(Whittier has an EMT team but no hospital, so in the case of a nighttime emergency, a police officer has to run ahead of the ambulance to unlock each of the four gates inside the tunnel.). "I can remember the old tough Alaskan style, you party all night till five in the morning, and then you went to the cannery at seven to start pitching fish. If you have a disability that is preventing you from experiencing this $175.00. The community here, it's so nice that you don't really ever feel sad. "You know, you get to thinking, Oh man, the tunnel's the only way out. Built in 1943, this self-contained secure facility housed the radio and telegraph communications equipment. The 14-story building is a former Army barracks built in 1956, yet it houses all the amenities you'd expect from a small town: a laundromat, health clinic, corner store, police station, church, video store, city offices and the homes of nearly 200 residents. 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. The first thing we noticed when we arrived in Whittier was the windwe were barely out of the car when a powerful gust pushed us down the hill. The Buckner, as it was called, was the social center for the posts military, civilian and dependent population. And that tunnel shuts down at night, leaving Whitter cut off until morning. The visitor asked the firefighter what he should do. Request a FREE custom valuation for your Begich Towers Condo in Whittier AK. As of 2015, only one of the two boilers serving Begich Towers was functional, but it experienced major maintenance-related issues almost daily. The building was named for Army civil engineer Colonel Walter William Hodge (pictured), the commanding officer of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. Too costly and dangerous to demolish, the building is still there today. All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified for accuracy. " The Begich Towers Condominium is a building in the small city of Whittier, Alaska. Grounds are kept in excellent condition. Most of the towers 1,200 residents at the time all Army personnel were reassigned elsewhere. right?". This property is not currently available for sale. In the darkest days of winter you can sometimes find teachers in the garden, sitting underneath the natural spectrum grow lights. When it was finished, it was the longest tunnel in America. Because I dont know where it wants to go. Some residents would like to see growth and economic development in Whittier, but theres a sizable group who would just rather be left alone. Valentines Day Gifting Stressing You Out? Because the weather can be so extreme, kids often walk to school via an underground tunnel. Whittier Harbor, which never freezes, is one of the most desired in the area. The town of Whittier is situated on the western end of the Prince William Sound, about 75 miles southeast of Anchorage and somewhat centrally located on the southern coast of Alaska. The quality of a school can greatly influence home values in an area. Whats it like inside? 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. Between 700,000 and 900,000 people visit the town annually primarily via cruise ship or passing through en route to Anchorage but most dont stay beyond one afternoon. To get there we drove some 60 miles from Anchorage, and then waited for nearly an hour to pass through a 2.5 mile-long, one-lane railroad tunnel that cuts through the middle of a mountain. and Anchorage real estate 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. Most in BTI have binoculars sitting by the window. WATCH: [Indie Alaska]I am a Whittier Teacher. Whittier Community School serves families with children in grades K-12 who live in the Begich Towers condos. It now owns almost all of the inhabitable land in Whittier. The population of the city is over 200 people. Gary grew up in the hills of Arkansas, where he watched the Little Rock Crisis unfold on his TV screen. Enjoy the excellent mountain and waterfall views from this 2 bedroom, 1 bath fifth floor condo in Begich Towers. 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. Call or text 9073010189 for information on Buyer's Representation Services(NO COST TO HOME BUYERS). You have to be willing to work with each other.". The area where modern-day Whittier sits was . 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 Of course, not all residents are friends with each other, but they help each other if required. With 200 inches of rain and 250 inches of snowfall annually, only the dedicated stay in Whittier through the winter months. There's a police station on one side, and a post office on the other. In Whittier's 99693 neighborhood, moving to this community offers plenty of nearby highlights. Most in Whittier eventually found their way to the building, which was renamed Begich Towers (or BTI) after a missing Congressman. Cowan asked Shuford, "What do you want people to know about Whittier? Are you sure you want to report this blog entry as spam? This means that although there is a pervasive smell of marijuana in Begich Towers, the police can do little about it. We were tough in those days.". Our suites are located in a historical building "Begich Towers", built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1957. 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. The impressive engineering behind the 14-story Hodge Building was on display as its three separate towers swayed but miraculously did not collapse. During the U.S. military's tenure in Whittier, all Whittier buildings had their hydronic heating needs fulfilled by a single heating plant. And if you have pet reindeer, you can keep them in a pen behind the building. . And you always have someone to talk to.". Those who stayed behind occupied the first four floors of the Hodge Building; other floors remained unoccupied. "It really isn't," the mayor responded. Not everyone who tries to live in Begich Towers can take ita newcomer from Florida compared it to jailand there simply isnt much space on which to build alternate housing, I dont know where Whittier is going, the city manager told us. Behind Whittiers everyday peculiarities is a community thoroughly circumscribed by geography, architecture, and weather. During the summer months, when the sun shines 22 hours a dayvisitors from around the world who are curious about life in Begich Towers flock to Whittier. When the second largest earthquake in recorded history leveled much of southern Alaska in 1964, the 14-story Cold War relic was one of few structures to survive. The Begich Tower was built by the U.S. Army in 1952 to be used as a barracks during the Cold War. ", Gary Carr works at the Kozy Korner Store, which is housed on the ground floor of Begich Towers. Whittier is only accessible by boat, and a single drive through tunnel which periodically alternates directions. To some, it may just be the strangest town in Alaska, but for residents Whittier seems to be the answer to the call of the wild. 