What Happened to Anchorage Alaska?

[@whimsicalhamster88]

I was born and raised there. It was good as a kid because there's a lot of nature and fresh air, but as I hit my teens I quickly realized that people were pretty close-minded and that the only real opportunities there are in tourism or the oil industry. When oil was expensive, everyone was happy and when it was cheap, everyone got laid off. Since oil is a dwindling resource and the state doesn't use the money to actually invest in anything, you can't become a medical doctor or a lawyer at any university in the state and there is only one nursing school in Anchorage, that you kind of have to leave to learn anything that's not directly helpful to the oil or tourism industries. Most kids dream of leaving. I did over a decade ago and don't miss it.

[@jamescrock2213]

yall should have stayed hunkered in and became the main exporters america’s black metal

[@greenidguy9292]

Loser…

[@polar8394]

Also someone from Anchorage and you took the words out of my mouth- got accepted by a much better university than UAA in the lower 48, and haven't come back in 5 years (except to visit) since there's just more opportunity down here.

[@dawg2067]

I’ve lived in Kodak Alaska for about 2 years. It’s a luv h*te situation

[@llorablan9588]

@@dawg2067 It's Kodiak

[@MidnightSkylineMA]

I visited Alaska over the summer, and Anchorage just felt very sad. Lots of homeless, especially natives, and a lack of any strong downtown.

[@mls515]

In some cases they've been kicked out of the small tribal village they're from for doing something bad and they can't go back. It is sad, usually substance abuse related. And in the winter they're still out there.

[@KanyeTheGayFish69]

Lack of a strong downtown? It’s not New York City. I think your standards are too high. It has fewer people than Lincoln Nebraska.

[@davidsmith385]

Homeless in Alaska means your now part of the food chain.😅

[@joeysworldsewer]

​@davidsmith385 well same in a lot of states. Florida especially, alligators EVERYWHERE

[@bennybeeeee]

Some of them were banished by their tribal councils

[@jazzcatjohn]

People who haven't lived in Alaska view it as an outdoor place. But for more than half the year it's very much an indoor place, conducive to spending long hours drinking at the bar. I lived in Anchorage for one year in 89-90. The winters are long, cold and dark with little to do. I couldn't handle it personally. But to each their own.

[@naptime0143]

I heard ppl who live in Alaska can sometimes go weeks without seeing the sun 💀

[@justjay6445]

When I was there I filled my time outdoors-even in the winter. It’s more or less how prepared you are by the way you dress. There’s the restaurant scene as well. Just depends how quickly you can make friends, date and so on

[@PaulaDautremont]

I lived there before joining the Army. I was never bored during the winter because of my hobby - snow sculpting.

[@RareGenXer]

Sounds like Northern Wisconsin and the UP!😆

[@okamijubei]

But still great for astronomers, and snow enthusiasts.

[@kodiakkeith]

I lived most of my life in Alaska, though not in Anchorage. People that live outside Anchorage think of it as kind of a suburb of Seattle rather than part of Alaska. It's more or less the airline hub where you change from a small plane to a large one for your annual pilgrimage to somewhere tropical, or for business in the lower 48. That's it. Alaska is big, big, very big and with few roads. Anchorage is little more than a central transportation hub.

[@shanechostetler9997]

I think you hit the nail on the head. My father in law went to Fairbanks in 1947, then down to Cordova in ‘51 then outside in ‘74. My mom , in Wrangell” in ‘33 till ‘52. Myself, I have fished from 1983 till the present, what I e seen is a boom and bust economy in general, but other than that, a few romantics and transient hoping to escape for various reasons. Of course there’s the necessities of corporate branches because of the big companies having a presence in where they operate. All that being said, I would live there somewhere if I didn’t live on beautiful Puget Sould😊

[@danielzhang1916]

it's the same reason why no one lives in northern Idaho, Montana, etc., there's nothing keeping people from leaving, so they leave for other states and the big cities, geography is a big factor in determining why people leave

[@tbone6924]

"A suburb of Seattle".... Had to LOL the absurdity of this. Anchorage and Seattle are roughly 1500 miles apart....so this is like calling Seattle a suburb of Chicago.

[@tbone6924]

@@danielzhang1916 no, it has nothing to do with geography. I am blessed to live in one of those places you claim "no one lives"...believe me, no one ever has lived in Montana and thought to them themself, " There is nothing keeping me here, I would rather go live in some inner-city hell hole!". The main reason these areas are sparsely populated is that the economies are based around farming, ranching, and outdoor recreation...none of these industries support a dense population. It is a simple matter of economics.

[@danielzhang1916]

@@tbone6924 read it again, that's basically what I already said, that's why people leave for big cities and don't return, because there's no real jobs or industry making people want to stay there

[@FatGuyTries]

I just wanted to say thank you for using a real voice to narrate this. I am sick and tired of these lazy channels using fake robot voice narrators.

