Whats it like inside? Private Walking Tour in Whittier AK. These cozy apartment style condos have a super convenient location in downtown Whittier. A tiny community in Alaska takes standard "small town" vibes to a whole new level though. Time to Sell? In the basement of the Hodge Building, the plastic-lined water containers were also undisturbed. The structure is notable for being the residence for nearly the entire population of the city as well as containing many of its public facilities. The state of Alaska is rugged and beautiful beyond compare. The tunnel to Whittier, Alaska was built in 1939 and is the only road accessible way to access Whittier. The majority of the Alaska Railroad workers commute from Anchorage,as does Whittiers mayor and all but one of the towns police officers. Every kid is seen. Today the ACS building is home to the Anchor Inn. On Good Friday in March of 1964, the second most powerful earthquake in recorded history buckled the floor underneath Prince William Sound, registering a whopping 9.2 magnitude on the Richter scale. Because the weather can be so extreme, kids often walk to school via an underground tunnel. BTI is beginning to show its age. Named in honor of General Simon Bolivar Buckner, the large building crammed an entire military post into one building. Contact Address: 110 Kenai Street Whittier, AK 99693 Phone Number: (907) 472-2484 Home AK Whittier Begich Towers Apartments Report an Issue Contact this Property (907) 472-2484 '. The flat-roofed Hodge Building was the militarys residential tower, built for bachelors quarters and family housing. All Rights Reserved. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, Top Dems push Fox News to stop promoting "propaganda" about 2020 election, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35, Pandemic-era food benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise. Erika lives in high up in the Begich Towers, a large pastel building that like it would be more at home in New Jersey than small town Alaska. website, call In recent decades, civilians have begun to trickle into a former army barracks at the heart of the town called Begich Towers. Though over 700,000 people visit Whittier annually, many tourists disembark from cruise ships only to take the train straight to Anchorage, spending little time or money in Whittier. The purpose of the bomb-proof mid-centuryHodge Building was to support a remote logistics station in Whittier, Alaska. The military eventually withdrew from Whittier before the Cold War facilities were fully utilized, leaving the mostly vacant buildings to the town. After the army left in 1960, Whittier citizens took over the building's 196 units. The settlement sits on a delta in which mountains rise to 3,500 feet within two miles on either side. Winters paint a different picture. Most of the town people work in a deep-water port located a few hundred meters from their home. she laughed. The serene setting,mountain and harbor views make this the perfect Alaska getaway. The Begich Towers Condominium is a building in the small city of Whittier, Alaska. That's why people prefer to live in the building. If you have a disability that is preventing you from experiencing this The shore is lined with small stores that open up during tourist season. Business development is a challenge, as there is very limited buildable land in Whittier. "The law says you can't have drugs within 500 feet of a school; there's not a unit in this building that's 500 feet from the school, but we have the right-to-privacy issue.". ", "That there's nothing to do here," said Shen. The U.S. Army began construction of a rail line in 1941 from Whittier to nearby Portage, Alaska. Brought to you by licensed Realtors at Keller Williams Realty. Listing content scraping by unauthorized personnel is strictly prohibited. From small staff to the owner, all live together in this building where all the facilities like a police station, provision store, laundry, church and hospitals are located under one roof. Anna laughed. Theres no money in it, she says, but its nothing to me and its a big deal for them, so what the fuck, why not blow their skirts up?. But thriving harbor industriesfreight, fishing, tourismdont seem to translate into growth for the city. Most of the 200-odd residents of the Alaskan town of Whittier all live in the same 14-story condominium - Begich Towers - located on the edge of town. . When the sun returns to the sky, residents pour out of BTI in shorts and T-shirts. The purpose of the bomb-proof mid-century Hodge Building was to support a remote logistics station in Whittier, Alaska. The new Begich Towers includes 196 units, enough to house the entire town. It is 14 floors high and is made up of three modules