Random People From Whittier, AK, Describe What It’s Like Living In Same Building As Their Entire Town (11 items)

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  (#8) The Locals Have Had To Learn How To Coexist

  Resident June Miller told Smithsonian that everyone tends to live harmoniously. "If somebody's crabby around here, we just tell them, 'Alright I’ll see you later,'" says Miller. "Let them go and take care of their issues." 

  Whittier occupants understand they must adjust their behavior to coexist with hundreds of people under one roof. 
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  (#1) The Only Road In And Out Of Town Is One Way

  The only way into Whittier is by tunnel or by boat. From 11 pm to 5 am, the tunnel shuts down, and the entrance closes. Redditor /u/HyruleanHero1988 describes what it's like to rely on an hourly tunnel to leave town, saying, "The 2.5-mile tunnel that you have to pass through to enter the town is one lane only - they switch the direction of travel every 30 minutes."

  What happens if you get there in between? "You have to wait at these lights until they let you go," he says.
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  (#4) Residents Often Feel Social Boundaries Are Blurred  

  The Begich Tower contains the town's government offices, a playground, a church, a small market, a clinic, and a post office, among other necessities and conveniences. Whittier resident Frankie Graham told CNN that when an avalanche damaged other Alaska towns, "the only thing [they] needed [in Whittier] was baby food."

  With everything in town readily available, teacher Erika Thompson says some boundaries are blurred. Thompson notes:

  The student-teacher relationship is very different because you live among your students... I take the garbage out, I see my students. I do my laundry, I see my students... I like to create a separation from work and home.
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  (#6) One Resident Keeps Reindeer Across The Street From The Tower 

  Redditor /u/HyruleanHero1988 posted, "There are reindeer in a pen right in front of the [building]." The reindeer belong to Begich Tower resident Brenda Tolman - a local artist - who cares for the animals twice a day.

  Regardless of her responsibility to maintain the pen across the street from the tower, Tolman told the Anchorage Daily News, "I've been happy with [Whittier] since the day I came through that tunnel. Boy, it was rough, and I looked at it, and I thought, man, what a land of opportunity."
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  (#7) Most Residents Only Stay In Begich Tower During The Winter

  The Begich Tower condos are rented year-round, but many residents live elsewhere during the summer. Despite Whittier's remote location, it's a popular place for adventure tourists on warmer days, and Whittier residents leave to work outside town in the summer. 

  Resident June Miller says returning in the later season "is like a low-scale reunion. You hear, 'Oh hi, I haven't seen you for a while, you've been busy!' 'Oh yeah, I've been running around taking care of tourists.'"
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  (#11) Staying Fit Is A Challenge

  The quarters are cramped in Begich Tower, and the weather outside is usually rough; therefore, staying fit is especially tricky. Erika Thompson told Alaska Public Media: 

  It's hard to stay healthy in a town like this... Our weather is really challenging. We don't have a fitness center or gym, other than the school. Between extreme winds, rain, snow, that challenges people. It just becomes normal to not move, and to not be healthy. The weather is always a great excuse.

  I had a lot of community members asking me to teach [fitness] classes. Last year, I was convinced by just enough people asking, that I decided to try it... it's [a] great group of people; we challenge each other. We hold each other accountable. 'Make sure you get outside and walk.'

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