[@tonyarmbrust]

I lived in Anchorage from 1991-97 while working at a local TV station there. That was a pretty good time to be there, but like the video explained, the town is heavily dependent on the oil industry, which has been declining there for almost the past 20 years. Add in the high cost of living, the long cold winters, along with the darkness that happens for half the year. It’s a rough place to live, and you have to be committed to live there permanently. For me, working in broadcasting means you have to move on, if you want to move up, and I did my time there. Many go up to Anchorage, live there for a couple of years for the adventure of it, before they ultimately return back down to the lower 48.

[@whirving]

Which is why the rest of the state say that Anchorage is great, its only 15 minutes from Alaska! But seriously. We love people who come here even for a short time. You are right about the difficulties, it is still a relatively new state and still short of basic development. A minus and a plus, minus for most. I expect you are still welcome, and even awaited to come back. That's how it works here still.

[@AndyMetz-x6q]

Finished my tour with U.S. Customs in Anchorage, we lived there from 2000 to 2008. Our two youngest sons spent their formative years there. They look back with happy memories, and still consider Anchorage their home town. Much of what was said in the video is true, but many "positives" were omitted as well. Cleanest drinking water of any metropolitan area in the U.S. The best and most extensive system of dedicated bike trails going thru beautiful wooded areas of any city in the U.S. The indefinable charm of having an 800 lb. MOOSE wander thru your city neighborhood and browse in your front yard. Yes, it's true, a military and resource based economy located in the Far North probably has a population ceiling that limits unlimited growth. Which is just fine with many of the residents of Anchorage, who for several decades have said Anchorage ("Los Anchorage " they phrased it) was becoming much too big.

[@RareGenXer]

Moose walking through town like the TV show Northern Exposure!😀

[@DanTheMan189]

It started as a tent city, and has reverted back to it's roots as a...tent city.

[@francus7227]

As it should..... Alaska can't compete. We don't fight fires with buckets of water anymore..... Times change.

[@heliosign]

We read your politics loud and clear.@@francus7227

[@aydenhinsvark3011]

Now that's a good one

[@RayLabs]

When I lived in Anchorage in the 70's to early 80's there was minimal major crime. Now the gangs have shown up and killings are at a high. Last time I visited was in 2010 and the whole city seemed to be in a state of decay.

[@malcontender6319]

"Now the gangs have shown up" Euphemism, but we know what you're trying to say.

[@alexandergonzalez1167]

What’s interesting if you check FBI crime stats anchorage had a murder rate over double of today’s rate in the 70s and 80s.

[@bbo40]

Interesting. most 'gang members' I have known are not big fans of cold weather !?! @@malcontender6319

[@Manuel-ew3dp]

@@malcontender6319 the black percentage has actually gone down since the 1970s shit for brains

[@kv4648]

​@@malcontender6319???

[@steves9905]

I am a manager in a large national corporation and recently took on anchorage in my territory. Spectacular scenery outside town, all around. But it is shocking how entrenched the homeless population is, and no doubt crime. It didn’t occur to me that a location with such extreme weather would have a large population living in the elements. I guess I thought that to live there you had to have the resources to withstand…I understand that last winter they herded everyone into a sports complex, where they proceeded to prey on each other.

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

There were some films made of those fights- people were gambling.

[@waynetompkins3006]

Homeless people are just bad people who have hit bottom and are content to stay there.

[@embracedmadness]

@@waynetompkins3006that’s a very careless comment.

[@dutchymon]

A State with lots of ice cold divorce happy women and fathers who may easily get behind in their payments, due to high rents and seasonal workin. These so called "dead beat dads" get their license automatically suspended by a draconian child "support" system. This produces many homeless men, who are at risk of freezing to death. Welcome to Alaska...

[@waynetompkins3006]

@latituderider I've known people who "have been homeless" and they're not the problem. They took advantage of the help available on got back on their feet. But too many of them are scumbags who are on the streets because they've alienated anyone who ever gave a damn about them. They can also be extremely volatile and dangerous. I treat encounters with them the same way that I would with a feral animal. I give them a wide berth and avoid calling attention to myself. And many of them are quite content with the lifestyle.

[@HenryBenedictUSA]

Anchorage’s population has always stuck around 300,000. It’s mainly because a lot of young people don’t like to live in a place with 6 months of winter. If there were more incentives and places for the community to get together you’d probably see more people stick around.

[@kv4648]

It's just oil money and tax exemptions. I think they're trying to attract older people

[@HenryBenedictUSA]

@@kv4648 oil and tax exemptions don’t seem like a good enough incentive to bring people to Alaska. There’s a reason why millions of people live in sunny California.

