Reviews & Comments
Anchorage, AK
Pros, Cons, and Variables to living in Anchorage -
3/18/2024I lived in Anchorage for the better part of the 2010's.
Pros:
o Beautiful, mountain and ocean views; close to many hiking trails, campsites, fishing grounds, hunting areas, and winter outdoor sports. Nothing like hiking on a glacier in the summer!
o Different nature than most Lower 48 cities: moose, bears, fox, magpies, ravens, lynx, eagles, whales, mountain sheep/ goats, some coastal ocean birds. It won't be unusual to have a moose peaking her head through a drive thru window.
o Moderate summertime temps with plenty of daylight to do outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and camping.
o Certain job industries are predominant and/or strong. (i.e. oil and gas, medical, education, construction, service jobs, military & Government)
o Home and commercial construction can survive the harsh winters and even strong earthquakes. You get what you pay for when it comes to home buying. A decent home is selling for around $400,000. The best homes are on the southside of town.
o High median income to compensate for the high cost of living.
o Anchorage is a foodie town! If you are looking for BBQ, go somewhere else. But, the culturally vibrant town has great Asian food, pizzerias, seafood, and pubs. Pub crawling was my favorite in-city activity. I have tried and loved unique Alaskan food such as reindeer sausage, salmon cheese ball, halibut, salmon eggs benedict, caribou, salmon jerky, reindeer meatloaf, and this awesome Turkish restaurant called Turkish Delish. I have even tried Alaskan Native foods such as Eskimo Ice Cream (Akutaq) and muktuk.
o Diverse culture. Alaskan schools have been rated as the most diverse in the country. I enjoyed learning about the Alaskan Native culture (which is embedded in many aspects of local activities).
o Festivals: The Fur Rondy is Anchorage's most popular festival that includes the traditional start of the Iditarod.
Cons:
o I didn't mind the winters and long nights. Great for sleeping in on the weekends! Some people may not adjust as well. Of course, long summer days can make sleeping difficult but I was usually outdoors. So, it didn't bother me.
o Large homeless population. This has been an issue for years. Unless you leave your vehicle unlocked, most of the homeless in Anchorage is noninvasive or not pushy when begging.
o High property crime. Lock everything up!
o Rent varies. There is not a lot of apartments available for the population. But there are a lot of homes for rent. Rent is generally high at around $1200/month for a 2-bedroom apartment or $3200/month for a 3-bedroom home. Not much yard unless you get a home on the southside.
o California politics. Most Alaskans are very independent-minded. California politics are too invasive and regulatory for most Alaskans. But, as more West Coast people move to Anchorage, there will be more West Coast politics injected into the communities.
o Certain job industries are weak (i.e. manufacturing, transportation)
o Education: The schools have a hard time attracting and keeping great educators. California politics, non-competitive salaries/compensation, ESL, and very expensive per child to educate are some of the reasons for low test scores as compared to Lower 48 schools.
o Logistics: It is long, expensive, and difficult to travel back and forth between Anchorage and the Lower 48. Supplies and store merchandise is at the mercy of the barges. There is one deep water port 50-miles out of the city and the city has an aging moderate water port. Store shelves can be empty from time to time.
o Alaskan Time Zone can create difficult times to connect with family and friends in the Lower 48... especially with Eastern Time Zone 4-hours ahead.
Variables:
o As with anywhere, the local wildlife can be a beautiful sight or a nuisance. You must be bear aware, moose can be tame or they can charge you, magpies are jerks of the avian world, ravens tear apart the lining of pick up trucks and many Alaskan wildlife will pick through garbage cans and dumpsters (bears, ravens, fox)
o Television programming for live events such as sports can advantageous for the Alaskan Time Zone. For example, I wake up on Sundays to watch football rather than waiting until noon. Then again, I was usually at work when Monday Night Football came on. The great thing is being able to watch MNF and go to bed at a decent time.
o Sporting events: No professional teams in Anchorage and the Alaskan Aces minor league hockey team left. You get Seattle-based professional teams on TV. College sports are fun to watch. There is a strong intramural community for many sports. There are plenty of clubs for children to be involved in a variety of sports.
o Weather: There are some unique weather or meteorological phenomenons that are amazing to see: Northern Lights, sun dogs, sun pillars, hoarfrost, and floating ice crystals. However, most of those events require extreme cold. The late summer also has a lot of rainy days. The best time of year for weather is between Memorial Day and Independence Day.
o Cleanliness: Garbage appears during Spring Breakup, but, many communities have a very active clean up effort. The homeless don't clean up after themselves.
o The Roads: You may never see pavement during the winter months of October through April. It's usually too cold for salt and the moose would lick it anyways (creating a road hazard). So, AKDOT will plow and drop these tiny, sharp rocks for traction. They pop tires and flying rocks spit out by tires causes cracks in the windshield. Plows are active and keep the roads clear of snow and ice. Then, they clean up the rocks and dust during the summer. You can have studded tires during the winter season. Roads are well maintained despite the challenging weather conditions. It's crazy to drive on roads with frost heaves!
I hope you found this informative. If given the chance, I would move back to Anchorage in a heartbeat.