Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Alaska > Anchorage
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-11-2008, 11:06 AM
 
7 posts, read 21,258 times
Reputation: 14

Advertisements

I think Ive read every post on this site about Anchorage, trying to get a feel for it, and some questions that are relevant to me - noone has asked yet.

First--I am an avid, if not addicted runner and work out maniac... I live in Phoenix now, which of course allows literally unlimited running and too many gyms and health clubs to count. Does Anchor have adequate places like Bally's, Lifetime Fitness, or private gyms? I saw Sarah Palin running outdoors all bundled up, and Ive done that and wouldnt mind it. Its nice too though, to do some treadmill work and weights indoors.

Also- I am a city kid. While I enjoy gettin away to quiet rural areas, I also like city lights, and people and the city lifestyle. I read somewhere that there are no Olive Gardens, or places like I might be familiar with here in Phx. My question is - will I feel comfortable in Anchor? Does it have a city feel, or more a small town feel? Like on Friday night, does the city come alive with people going out to eat, shopping, sports, etc? Or does it button down and sleep early?

Also- Do you have places like Best Buy, TGI Fridays ( Which I really like ), any kind of sports teams, etc? I am surprised actually, how little that has been said about sports other than dog sledding.

Ohhh-- my thing is I.T. I go almost nowhere without internet. How are the internet services there? Is it all cable- do you have DSL, can you get internet in the outlying areas through a verizon data connect or something like it? I have property here in northern AZ that satellite is the only real option for internet - and it isnt a good one. This is why I ask and noone has really talked about it.

I know I will have to come there and see all these, and I am so looking forward to it- but Im anxious to know these things. I dont wanna wait. Lol. It looks like a perfectly beautiful town and like it may fill my needs for city life and outdoor getaway in the wilderness too.
Thanks for any input
Rick
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-11-2008, 11:42 AM
 
3,763 posts, read 8,717,754 times
Reputation: 4059
We have one of the best interconnected running trail system anywhere. Perhaps in the winter you can learn how to skate ski on the groomed trails- like my husband who was a runner, with his cardio-vascular & strong legs, he picked it up quickly.

We have DSL; lots of martini & other bar/restaurants, some of the best breweries around; many athletic clubs with the top of the line being Alaska Club; TGI Fridays; The Aces, Seawolves, & AK Wild leagues.

Anchorage is most certainly a city with night life.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 12:10 PM
 
7 posts, read 21,258 times
Reputation: 14
These are the things I wonder, really want to know. Theres structured running trails,,, its cool. I read somewhere about people attacked by bears while running...haha. These are the things I want to know. Can I outrun a bear? Lol.
And a night life. I like that too. I like wild and all- but I like kickin it in the city too. Someplace warm and comfortable with friends,,, Thats just me.
This all really does sound good. I was arguing with one of my kids a few weeks ago about why she never comes to my house - I always go to hers. So she says, " Ill come over when you dont live 2 hours away ". Its just on the other side of town,, so I thought, " Why does this little brat think I need her? I oughta move to Alaska "! So - I jumped on the internet and saw all these pictures of Anchorage and it just looks beautiful. Perfect for what Im looking for. Ive been in love with the idea ever since.
I also thought, right after I posted this-- to look up radio and TV stations to get a feel, and Im playing KBFX on streaming media now. I was surprised just by the number of stations in Anchorage. It looks like a world class city right in the middle of the wilderness. I think that is so cool. I like that mix.
Thanks Bongo,,, Im going to talk to wifey about a trip, a fact finding mission of sorts, sometime this year.
How is the traffic scene there? Reason Im asking is - we get the tourists just about now in Phoenix and I mean, it gets completely clogged everywhere. I dont just mean heavy traffic- I mean 10 mph everywhere. I dont know why anyone comes here just to sit in it. Is that your summer scene there?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 01:05 PM
 
3,774 posts, read 11,182,631 times
Reputation: 1862
You can't outrun a bear. Period. Making noise on the trail is the way to avoid surprise moose and bear encounters. People wear bells, sometimes, but the joke goes that the remains of runners eaten by bears usually include bells. Moose are actually more dangerous to runners on the trails than bears.