[@travisbakeriii3053]

It was 250k when I left in '85. Hasn't changed much.

[@vipermad358]

Too may people live there already!

[@kathys.8686]

Not to mention the tired old backwater attitudes you find too much of in Anchorage and in Alaska as a whole. Most young people prefer more progressive, enlightened areas of the country that offer more opportunities for personal and professional growth.

[@hendrsb33]

I've visited Anchorage 3 times, also lived there for 4 1/2 months while working in tourism. I very much enjoyed spending a summer there but had to rein myself in with spending, since most things are expensive compared to Arizona, where I normally live. I fell in love with the landscape but could never see myself living there year-round; couldn't handle winters. I saw all the homeless and wondered if there were enough shelters for them in the winter.

[@patriley9449]

I lived there as a military brat from 1962 to 1965 . I was born in 1951, so do the math. As a kid, I absolutely loved it. Lots to do outdoors all year-round. You have to get used to the mosquitos in the summer and the cold in the winter. A great place to be a young boy. We moved away before the pipeline brought in prosperity and crime. My wife asked about going back for a visit, but I told her that I loved the memories as it was back in the day.

[@jon06169]

I loved my time living in Anchorage, Alaska, from 2000 to 2004. My stepfather and my mother moved here. I went to Mountain View Elementary School (some of the best times of my childhood). My teacher, Ms. Anderson, is still there! I went to Clark Middle School for a couple of months before my family moved to California. In 2005, I moved back to live with my father in Michigan and have been here ever since. I would love to go back and revisit old friends, relatives, old grounds, and remembrances of the good times.

[@ImaTroper]

I think I remember Ms. Anderson. Told stories all the time? If so, that's wild she's still there. Judging by your timeline, Clark was torn down and rebuilt right after you left, so it'll look a bit different from what your remember. Mt View elementary is still the same though.

[@Michorida]

I’m from Michigan

[@easydrive3662]

The one big thing many people dont know about anchorage is that it has one of the worlds largest freight airports, certainly through the night widebody freight flights land and takeoff every 5 mins arriving feom all parts of the globe, because of alaskas position between the east and west its a major stop off airport for freight airlines.

[@WC3isBetterThanReforged]

I lived there 2015-18 and my heart is still there. It is easily my favorite city.

[@Beverly-e4z]

I lived in Alaska from 1982 to 2014. I lived in Anchorage the last four years I was there. It was a great little city. Great food and entertainment. The outdoors was a short drive away. Winters are dark and long. The trick is to get out in it anyway. Have a good attitude. We used to have winter parties with BBQ, big fires, snow machines, and fireworks. Yep, lots of drinking beer but one didn't have to. So, like anywhere, it is what you make it.

[@jlvandat69]

I visited multiple areas in Alaska in the early 2000's as part of my work, including Anchorage. The winter months are absolutely brutal for multiple reasons, including severe lack of sunlight. Not mentioned here is that Alaska is in the top 3 states in terms of suicide rate, and has very serious drug and alcohol problems. It takes a very unique personality to thrive in Alaska, there are some who can.

[@StarNBars94]

I worked in AK for a summer. I couldn't imagine living there for a winter. Being in darkness half the year definitely takes a special kind of personality like you mentioned

[@glitchchungus8318]

and where did you get that info? Alaska doesn’t have many sucides per person as Texas or New York does. and 60% of drugs are legal in Alaska so “overdoses” isn’t a rare or bad thing there

[@jlvandat69]

@chungus8318 CDC Data: Texas: 15.8 deaths per 100,000 population , Alaska: 30.8 deaths per 100,000 population, United States: 14.04 deaths per 100,000 (2021 data)....combination of factors result in Alaska having the highest suicide rate in the nation, IMO the lack of sunshine may be the main reason.

[@ShirleySerious]

I went to Anchorage in July. It looked like any mid sized city but downtown was kind of lacking. The kind of person that would thrive in Anchorage is someone that would not do well elsewhere. Think of someone who went there to "start over". It's a shame because despite its problems, it's not a terrible place. Very pretty actually.

[@tonymanero5544]

Sorry, but the explanation of stagnant population growth seems incomplete. The entire state of Alaska is oil based, and oil prices have risen. Oil production, has been supplemented by fracking in the lower 48, mostly Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, etc. so drilling for oil in Alaska harsh conditions and transportation seem less attractive. Also, Alaska was created out of a USA purchase from Russia, so the Feds control certain lands. These valuable lands are to benefit the entire country, not just people of the state of Alaska which became a state only after WW2.

[@whirving]

So Alaska is the USA's little battery on reserve? Or are we due our Constitutional mandate? Alaska has less than 1% private ownership of all the lands within the state. It is the largest state by a factor of 250% over the next (Texas) yet it has had the least amount of federal development per acre of any state. Extend the railroad system through Canada (as they have been hoping) and release another 1% of State and Federal land and watch what happens. Perhaps we can make up for the 1% of federal reserve by taking it from states on the Eastern seaboard as new National Parks.

