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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 22, 2009 2:41:12 GMT -9
I have been offered a position at Fort Richardson which means my wife wife (hideme) and myself (nc_cachegeek) would need to move to the area.
I am looking for information on the good, bad areas of anchorage to live. We will be renting for the first year.
So far I have heard the north and south side of Anchorage, Eagle River and Palmer. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
I am looking at some apartments (Grass Creek Village) this is at the corner of Debarr Rd and Muldoon Rd. Is this a decent area of town?
This has been an adventure so far. I received the offer 5PM Eastern Time and was given 24 hours to decide. Gotta love the govt.
if we do move I am really looking forward to doing some caching in the state and placing some new hides!
Thanks again
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 22, 2009 14:26:20 GMT -9
I'd be willing to take a crack at your request after knowing more about what you are looking for. For example, do you want to be near Nordic ski trails, downhill skiing, running trails, bike trails, close to the coast, close to the mountains (or both), how much of a commute do you want to tolerate, are you needing to access Ft. Richardson or Elmendorf, access to good elementary, middle or high schools, city sewage and water or private septic and well, etc.
I grew up in Arizona, spent some time in Southern California and have lived in Alaska for the past 21 years. This is and is intended to always be home for me and my family. Great people, more year-round recreational activities than one can possibly take advantage of, moderate climate (before the locals climb on me for that comment, Anchorage is moderate compared to Fairbanks), no state taxes, and wonderful quality of life make this a wonderful place to live.
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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 22, 2009 18:02:10 GMT -9
I'd be willing to take a crack at your request after knowing more about what you are looking for. For example, do you want to be near Nordic ski trails, downhill skiing, running trails, bike trails, close to the coast, close to the mountains (or both), how much of a commute do you want to tolerate, are you needing to access Ft. Richardson or Elmendorf, access to good elementary, middle or high schools, city sewage and water or private septic and well, etc. I grew up in Arizona, spent some time in Southern California and have lived in Alaska for the past 21 years. This is and is intended to always be home for me and my family. Great people, more year-round recreational activities than one can possibly take advantage of, moderate climate (before the locals climb on me for that comment, Anchorage is moderate compared to Fairbanks), no state taxes, and wonderful quality of life make this a wonderful place to live. So many questions. I would need access to Fort Richards, the kids are all in the military so they are all grown and GONE. opps was that in caps? I am not looking for any close to ski trails or anything like that. The closer we are to the tourist area the higher the cost IMO. When we go out caching we dont mind a drive for particular caches. Wether doesnt bother me as we spent last winter caching and it was -23 and I was toasty warm. Anyway I am getting off the subject. We are going to need to rent for the first year. So far I am hearing Eagle River and the South side of Anchorage. I am not finding a whole lot of apartments online and the ones I do find they only show part of the apartment which leads me to believe it is in a bad area. So I guess I need to know some of the good areas and areas to avoid. Bleah so much to do in such a short time. Thanks so much for everyone's help.
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 23, 2009 7:22:38 GMT -9
GONE? LOL...does that mean off the payroll, too?
Debarr and Muldoon apartments will give you easy access to the main Ft. Rich gate. That's a decent part of town with a lot of military and ex-military presence.
Housing costs go up as one looks at property with a view, more land, features newer construction, or is close to the coast.
In my opinion, "rougher" parts of town to avoid include Mountainview and Fairview. Other than that, most of the rest of Anchorage offers pleasant living. I'll defer to others to sound off on that topic since I've only been here for two years after spending nine years in Fairbanks.
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Red*J
Bronze Cacher
Still finding my caching feet
Posts: 13
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Post by Red*J on Dec 25, 2009 9:05:37 GMT -9
Anywhere in Palmer, Wasilla, or Eagle River would be a good choice, depending on how far you want to drive and how far you want your money to go. If you decided to go with Anchorage, I would avoid anything in the Northeast portion of the city. For the most part, leave everything within the first few miles of the military bases off your list of possibilities.
Hope this helps.