connected together. For the dozens of children who live here, the building connects to the school through an underground tunnel. But when the temperature dips below freezing, that window narrows to five minutes. At 11 pm the tunnel is locked for the night. Hes been here ever since. Most of the towers 1,200 residents at the time all Army personnel were reassigned elsewhere. During winter months, auto traffic is allowed through twice an hourfifteen minutes for outbound traffic, and fifteen minutes for inbound. the property described as unit no. Your email address will not be published. You have to be willing to work with each other.". Owner Financing is Available! Wealthy residents of New York who pay big bucks for condos with in-house amenities could only dream of such lavish luxury. A police station, grocery store, clinic, church, convenience store, and school are all housed within the structure. that are written by the members of this community. Whittier, Alaska, on Prince William Sound. The main 14-story apartment complex, Begich Towers, contains 150 two- or three-bedroom apartments, the kind of density that could foster a devastating infection rate in the tiny population.. Most in Whittier eventually found their way to the building, which was renamed Begich Towers (or BTI) after a missing Congressman. During the summer the towns population swells as boaters, fishermen, seasonal workers, and tourists descend upon the small port. Parents dont have to worry about kids and traffic at the indoor playground. There's a police station on one side, and a post office on the other. Isolated By. Surprisingly, there are not many residential buildings in this town. In the US state of Alaska, there is a town called Whittier. Jim's studio is located in Whittier Manor, the only other residential building in Whittier besides Begich Towers. Surrounded by cascading waterfalls, with views of an inlet filled with whales, otters and puffins, tucked below a rocky mountain vista sits the Begich Towers. If you wish to report an issue or seek an accommodation, please, 442-H New York Standard Operating Procedures. "In Guam I used to sneak out of the house, so my dad moved us to the perfect place: the tunnel closes at night, so there's nowhere to sneak out to. Society. Beverly looked out at the snow whipping sideways past the window and told us, Down in the Lower 48, this would have a name., Whittier has a city manager style of government, which means that the mayor mainly serves as a figurehead, and the city manager, who is not elected but hired, is in charge of all the municipal operations. Photo via California Sunday Magazine [5], Last edited on 21 December 2022, at 18:47, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Northern Enclosure: Alaska's One-House Town, Home to Hundreds", "Army's Seaport On Glacier Rim Is Unique City", "Begich Towers, home to about half the population of Whittier, gets a much-needed overhaul", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Begich_Towers&oldid=1128738094, Majority of Whittier's population, local government, public services and businesses. This has earned Whittier the nickname of a "town under one roof". Walk a little into the room and you will see government offices, as well as Kozy Korner convenience store, a shop where everyone is shopping. It now owns almost all of the inhabitable land in Whittier. The Begich Towers, in Whittier, Alaska, built by the military during the Cold War as a no-frills barracks, is now home to the majority of the isolated town's 300 or so residents. Because the winters are so ferocious, the towns only playground is indoors. The windows are being replaced to protect the building from water damage. Gary grew up in the hills of Arkansas, where he watched the Little Rock Crisis unfold on his TV screen. Light and bright apartment style condos you would expect to find for sale in the Begich Towers Condos in Whittier AK are going to range between 511 and 1827 square feet. "I read yellow is a happy color," Dempster said. When completed, the one-mile railroad tunnel through Begich Peak and the 2.5-mile railroad tunnel through Maynard Mountain combined for 13,300 feet. Alaska Railroad is the largest land owner, but it doesnt pay property taxes and employs few locals. Begich Towers also has a bed and breakfast, and guests are welcome to come. From 1941 until 1943 Army engineer Anton Anderson led the largest tunneling project in United States history. Shuford said. If there is a fire, at least everyone will stay warm. Begich Towers is an interesting housing complex where 95% of the Whittier population lives in this one 14 story condo building. They do take care of their own here breakfast for the kids is often made by the teachers, and during COVID is delivered