[@samueldavis5895]

@@whirvinggee… I wonder why?

[@Grindtone603]

I spent 4 years stationed in Anchorage. Definitely a lot of depressing things about the city. Alaska itself is very beautiful and I really enjoyed my time there

[@herzogsbuick]

the municipality is finally entertaining some zoning changes so that we can build apartments again. if rent goes down, crime will go down. the homeless folks that many of the comments brought up, i see them everywhere i go in the lower 48. it's sad, but we just had people up from houston who have managed to get their homeless homed and stable. that solution depends on affordable housing so back to point one. i love it here. i'm from philly, i've lived many places including australia, but this is home. quite a few problems of course, like anywhere else. as someone else said, it's nice living in a place that's only 15 minutes away from alaska :-)

[@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm]

And it does have those darn winters at least once a year. Brutal even if you grew up in similar conditions. Fairbanks has a much wider range of temperature variation. Over 90 degrees in the summer and lows in the sub-zero range for weeks on end in the winter. That's Fahrenheit.

[@markbajek2541]

Anchorage winters typically are milder than much of the upper great lakes states.

[@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm]

@@markbajek2541 Interesting. I was there in the 70s. Being close to ocean water likely helps Anchorage. The Great Lakes, while water, are largely landlocked. Perhaps Anchorage is benefiting from the so-colled climate crisis.

[@drainer8073]

First night in anchorage on my honeymoon we had to call 911 in order to get help for an in distress native person, it’s really sad.

[@chrishuff7524]

You mean drug od or addict?

[@rapaceable]

What's wrong if I may ask?

[@TheJHMAN1]

My wife and I lived just north of there from 1981 to 1993. We loved Alaska and at that time Anchorage was an pretty decent place to visit. It has had a mix of different political leaders Democrat and Republican so it's decline can't be blamed on just one party. It is a hard place to live and unless you make over $70,000 a year you are just getting by, it really is a rich mans play ground. But for last 20 years we have watched the deterioration of all major cities on the west coast to become cesspools. America as a whole has changed and I see no hopeful change in sight.

[@jameshigginbottom3314]

Brother you are right. I'm 70 and i'm ashamed of this country. No morals.

[@masondrip42]

it’s not just america. the entire state of the world is in despair. im moving my family to alaska bc it still holds itself as a place to live your own way without heavy new age cultural practices thrown on you. life shouldn’t be about how many zeros you have in the bank or toys you can afford (or barely in most cases) i want my girls to grow up with a sense of purpose. seeing people as neighbors not enemies. some say it’s not the last frontier. well it’s the closest thing to it

[@justintempus7406]

​@@masondrip42 Where are you considering moving? Have you been here before? Your success will largely depend on where you move, and if you have a good job to step into. It sounds like you would be a good neighbor, a lot of our new residents are not. Some of the newer crop seems to be moving here explicitly to be selfish (E.G. "yeah I tore up the trail you built and maintain with my pickup and now you can't get to your cabin, it's legal so F you buy a side-by-side") and generally bad for everyone. People generally don't thrive in remote places without an honor system and sense of community.

[@masondrip42]

i hate that kind of attitude honestly. im still deciding on where exactly; i want isolation but amenities and close proximity to stores etc are just better for a wife and daughter. im leaning towards anchorage in the short term to continue saving. it’s enough jobs in the big little city of anchorage for me not to worry much. ill be the sole earner. you would think living further out you would get more like minded people. but nothing really surprises me these days; im giving myself a year and some change to get prepared. alaska has more to offer when you yourself have something to offer

[@cmjcj2ktn]

Whenever I look at historical videos like this, I think it's sad that there's really not going to be any opportunity to be part of a city during it's birth/growth phase like there was during the previous 100 years. That would be a fun time to live in a town.

[@avibrar9979]

There still definitely is. A lot of towns are rezoning in Canada and doing large scale construction and growing at 10-15% annually.

[@royale9998]

Any time theres a technology boom in an area it creates that effect so yes there will always be those opportunities. Also take central cali for example. Taking all the people from the bay that cant afford the prices is growing those communities exponentially.

[@cmjcj2ktn]

@@royale9998 I guess I meant the undeveloped world. There isn't much undeveloped world, and the technology is such that you're always connected wherever you are. There's no more "frontier" so to speak. Campfires, journeyman workers, building something that becomes something. No black and white photos.

[@Felix-nz7lq]

Svalbard's visa free you know @@cmjcj2ktn

[@philstodd1097]

Great story! I was born on kodiak before Statehood, and I have worked and lived from one end of the state to the other end of it. it would be very easy for me to add much more content to this story, but I will spare that, an just say I like what you have done, thank you.

