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As a doctor I dont think there would be any cons as you could probably afford a nice south hillside home or potters marsh and a nice big 4 wheel drive so you will be safe when you slide on the ice and slam into a economy car and generate a new customer. For the rest of us, Anchorage is considered to be a relativly pricey place to live, I guess thats the advantage of being rich lol.
After graduating with over $150,000 of student loans and making the salary of a resident rather than a doctor we are definitely still concerned about money. In fact, that is one of the biggest factors which will determine if we can move here. Speaking of money...we are in Anchorage right now for interviewing and to check out the town. Any suggestions on things we should do (or cheap places to eat, happy hours, etc..)?
Also, we were hoping to get down to one car (Honda Civic, not a big SUV) whether we end up in Anchorage or another city. I usually ride the bus to work. Does anyone have comments on the bus system in Anchorage? Thanks!
After graduating with over $150,000 of student loans and making the salary of a resident rather than a doctor we are definitely still concerned about money. In fact, that is one of the biggest factors which will determine if we can move here. Speaking of money...we are in Anchorage right now for interviewing and to check out the town. Any suggestions on things we should do (or cheap places to eat, happy hours, etc..)?
Also, we were hoping to get down to one car (Honda Civic, not a big SUV) whether we end up in Anchorage or another city. I usually ride the bus to work. Does anyone have comments on the bus system in Anchorage? Thanks!
Well, you definitely won't want ot live on the hillside (or even south anchorage for that matter) if you ride the bus. Bus traffic is spotty to non-existent in most of those areas. Busses generally run every half hour during the rush hour and every hour at other times. I would say that they are not the most efficient way of getting around (time wise). You really have to schedule your day around the bus schedule. An alternative might be to bike (or do a bike/bus combo commute) duri ng the summer and drive during the winter.
In terms of places to eat, I have two recommendations: The Moose's Tooth (its on Old Seward HWY, just north of 36th) and Kinley's, which is just across the street from Moose's Tooth. Some would say that you have to go to Gwenies for breakfast, but I can't speak to that as I've never been there.
After graduating with over $150,000 of student loans and making the salary of a resident rather than a doctor we are definitely still concerned about money. In fact, that is one of the biggest factors which will determine if we can move here. Speaking of money...we are in Anchorage right now for interviewing and to check out the town. Any suggestions on things we should do (or cheap places to eat, happy hours, etc..)?
Also, we were hoping to get down to one car (Honda Civic, not a big SUV) whether we end up in Anchorage or another city. I usually ride the bus to work. Does anyone have comments on the bus system in Anchorage? Thanks!
There is no cheap place to eat in anchorage or in all of alaska for that matter, unless you go to mcdonalds its going to cost you at least 30$ to eat out, also there is no such thing as happy hour in alaska (at least not anchorage or the valley) the closest thing is koots on a week day from 7 to 11 you can get 2$ pints and they have a decent selection but thats the only place in town anywhere else and expect to be extorted (5-6$ a glass), also the flight deck on internation air port you can get 3.5$ beers and 12$ pitchers but there food is as expensive as anywhere else. Even mcdonalds is more than a 10$ bill for 2 people. My GF and I do alot of cooking in, im surpirsed places like mooses tooth can even stay in buisness during economic times like this, im guessing its all the old money from the gravey train days of the pipeline and there kids, im an engineer at BP and cant afford to get 30$ pizza and 6$ beer at mooses tooth, well I could but who wants to blow that much disposable income on middle of the road pizza and I will admit good beer but not 6$ a glass good. I would recommend getting a northernlights coupon book but I will warn you the coupons seem to be degrading as the years pass, what used to be buy one get one is now like 25% off which is really a throw away coupon, there are still some buy one get ones which reduce your dining out to a reasonable cost but they are getting worse every year, I was really hoping to see some of these places forced to lower there prices significantly but there is to much old money here.
If I were you I would at least get a mid size 4 wheel drive, I have a ranger edge with 4 wheel drive because anchorage is just now getting around to busting agressive drivers but I still see them in morning traffic, and they are just getting around to 2nd degree murder charges if you kill someone and you are drunk, the biggest problems here are people that drive with a suspended licence or with inadaquate insurance (last stats I read were around 50% between thoes 2 groups) but they are suppose to be cracking down on that we will see, they ought to just confiscate there vehical which is usually a lifted 4x4 with loud exhaust and auction it off at fair market value.
