Moving to Anchorage

My husband and I have decided to move to Anchorage from Boulder, Colorado!  He wants to drive!  We have a year old daughter.   Has anyone driven from the lower 48 to Anchorage?   What is Anchorage like?   Are there any areas in Anchorage that we should avoid (bad crime, etc) looking for housing in?  Are there any post wls support groups there?   Help!  Excited but scared!

And exactly how did you guys choose Alaska? I live in Anchorage and love it. We're 10 minutes from Alaska...the real Alaska. I would be happy to go into more detail with you about the benefits of living here and talk about jobs and things/areas to avoid. There is crime here, no doubt, but we are kind of isolated from it so far. I know that there are gangs and they keep busy shooting each other up.

There are alot of things to do, places to go and people to meet. There is a choice of gyms and good shopping. Let me know what more specific questions you have. Camai

Well the biggest worry is that I am going to rent an apartment in abad neighborhood.  I have a job lined up at the Providence Alaska Medical center and have noticed that lots of apartments claim to be near it.  I was wondering what kind of area it is.  Also what is the cost of living like up there, really.  I have heard that you can pay up to $6 for a gallon of milk yet the housing seems very affordable, atleast for rentals.  Someone else recommended Eagle River but I don't know how the commute would be in winter.  Have you taken the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System there?  We were thinking of driving there and taking the ferry the rest of the way because I am afraid driving all of the way there will not only be stressful but expensive.  I ran into a site that said gas can go for more than $5 a gallon in the more rual areas.  Have you ever driven to the lower 48?  What is life like in Anchorage?  How much darkness is there in the winter?  How  bad does it bother you?  What would you say was a good area to look for a rental in?   Where would you avoid?  My husband wants to sell most of our furniture and buy more when we get there, do you think home furnishings are really costly there?  I am finding lots of apartments that are furnished and include most or all utilites for $1200 a month.  Does that sound average to you?  What (if anything) do you feel that you don't have in Alaska (like certain stores, products, opportunities) that we have in the lower 48?  I know that is a lot of questions.  I am just very nervous but excited at the same time.  My husband and I have talked about this for over a year but now that it is actually happening, i am getting worried because I am worried were aren't planning enough, don't know enough about where we are going etc. My husband is looking for employment in Gis, geography, mapping.  Do you think it will be hard for him to find work? I work in healthcare and had several offers so I am not worried but I would hate for us to move there and find that he can't find work.  We are both thinking of taking courses at Anchorage university.  are there any community colleges there?

Okay, now that I have asked a million questions....Thank you for any information and your time.  I appreciate it more than you know.

For starters I dont live in Alaska anymore but I did live up there for over 25 years.  I grew up in Anchorage and Wasilla. (about 60 miles from Anchorage)  Eagle River isnt too bad of a place to live, alot quieter...and the commute isnt that bad either...pretty much a straight shot into Anchorage to the hospital... As for crime...stay away from Mt View, Govt Hill, and most of Muldoon area....I am sure there are more areas now since I have left but I am sure those areas are still the worst... As for driving to Anchorage...I have driven the ALCAN 5 times....each time more and  more of it was paved.  I honestly suggest getting the MILEPOST book which you can usually get at a bookstore...it tells you exactly how to go and what is open in what towns and till how late because nothing sucks more than needing gast at 3 am and coming into a gas station and realizing that they dont open till 9 am or until the next day because they are closed on Sunday.  (or next season) The prices you quote for apartments are pretty much average...and usually utilities are included which is nice since it can get cold in the winter...but since you are from Colorado you should have no problem adjusting to the weather....As for darkness during the winter...I honestly feel it is like anywhere else during the winter...the days are shorter...the more north you are the shorter the days are... Anchorage has lots of malls and shopping...also have Walmart...downtown has great shopping area also....you can get just about anything there and the grocery stores are open 24 hours there also...have major grocery stores....I moved to Lawton, OK and we dont have a big grocery store unless you consider Super Walmart a grocery store.... I am sure that gas and milk are more expensive there but they have gone up everywhere, but the pay up in Alaska is better than alot of places... If you know how to ski, they have alot of places that are great to ski....some very close...probably not as high as in colorado but definitely just as good... Again, I am not currently living in Alaska anymore but I will always consider it my home and hope that one day we will move back as soon as my husband retires from the Army. Hope some of this helps...

