Whittier- An Entire Alaskan Town Under One Roof
For some people, community is viewed as one of the more valued fundaments of a happy life. Be it the community of family, friends or the neighborhood you live in, a sense of “togetherness” can provide stability for many in the often-unstable landscape we live in.
Never was this more true, than in Whittier, Alaska, population 218.
Whittier, Alaska. Photo: Lightcentric
A gateway to the breathtaking Prince William Sound, Whittier is an isolated idyll that sees 22 hours of sunlight during the summer months and some of the coldest, most brutal living conditions during the winter.
Begich Towers. Photo: Fillebleue via Pinsta
Accessible only by sea or a 2.5 mile-long tunnel through mountainous terrain, it’s perhaps easy to understand why the population remains so small. So small, in fact, that almost its entire population has chosen to live under one roof – the roof of the Begich Tower. The building is a former Army barracks that was erected in the 1950’s and boasts 14 stories of living space.
Begich Towers. Photo: Jansonsjones via Pinsta
The community created here is comprehensive and complete. The mayor’s office is in the basement. There’s a post office, a general store, and even a place to rent videos. The school is connected by tunnel, so there’s no need to go outside during those icy months. Children enjoy an indoor playground, and fitness classes are taught in the school gym.
Railroad Tunnel into Whittier, Alaska. Photo: Railroad Forums
You could call it an ark or the ultimate Swiss Family Robinson all-in-one home. But no matter how you think of it, it is a truly self contained and DIY’ed community. If you’re from a big city and used to having a sea of people around you, you may wonder if such a small world would be too isolating, but that’s not how residents see it.
“It would be silly to say that you live a lonely life living in the building. Because, I have friends and neighbors, and students and coworkers that are right down the hall,” Local teacher and Begich resident Erika Thompson says.
"If you’re having a bad day, if you’re having a day when you think, ‘Gosh I haven’t talked to another human being for a while,’ you can just walk down the hall, or get in the elevator.”
Pedestrian Tunnel into Whittier, Alaska. Photo: Lowes Travels
Perhaps that is the key here – when the landscape is harsh and isolating, banding together to create community may be the best way to sustain and thrive. The people of Whittier have certainly achieved a feat in building a vibrant city within four walls that keeps its inhabitants safe from the wilds of the brutal and beautiful nature that surrounds it.
Indoor Playground, Begich Towers. Photo: The California Sunday Magazine
For more amazing photos of Begich Tower and the life that goes on within its walls, check out this terrific feature in California Sunday Magazine here.
