I am moving to Anchorage Alaska, in September, can anyone tell me what life is like there?

Answer 1

Jeez. Seven answers and only Daniel got his right. 20 hours sunrise to sunset on June 21, 5.2 hours on Dec 21, but usable light (like for hiking and skiing) is more.

Summer highs: 65 to 75. Winter lows - typically 5-15F but it can go to -20 for days at a time, ocassionally colder.

Anchorage has 200,000 people and has everything that a similar sized city does. Supermarkets, shopping malls, burbs, downtown, bars, galleries, and so forth plus moose, rarely a bear, and killer views of the mountains in all directions. Some crime, some culture, some diversity but not a ton.

The PFD (permanent fund divident) is running about $800 a year currently. Once you've been here a full year, you get it each October. Every man, woman and child, just for taking up space. But don't come for that - you'll spend more on warm clothes, heating bills and toys to play outside (snowmobile, fishing gear, etc).

People still show up expecting to - whatever - build a log cabin, hunt caribou, work on the pipeline, marry a trapper, etc. That doesn't happen for 98% of the people who come up here starry eyed. The ones who have job skills, know what they want and have a plan often get what they want.

Come up if you're excited about being near some of the most wild areas left anywhere, like the adventure of a long winter and have the skills and finances to get settled in a new place. Don't come up because you've got problems and you want to leave behind. Those people have the same problems after they get here AND their car won't start at -30F.

Read "Coming into the Country" by John McPhee. 25 years old, but still a great introduction to Alaskan history, geography and mentality.

See you around?
-David

Answer 2

In the summer, it's light all the time (24 hrs), and in the winter, you can go for months without any light outside. I hear it's beautiful in the summer, but can be a bit depressing in the winter..

Also, apparently, since the gov't makes so much money from the Alaskan oil, they'll pay you a yearly (or monthly) stipend to live there! What a country!!

Answer 3

I was there in Feb. '06, and fell in love with Alaska. Life seems slower paced, people are friendly, cold in winter like other places, but a drier cold. You'd get to see the Northern Lights! And moose all over, just in "Northern Exposure!"

Answer 4

it does not stay light constantly in the summer, or is it dark constantly in the winter, at the maximum is about 21 hrs light and dark on the longest and shortest day. it can get cold there, but not as cold as fairbanks and it can also get warm there, not as much as fairbanks. fairbanks can get to 80 and above in the summer and -45 in the winter. anchorage is not nearly as cold(in the winter) but almost as warm (in the summer).

Answer 5

everywhere is extra accepting of multi-racial youngsters than 20 years in the past even as those memories may have began. yet nevertheless, the bigots and racists do look to cluster in small cities and contained in the south. And, your little ones would in all chance experience extra smooth in a community the position they're the in straight forward words mixed-race youngsters. Seattle, Portland*, San Francisco and l. a. elements are all very, very accepting of mixed-race human beings and there are one of those round. college cities by the country (Ann Arbor MI, Lawrance KS, Madison WI, Corvallis OR, etc) are very liberal, accepting (yet incredibly dang white). *acquaintances in Portland (a black/white couple) have youngsters contained in the colleges there. there became a sparkling Asian baby in pre-college. no longer something unusual about that. yet their son became shocked even as Asian moms and dads got here to p.c.. up the boy. He hadn't considered that ensue earlier (because the different Asian youngsters were followed youngsters in white households).

Answer 6

It's almost like anywhere else....warm in the summer....a little bit colder in the winters....then there's the periods of darkness. I'm not sure when and for how long but there are periods of time when it's just dark....day or night.

Answer 7

fridget cold brrrr...go figure!good luck and best wishes!

Answer 8

chill, cold, boring, no fun at all. all you can do is the computer with you.

Answer 9

cold and simple