[@jonathanmiller5546]

no, please add more content!

[@476233]

@phil hope you are doing well. I was wondering if you might help me locate a hill/mountain on Kodiak before entering the city that my family has told me a lot of stories about. My grandparents were stationed there in the 70s and loved it. My grandma developed a fear of driving after sliding down a hill outside of town backwards in the truck and it took her 20-30 years. My mom has always told me about the same hill and how you could look over and see all of the town. Do you know a name for the hill they might be referring to? My grandmother passed about ten years ago, but if I could find it I would love to show it to my mom on KZbin.

[@vincentlittrell6845]

Thanks for posting this. I grew up in Alaska (Kenai Peninsula mostly). My mom also grew up there (Chugiak). I loved it there but after high school (Homer class of '86) I left the state excepting a couple of summers in the late 80s. I got a job as a top soil delivery guy in Anchorage the summer of '88, that was a great job. I learned the Anchorage area very well then. I used to bulldoze soil, screen it, and load up a dump truck with it at a pit off of Tudor where a *Hampton Inn* now stands (the last I knew). Good memories! My mom was in the '64 earthquake, she was with some friends in a car out on the "old" Glenn Highway when the quake hit. They could feel the road shuddering as they drove so they stopped and got out of the car and she said it was a fun experience. They didn't know how serious the earthquake actually was while they were "dancing" with it next to the car stopped in the middle of the highway. My grandfather was a supervisory electrician at the time and he was busy rewiring businesses and government buildings damaged by the quake. Thanks again for posting.

[@markmccormack1796]

The same thing that is happening all across the country. We are still heading downward that started in the 1980's. It's a long, sad road as all the money and power continues to flow up.

[@Dankfort]

I went there this fall. I actually really enjoyed it. I know it's different actually living there, but I do wish more travelers would give it a chance.

[@michaeljdauben]

I spent three summers in AK for work back in the 90s. I was south of Anchorage on the Kenai peninsula, though. I had a great time there exploring the outdoirs when i wasn't working. I only went to Anchorage to fly in at the beginning of the summer and out at the end, though.

[@PresAlexWhit]

Have you thought about doing "What Happened to Buffalo New York?"

[@jeffbwillis-dl5bm]

The Jones Seaman Act, enacted in 1920 at the behest of the Seattle Stevedores Union has greatly hampered Alaska. Connecting Katchmak Bay, Alaska to the lower 48 via railroad would be a game changer!

[@Dizarama]

I used to work in Alaska. I’ve been to Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Kodiak, Anchorage and Fairbanks. Love Alaska.

[@RobertThompson-nn9ct]

I grew up there also. Left in 72 after graduation. Went back in 94 and the population was the same.

[@AugustusRex-nk8ze]

So beautiful with this small, far flung city in the North: just a few modest skyscrapers gleaming in the pale winter light, and the mighty mountains beyond.

[@knirbnosaj1158]

I've visited a few times. Always get a hankering for reindeer sausage gyros from the street vendors. Like Puerto Rico and Hawaii, commodity prices are higher than need be due to the Jones Act's perpetual impact on shipping costs.

[@realbartlett8882]

We went there on our honeymoon. The few local people we were able to interact with ranged from indifferent to hostile. Some shops and cafes actually had signs to discourage tourists. Alaska is beautiful so skip Anchorage and Fairbanks and get a fishing pole and rent a camper, see the best of the state and avoid the cities.

[@Stealth86651]

Not a surprise, sadly. Everyone I met from Anchorage (not a lot of people) were hellbent on getting out and staying out.

[@futurafrlx8874]

I've lived in a similar place in Russia. Beautiful nature, fresh air, but ultimately there was nothing to do unless you wanted to work in the oil industry. Moved to St. Petersburg and life's been much more fun. The air quality sucks there though.

[@GavotteGuitar]

Niagara Falls NY, vs. Niagra Falls ON is a weird one.

[@thommccann1770]

" Alaska Heaven for men and dogs; Hell for women and horses" Old AK saying.

[@MM-vv8mt]

I lived rough in Anchorage and Seward from 1978-82 right after the post Pipeline bust. I got a job in Seward working for Icicle Seafoods and lived in a hand-built dugout out by Bear Lake in the winter and in a small sail boat in the Municipal Boat Harbor during the summer and had subsistence hunting and fishing licenses, so things were great. Lived on fish for the most part. Had lots of fun in the bars in Seward. Spent a couple of those winters in Hawaii with a lot of other Alaskan snowbirds.

[@mightbebatman3659]

Many Alaskans say, "Alaska is just a short drive from Anchorage." I love the state of Alaska with its small city vibe in Anchorage to the complete isolation of the interior. I love the 24 hours of daylight in the summer, and the long winters don't bother me. My family and i hunker down in the winter. We wouldn't live anywhere else!

