Why is this on hackernews? Stick to tech.
Different ways of living are interesting to hackers. Life hacking. Oh no I said it!
A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
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Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#32Hell most jails in the U.S dwarf this complex. Dear lord I hope an EMP never hits any of those towns. Sure hope the gov hasn't taken away the ability to protect yourself.
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#33It would be interesting if someone tried this in one of these larger cities with high rises like Singapore. You'd create a smaller groups with a sense of community while still giving members the benefits of living in a large city. The reason I thought of this is it reminded me of a strategy of using small bible study groups being employed in a large church that was part of my alma mater. The idea is that it was easie…
This is essentially what college campuses do already, to some extent. My current apartment complex also hosts activities, movie nights, brings in nurses so residents can meet and ask about health problems. This is in addition to the playground, tennis/basketball court, computer room, gym, small theater, and other amenities that help to create a "community" atmosphere.
Also, I think a big reason this model is so "successful" is that people don't have much of an alternative. Really, would you _prefer_ to go to that sketchy-looking grocery store with the mayonnaise next to the cereal, if you had the choice of going a few blocks to a large supermarket? To be honest, I've never spent any time using my own apartment's amenities. I live in the city, because I want to be with people like me, not because I want forced socialization with people who just happen to live together.
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#34This article makes it sound like some remote wilderness where you would freeze instantly when you go outside. The climate there (according to wikipedia) isn't that cold, right now it's -12c with a high of 3c over the next few days - there are plenty of European cities with colder climates. Still an interesting place none the less. They have an official website with more details: http://begichtowers.com/ - there is a…
Coastal Alaska isn't nearly as cold as everyone thinks. The ocean keeps it mild. It snows a lot, and it's often windy, but the actual temperature is rarely below ~ -20C. I'm in the Yukon, away from the ocean. I rode my bike to work at -37C this morning :)
My mom grew up in the panhandle (Ketchikan) which rarely even sees snow, I guess (but lots of rain).
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#35Reminds me of the film Snowpiercer.
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Coastal Alaska isn't nearly as cold as everyone thinks. The ocean keeps it mild. It snows a lot, and it's often windy, but the actual temperature is rarely below ~ -20C. I'm in the Yukon, away from the ocean. I rode my bike to work at -37C this morning :)
My mom grew up in the panhandle (Ketchikan) which rarely even sees snow, I guess (but lots of rain).
That's a LONG way South of me :)
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#37Why is this on hackernews? Stick to tech.
Because I, a hacker and the target audience of Hacker News, find it very, very interesting.
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#38It would be interesting to see what these people do for a living. Why are they there? There are children, so there must be families who have decided to move there.
It's a good port. Alaska depends on tons of stuff shipped in from other places. The Alcan is a pretty shitty drive for trucking stuff up. Alaska's biggest city is a very poor port, and second biggest city is inland, so freight comes in on barges through Whittier, and then around the state via the railroad. Anchorage elites park their boats in Whittier's small boat harbor. In the summers, fishing and tourism are big.
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
The thing is, this town is not only remote, but during the winter you have to pretty much dug in and stay inside. No going anywhere. It's not the same as just being somewhere isolated and remote, and you have to take that into consideration. Some people might enjoy it anyway.
> and stay inside Huh? Why would you stay inside when you live in such a beautiful place? I live in the Yukon - it's -37C today and it's absolutely beautiful outside. I rode to work today, and just did a 1 hour round trip walk to the library to drop off some books. I'll go for a ~2 hour snow shoe tonight in the dark with my headlamp. I saw the Northern Lights last night, so I'll take my camera tonight. Winter is actu…
Reminds me of Harbin, on the bus trip from Changchun in the winter I watched the mercury fall from -20 to -35. It wasn't really that bad (my digital camera battery failed me at the ice sculptures, however).
Re: A town of about 200 people, almost all of whom live in the same building
#40W00h! I grew up in Whittier, AK. Ask me Anything! Haha, seriously, I moved to Whittier at the age of 2 in 1974 and lived there until 1986. The big change there since I left has been the tunnel. When I was there you had to drive your car up onto a railroad flatcar (and pay a steep ticket price) to get out. Anchorage is only 55 miles away, but really it's two mountains away. The railroad sold passenger service only as…
I will grasp this amazing opportunity and flood you with these questions:
1. Why the town even exists? Article tells nothing about its purpose.
2. What are the most jobs? Is there any production?
3. How did it feel to live in such a small community?