Random Details about Inside Whittier, Alaska, Town Where Everyone Lives In Same Exact Building (14 items)

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  (#1) The 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic Closed The Town To Outside Visitors

  By late March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe caused a US nationwide quarantine due to the highly contagious nature of the disease. For a town like Whittier, however, the threat of the virus was more daunting. To prevent a potential outbreak that could quickly and unwittingly infect residents, the city closed itself to any outside visitors, allowing in only "residents, their caregivers, and employees of essential businesses," according to the Anchorage Daily News. 

  In the wake of the pandemic, Whittier adopted strict restrictions such as "allowing only one family at a time inside the elevators or laundry room," and some residents even suggested closing down the town's only access to the outside world to prevent visitors from traveling to Whittier to seek recreational activity. Assistant city manager Annie Reeves said, "I think that’s a big driver of the community's concern: We can’t stop people from coming into our city." 

  Emphasizing the sense of community in this small town, however, residents began sharing photos of "halibut, full moons rising over snowy mountains, and a few shots of people from before social distancing, crowded together and smiling," in an attempt to brighten each other's day. 

  During the summer of 2020, however, the coronavirus finally hit the community. According to Slate, two waterfront workers tested positive, as well as 11 temporary workers, but the cases were all contained. In August, a family of six who shared an apartment tested positive, but isolated themselves and no one else in the building appeared to have contracted the virus after a two-week quarantine period. 
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  (#2) Some Residents Haven't Left Begich Towers In Years

  With all you could need under one roof, some residents haven't felt the urge to leave Begich Towers in weeks or, in some cases, years. Commenting on life in Whittier, teacher Erika Thompson said, "Some people love it because it can be really social, and some people love it because it can be reclusive.

  For me it's just home. For the most part, you know everybody. It's a community under one roof. We have everything we need."
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  (#3) If You Need To Enter Or Leave Whittier After Hours, You're Out Of Luck

  The Whittier tunnel is not open around the clock. If you try to use the tunnel after 11:00 at night or before 5:30 in the morning, you'll likely find it closed. People who missed the cutoff are often spotted sleeping in their cars at either end of the tunnel. There is, incidentally, always someone on duty should an emergency vehicle need to get through.

  The average driver, however, has to wait until normal operating hours.
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  (#4) The City Is Only Accessible By Tunnel

  Whittier is not an easy town to breeze in and out of. A train tunnel was built in World War II but several years ago it was converted into a tunnel for cars. Before that, boat travel was really the only way to get in and out of Whittier. Now, however, cars can move freely in and out of town, with some exceptions.

  Given that the tunnel only houses a single traffic lane, and the tunnel is 13,300 feet (the second-longest highway tunnel in North America), cars going the same direction are allowed through in 30-minute intervals. A red light alerts drivers on the opposite end to stop and wait until the interval is up before it's their turn to proceed.
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  (#5) The Top Two Floors Are A Bed And Breakfast

  Considering both its unique character and natural beauty, Whittier attracts its share of tourists. Most are understandably curious to see just how an entire town manages to live peaceably under one roof. The top two floors of Begich Towers are a bed and breakfast, by far the swankiest digs in town.

  June's Whittier Condo Suites offer a variety of rooms and amenities, and the views, of course, are stellar. Guests can experience what it's like to live as a local while still having all the comforts of home.
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  (#6) Most Of The City Services Are On The First Floor

  There's no Main Street or municipal buildings in Whittier; such things would be a logistical impossibility. Instead, the majority of the city's services are located on the first floor of Begich Towers. A police department, post office, convenience store, medical clinic, and grocery store are among the services you'll find.

  The school is connected to Begich Towers via an underground tunnel. For the residents of Whittier, going to school or work rarely requires even leaving the house.
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  (#7) There's A Church In The Basement

  Begich Towers isn't just home, work, and community to Whittier residents; it is also a spiritual haven. There is a church in the basement of the building. The Whittier Christian Community Church offers twice-weekly services, and you never even have to step outside. There is also a Samoan church that shares the same space.

