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

• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#2) One Resident Says Some People Are Too 'Squeamish' For Whittier Life

  The US military built Begich Tower in 1956. The 14-story structure was meant to house 1,000 soldiers and their dependents, and provide for them in the Alaskan wilderness. As of 2019, the aging building has only a couple hundred occupants.

  As Begich Tower resident June Miller told Smithsonian in 2017:

  Because [Begich is] historical, some people don’t know if they want to be in the building. They don't even like the tunnel. It's not for the weak and the squeamish, but it's for the adventurous, happy and ready-for-anything type people.
• 

  (#3) Some Find The Town Creepy 

  Resident Brenda Tolman describes her first impressions of the city: "I was terrified when I first came out of that tunnel. The town looks like it should be in a horror movie." The tunnel isn't the only reason some people find Whittier creepy.

  There is another sizeable military structure called the Buckner Building that was built alongside Begich Tower and was abandoned in the '50s.

  While visiting Whittier, Redditor /u/HyruleanHero1988 noticed the Buckner Building and said, "[It] was once the largest building in the state of Alaska - now it is abandoned... It looks pretty creepy as the sun starts to go down... It gives off a kind of Silent Hill vibe."
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#5) Kids Take An Underground Tunnel To School

  Snow days are no excuse for missing school in Whittier. An underground tunnel leads directly to the local school. Teacher Erika Thompson tells Alaska Public Media:

  You know, Whittier is different than, say, working in the traditional bush community. In that we are on the road, and we’re fairly, we’re a tourist town in the summer. But we all live in the same building... I think in a larger community you go to school, you travel there, and not in Whittier, you just gotta walk over. And it takes five minutes, depending on the elevator.
• 

  (#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."
• 

  (#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.'"
• 

  (#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. 
• 

  (#9) People Move Out Because They Want More Privacy 

  Some Whittier residents just can't take the compact nature of Begich Tower and move to more private dwellings in the town. The mayor himself left the building because, according to Brenda Tolman, "At [Begich Tower], anyone can cruise over in their socks and give him their opinion. But if you've got to get dressed and go out and get in the car and then drive over, well, maybe that's a little too much."

  Tolman herself moved out because she was tired of the "forced socialization," although she still keeps her studio in the building.
• 

  (#10) Begich Tower's Grocery Store Charges $9 For A Bag Of Chips

  Alaska is already remote, so prices on imported food can be high. Locals say things are even worse in Whittier. While thinking about purchasing a bag of chips, Erika Thompson said, "Wow. $9. Now you know why I go to Anchorage."

  Despite the 60 mile drive, some residents make regular trips to the city just to cut costs on groceries.
• 

  (#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.'

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking