I'm biased because I live in Fairbanks, but here's my take on Anchorage... ANC is much, much different than the rest of Alaska. Simply put, it is not Alaska. Folks from the rest of the state refer to it as "Los Anchorage" or a "suburb of Seattle." It is basically your typical city. Unlike cities in the rest of the state you have access to shopping (they have a mall), better food, and nightlife. The city itself is pretty dirty, but it is in a great location for fishing (you can be on the Kenai in 30 minutes) and skiing. If you want an "Alaskan Experience" i.e. roughing it, wilderness, and getting away from the crowds then Anchorage is not for you. If you want to live in Alaska and have all of the comforts and amenities of the lower 48 then Anchorage would be a good place to live. Re climate: The temperatures are very mild. You will not have cold winters or hot summers. It will also be very wet. If you can handle a Wisco winter then you will have no problem in ANC. Hope this helps. PM me if you have any questions. http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/7231673cd3659fe9a985859d088295c0c4031ef5.jpg