Fairbanks, AK Reviews

Comfortable, But Winters Are Getting Harder - 6/25/2015
I have lived in the Fairbanks area for about 25 years and have become very comfortable with the community and the lifestyle here. That said, retirement is fast approaching and I am finding it harder and harder to enjoy or even tolerate the winter months. When I was young, winter was an adventure. In middle age it was just something to deal with. Now, it seems like it really is becoming a pain. I'm not sure if I really want to deal with it as an older person and am actively looking into retiring to a warmer Read More

Interested in Fairbanks - 5/27/2011
Comments about Fairbanks, both positive and negative, are of interest to me. Was in Fairbanks this past March [and north on Cleary Summit] and fell in love with the general area. Seriously considering relocating, though unable to make a move at this time [housing market].

Realize that being somewhere on vacation and living somewhere are two entirely different things. Having said that, it has turned out that places I've decided to visit are places I eventually lived, anywhere from 10-21+ years.

In the meantime, hope to return to Alaska to see more of this amazing state, and hopefully to see those amazing night skies Read More

Think Twice! - 5/17/2010
I came to Alaska 15 years ago on an adventure and first lived in Juneau, which I LOVED and then moved to Eagle River, which I loved and now live in Fairbanks! I do not like it here and am just waiting for the right time to sell my home and leave! The quality of life is terrible in my opinion, unless of course making money is the only thing important to you! There is a lot of drinking and domestic violence everyday! There is a large drunk Native population that one can see staggering all over town every day of the week! There are really no neighborhoods where kids can play out in safely! Ther eis no sense of Community unless you fit in to one of the niches which are very tight! You have the snobs and liberals from the University, the 'locals' who really don't want Chechakos moving in, the Military which is tight knit and closed off, the rednecks who carry guns and shoot anything that gets in their way and the dope smokers who age from in their teens to old...and I mean old! It's almost Read More

Plug-in your vehicle! - 12/17/2009
You need to plug-in your vehicle for almost half of the year here. Also you need a remote auto-start if yo don't have what it takes to handle a hard seat at -40F. Be sure to use zero weight oil and multiple viscosity oil for the drivetrain also. Go to Alaskan Tent and Tarp and get a grille cover for your car as driving 50mph has the windchill factor of -88 hitting your radiator when the ambient temperature is at -40F. Even more so if you're a leadfoot.

Summers are like heaven on earth: the irises are fleeting, the tourists abound and there's actual thunder here along with a once or twice a year heavy rainfall. I miss the summers there, especially the Solstice street party when it's in the +90 degree range. When I rode a Harley to work, the Northern Schools Federal Credit Union time&temp sign said +95F and when my ex-girlfriend from Kentucky was here for Xmas, it was easily below 0 and at times -10 to -20 at times. Drove the Jeep Wrangler TJ on the Chena River near Pike's Read More

Improbable Town in the Wilderness - 12/11/2009
Fairbanks is an amazing town because of the amazing people, great university, and so many things to do I have to pick and choose carefully or I will be on the go constantly. Through the years I have lived here, one word always comes to mind in describing my community: improbable. From ballet, to music, figure skating, hockey, soccer, theater, brewery, to decent year-round tennis, I am never lacking for things to do. The only reason I'm on sperlings is because of the cold, dark winters, which have always been intriguing to me until lately. Other than that, I would live here Read More

good town, good people - 12/5/2009
Have lived here for 39 years. Weather in the summer is awesome, weather in the winter is awful (long and cold).

The people here are friendly and Read More

Eyes Open - 5/3/2009
I have lived in Fairbanks for 30 years and am now looking at moving for a change in career. Fairbanks is not an especially bad place, but be careful. Cost of living is very high, the weather in the winter is harsh, causing housing and automotive problems. Fuel and gas are both very expensive. Fairbanks is a university town, and as such is home to a significant population of young white prople with dreadlocks and other liberal green earth types. we call them earth muffins. If you find a muffin who is over 30 or 40 years old, they are ususally good people as they have enough living to understand reality as well as their "ideals", but the young ignorant ones can be a pain. Drugs in Fairbanks are bad, as is alcoholism. The lack of any activities in the winter kinda causes that. Fairbanks is the air hub going to all of the northern villages, so drugs/alcohol going there come through faribanks first. Crime is noticeable, but tolerable if you are aware. Fairbanks is not a "leave Read More

Feb 2nd 2009, it's cold - 2/2/2009
It's about 30 below zero today, in 5 months it could be in the upper 80's with 24 hr daylight, it must be a great place to live, more people are moving here then are leaving and tourist pay good money to come here. I, like most people here, love Read More

Fairbanks, Alaska - 1/23/2009
Fairbanks is a beautiful city. The Arts and Entertainment are plentiful! And they have to be when it's a chilly -20 below! Though the winters are quite harsh, the summers are too die for! It is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever lived.
I lived in Anchorage before Fairbanks and the difference is significant. The summers in Fairbanks are usually clear, sunny, warm and the flowers / gardens grow like crazy! Anchorage can be sunny, but not nearly as much as in Fairbanks, AK.
I am originally from Northwest Arkansas so, moving to Alaska 7 years ago, I was sure we'd eventually move back down to the "lower 48". But, to my surprise, I think we'll be here for many more years to come.
The dark and very cold winters are very trying. Everyone here in Fairbanks swears by The Happy Light. Not seeing the sun for 6 months at a time can make taking a vacation not just a want but a need for sanity's sake.
The Northern Lights are Read More

Fairbanks - 12/21/2007
I haven't lived inside city limits, but I lived within 5 miles so close enough to call it. I started out in the hills just north of town, I can't really comment on the scenery, I'm not into that type of thing, but we had moose walking through our back yard, the biggest problem with that is most places north of town have a 1000-2000 gallon holding tank instead of a well where city water is not available, it was at 8 cents a gallon to get it hauled in when we moved to the other side of town almost 2 years ago so it's probably 9 or 10 cents now, the much cheaper alternative is to haul it yourself in 300-400 gallon tanks that are made by a local company and go in the back of a pickup truck. alot of people take their snowmobiles, ATVs, and even their sleds out to the pipeline and ride down the service road(you're not really supposed to, but that's not enforced) and there are trails everywhere, and there are a few ski resorts nearby. for local sports we have the alaska Nanooks(hockey, Read More