Relocating to Anchorage

Anywhere on the south and westsides of Anchorage; Dimond, Turnagain, Abbott Loop, Klatt, Ocean View. Stay away from Mountain View, Fairview and most of the Eastside like Muldoon, Debarr and Bragraw. For aparment rentals go to adn.com it's our local newpaper. Good luck!

I live in Anchorage, and really love it here. You should look in South Anchorage. That is the nicest area in the city. There are alot of family oriented neighborhoods in that area. If you are looking for a house, check out Hillside, Patriot Park, or a new neighborhood called, Westpark. I'm not sure about apartments, but almost anything on the southside would be nice. Just be sure to stay away from Mountain View. That is the ghetto of Anchorage!

I live on Ft Rich, so my knowledge is limited, but I have a friend that lives in Admiral's Cove, and it's really nice with a parking garage and keyed entry to the buildings. She really likes it, and the apt complex doesn't tolerate trouble makers, they're evicted immediately! Hope this little bit helps.

Hi M.! I moved to Anchorage in 2006 and have lived on the Southside the whole time. I don't want to tell you where NOT to move... but let's just say if I were you I would go with Westside or Southside Anchorage. However, if you are planning on working I would recommend somewhere close to where you work, as commuting in the morning can be a nightmare this time of year. I live in Independence Park near the Southside Fred Meyer in a condo. We love it, the neighborhood is great and you are close to good schools and shopping, etc. There are apartments, houses and condos available, and always something to rent in Independence Park. I recommend checking craigslist. Good luck!

My family and I moved to Anchorage in November, so I completely understand where you're coming from. We ended up really liking the lower hillside area and were lucky enough to find a great house to rent until we could decide where to buy. If you're not very familiar with Anchorage yet, the hillside is south east of town. We used Craig's List as a source for finding rental properties and also used Paragon Properties (Chris Goard). Paragon's web site is http://paragonpropertiesinc.com. There is also a very nice area off Southport Dr. on the southwest side of town. There is a nice area for condos, I think it's Discovery Bay or Seclusion Bay (or maybe both). If you can't find anything directly with them, you may find something on Criag's List. Anchorage is a bit strange, because you may find a really nice condo or apartment that is just in a strange setting. We found a great place on Silver Fox off Huffman, but the surrounding location was not a place I would want to live with young children - nowhere to play and just not what we were wanting. There were also some nice condos on Innes Circle, and there are quite a few "site condos," which are detached like single homes, but they have the zero lot line, which means the association takes care of lawn maintenance, etc. I have probably inundated you with way too much info, but I hope it helps! Good luck with your move! We love it here!

Hi M.,
I have lived in Anchorage since 1991. There are a few different areas of town that are considered "nice." Like the previous post, the lower hillside is a popular area but can also have higher winds and a few more inches of snow. Southwest Anchorage is also a pretty nice area, with older more established homes. The Southport area is in an area called Bayshore and that is the school district for that area. If you have any school aged children then that is definitely something you might want to check out. You can view each schools "report" card by going to the Anchorage School Districts website. The Turnagain/Lake Hood area seems to be a pretty quite/low crime area as well, especially if you see anything in "old Turnagain." If you have a choice between school districts in that area, I would chose Lake Hood over Turnagain just from parents I know who live in the area. I know there are also some nice neighborhoods in east Anchorage, but in the 17 years I have lived here, I have never really been over there. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Hope this helps.

~T.

If I were you I would try to find housing in South Anchorage or if you don't mind a little commute of about 15 to 20 minutes into Anchorage I would be looking for housing in Eagle River or Peter's Creek, both very good locations with close grocery shopping and Walmart. So it wouldn't be like you would have to go into Anchorage to shop. The area I would try to stay away from is anywhere near Mountain View or Muldoon. My spouse and I are in the Air Force and have been up here for 3 1/2 years. We really enjoy it up here, the winters get a little long, but all and all it is a good place to live. Good luck with the move and all the stuff that goes with it.

C. R.