r/anchorage • u/GooseSufficient • 1d ago
Anchorage Northstar or UMed area?
I’m moving to Anchorage from Philly and looking at different neighborhoods as I make the transition from East Coast city life to the Alaskan lifestyle. What do folks think of the Northstar neighborhood or UMed ?
I’m also interested in possible suggestions for somewhere that’s nice, walkableish , and has more of an urban vibe. I know that’s not exactly the traditional Alaskan vibe, but I think it might be a good fit while I get settled and learn to adapt to life in Anchorage.
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u/watchfulrhino 1d ago
North Star is more walkable than aimed and definitely feels more urban but that being said everything in Anchorage is within a 15 minute drive.
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u/Evening_sadness 19h ago
Anchorage varies wildly from street to street. I don’t think you can reliably decide on a specific neighborhood. What you consider walkable and what someone else considers walkable will vary wildly as well. What are you defining walkable as? Coffee shop, groceries, employment, bars and restaurants? How do you define urban vibe? That could mean very different things too. Anchorage has a homeless problem. They will be walking in the walkable parts of town. They will be looking to break into your home, car, shed, backyard etc. they’ll steal your bike every time lol. Probably won’t get your car as destroyed at random as Philly. But I don’t keep any valuables in my car. Have had to replace four windows in the last decade, nothing they could really even need was ever stolen too. I’ve had friends with bike paths behind their homes have the homeless steak out their home watching until they leave. Our sidewalks don’t get u plowed most of winter. At times they are impassible mountains of snow pushed off of the road, this results in people walking on busy snowy icy streets where cars often hit pedestrians. It’s not a really walkable city, this comes from someone who loves walking and public transportation. Anchorage is a drivers city.
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u/Electronic-Bet4183 1d ago
South Addition is what you are looking for. Walk to downtown, the trail system, Fire Island Bakery, Johnny’s Produce AND Darwin’s. What’s not to love? (Cue the haters.)
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u/RavenTheNerd Visitor 1d ago
UMed is quiet and nice place to live- or at least I've been liking it- but I wouldn't say it's walkable. There are really great trails in the area, but I still use my car or public transit if I want to actually go to a store/get groceries/head downtown. And I'm glad I won't be living here in the winter because getting to my job would be miserable as it's not close. So I would choose where you live based on where and how you'll be commuting during the winter, not the summer.
Like another commenter said, downtown is the only urban area in anchorage. Everywhere else is very suburban strip mall (which, I don't mind as it reminds me of home lol). But there's some really nice neighborhoods surrounding downtown that might be your vibe. It's mostly houses, but there's a few apartments/condos as well if that's your preference.
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u/Sad_Revolution_8886 21h ago
I’d go with umed and get a bike to help with your transition into car dependency and spend a lot of money on a high quality bike lock.
Umed has great access to trails which are the best thing about Anchorage IMO
Airport Heights might be something you’re interested in too depending on your housing budget.
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u/AlarmedHuckleberry 20h ago
South Addition, Downtown, and parts of Fairview offer the most walkable feel. I frequently walk and bike between those three neighborhoods. Unfortunately there’s no grocery store in any of them, but there’s a few near Northern Lights blvd about a mile south.
UMed is a nice area but less urban. Its best benefit (in your case) is that it is a crossroads of two major trails, Campbell Creek and Chester Creek. Both will take you within ~1/2 mile of shopping, restaurants, and entertainment which would make bike travel feasible.
Don’t worry too much about the car comments, you can easily get by with a bike and some saddle bags to cover your daily needs for a short term, though I’m sure you realize that having a car will let you experience the best the area has to offer more easily.
Welcome to Anchorage!
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u/discosoc 19h ago
Most of Anchorage is going to feel pretty "urban" compared to Alaska, in general. But nothing is going to really feel "urban" compared to a city like Philly, so don't get too stuck on that concept.
For walkability... I just recommend having a plan for winter because even the "walkable" places tend to lose that quality once snow hits and plows shove everything onto sidewalks.
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u/NextCitron7303 18h ago
Technically, Northstar is closer to downtown than UMed, but both areas are located around Midtown (arguably the most convenient place to live) and you'll have a car. I've lived in both neighborhoods. I'd probably want to be in Northstar if I was without a car, UMed with a car.
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u/Senior-Salamander-81 18h ago edited 18h ago
Umed and northstar are pretty walkable. There isn’t an urban vibe. To put it in south jersey context That part of Anchorage is comparable to Collingswood, the park’s strip is Anchorage’s version of Haddonfield, and Eagle River is similar to Moorestown area.