Summer traffic is OK in town. It's when you get behind a line of RV's on the highways that you get a little steamed. Between RV's and summer construction, you can add an hour to every 150 mile trip out of town.

Even in "rush hour" it usually takes me 25 minutes max to get from Dimond Center to Downtown, about 8 miles on the streets. Normally about 15-20 minutes max. Again, construction actually causes more problems on the roads than tourons.

My worst moment came about 5 years ago on the Glenn Highway towards Glennallen, when I came to a hairpin curve and found tourists parked on both sides of the highway trying to take pics of a bear down below in a creek bed. This was before they had done about 3 years of road work in this area, and widened it out. It was not quite a blind curve, and only 2 lanes back then. I pointedly did NOT give them the finger, just thought about it. I did wonder if they would have pulled this on a major highway in any other state.

Probably not. People crossing a highway at 2 in the afternoon, both lanes to take pictures? And blocking a half lane each on either side. With kids?

What do I know.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 01:12 PM
 
4,988 posts, read 9,962,204 times
Reputation: 3285
Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
I think Ive read every post on this site about Anchorage, trying to get a feel for it, and some questions that are relevant to me - noone has asked yet.

First--I am an avid, if not addicted runner and work out maniac... I live in Phoenix now, which of course allows literally unlimited running and too many gyms and health clubs to count. Does Anchor have adequate places like Bally's, Lifetime Fitness, or private gyms?
The main gym up here is The Alaska Club, though there are a few smaller ones like Gold’s and Powerhouse scattered around. The Alaska Club (to which I also belong) is pretty much comparable to what you are used to down south like Bally’s or 24 Hr Fitness. I like them just fine, they are clean, well maintained, and have lots of equipment, though I have heard others complain, probably mostly about the cost, which like everything else up here is higher than down in the lower 48. I think memberships start at around $60 or $70 per month. One thing I really like is, just like the bigger clubs down south, there are many locations throughout Anchorage and the state, and membership is good at any location.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
I saw Sarah Palin running outdoors all bundled up, and Ive done that and wouldnt mind it. Its nice too though, to do some treadmill work and weights indoors.
As mentioned before, Anchorage has one of the best system of trails for biking and jogging in the summer and x-country skiing and snow-shoeing in the winter, Also, with the Chugach Mountains at the back door, you have all forms of outdoor recreation imaginable available to your hearts content all within a few minutes of downtown, or just out your door if you choose to live up on the hillside.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
Also- I am a city kid. While I enjoy gettin away to quiet rural areas, I also like city lights, and people and the city lifestyle. I read somewhere that there are no Olive Gardens, or places like I might be familiar with here in Phx.
Funny you should mention Olive Garden, seems to be the one example most people bring up when complaining about the cuisine in Anchorage - my wife included! (though others like myself would argue that the words Olive Garden and Cuisine don’t belong in the same sentence). Apparently there have been negotiations from time to time about getting OG up here. My feeling is it will only be a matter of time. They will probably make a killing once they do open up here.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
My question is - will I feel comfortable in Anchor? Does it have a city feel, or more a small town feel? Like on Friday night, does the city come alive with people going out to eat, shopping, sports, etc? Or does it button down and sleep early?
Both, Anchorage is like a small town in that you will keep running into the same people, and will constantly be amazed at who knows who, but with enough variety to still be like a big city.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
Also- Do you have places like Best Buy, TGI Fridays ( Which I really like ),
Best Buy – Yes (no Circuit City), TGI Fridays – Yes, as well as most of the other well known chains you’re used to – Chili’s, Outback, Applebee’s, etc. as well as all of the shopping places – Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Costco, and Target (just now opening).


Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
any kind of sports teams, etc? I am surprised actually, how little that has been said about sports other than dog sledding.
I don’t pay attention to sports – sorry can’t help you there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rixxagain View Post
Ohhh-- my thing is I.T. I go almost nowhere without internet. How are the internet services there? Is it all cable- do you have DSL, can you get internet in the outlying areas through a verizon data connect or something like it? I have property here in northern AZ that satellite is the only real option for internet - and it isnt a good one. This is why I ask and noone has really talked about it.
Cable internet is just fine up here. Maybe not quite as fast as some of the bigger cable providers down your way like Cox who pretty much give you 3000+ Kbps as standard. I’m with GCI cable and get around 500 to 1000 Kbps standard depending on traffic, but would have to pay extra to go higher. GCI also just recently upgraded their fiber link to the Lower 48 as well. Wireless access is quite good, in places with cell coverage through AT&T etc. Of course, huge areas of this state have no coverage of any kind whatsoever.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 01:30 PM
 
7 posts, read 21,258 times
Reputation: 14
Haha, Bears spit the bells out huh? Theyll prolly spit me out - Im such a salty, crusty old... They'd be goin thru trash bags lookin for Rolaids after me.

Mal-- I can relate to the RV thing, only here they are everywhere. Hiways, freeways,thruways, sidestreets,parkinglots, alleys, everywhere,, it doesnt sound bad there though. Here- to me- it gets more unbearable every year. While I like city life, the tourism here on top of the balooning regular population is just- overkill.
Your rush hour sounds like it used to be here. If traffic is running normally, it will take 45 minutes to go 8 miles thru the city. If there is a wreck or road crews anywhere along the path though, add 20-25 minutes.
How are they about keeping roads clear there in snow? Do they use salt? I was raised in Cleveland where the weather is substantially worse than Alaska ( Im serious about that. Cleve gets more precipitation and colder than Anchorage. Its more like Fairbanks as I understand it ). The city is so poor though, they would keep the main arteries clear, but all the other roads would be ice all winter.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 01:33 PM
 
3,774 posts, read 11,182,631 times
Reputation: 1862
No salt here, they use gravel and sand. Anchorage has a decent plowing operation on the main roads, but side streets might have to wait a day or two depending on snowfall.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 02:46 PM
 
7 posts, read 21,258 times
Reputation: 14
Oh Powerhouse and all huh? I had a membership there. That is a little pricey for membership. I pay $60.00 for a lifetime Fitness here, but its like the resort style club. I also have an LA Fitness membership too thats more like $28.00 a month. Im glad to hear this though, its so hard to percieve online- that Anchorage is big enough to have multiple locations for a fitness club. Does Anchorage have suburbs? What is " The Hillside "?
Theyre gettin ready to change all that with Cox cable internet here - with 3 Megs download speeds. They've discovered, thanks to the satellite companies- that they can get away with limiting bandwidth and sell the higher speeds and services. It looks to me like they are posturing for making the internet like the cell phone companies where you'll get X minutes and bandwidth at X price, and so forth. Like, if you like youtube and streaming video- you'll have to buy that package, or get billed for it by bandwidth if ya dont have that service.
Speaking of cell phones, how is Verizon service up there? Here- its the only company to have, or the only cell service that covers very close to the entire state.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 02:58 PM
 
7 posts, read 21,258 times
Reputation: 14
What is the big drugstore there too? Wifey is a store manager for Walgreens here and I guess they arent there in Alaska yet.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-11-2008, 09:34 PM
 
Location: Alaska
17 posts, read 100,536 times
Reputation: 19
Verizon isn't a carrier up here. It works, but not as well. I just switched from Verizon. I was getting dropped calls and missed texts. It was ok for a while, but then got really aggravating. To my knowledge, AT&T is the only national carrier up here...that seems to be what everyone else has.

There really aren't any big stand-alone drug stores up here. Walmart, Fred Meyer, Carrs/Safeway, Costco, Target. There are some smaller independently owned ones as well. Rumor is Walgreen's is on it's way, but don't know if it's true/when it would potentially open.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Alaska > Anchorage
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top