Justin
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Dec 25, 2009 10:39:23 GMT -9
Try this site; www.usarak.army.mil/main/Click on the "Newcomers" block and peruse some of the information there. I lived in the Russian Jack area of East Anchorage since 1980 and made the daily trip to work within 10 minutes each day (before most of the crowd amassed). Debarr to Boniface and through the Airforce main gate and then into Ft Richardson on the main connecting road. There are some new housing units built in an area near East High School/Russian Jack Elementary School near Northern Lights Blvd and Bragaw St. (20th Ave I believe)There are a couple other elementary schools in that area. Access to out of town via the Glenn Hwy (east) or the Seward Hwy (south) is close.
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Post by li1gray on Dec 26, 2009 11:58:38 GMT -9
Well I live here on the east side of town and lots of the places to rent are not apartments, you will find townhomes and condos as the way of life here. i work on Elmendorf and the mrs works on ft Rich. we have a quiet neighborhood here. If you want to look at crime and such for Anchorage you can look at this link crimemap.muni.org/. hope you took the job!
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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 26, 2009 17:12:00 GMT -9
Well I live here on the east side of town and lots of the places to rent are not apartments, you will find townhomes and condos as the way of life here. i work on Elmendorf and the mrs works on ft Rich. we have a quiet neighborhood here. If you want to look at crime and such for Anchorage you can look at this link crimemap.muni.org/. hope you took the job! Yes I took the job. I need to get my SF86 filled out before I get the final move date. I think for the first week or two we will be staying at an Extended Stay so we can physically look at locations. I want to have this done quickly so we can jump into grabbing caches.
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Dec 26, 2009 17:52:04 GMT -9
Well I live here on the east side of town and lots of the places to rent are not apartments, you will find townhomes and condos as the way of life here. i work on Elmendorf and the mrs works on ft Rich. we have a quiet neighborhood here. If you want to look at crime and such for Anchorage you can look at this link crimemap.muni.org/. hope you took the job! Yes I took the job. I need to get my SF86 filled out before I get the final move date. I think for the first week or two we will be staying at an Extended Stay so we can physically look at locations. I want to have this done quickly so we can jump into grabbing caches. Wow, OPM still uses SF86?
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Post by Valerieseaker on Dec 26, 2009 21:36:07 GMT -9
Hmmm - I live on the Northeast side, not too far from Debarr and Muldoon. It's a good neighborhood. I kind of resent people implying that it's a bad part of town. There are many good neighborhoods close the the bases. That's just my opinion, though.
Grass Creek Village is new and looks nice (my biased opinion.) It's close to base, close to shopping, close to a branch library.
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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 27, 2009 4:54:48 GMT -9
Yes I took the job. I need to get my SF86 filled out before I get the final move date. I think for the first week or two we will be staying at an Extended Stay so we can physically look at locations. I want to have this done quickly so we can jump into grabbing caches. Yes! We had to help my son with his a few years ag Wow, OPM still uses SF86? Yes! Not including the instructions it is still 23 pages long.
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Red*J
Bronze Cacher
Still finding my caching feet
Posts: 13
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Post by Red*J on Dec 27, 2009 7:32:02 GMT -9
I may have voiced my opinion a little too strong.
IMHO, there are several bad patches in the northern part of the city where you may find yourself living in a neighborhood or on a street with a few too many crackheads or want-to-be gangsters. Or maybe a few random drunks inadvertently knocking on your doors and windows. They may even throw in an occasional drive-by shooting for the hell of it.
Disclaimer: Some or all of this answer was written collaboratively by Red*J and the evil voices that are in his head to GeocacheAlaska!. For reliable information of any sort that is based on reality, you must consult an officially qualified professional. You use this at your own risk. ;D
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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 27, 2009 7:48:04 GMT -9
OK. Next question. Right now Anchorage has only about 5+ hours of daylight. How long does this last and assuming most people still cache when the sun goes down. How do the local LEO's feel about caching and or caching during the night?