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.. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them In the summertime you can look out and see whales breaching in the harbor, or mountain goats grazing on the slopes across the water, but mostly people use binoculars to spy on their neighbors. The purpose of the bomb-proof mid-century Hodge Building was to support a remote logistics station in Whittier, Alaska. She'd like to move to Anchorage, but her teachers don't want her family to leave, because to lose Lucky and her five siblings would be disruptive in such a small school. This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 18:47. "But, everything's here. Following the Army's departure, each building had to get its own system, including the Begich Towers, which had a pair of boilers in a side building. What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. 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. He was born and raised in Whittier, and came back because it's home. ", Beverly Walts has been bartending at the Anchor Inn ever since she moved to Whittier from Texas in the early 1990s. Whittier operates under a city manager form of government, which means that the mayor serves mainly as a figurehead. It was built by the military in 1956 for soldiers and their families and later became a home for civilians in 1973. There are pleasant touches (such as the exteriors newer blue, cream, and peach paint scheme) that try to establish a playful identity for the formerly drab Hodge Building. Actor's Brother Spills The Beans, Cricketer Virat Kohli Says His Wife Anushka Sharma Has Made Massive Sacrifices As A Mother, New Meme Unlocked: Pakistani Cooking Show Contestant Presents Store-Bought Biryani To Judges, Goes Viral, Is Introducing A Sex Toy To Your Love Life A Good Idea? The building was built in 1956 and duringWorld War II, there was an army barrack at this place, due to which all the facilities are available here. The Kozy Korner grocery store is stocked with essentials. It looks depressing.' The fourteen-story high-risecalled Begich Towers, or BTIcontains a post office, a police station, a grocery store, a Laundromat, a health clinic, and a church. Do additional legal protections exist for the LGBTQ community at the state level in Alaska? The former military gym and basketball courts (pictured) are massive and offer an expansive indoor area for activity and exercise. The first floor of the building had almost everything a city needs to function. The complex consists of three connected modules that make up the main structure and two separate modules connected via tunnels. If youre the ultimate homebodyWhittier, Alaska may be your dream destination. Begich Towers, otherwise known as the BTI building, is a 14-storey complex which has been turned into a condominium association with 196 units. Wealthy residents of New York who pay big bucks for condos with in-house amenities could only dream of such lavish luxury. In Whittier, Alaska, almost the entire population of 318 year-round residents live under one roof. In addition to the residential units, the first floor has several businesses: a laundry mat, Post Office, condo association offices and more. Anna said, "If I had one word, I'd say it's magical.". June's Whittier Bed and Breakfast Condos is an excellent choice for travelers visiting Whittier, offering many helpful amenities designed to enhance your stay. Housing protections include being unfairly evicted, denied housing, or refused the ability to rent or buy housing. The settlement sits on a delta in which mountains rise to 3,500 feet within two miles on either side. Construction began on the 14-story Hodge Building in 1953. (See it on Google Street view). Prices vary depending upon floor plan, size, view, condition, updating, and remodeling. It is a must see in Whittier . Required fields are marked *. The military eventually withdrew from Whittier before the Cold War facilities were fully utilized, leaving the mostly vacant buildings to the town. In recent decades, civilians have begun to trickle into a former army barracks at the heart of the town called Begich Towers. Powered by Due to the small population, everyone is familiar with each other in the house, they often roam around the house in slippers and pajamas, even when they go on business. In the process he stopped up the plumbing on the floors below hima neighbor called city management to complain that someone had flushed large amounts of dog food down the toilets, but it turned out to be pellets of grow medium. They were engineering marvels, built to withstand bomb blasts, earthquakes, fires, and 60+ mile-per-hour winds all while housing up to 1,000 troops indoors across its 150 studio, two, and three-bedroom apartments. 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. Jim carves figures of Alaskan animals out of native Alaskan ivory. The Hodge Building was transformed into a public building with several units, including the headquarters of the major institutions and commercial services of Whittier. Some people love it because IT CAN BE REALLY SOCIAL. It's home.". Each office independently owned and operated. One unique feature, there is a pedestrian tunnel linking . The two-year project cost $80 million to complete, and drastically improved access to Whittier. Directions by Land: From Anchorage, take the Seward Highway south to Portage Road, go east to Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to City Center of Whittier. Each room has a big-screen TV, WiFi, and sweeping views of Alaska. Non-residents can enter the 1s floor where the city offices are and the top two floors where there is a bed and breakfast. Part of the heating system has been replaced. On our first night in town, a small earthquake hit, but we thought it was just another gust of wind rattling the windowpanes. The structure is notable for operating like a small-scale arcology, being the residence for nearly the entire population of the city, as well as containing many of its public facilities. Gain valuable insight into the Whittier AK community by looking at household incomes, crime risk, education levels attained, and the potential for extreme weather. We asked a volunteer firefighter what we should do, and he told us it was best to go back to our condo and shut the door so we could avoid the noise. Bob Prunella was brought to Whittier as an interim city manager, but he's now stayed here for two years. Most Whittier residents love the tiny towns remote status. The Buckner Building housed, among other things, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a shooting range, a barbershop, and a six-cell jail. The waitlist is often 10-20 years. The name of the 14-floor building is The Begich Tower which is the residence for nearly the entire population of the city. 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