  The Malamalama Fou, or New Light Church, provides Samoan language services in the tiny Alaska town.
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  (#8) Binoculars Are An Important Part Of Whittier Life

  "Most people in town, particularly on the harbor side of the building, seem to have binoculars," one Whittier resident said. It definitely makes sense, considering the abundant wildlife and marine life within view of Begich Towers. Photographer Reed Young encountered another reason for the binoculars.

  "A lot of people keep them there to watch whales breaching and mountain goats grazing and things like that," he told NPR. "But June [Miller who owns condos in the tower] always told us that [binoculars] are basically for finding out if your husband's at the bar."
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  (#9) Reindeer Graze In Front Of The Building

  Beautiful fotos in @marclesterphoto story on Whittier, a very strange town in a state that's full of them https://t.co/QwT0UJCddx @adndotcom pic.twitter.com/MpM849Tfmn

  — Joshua Saul (@joshfromalaska) October 16, 2017

  In some ways, being in Whittier is like being in another world or the North Pole. Across the street from Begich Towers, one Whittier resident keeps her two pet reindeer. Brenda Tolman tends to them every day, twice a day, regardless of the weather. Once, during one of the area's legendary snowfalls, the snow was higher than the reindeers' 15-foot fence and they escaped. Tolman strapped on her boots and tracked them down.
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  (#10) Every Citizen Helps Keep The Town Running

  Whittier may not be the perfect home for a libertarian or a stubborn hermit. There is not only an emotional and spiritual sense of community within the town, but there is a practical community as well. In other words, it takes everyone to keep the town running smoothly and efficiently. Residents man the tunnel, work on the local railroad, and are employed by local businesses or the various city departments. Whittier resident Jen Kinney said:

  "Everybody has to play a role. The town just wouldn't function if at least half of the people weren't willing to step in and be an EMT or even just cook for your neighbors when they're sick - everybody functions as part of a larger organism."
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  (#11) Whittier Is The Wettest City In America

  Don't go to Whittier expecting sun and clear blue skies. Most of the time, it's either raining or snowing, making it the single wettest city in the United States. For approximately six months of the year, it snows every day; the other six months, it rains daily. Whittier gets around 22 feet of snow every year.

  That's 1,000 times the national average. Oh, and 60 mile-per-hour winds are also common so blizzards are pretty much a fact of life when you live in Whittier.
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  (#12) Whittier Was Once Hit By The Largest Earthquake In US History

  On March 28, 1964, a 9.2-magnitude earthquake hit Alaska. Known as the Good Friday Earthquake, it is the single biggest seismic event in United States history. It spawned a 43-foot tsunami that killed 13 Whittier residents. The quake caused extensive destruction throughout the town, with a final tally of around $10 million worth of damage.

  As if the 22 feet of snow weren't evidence enough, this is proof that Whitter residents are tough folk from hearty stock; they're survivors.
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  (#13) Whittier Is Named After A Glacier, Which Was Named After A Poet

  The town of Whittier remained undeveloped until World War II. Before that, the area was actually named after a glacier that sat in the waters that currently surround the town. The glacier was named after a poet, John Greenleaf Whittier, who was famous for his themes of antislavery.

  Whittier was actually an active abolitionist who wrote for numerous trades including newspapers and magazines. He was devoted to fixing issues of social injustice, and he even formed the antislavery Liberty party in 1840.
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  (#14) Besides Begich Towers, There Is Only One Other Main Building In Whittier

  The only other major structure in Whittier is the Buckner Building, which, ironically, was called "the city under one roof" when it was built. It had been abandoned by the late 1960s, though, and has since fallen into disrepair. Once one of the tallest buildings in Alaska, it now stands eerie and beautiful on the stark northern landscape.

  In recent years, the Buckner Building has had a problem with amateur explorers breaking in. It's also rumored to be haunted.

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