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 27, 2009 9:06:05 GMT -9
OK. Next question. Right now Anchorage has only about 5+ hours of daylight. How long does this last and assuming most people still cache when the sun goes down. How do the local LEO's feel about caching and or caching during the night? Now that Solstice has passed, we'll start gaining light at rates up to six minutes per day to catch us up to the rest of the world by Equinox in only three months. Night (well beyond just chasing reflectors in trees) and snow caching are de rigueur this time of year or caching would just stop. Parks close at 11:00 p.m. (none of the dawn to dusk rules posted at Outside parks) if they close at all. The Nordic ski trails are lit most of the night, though cachers should not use them unless they are on skis. The Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department (no permit), Bureau of Land Management (no permit), and Chugach State Park (blanket permit) are all very welcoming to geocaching. LEOs more apt to stop and ask if you need help than to ask what you're otherwise doing. LEO/cacher interactions are few and far between around here.
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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 29, 2009 14:12:36 GMT -9
I want to thank everyone that posted a comment or sent an email. I am just waiting on the results for my clearance and then they can provide me with a final start date.
The next big chore will be putting a handful of my hides up for adoption and getting ready for the huge move of 4000+ miles.
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Dec 29, 2009 17:13:24 GMT -9
Which organization is the job with?
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Post by nccachegeek on Dec 29, 2009 18:11:01 GMT -9
The Information Management Division @ Ft Rich. Medical Detachment
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Post by dmzlstone on Dec 29, 2009 22:16:59 GMT -9
Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla and Palmer are all just one of those places you will need to drive around to find the area that fits your needs and comfort level. You will find "good" and "bad" neihborhoods in "all" of them, no mater what part of town (especially Anchorage) you are looking in. I call them pocket neihborhoods (the good ones) surrounded by the not so good (bad) areas.
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Post by goldfinch on Jan 12, 2010 4:02:06 GMT -9
I am more than likely to late to add my two cents. First of all I lived in Anchorage 17 years. Been gone for the last 9 but still make trips back each year to see son and family. Matter fact we will be there tomorrow for a week. Anyway, now my point. Anchorage does have some areas that are not the best, so to say. But if you compare Anchorage to other cities in the lower 48 it does not have any area that I would really be frightened to walk in at night like so many cities have down here. We have some locations in cities down here I do not want to go in during the day either. A good example would be parts of Detroit. Anchorage has its problems but if I remember correctly it tends to move around a little bite trying to keep away from the cops. And some of these house turned up to be in some of the "better" parts of town. So in my opinion it is where you are willing to live in the way of "older" or "newer" buildings. Good luck on the move or hope it went well. Goldfinch Mason, MI
PS hope to run into some of you on the trails. We leave the day before the event, darn.
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Post by nccachegeek on Jan 16, 2010 17:18:25 GMT -9
Well I think the idea at this point is to make the trip up and stay in an extended stay until we can find something we like.
Right now I am just waiting on my clearance before I make that 4000+ mile drive. Since we are limited to 500 miles on routes I had to make 9 queries. Now I am physically looking at each cache to see how accessible it is to the highway. I usually just run a query a go but since I will be on a time constraint I want to make sure I have only easy caches on the way up.
Did you happen to make it down to Midwest geobash last year?
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Post by nccachegeek on Jan 27, 2010 15:05:56 GMT -9
Well my wait is over. They officially offered me the job and I will be in Anchorage 3/1. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone and to get out and grab some caches. I also hope to bring some unique hides to place.
Thanks again for everyone help!!
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Jan 27, 2010 19:11:18 GMT -9
Well my wait is over. They officially offered me the job and I will be in Anchorage 3/1. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone and to get out and grab some caches. I also hope to bring some unique hides to place. Thanks again for everyone help!! If you are still planning to drive, insure you are prepared. Coming through the Yukon Territory requires some special consideration, since not all facilities are open this time of year. The AAA can assist, and there are probably other on line services which can aid you. I don't want to scare you, but I do want you to be prepared, especially if you have never driven the road before (winter or summer). Be safe.
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Post by nccachegeek on Jan 28, 2010 13:53:53 GMT -9
Yep the only thing I need to do is get my oil changed and grab some new tires. Even picked up a SPOT for the trip.
I have planned to take about a week to drive and have no plan to rush.
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Jan 28, 2010 18:26:41 GMT -9
I went from Bellingham, WA which is about 25 miles South of the Canadian border, to Anchorage starting May 10 2009. The route was through BC, YT, and AK. Day 1: 465 miles Day 2: 542 miles Day 3: 488 miles Day 4: 507 miles Day 5: 325 miles (home).