[@JohnNorris411]

People move to alaska to get away from ugly city life, Anchorage is part of that ugly city life, Hell when I lived in Alaska, most of us did not really consider Anchorage "Alaska" Just a place you used to come into or out of Alaska or do some occasional shopping or see a doctor if you had to. Always happy to get out of anchorage.

[@pohkeee]

Every economy founded on extraction of resources has an endpoint, unless it transitions to a more stable foundation. This is true historically and globally.

[@kenseagle4169]

As a 47 year resident of Anchorage. I will say this video is fairly accurate. Anchorage received a double blow, before Covid we were suffering from recession. And then as we were just beginning to come out of that recession, Covid hit. And that really hurt Anchorage. But I agree with this video, Anchorage is not dead, but it’s definitely at a crossroads.

[@fredjackson8408]

I moved here in 2017 and the homeless population has done nothing but get worse. It's so sad that tourists that come here and visit the city are inundated with bums especially in the downtown area. My recommendation, if you come to visit Alaska, make it your goal to get out of Anchorage as soon as possible. There are better places to see.

[@fixpacifica]

I used to live in Alaska. By far the biggest factor in stalled growth is the decline in oil production from the North Slope.

[@cjkelly3599]

Have you thought about doing “What happened to Reno”

[@JohnSmith-ho3cu]

Isn't Reno still growing? Or are you looking for a video that gives a nostalgic look back to when Reno was a small town?

[@johnglenn6169]

I lived there for 60 years until I retired pipeline really changed Anchorage.

[@gavincampbell7488]

Love your videos brother keep up the great work

[@fuguxr9279]

it’s very sad to see the homeless situation in downtown anchorage mostly.

[@dianewallace6064]

Thank you for this content.

[@19MAD95]

If you ever go 49th state brewery is the best place to eat.

[@eddiew2325]

eh i think gaslight is better.

[@ShirleySerious]

Yeah that place is legit.

[@derbagger22]

I was a big fan of Moose's Tooth.

[@alaska1girls]

Im sorry but this video does not really delve into the issues or the reality an facts of why Anchorage is in decline and the State. Thats the part you left out, ALASKA is in decline, not because of oil production being in decline. The cost of living is high here but we traditionally had higher wages. We are no more expensive in many factors than any city on the west coast. Here are a couple of real life facts, the biggest demographic leaving Alaska are working age adults, Alaska is DEAD last in recovery after the pandemic. Anchorage School District is 1000 teachers short and we are on the verge of closing schools. A decade ago, a GOP Governor pushed through a bill that CUT our oil taxes, with zero commitments in return. Thats less money for every thing. Meanwhile Alaskans who pay no taxes have come to expect our annual Dividend which is free money from the government. With less revenue coming in the politicians buy votes by cutting every thing to pay the dividend. So, now everything is in decline, roads, schools, ferries etc. Meanwhile there are not enough workers for local business because no one wants to raise a family in with the draconian cuts, and the economy suffers. So surprise homelessness and crime went up. Our Mayor and Governor are incompetent and corrupt, and do brilliant things like use federal dollars to beef up bridges so foreign mining companies can haul oar over them. Those are the highlights….

[@areynoso5660]

Do you also believe the previous mayor Berkowitz was corrupt or is it just the GOP politicians?

[@cabracove]

Spot on. Dunleavy and his Conoco golden parachute

[@Tru3n0mad]

Ah an anchorage assembly worshipper. Disgusting.

[@LivinRob]

Anchorage is a shithole. Only good thing is that it's 30 minutes from Alaska.

[@DavidLimofLimReport]

Oooo drone shot intro. Nice one!!

[@jessicae.s.340]

I was at Ft Rich,’74-‘76…changed a bit…Site Summit skyline is still there😎👍 We rode trail bikes all back in the wilds around there…Always know where you are when you can see Summit

[@rhob2422]

Well theres other videos saying how Anchorage is in a strategic location and poised to have another boom because of shipping and the Northwest passage.

[@KD8RAP]

I loved going there as a tourist but after hearing some stories from people that live there, I NEVER would want to live in Anchorage.

[@lanabyk8012]

Decay will follow with rejuvenation and growth. Life is a cycle, so don't worry. Things will get better....

[@AndyM.]

DUDEZILLA!!! You got a very cool shout out by JG9!!!! GOOD FOR YOU!!!

[@justinmohansingh635]

I’m from New York City, I always wanted to visit Anchorage, it’s Alaska but with a city vibe that I was born with and love.

[@gunnarrjohnson6029]

Fear not: As the planet warms Naturally, Anchorage will become a boom town again. Anchorage will be a major shipping hub as the NW passage opens up year round. It is also a major stop for cargo flights... Money will start pouring into this area of Alaska!