So get used to buying your booze at brown jug warehouse and buying food at costco unless you want to blow a ton of cash eating at the extremely expensive restaruants in anchorage (other than koots between 7 and 11, if you dont monitor your time there and its thrusday through saturday you could findyourself in a mob of people there thorugh and there is usually one killing a year at that bar, but its actually pretty calm at 7 on a monday or tuesday. Also thrusday is the new friday, I dont know if thats because everyone is selling drugs and working part time to make there new lifted truck appear lagit or everyone in there brother works a 9/80 (which I am betting on the former), also the 2$ beer deal ends at 11pm.
Anchorage pretty much sucks, you have to get out of anchorage to have some fun, prices are not any better but at least the crowds die down the further you get out. Also get used to the special Alaska shipping rates if you like to buy things online, plan on adding 10$ or more to ship depending on what you are buying, I bought a pair of northern outfitters boots that would have normally cost 15$ to ship but as soon as that AK zip code hit it jumped to 32$ and every once in a while they wont ship at all, when we had that 380 ammo crisis you could not ship ammo so you were just hosed, until the ammo store graced you with a box of ammo and you felt so fortunate and proud to have a box of 380 ammo rolls eyes.
Make sure you have a real deal set of winter gear in your car because if you break down with street clothes on you could die.
In terms of places to eat, I have two recommendations: The Moose's Tooth (its on Old Seward HWY, just north of 36th) and Kinley's, which is just across the street from Moose's Tooth. Some would say that you have to go to Gwenies for breakfast, but I can't speak to that as I've never been there.
Good luck on your search.
For what it's worth, I can vouch for Gwennie's....great breakfast and lots of it.
There is no cheap place to eat in anchorage or in all of alaska for that matter, unless you go to mcdonalds its going to cost you at least 30$ to eat out, also there is no such thing as happy hour in alaska (at least not anchorage or the valley) the closest thing is koots on a week day from 7 to 11 you can get 2$ pints and they have a decent selection but thats the only place in town anywhere else and expect to be extorted (5-6$ a glass), also the flight deck on internation air port you can get 3.5$ beers and 12$ pitchers but there food is as expensive as anywhere else. Even mcdonalds is more than a 10$ bill for 2 people. My GF and I do alot of cooking in, im surpirsed places like mooses tooth can even stay in buisness during economic times like this, im guessing its all the old money from the gravey train days of the pipeline and there kids, im an engineer at BP and cant afford to get 30$ pizza and 6$ beer at mooses tooth, well I could but who wants to blow that much disposable income on middle of the road pizza and I will admit good beer but not 6$ a glass good. I would recommend getting a northernlights coupon book but I will warn you the coupons seem to be degrading as the years pass, what used to be buy one get one is now like 25% off which is really a throw away coupon, there are still some buy one get ones which reduce your dining out to a reasonable cost but they are getting worse every year, I was really hoping to see some of these places forced to lower there prices significantly but there is to much old money here.
If I were you I would at least get a mid size 4 wheel drive, I have a ranger edge with 4 wheel drive because anchorage is just now getting around to busting agressive drivers but I still see them in morning traffic, and they are just getting around to 2nd degree murder charges if you kill someone and you are drunk, the biggest problems here are people that drive with a suspended licence or with inadaquate insurance (last stats I read were around 50% between thoes 2 groups) but they are suppose to be cracking down on that we will see, they ought to just confiscate there vehical which is usually a lifted 4x4 with loud exhaust and auction it off at fair market value.
So get used to buying your booze at brown jug warehouse and buying food at costco unless you want to blow a ton of cash eating at the extremely expensive restaruants in anchorage (other than koots between 7 and 11, if you dont monitor your time there and its thrusday through saturday you could findyourself in a mob of people there thorugh and there is usually one killing a year at that bar, but its actually pretty calm at 7 on a monday or tuesday. Also thrusday is the new friday, I dont know if thats because everyone is selling drugs and working part time to make there new lifted truck appear lagit or everyone in there brother works a 9/80 (which I am betting on the former), also the 2$ beer deal ends at 11pm.
Anchorage pretty much sucks, you have to get out of anchorage to have some fun, prices are not any better but at least the crowds die down the further you get out. Also get used to the special Alaska shipping rates if you like to buy things online, plan on adding 10$ or more to ship depending on what you are buying, I bought a pair of northern outfitters boots that would have normally cost 15$ to ship but as soon as that AK zip code hit it jumped to 32$ and every once in a while they wont ship at all, when we had that 380 ammo crisis you could not ship ammo so you were just hosed, until the ammo store graced you with a box of ammo and you felt so fortunate and proud to have a box of 380 ammo rolls eyes.
Make sure you have a real deal set of winter gear in your car because if you break down with street clothes on you could die.
