What's it really like living in Anchorage?

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Hermit12

I'm betting native Alaskans are survivors who know who to trust or not. The eyes can tell a lot.

Yes. Some of the students I worked with are Alaska Natives. That said, a lot of Natives married non-native residents a few generations ago, so nowadays there are a lot of Alaskans who have non-Alaska native last names. Several of my coworkers married Native ladies, something that is very common in Alaska. Fairbanks has a large population of Natives, and the young attending school and UAF is quite large.

This The Eileen Panigeo MacLean House at UAF:
https://www.uaf.edu/maclean/

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Edit: I just realized this is an old thread. But, for anyone else who has that question:

I've never lived there, but I used to watch a channel on YouTube from someone who did. They lived in Eagle River, but went to Anchorage all the time, and we got to see a lot of it, and the many things to do.

Here's the 'Winter in Alaska' playlist:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNHa...Vl4LZuFftisC1V

And here's the 'Summer in Alaska' playlist:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfE6...CSzqsKTdm2gBad

He talks a lot, but you can still get an idea of what it is to live there. They showed us all kinds of things. Hiking, iced over lakes, lots of drone shots that are beautiful, moose in their yard, why they had to put bear locks on their garbage cans and/or move them into the garage, the snow, participating as a 'journalist' so to speak, during a dog sled race, many small towns, train rides, all kinds of shops, the drive to Alaska from CA, the drive out of Alaska to where they live now, aurora borealis, the list goes on. In the summer ones, you get the fishing and hiking and berry picking, and some sort of GEO scavenger hunt, I think they went up in a plane (the kind that lands on water)...anyway, watch those playlists. They lived there, they made the most of it and did and saw a lot.

Yes, they have stores and shopping centers. In fact, to be honest, there's a lot that they have that are BETTER than what I've ever found in the lower 48. They even talk about internet prices (which are better and the internet was way faster), they sometimes showed us food prices in the grocery store, they show the...plug in I think it was, for their cars in the winter...can't remember what it was but you need it. Etc, etc. It should answer a whole lot of questions for you.

Oh, also I looked it up about a month ago, some of the ferries still run from Seattle to parts of Alaska. It's only at certain times of the year. They are limited space, you have to book pretty far in advance, unless you get lucky, and it will take a number of days to get up to a certain point in Alaska, and then you would have to drive the rest of the way, BUT, it is one way to avoid having to drive through Canada. Having said that, that could cease at any time, I've been told, numerous times, by people who live in Alaska. You could also fly.

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

Like Bozeman but more homeless people, a more dysfunctional university system, and about to have mass exodus and/or unemployment after the big oil and gas shake-up

Oh and ridiculously expensive shipping on anything larger than a flat rate box.

And sometimes, what you need shipped may not get to Alaska because the company won't ship to Alaska. I want to live there, but I found out that the company that I use for my cat's prescription diet will not ship to Alaska. That's a problem if I can't find an alternative.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

Oh, also I looked it up about a month ago, some of the ferries still run from Seattle to parts of Alaska. It's only at certain times of the year. They are limited space, you have to book pretty far in advance, unless you get lucky, and it will take a number of days to get up to a certain point in Alaska, and then you would have to drive the rest of the way, BUT, it is one way to avoid having to drive through Canada. Having said that, that could cease at any time, I've been told, numerous times, by people who live in Alaska. .

The southern terminus for the Alaska Marine Highway is in Bellingham.

The ferry runs 12 months of the year. I never bother booking advance reservations during the off-season (and I don't ride it during the summer because I refuse to be trapped with a bunch of bored screaming kids). Taking my Subaru up there in Dec.

There was some noise several years ago about the ferry system being DOA, and Dumleavy (the governor) tried to give one of the ferries to the Philippines, but I doubt the ferries are going anywhere.

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

E
He talks a lot, but you can still get an idea of what it is to live there. They showed us all kinds of things. Hiking, iced over lakes, lots of drone shots that are beautiful, moose in their yard, why they had to put bear locks on their garbage cans and/or move them into the garage, the snow, participating as a 'journalist' so to speak, during a dog sled race, many small towns, train rides, all kinds of shops, the drive to Alaska from CA, the drive out of Alaska to where they live now, aurora borealis, the list goes on. In the summer ones, you get the fishing and hiking and berry picking, and some sort of GEO scavenger hunt, I think they went up in a plane (the kind that lands on water)...anyway, watch those playlists. They lived there, they made the most of it and did and saw a lot.

Didn't watch the video but sounds like drive-by residents and they don't live here anymore. I've been living in Anchorage for over 25 years with no intention of moving. Got questions, I'll give you honest answers.