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Post by ladybugkids on Jan 28, 2010 20:44:50 GMT -9
Yep the only thing I need to do is get my oil changed and grab some new tires. Even picked up a SPOT for the trip. I have planned to take about a week to drive and have no plan to rush. "A week to drive" and "no plan to rush" are contradictory. My wife and I spent four days between Anchorage and Whitehorse on one trip, and that was before geocaching started up. There's a lot of BIG, PRETTY country out there just begging to be explored. 400 miles/day is more than plenty on the AlCan when dealing with darkness/falling snow/moose/scenic sites/etc. Takes a lot more concentration than pointing and going on a lower-48 interstate. Be safe during your trip and we look forward to meeting you at a geoevent or on the trails.
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Post by FrostG1anT on Jan 28, 2010 22:23:21 GMT -9
Yep the only thing I need to do is get my oil changed and grab some new tires. Even picked up a SPOT for the trip. I have planned to take about a week to drive and have no plan to rush. Make sure you put your SPOT in the front window when you are traveling. SPOT doesn't do well in vehicles or any covered area when traveling faster than 20MPH. SPOT is a great tool and a fun location device and completely awesome for mapping trips and sharing your travels with others. As a safety device it should NEVER be relied on. I have had a SPOT for a bit over two years and completely love it, but it is NOT a rescue beacon. The fact that it is so hit or miss for it's tracking makes it only the beacon of last resort. Do you have a travel blog with your SPOT linked to? It is always cool to watch people as they cross vast distances with the SPOT. Have a great trip and perhaps we will meet you on the trails soon.
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Post by nccachegeek on Jan 29, 2010 2:30:02 GMT -9
The SPOT came with free tracking for a year. Which will post your location to a link that you can then see in google maps and email it to the people I define on the website.
The wife wanted it for the safety factor I wanted it for the geek factor. lol
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Post by FrostG1anT on Jan 29, 2010 21:34:00 GMT -9
I love my SPOT, I have used it everywhere from Alaska to Florida (actually borrowed one for the Florida trip, it works better in AK than FL oddly enough). When using it in a closed vehicle (as opposed to a motorcycle) it will only track with good weather and at intersections or when you are stopped. They are very finicky about moving too quickly and since the original SPOT has not way of letting you know if the signal was received by the satellite you are sort of on your own and just hope you are transmitting properly. The SPOT II has 2-way communication, but they were all recalled for a faulty battery indicator and are supposed to be back on the street in the coming weeks. The ability to send messages to folks on your OK list is pretty cool and can be set-up for multiple email addresses. If you are hiking it is a great tool, if you are driving, not so good.
Make sure to keep it at least 18" from any other GPS systems as they interfere with each other and will make the SPOT not track properly. In a vehicle this is easier than on your pack when hiking. If you have a place in a back window where it won't role around and won't get covered over with anything that might be a good place for it. A set of batteries should last about 9 days in on continuously. Don't put anything but lithium in it though, it will work, but only for about 4 hours, and with no battery indicator you won't know when it quits working as it will still blink it's heartbeat.
Have fun with it and happy trails.
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Post by li1gray on Jan 31, 2010 16:07:53 GMT -9
Yep the only thing I need to do is get my oil changed and grab some new tires. Even picked up a SPOT for the trip. I have planned to take about a week to drive and have no plan to rush. Sounds like you are getting well prepared to cache and be safe along the way! Enjoy the winter drive. we drove up in Mar of 89 it was a nice trip and like others said not everything is open so plan ahead. I love the Milepost it worked nicely and gave us some neat stops along the way to see. We drove the Yellowknife across Canada as we come across the border in North Dakota. It was great. Enjoy the drive and the caching along the way. (caching wasn't around back in '89.) Drive safe and hope to meet soon!
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Post by nccachegeek on Feb 19, 2010 7:03:34 GMT -9
We are really looking forward to meeting everyone. Does anyone know of a restaurant that has a community room or someplace that can hold geocachers? I hope to be able to hold a meet-n-greet once we get a little settled.
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