Reviews & Comments
Juneau, AK
Dark and unfriendly -
8/8/2006I was offered a job in juneau, so I decided to fly up and check it out. Within two days I decided that juneau was not for me. There is a decent bit to do, though the only way I could handle it is if I already had friends here. It is just grey grey grey all year long. Find me a city in the US that has fewer sunny days a year than juneau(maybe sitka). It is very lush and green, and there is some old growth forests around. The fishing is some of the best in the world. Lots of water.... waterfalls, creeks, rivers and their frozen cousins, glaciers. The icefields are amazing. It's also very expensive. Property values are kind of on the high side, and fresh fruits and veggies are alot more than I was used to paying. There are no roads in and out of juneau, therefore everything is shipped in, hence the pricetag. In the summer their are tons of cruise ships, with tons of tourists flooding the streets of downtown. The people don't seem too friendly at all, and there isn't much culture to be had(music etc...). I thought I could handle it before I came up here, but after staying a few days, I have a very depressing image of the whole area. There is money here, but all the buildings seem run down, there is trash laying around everywhere, and it just seems like an economically depressed area(closed up old shopping malls, etc..). It would be fun to visit for maybe a few months max, but I just don't see how I could possibly live here.
Jackson, WY
jackson has it all, but at a very high price -
8/8/2006Jackson is an absolutely beautiful place to live. During summer there is enough hiking and biking to last you a lifetime! Thousands of miles of trails at your fingertips! Winters are equally awesome. Some of the best skiing in the world is at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (Targhee in alta,wy is great too). The XC Skiing is great also. Grand Teton National Park grooms their roads in the winter, and there are some groomed roads in yellowstone as well. You are surrounded by mountains (hence the name jackson hole). The winters can be exceptionally harsh, with lows in the negative temparatures a very regular occurence for months on end. There was a few week stretch in the winter of 2005/2006 where it never got above above zero(f). Skiing at -15(f) can be a challenge, you can feel ice crystals forming on your nose hairs with every breath. Now for the worst part about living here. The property values are insane. The average house in jackson is currently around $800,000 and they project it will hit $1,000,000 by the end of 2006. The reason for this is mostly because ridiculously wealthy people have second homes here. It's absolutely nuts. Most working people have to live in victor idaho (18 miles over teton pass), or alpine wyoming (25 miles down hoback canyon) and commute into jackson, which can be a nightmare in the winter. Even in those sleepy little towns the property values are getting out of hand. Another bad thing is there are some services that are lacking. I.E. I had to take my motorcycle to Idaho Falls because none of the motorcycle shops in jackson could order the parts necessary for the repair. Jackson will make you fall in love with it, until you have to pay rent or buy a house. I think it's worth it though.