[@janedubourg4837]

You are joking aren't you?

[@gunnarrjohnson6029]

@@janedubourg4837 NO! It will be much cheaper (and faster) for cargo ships to use the NW passage than go through the P. Canal. Anchorage is already a re-fueling stop for Air Freight...

[@glitchchungus8318]

smartest brainwashed democrat be like:

[@GeorgeP1066]

I have to say that this is a really shallow piece of analysis. Most of the video is just a history lesson, and then you get about one minute basically to say "the city is dependant on oil and tourism which haven't been growing much lately, and it's also expensive to live in with a high crime rate". No analysis of population movements within the state or of Alaska's population as a whole (is the whole state declining or is it just Anchorage?), no look at state investment (or lack thereof) in education and employment and infrastructure, etc and whether that might be playing a part, no comparison with cities in other states with economies similarly dependent on natural resource extraction, and not even any indication of what the population numbers have been over time and how long the stall in population growth has been going on for.

[@ryco87e]

My ex was born and raised in Anchorage and she told me it was too much alot of robberies, shootings, and gangs so her family moved out of Anchorage around 2014

[@fifidessources]

I have been there many there many times and still love it.(Actually also on the coledest day of the century)It's wonderful!

[@damienluedtke9276]

From a person living in Juneau it’s called lack or consistency, better housing and job opportunities. They keep emphasizing affordable housing which is a fancy way of saying poor people housing. Anchorage keeps emphasizing democratic values of trying to help poor people instead of sweeping them out of the way. Also with Juneau being choose as the capitol instead of Ankoredge that really blew out Ankoredge. Without the Airforce outside of Ankoredge the cities will die. Ankoredge is a dirty shit hole and I cannot stand going there. When I have to go north for work I refuse to stay in Ankoredge. I just stay in Fairbanks.

[@Hogtownboy1]

I know he brings up crime in very video but it is not important in why a city stagnates. The major problem with Alaska was very few women. The 2020 Censes has Anchorage at 109.1 men to 100 women. The largest split in the US

[@hobog]

Thought air travel would increase due to Russian airspace closure, a return to coldwar air traffic patterns

[@gregjohnson6398]

Anchorage doesn’t have room to grow. Ocean on two sides mountains on the other and military land. That’s why the Mat-Su area 30 miles to the North is booming. Lots of land and home prices half of those in Anchorage. Most people commute between the Mat-Su and Anchorage for work.

[@adstaton8461]

Do they still call Matsu residents valley trash?😂

[@fixpacifica]

@@adstaton8461 Hey, that's where Sarah Palin lives. Certainly she's not valley trash. Actually, I really like the area around Wasilla and Palmer.

[@WildlifeWarrior-cr1kk]

​@@fixpacificashe can see Russia from her house

[@MitchellBPYao]

Small skyline

[@justjay6445]

They have plenty of room to grow. Too many parking lots, strip malls and the like. They need to build up instead of out and get rid of zoning that prohibits true skyscrapers from being built or at least get them as tall as the FAA allows.

[@comeconcon569]

You would never expect high crime in a place like this, but people come from all walks of life and backgrounds.

[@2BeLikeChrist]

Thanks, great video.

[@heritagehillsecurity8778]

I visited back in 1995 and it was awesome.

[@americancapitalist9094]

It comes down to the high prices, long dark winters and lack of opportunities.

[@charlesheller4667]

Been to Anchorage it is not a horrible place at all. The city's problem is it it's geographic isolation. That is really is the root cause of all the social and economic issues there.

[@kayzeaza]

“Why is no one moving to our remote city that gets tons of snow in winter and bakes in the summer heat?” Hmmm idk

[@farmergiles1065]

Because everyone moves someplace because of the weather? And a lot of the mid-west has worse weather, anyway. You'd never find me wishing for Houston or Phoenix for weather, either.

[@stevemclaughlin7477]

Haha anchorage has no summer heat...75 is a heat wave there!

[@farmergiles1065]

@@stevemclaughlin7477 I expect they think of that as heat. The perception is relative to what you're used to. I've heard Scotsmen complain when the thermometer rose to a roasting 23 Celsius. That's 73.4 Farenheit. Comfortable was 15 to 18 C, or 59 to 64.4 F. I agree with you for myself. But for lifelong Alaskans? Let them say.

[@debbylou5729]

Anchorage is just like it’s always been, there’s just more of it. I knew people who had family in Juneau. They’d often say there was no way they’d live in Anchorage. They never specified and I only heard about it through the family I knew, but they were very adamant about it

[@PatsyYork-qm1um]

Alaska was in our bucket list. So we drove from central Florida to Alaska. We did not care for Alaska at all. Love the lower 48. Been in all of the states but one, and that is Hawaii. Have no desire to go there. Yellowstone is my favorite place. Love living in Florida. Been here for 51 years.