Wow! And you live here why? I'd just like to say to the OP that there are almost 300,000 people who live in Anchorage. Many who absolutely love it (and don't have "old money"). Check it out and form your own opinion.
I live here because other aspects of Alaska I absolutly love (the air space as a pilot, snowmachining, etc) and my entire family lives here but "anchorage life" pretty much sucks but living in anchorage is better than the alternative of the deadly, time consuming and expensive commute from the valley. If you want to enjoy Alaska leave anchorage on the long weekends, buy a cheap piece of land and post no trespassing in the valley because the open areas that are free become mobil home parks on long weekends. If people dont have old money I dont know where everyone is getting all this money to go to fire tap or mooses tooth every weekend thoes places are packed and will cost 2 people around 50$ for some pizza and beer, unless people are just saying f it and blowing there pay checks.
I am from WI also, and considering a promotion there in anchorage, AK. I to am wondering about the pros and cons, everyone we know or knew that were stationed there (Army) loved it, so I applied. I now want to know what the winters are like, how cold and housing?
I am from WI also, and considering a promotion there in anchorage, AK. I to am wondering about the pros and cons, everyone we know or knew that were stationed there (Army) loved it, so I applied. I now want to know what the winters are like, how cold and housing?
It can get to -20F for weeks at a time. Housing is very expensive, rent is around 1000$ a month in most places unless you live in a sketchy area. I would make sure you are getting a decent cost of living bump for comming up here because the cost of living is significantly higher than WI. If you have the income to get some snowmachines or a snow board and ski pass the winters have there advantage. I would say if you are a single income family I would not live here for less than 70K if you are an experenced hire, anything less than that your not going to be having much fun because just the nessecities are going to be expensive (housing, food, gas, auto repairs, etc), I have a friend who has family in WI and he really wants to move back because the cost of living here basicly prohibits most people from doing anything fun because to really get out and see alaska and enjoy it its very expensive you need an air plane with a pilots licence, snowmachine, etc otherwise you are just sitting in anchorage paying expensive rent being cold. I say 70K minimum but really you need 6 figures to have a good time. I make 80K and that is just enough to have a nice place a VERY well maintained mid size 4 wheel drive and have some extra to make balloon payments on my student loans and my uncle rebuilt my old indy 500 snowmachine so I bought some nice winter gear and thats about it. 6 figures and I can start saving for an air plane so I can really see alaska and do some aerobatics .
It can get to -20F for weeks at a time. Housing is very expensive, rent is around 1000$ a month in most places unless you live in a sketchy area. I would make sure you are getting a decent cost of living bump for comming up here because the cost of living is significantly higher than WI. If you have the income to get some snowmachines or a snow board and ski pass the winters have there advantage. I would say if you are a single income family I would not live here for less than 70K if you are an experenced hire, anything less than that your not going to be having much fun because just the nessecities are going to be expensive (housing, food, gas, auto repairs, etc), I have a friend who has family in WI and he really wants to move back because the cost of living here basicly prohibits most people from doing anything fun because to really get out and see alaska and enjoy it its very expensive you need an air plane with a pilots licence, snowmachine, etc otherwise you are just sitting in anchorage paying expensive rent being cold. I say 70K minimum but really you need 6 figures to have a good time. I make 80K and that is just enough to have a nice place a VERY well maintained mid size 4 wheel drive and have some extra to make balloon payments on my student loans and my uncle rebuilt my old indy 500 snowmachine so I bought some nice winter gear and thats about it. 6 figures and I can start saving for an air plane so I can really see alaska and do some aerobatics .
Most of my friends here make less than 6 figures & have a blast. We cross-country & skate ski for free on groomed trails (although we do get our ski pins to help defer the cost); we ice skate on the lagoon; we snow shoe up in the Glen for the price of a parking sticker or we carpool up. In the summer we hike & backpack all over the Chugach. We ride bikes down to Girdwood on bike trails. We fill our freezers with salmon from fishing. We have great potluck parties. We enjoy a brew at a microbrew & laughs after work. We get books to read from the library & rent DVD movies. We shop at Costco, Carrs & Freddie's eat well. We certainly don't need 6 figures to have a good time. In fact, some people I know support a family on those incomes & are having a blast!
Don't mean to be contrary, but I can't recall the last time it was -20F, and it certainly isn't "weeks at a time." In the interest of full disclossure, I'd say there are 2-3 cold snaps a year, where temperatures are below 0F, usually lasting about a week each time. Most of the time, the temperature doesn't go below -10F. During the majority of the winter, the average high is anywhere between 15F - 30F.
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