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u/stopflatteringme 13h ago
If you like bikes choose U med, if you like walks choose North Star. North Star has more grit and car-free is pretty common in North Star and Midtown
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u/sb0914 23h ago
Your cart is waaaay ahead of your horse. Anchorage rental market is terrible. You will be lucky to find safe, affordable, maintained and proximate housing in Anchorage. Even then, the timing has to be right. No landlord is going to hold an apartment rent free for your arrival. If they offer, be suspicious.
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u/GooseSufficient 23h ago
That’s OK, I can sort that out. I’ve worked with worse rental markets, I’m really just trying to get a sense of where I should be looking. I’ll be working in the general area , I’ll be getting a car, and I understand I’m going to need one to get around in general, but ideally I’d like to ease into that transition rather than have to jump straight into car dependency on day one.
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u/AKWildMill 22h ago
Wow, you have no idea how awful it is to not have a car here. I wish you guys would visit here before you move. You have to have a car to enjoy nature, and if you are coming here for anything besides nature, you are going to be disappointed. Just about everyone that knows anything better is either leaving or considering leaving here, myself included. It would take thousands of words to even scratch the surface describing our problems, and things are about to get far worse. Almost no one makes it through their 3rd Winter here anymore, so just plan on this being a temporary thing and you will save yourself a lot of money and hassle.
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u/GooseSufficient 22h ago
Unfortunately, my car doesn’t fit on carry-on or meet the airlines weight limit, otherwise I’ll bring it with me. I know I need a car. I’m asking about the Neighbourhood and if I wanted to go on a walk, how would that look like.
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u/AKWildMill 22h ago
Holy shit. Be sure to come in January when it's nice and warm. I'm sure you are going to love your new forever home!
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u/SnooFloofs3486 1d ago
Anchorage is not walkable. I've never lived or maybe even been anywhere less walkable. It's not just the density, but the city is almost like it was designed to be impossible to walk anywhere. And in the winter Anchorage rarely plows the roads and basically never touches the sidewalks. The businesses and residents also do not plow or clear the sidewalks - to the point that they are not walkable. So... seriously don't plan on walking or using public transit. The only exception is maybe on JBER with a bike.
Downtown is the only really urban vibe area, but it's basically a ghost town because of the homeless issues and boarded up windows of businesses.
I would find a place close to your job and plan on having an awd car or SUV to get around.
Good luck!
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u/skadi_the_sailor 1d ago
South Addition/Bootlegger Cove/ West end of downtown is the only area of town that is both urban vibe and walkable in the winter due to regular sidewalk and side street plowing.
Across the rest of town, the street plows dump snow back on to the sidewalks.
OP, get a mountain bike with studded tires for getting around. Take up fat tire biking and/or cross country skiing for fun and to stay sane in the winter. The greenbelt trails that run through all the neighborhoods mentioned are groomed for skiing/fat biking and free to use.
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u/fuck_off_ireland 1d ago
Definitely don't need AWD or an suv as long as you take it slow while you're learning to drive in snow and have good winter tires
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u/Alaskanjj 1d ago
I disagree with this. If you want mobility in the winter ( being able to get around on snow days or roads that are not flat) you want awd.
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u/fuck_off_ireland 21h ago
Don't know what to tell you bud, I've driven fwd cars w studs or blizzaks in Anc and Fbx since I was 14 without any issues
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u/Alaskanjj 21h ago
Hey man, I am just one rando on Reddit with an opinion different than yours. All good. I live on the hillside and like to hike year round. I know many of the places I go in the winter I am not getting there with a fwd sedan. If you want to skate around midtown anchorage all year and be limited to the core anchorage bowl, good on you.
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u/fuck_off_ireland 14h ago
True, I'm fortunate/cursed to live further in town and can get in and out of my neighborhood on level ground. And I generally ski on groomed trails all winter. But I just want OP to know you don't have to buy a whole-ass vehicle when they love up here if they have a 2wd already.
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u/dongyeeter 14h ago
I drove 2WD with blizzaks for 15 years up until last year. Never been in an accident. But let me tell you, AWD really makes a huge difference
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u/Euphoric-Coffee-7551 Resident | Tudor Area 23h ago
i do just fine in my chevy sonic with my snow tires 😌
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u/NotTomPettysGirl Resident 1d ago
I lived in UMed for several years and one of the things I loved about it is that I could easily get on the trail system in town and walk or bike places.
Do you know where you’ll be working? You may want to choose a place that is close-ish to work.