunting permit that really sucks (especially if you get a special draw permit and cant come to an agreement with the land owners). But then if it were public access land it would look like the Kenai public access during dip net season which is probably worse.


Even as someone who is not really wealthy I hate the mass mobs of people, but I realize that I am just another warm body that adds to the mob. So maybe just put up the fence and be done with it, then I can save up and one day buy a piece of property and when that day comes I can actually enjoy it rather than be exposed to the degenerates that flood a nice area as soon as they find out they can park a motor home and drag out a massive trailer full of 4 wheelers.

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

This very issue also challenges a lot of my political views as Alaska is one big catch 22. As someone who really wants to be a libritarian when I see the massive Wal-Mart like parking lots at the Sutton coals hills with so many people riding 4 wheelers and having massive bon fires during high fire risk I really embrace the libritarian view point (give the land back to the state and either sell it off or put up a fence to keep out the riff raff). But then when I am at other parts of the state and see nothing but no trespassing signs and land that is so locked down you need permission and to pay a fee in order to execute on your own hunting permit that really sucks ....... So maybe just put up the fence and be done with it, then I can save up and one day buy a piece of property and when that day comes I can actually enjoy it rather than be exposed to the degenerates that flood a nice area as soon as they find out they can park a motor home and drag out a massive trailer full of 4 wheelers.

And there we have it, Alaska destined to be the next Colorado. It's really gross. It would be nice to have the freedoms us BNRs had thirty years ago, but now that the masses are here those freedoms will turn the state into, as you said, a Wal Mart parking lot. My own home town hasn't changed that much but when I go there I'm grossed out by the overuse and abuse that didn't used to be that way. And, yeah, there is a WalMart there now and the local store is closed, vacant. People won't take care of the commons. That much is clear.

[ctr88]

I agree with the other posters about looking lower 48 places like MT, WY, ID, northern MN/WI, upper MI, northern NH, ME wilderness....you can get a lot of wilderness and lot of what you would get in AK without all the isolation, darkness, and hassles of AK. All these places are much cheaper than most of CO.

[WandererGirl]

We’ve been in Palmer since 12/27. Having a blast, talking to lots of locals, touring MatSu and Anchorage. Avoiding touristy junk and enjoying like we live here - fishing, sledding, geocaching, cooking at our rental place. We LOVE it. If we were interested in staying in the lower 48 we’d be vacationing now there instead. If I had my choice we’d be leaving the USA altogether. We want a life of adventure and trying things that are fundamentally different from what we’re used to, not “Colorado but less expensive.” New. Exciting. Challenging. This is step one. We will be moving up within 6-18 months depending on how things fall in place. Thank you to all responders with constructive advice and information.

[AK76]

Originally Posted by ctr88

I agree with the other posters about looking lower 48 places like MT, WY, ID, northern MN/WI, upper MI, northern NH, ME wilderness....you can get a lot of wilderness and lot of what you would get in AK without all the isolation, darkness, and hassles of AK. All these places are much cheaper than most of CO.

Not a chance! Those places are almost nothing like Alaska, and Alaska is almost nothing like those places.

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by WandererGirl

We’ve been in Palmer since 12/27. Having a blast, talking to lots of locals, touring MatSu and Anchorage. Avoiding touristy junk and enjoying like we live here - fishing, sledding, geocaching, cooking at our rental place. We LOVE it. If we were interested in staying in the lower 48 we’d be vacationing now there instead. If I had my choice we’d be leaving the USA altogether. We want a life of adventure and trying things that are fundamentally different from what we’re used to, not “Colorado but less expensive.” New. Exciting. Challenging. This is step one. We will be moving up within 6-18 months depending on how things fall in place. Thank you to all responders with constructive advice and information.

If you are at all thinking about living in Palmer and working in Anchorage, this morning would have been a real good lesson on why that's not an ideal commute in the winter. Glad you are enjoying your time up here. I'd say that the weather over the past few days wasn't typical, but for the last few years, it is.

[WandererGirl]

Originally Posted by Northrick

If you are at all thinking about living in Palmer and working in Anchorage, this morning would have been a real good lesson on why that's not an ideal commute in the winter. Glad you are enjoying your time up here. I'd say that the weather over the past few days wasn't typical, but for the last few years, it is.

Working in Anchorage is out of the question and there’s no need to do that really. We will work in the valley for sure. We’ve had a range of weather. Cold, milder, snow, ice rain all in one week.

[6.7traveler]

Glad you're enjoying it!

Some cool drives in the area if you haven't done them already.

-Drive up lazy Mountain
-Hatcher Pass
-Old Glenn highway loop.
-60-80 miles or so down the Glenn highway and back
-drive along the turnagin arm to Girdwood

[LisaGonzales]

You do need to know that our state is facing major budget issues. When oil prices sank from a high of $144 to $28, we lost a lot of revenue. Many people lost valuable slope jobs including close friends of ours. If you were in the healthcare industry, you might be in good shape for work. Political issues surrounding the budget exist. Our governor stole from the PFD, and capped the amount for each Alaskan. I fear our politicians will go back to business as usual and spend, spend, spend. We still have not seen how we will be affected. There is talk of income taxes, sales taxes, due to the HUGE budget shortfall. No one wants to give up funding, even though it is in the best interest of all. Anchorage is more liberal with their spending, and you can see that in property taxes! There is no space in Anchorage or Eagle River, and you should expect to be living very close to your neighbor...if you can afford it and the taxes! Eagle River is within the Municipality of Anchorage. I would not live in Anchorage as a woman and mother. Crimes against women are high. I discouraged my son and his family from moving here from UT. They finally settled in Montana...but that's a whole "nuther" story.

Some people have this idea of what Alaska is....the beauty, the nature, the animals, the mountains, etc. It's a lot more than that. Many of our towns are very dirty. Each spring there are major cleanup events to spruce it up for the visiting tourists. Go down the Glenn Highway in and out of the valley and Anchorage, and you will see months of accumulating garbage, plastic, etc. It's grose.

Theft is a problem and you need to absolutely secure your home, vehicles and toys. Check out the real drop out rate from our schools, and ask yourself what people are doing that don't have jobs and don't have education. Have you ever watched Alaska State Troopers? No joke....it's pretty much like that show.

I can see us permanently move from Alaska sometime in the next 10 years. You have to remember that getting anywhere takes time. So, in terms of getting out into nature...alot of other people are doing the same. We only have so many roads, and only so much time, and "getting there" takes effort (and time).

I know I seem a bit on the negative side, but these are facts. We love the life we've had here; especially the independent nature of Alaska with our gun laws, hunting, fishing, drilling, etc. These are some of the things that will make it difficult to leave. Another poster commented on public lands. Public access to land is getting worse and worse. Thanks in part to our one congressman who likes to look out for one group of people over another. Don't believe me? Go look up bills he has introduced and that have passed. His legislation has benefited some very well, and well, the rest of us have to PAY.

I do not suggest Montana as an option, as someone else suggested. I live in Montana a few months each year. FOR THE MOST PART, they do not like outsiders; mostly Californians. Unfortunately, too many people from other places moved into Montana and have driven up housing prices, taxes, etc and locals having to move somewhere else. Seems they didn't want to leave their California lifestyle behind. Unless you are a Mormon, you will face some discrimination in UT if you are looking for a job. You can always get a job anywhere if you really want to. I would secure a job before you get here. A new jobs report just came out today, and we are still losing jobs. The forecast for 2018 goes from awful to bad with more "moderate" job losses.

Just putting something out there for you to consider. It's not all a bed of roses.

Completly agree with the post by Pitts. If you have money and all the toys and airplane, it's a great place to live!