It takes a special person to live there and love it. We spent four summers there over the last fifteen years or so. The prices are shocking, as is the amount of privately held land, which is pretty small. Lots of things you wouldn't expect, from housing shortages, to extremely high rents for remote homes without indoor plumbing or running water, and really long commutes for people that live way out of town and commute to places like Anchorage. Occasionally, when somebody finds out that I've spent a lot of time there, the question of, "don't you just want to pack everything up and move there?" No offense to any AK. residents out there, but my answer is, "Hell no!" Great place to hang out and enjoy some of the most beautiful locations on earth, for about three months a year, I'll take a pass on the other nine. I'm not tough enough, and I would probably be ready for involuntary commitment is a psych ward by the end of February.