soulwrtr

Anchorage is a real family friendly place. And Prov has a good reputation with its nurses. I am a nurse too but work at another health care organization here.  There are several surgeons here who do  WLS and I can recommend Dr. Snyder's support group. They meet once a month.  I came to Alaska a while back and came though Canada to Prince Rupert and then took the Marine Highway north. Its a great way to see that part of the state and probably cheaper than the long drive up the Alcan..although people who have done the Alcan seem to love it. My mother in law comes north on it each spring and goes south on it in the fall. Its pretty user friendly. I would be happy to answer any Anchorage questions you have about living here and you can email me at [email protected]. Camai

Hi and congratulations on your move!   I came here in 1998 from Virgina Beach, VA.     DROVE .....  it was a nice trip.  Then we went from here to MS and decided to come back after a few months.     Count on about 5 days in Canada alone.  That is with long days!   But it is a pleasent drive.  Be sure to take a break in LAird Hot Springs in LAIRD (Canada) Nice to take a break and relax in the springs!     Anchorage is just like most cities.  We have malls and good arts and preformance centers.     Umm, there are good parts of town and bad.  One to stay clear of is Mountain View.  Sure rent is cheap but it is not the best place to live.      weird thing about this place is you can have a really great neighborhood then right across the street is crappy neighborhood.        And by the way .... Milk is not $6 a gallon here.  The main grocery store here is CARRS (Safeway)  and they most always have milk 2 gallons for $6.     Food is more expensive.  But I do not kow what you pay there.   Let's see.  People will try to scare you (they did me) but it is really not bad at all.  You get used to the daylight in the summers and the dark in the winter.  Nice thing is that the moon light reflects off the snow and it seems lighter in the winters.  Also, our winters are very dry so it does not seem as cold as it is.     Summers are gorgeous.  The colors are so much more vivid.  I was amazed at how bright and bold the colors of the flowers are here.  I guess from the constant sun shine.   I think your trip will be hardest on your daughter.  Just make sure there are plenty of stops to get a good leg stretch and she has things to entertain herself.   The ALCAN is great now.  They are usually always working on it but the roads are very good!        Good luck with the trip.   Oh yes, an AVERAGE for a 2 bedroom apt is about $900.  depending on where you are.   Jeanee

And by the way .... Milk is not $6 a gallon here.  The main grocery store here is CARRS (Safeway)  and they most always have milk 2 gallons for $6.  Just adding here that it is OVER $6.00 a gallon in some areas of SE AK!!!  Including where I live.  I'm glad I'm drinking less :) Good luck on your trip! 

Hey, ChunkyMomma ... I dropped you a message in your box on here ......  Not sure if you had read it yet or not.
  Just dropping in to say HI!

Jeanee

Hi, I have lived in Alaska since 1997 and moved to the Anchorage area in 1999. Anchorage is a beautiful city, but it has its problems like any large city does. It is best to avoid any residential area thats name ends in "view", like "Mountainview." I live in Eagle River and work in Midtown Anchorage. It is about a 30 minute commute in the summer and about a 45 minute commute in the winter. I like Eagle River because it's quieter and a little more spread out. But the real estate prices are crazy up there. Most people who bough their home more than five years ago could not afford to buy it at its current value. But the equity can't be beat! Dr. Todd is my surgeon and he has support group meetings at lunch time and in the evening throughout the week. I don't go much anymore, but the ones I have attended were pretty good. Here's a link to his website: http://www.alaskabariatriccenter.com/index.jsp I came up to Alaska when I was in the military so we did not drive as they paid to ship our SUV up here. But I have heard the trip up the Alcan is a wonderful experience, if you plan well for it. Gas and lodging can be really expensive in Canada. Good luck and congratulations on your decision to move to one if not the most beautiful states in America! - Bob