[@mtadams2009]

I suppose it’s like the downfall of most areas and cities, loss of jobs. My small city in New England hit on hard times because of the lack of manufacturing jobs. Cheap imported goods have killed many cities in this country. The cost for cheap crap on Amazon and Walmart has a huge expense on our country. I assume jobs are up and down there. Given the type of jobs they have. Drugs get going when people are idle. It’s the same all over our rural areas in the U.S.

[@brandonwinterle9388]

That was the best KZbin video

[@porterwake3898]

Was there not too long ago. Did not feel safe at all. Garbage everywhere in the city, homeless people sleeping everywhere. It really felt like the San Francisco of the arctic.

[@Brian-----]

Alaska was king of American oil when oil was king, and while oil remains important, neither is true any more.

[@vivalaleta]

A particularly grim looking city.

[@edholohan]

Was in Anchorage last year. Not much happening. Drunk homeless people wandering around like zombies.

[@NikkyElso]

It's not even that deep. Anchorage is in a Bowl, and that bowl is full of mostly low density housing and oversized shopping centers. Downtown is 90% Parking lots that aren't even full during Fur Rendy or the Iditarod. Meanwhile the Valley, just 1hr north, is growing extraordinarily fast. Anchorage isn't not growing, it's just becoming a typical sprawling North American Metro Area. The only way Anchorage proper is going to continue to grow is opening up much of the city to redevelopment.

[@justjay6445]

I was just watching videos of people driving through Anchorage and not much has changed since ‘08 but a few new buildings no greater than 15 stories. Anchorage really needs to create greater density downtown think multi story apartment buildings on a parking podium with retail stores at the base. Also, Anchorage needs to re zone some of its neighborhoods to multi family housing if they want to keep housing at affordable levels. Anchorage will suffer the same as every metro that’s too car centric.

[@railroadforest30]

Exactly

[@north-sea750]

This mirrors Aberdeen's fate. The oil capital of Europe and former fishing location.

[@pudanielson1]

They should reinvest the limited tax base and resources into changing zoning laws into public transit oriented development.

[@colinmccann7123]

Anchorage is still there despite what you may think my son retired from the Air Force there and lives in Wasilla still goes there all the time and so nothing has happened to Anchorage still part of the map

[@zippymills8187]

Awesome video.

[@david.majchrzak7069]

Has oil been shut down since 2021??

[@beachthor1]

I grew up here, and can easily answer how the population is declining. ITS FUCKING DEPRESSING

[@mrschwartzmc]

"The nice thing about Anchorage is that it is really close to Alaska." Said a wise friend

[@jwwj30]

To bad, thought it might be good location for certain families who enjoy the outdoors lifestyle, don’t mind cold weather & want to get away from the crowded urban city life. But, I didn’t know it had such a high crime rate. Is it possible to expand on the crimes, what type, by whom & law enforcement’s response?

[@beyerdr]

Anchorage isn't as bad as the video makes it sound. But also there are many suburbs and surrounding cities close to Anchorage that do not have the same issues Anchorage proper has. Don't let this video be your soul piece of research.

[@grayghostmoseby7123]

Gangs

[@beyerdr]

@@grayghostmoseby7123 lol what gangs. Gangs up here are kind of a joke

[@fjb4932]

jwwj30, Gangs from Hawaii, summer in Anchorage and ( profits ) back to the Islands for the winter. Many druggies in Anchorage. They blame the Big City, Annual State Oil Payment, long Winters, high prices, boredom, homelessness, Native genes, you pick an excuse ( 87 approved excuses ) . . . ☆

[@areynoso5660]

I brought my family of four here at the end of 19, so my young children, who grew up in a tropical island could experience their first white Christmas! Four years later, and they still love being here and don’t want to live anywhere else.

[@rapaceable]

Any disco or fun there? I would love to visit and know people from alaska!! Salutations from algeria 🇩🇿

[@richardbird9326]

Been there ! Not going back !

[@dannyfrog]

I read that Alaska, in general, has the highest drug, alcohol and suicide rates than that of the lower 48. Nothing has ever appealed to me about the State at all.

[@YuriNikolajavič]

I grew up in Anchorage, spesifically the rougher neighborhood of Mountain View durring the 2000s, and honestly as someone who is from Anchorage. Yea, the whole area is a dump imo, and I am thankful that I managed to escape Mountain View before it killed me. Also in my personal opinion, I think that it is because of our de Jure One Party rule of local politics, the 2008 housing market crash, plus the decline of oil prices has really ruined Anchorage and Alaska as a whole.

[@nimaiiikun]

As an Alaskan, the problem is that there's too many anchors in anchorage. need more boats.