right to the doorsteps of students. Powered by Indiatimes Lifestyle Network. The Begich Towers Condominium is a building in the small town of Whittier, Alaska. The tower was built in the 1950s and features elevators. ", Beverly Walts has been bartending at the Anchor Inn ever since she moved to Whittier from Texas in the early 1990s. Ed Hedges lives year-round on a 28-foot sailboat with his cat, Whatever. Perhaps the best reason to live in Begich Towers is its perceived invincibility. I got so many comments on my TikTok saying, 'It looks sad. The Hodge and the Buckner Composite building, dubbed a city under one roof, are the largest most modern inhabited structures built by the Corps of Engineers since the Pentagon.. In Baltimore, changing minds, and saving lives, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" star Ke Huy Quan, "Women Talking" writer-director Sarah Polley: "I approach filmmaking with a lot of gratitude now". Victor Shen also works with students here and he's also a graduate. Most of the local businesses in Whittier are in the triangle by the waterfront or Anchor Inn building, but employment options are limited. Whittier sits on the western edge of the Prince William Sound. Home prices range between $45,000 to $90000. He is also the only officer who lives in town. After a drug bust on the 10th floor of Begich Towers, the Whittier Police donated a hydroponic garden to the kids at Whittier School. In the 1950s the United States government built a bunker of a residential skyscraper in the Alaskan wilderness. Begich Towers is nearly earthquake and fire-proof. Inside, the painted concrete hallways illuminated by the ubiquitous yellow fluorescent lighting always remind that you are inside what used to be a government building. Orlet us know your school story in the comments section below and share this info with your friends and family, and keep readingIndiatimes.comfor the latest trending news. Instead they go directly from the cruise ship to a train that takes them to Anchorage. The path to Whittier goes straight under a mountain, into a tunnel bored through more than two miles of solid rock. One unique feature, there is a pedestrian tunnel linking . Later people started living here and it became an apartment. Subscribe to Indiatimes and get handpicked updates based on your interests! Floral Dresses To Chic Bags - Heres How I Refreshed My Summer Closet From Flipkart On A Budget! The first floor of the building had almost everything a city needs to function. right?". It was built by the military in 1956 for soldiers and their families and later became a home for civilians in 1973. Disclaimer: ActiveRain, Inc. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. Use the map to locate points of interest like shopping, restaurants, andhealth care services. Of the thirteen Whittier residents who perished in the Good Friday (or Great Alaskan) Earthquake, only one body was recovered. In 1972, the building was renamed Begich Towers Condominium, in memory of Nick Begich, a Congressman from Alaska who disappeared in the area and is presumed to have died in a plane crash. $175.00. What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. The Begich Tower where everyone lives together, Police station to hospital everything inside one building, 'Itna Showoff', Internet Reacts To Urvashi Rautela Spending Rs 93 Lakhs For Her Birthday Bash, 'Suck Up To Serial Sexual Perverts Like Sajid Khan', Sona Mohapatra's Indirect Jibe At Shehnaaz Gill, Was There A Tiff Between Nawazuddin Siddiqui And Irrfan Khan? Even a school called Whittier School is connected to a tunnel on the ground floor of the West tower so students can walk to school without going out in the cold during winter. With 200 inches of rain and 250 inches of snowfall annually, only the dedicated stay in Whittier through the winter months. The name of the 14-floor building is The Begich Tower which is the residence for nearly the entire population of the city. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. There is also a small Baptist church, two floors of bed and breakfast daily rentals, a conference room, and an indoor playground at the school. The Begich Tower was built by the U.S. Army in 1952 to be used as a barracks during the Cold War. The location was strategically important because of its deep-water port, which stayed ice-free all year long, and its lousy weather: the near-constant cloud cover made it difficult for enemy aircraft to spot. The town averages around 250 inches of snow annually, but some recent years have seen closer to 400 inches. The building was designed in 1953 by Anton Anderson to host the headquarters of the US Army Corps of Engineers. 100 Kenai St Unit 414, a condos home located in Whittier, AK has 2 beds, 1 baths, and is 932 square feet. The community here, it's so nice that you don't really ever feel sad. Before the year 2000 there was no vehicular access to Whittier. Whittier Community School serves families with children in grades K-12 who live in the Begich Towers condos. The first floor of the building had almost everything a city needs to function. The massive structures were, for years, the two largest buildings in Alaska. Whittier is known as "the town under one roof" since nearly all of its roughly 200 residents live in Begich Towers, an army barracks turned residential tower block. Begich Towers is essentially a fully functional condo that is equipped to take care of most of the residents needs in-house. Construction started with the Hodge Building, along with the Buckner Building 660 yards (600m) to the northeast, with both opening in 1957. The firefighters response:Go back to your condo and shut the door so you can avoid the noise. and Anchorage real estate The mostly unused Buckner Building was not repaired following the earthquake, and remained unused. In the winter he keeps warm with space heaters and staves off boredom by watching movies and reading books on his iPad. The Begich Towers Condos in Whittier AK are a great place to call home. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Call or text 9073010189 for information on Buyer's Representation Services(NO COST TO HOME BUYERS). The building, called Begich Towers, is a former Army barracks that resembles a very large hotel. ", A few weeks ago, Jenessa started posting about her life in the building on TikTok, and soon had millions of views and just about as many questions. So it actually makes sense for the city's citizens to have everything in one place and live under the same roof. A handful of single-story industrial and municipal buildings sit between BTI and the harbor. The city officials are readily accessible on a daily basis. Some people manage to carve out comfortable lives for themselves within this extreme environment, and looking out over Whittier harbor at dawn, or on a snowy day while a neighbor fed the fat crows perched on his windowsill, it wasnt so hard to imagine why someone might choose the limitations of a place like Whittier over the limitations of life in a big city down in the Lower 48. In 1941 the United States military took an interest in Whittier to function as the backup port to the primary one at Seward, about 50 miles to the south. Editor: Steven Tyler. Electric Sunroof, Head Up Display & Other Features That Make The All New Hot & Techy Brezza A Hit. 60 miles from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. (See it on Google Street view). A pot bust on the tenth floor led to the police donating hydroponic equipment to Whittiers school for a vegetable garden, which Joey Lipscomb oversaw through eighth grade. However, things are changing here. It looks depressing.' 301, begich towers condominiums, as shown on the floor plans filed in the office of the recorder of the anchorage recording district, third judicial district, state of alaska, under plat number w74-1, and as identified in the declaration recorded march 26, 1974, book 2, page 571, and in any Thus, it is possible to save on heating here, which is especially important when a strong wind blows here most of the year, it is snowing or raining. [ During the winter of 1956/57, the Port of Whittier received a record snowfall of 72 feet. As the closest town to the disaster, Whittier was an important base camp for authorities and clean-up crews, and its rail barges shipped the hazardous material out of Alaska. Are you sure you want to report this blog entry as spam? Fastest Charging On Any Nord Phone Ever & Other Reasons Why OnePlus Nord 2T Is Worth Every Penny! The room used by the church is in the basement; until recently a Southern Baptist presided over the mostly Catholic congregation. Others dont make it through the first winter, and liken the experience to being in jail. "Before you judge the town of Whittier, you need to come visit it first.". [2] After the war, the military planned to develop a large complex in the area. The structure is notable for being the residence for nearly the entire population of the town, as well as containing many of its public facilities. ]. BTI may not have everything you want, but it has everything you need. Theres a health clinic on the third floor. Wildlife Photographer Captures Rare Photo Of Three-Headed Cheetah, What's The Story Behind It? In 1998 reconstruction began to convert the rail-only Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnelfor dual-use, allowing vehicular access as well. To do here, it 's so nice that you do n't ever... 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