Schmap Anchorage Neighborhood Guide

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Anchorage - Neighborhood Guide
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Anchorage Home
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A mix of the familiar and the unusual, the metropolitan and the rustic, Anchorage is a place where it is not uncommon to see moose walking through the parking lot of a downtown skyscraper, or to find yourself stuck in traffic as dogs fill the road, as they begin the Iditarod sled dog race.

Government Hill

The oldest district and the northernmost part of Anchorage, Government Hill was one of many places to feel the destruction of the 1964 earthquake. When 400 feet of its bluff collapsed, it destroyed a school and dropped the railroad yard and shipyard by 30 feet. Only partially rebuilt, its shipyard has six fuel ports, which handle approximately 15 million barrels of petroleum each year. The Alaska Railroad operates daily with freight and passenger service.

Ship Creek

Ship Creek was selected as the original tenting site of the pioneers who arrived in the area to build the railroad in 1914 and 1915. They first filled the area located nearby Ship Creek, then spread north up to Government Hill.

Visitors who come during summer can experience the fun of amusement rides, car races and the Saturday Market. Ship Creek is also a great place to be when the salmon are spawning, and it provides excellent salmon fishing, as approximately 9,000 king salmon spawn here yearly. The large parking lots used by fishermen in summer play host to the ice sculpting contests held during February's Fur Rendezvous Festival.

Downtown

An area teeming with activity and filled with high-rise buildings, businesses, restaurants and hotels, Downtown allows you to experience both the historic and the modern within the space of several blocks. From the small log cabin that houses the Visitor's Center, you will find yourself in view of such hotels as the landmark Captain Cook Hotel, the recently opened Marriott and the Hilton. Several blocks away are glass-walled skyscrapers housing offices for multi-billion-dollar oil companies and other businesses. Nearby, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts offers local and international opera, theater, dance, chorus and symphony performances. From that building's second floor, take the Fifth Avenue skywalk to overlook the town square as you walk toward the Egan Convention Center. Here also is the Anchorage Fifth Avenue Mall. Finally, don't miss Captain Cook's Resolution Park platform at the Inlet's edge. With the telescope available, you can close the 120-mile gap between yourself and Mt. McKinley and see why this 20,320-foot mountain is referred to as the "Great One."

Midtown

In this "practical district," you will find schools, gas stations and grocery stores spread across an alluvial plane. You can find any type of food here—from Greek and Italian to Chinese and Japanese—as well as a selection of busy nightclubs. Shopping choices here include the R.E.I. outdoor store, Barnes & Noble Bookstore and more. Meanwhile, such establishments as the Northern Lights Hotel, the Hampton Inn and SpringHill Suites welcome guests to the area.

Spenard District—Central, West

Considered the "red light district" in the 1970s and 80s due to the heavy presence of massage parlors and escort services, this area has since witnessed a revitalization program that has cleaned up the area and brought in many new businesses. The closest thing to "bohemia" in Anchorage, this district is home to new cafes and juice bars such as the Organic Oasis and the Q Cafe. Some of the older Anchorage flavors remain, such as Chilkoot Charlie's Nightclub, with its dirt floor and stump seating, and The Fly By Night Club, which hosts musical and comedy acts. An old-time local favorite is Gwennies, an Alaskan-style restaurant. New hotels such as the Holiday Inn Express and older ones such as the Regal Alaskan and the Best Western Barratt Inn conveniently serve visitors staying in the airport area.

South District

This trail-filled district begins at Dimond Boulevard, home to the Dimond Mall Shopping Center and its more than 200 shops. The Siam Cuisine restaurant and the Southside Bistro provide the area with a couple of first-class, yet still casual, dining options. Pockets of business dot the residential areas, which are made up of wide yards and quiet streets. Campbell Creek Greenbelt winds its way through the South and Midtown districts, beginning at Dimond Boulevard and stretching three miles to the east, meanwhile passing by salmon-spawning streams and several small lakes. A number of residential areas circle bodies of water such as Campbell Lake, which is also a floatplane runway; many residents park their floatplanes in their "backyards" here.

Also in this district, on the far west end, is Kincaid Park. This locale is home to the Blues on the Green music festival, and it also hosts many other special events and races on its 40 square miles of beautiful, wild, moose-filled woods. You can access Kincaid Park by traveling from the downtown Tony Knowles Coastal Trail to its southernmost point, which ends at Kincaid.

University District—Central

Tucked between Midtown and Muldoon, this district is composed of the University of Alaska, Anchorage and the private Alaska Pacific University. Together, they swallow up an expanse of nearly one square mile, which is home to two small lakes and a multitude of walking and biking trails. On these casual campuses, professors are nearly always referred to by their first names, while students sometimes cross-country ski to class. Many sky bridges and buildings are joined by hallways in order to help students escape the elements. Across the street from the Providence Medical Center, the UAA campus is home to the popular Seawolves hockey team, which recruits both international and local players onto its roster.

East—Northeast

This blue-collar neighborhood contains the Alaskan Native Heritage Center, the Botanical Gardens and the attention-grabbing Saint Innocent Orthodox Cathedral, with its 12 onion-shaped domes. You will also find restaurants such as the vegetarian-friendly Thai Kitchen. Beyond this area, which acts as the northeastern boundary of Anchorage, lie the Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Bases as well as the city of Eagle River.

Copyright 1999-2005 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Wcities

Airport/Spenard

Anchorage
United States

In this "practical district," you will find schools, gas stations and grocery stores spread across an alluvial plane. You can find any type of food here--from Greek and Italian to Chinese and Japanese--as well as a selection of busy nightclubs. Shopping choices here include the R.E.I. outdoor store, Barnes & Noble Bookstore and more. Meanwhile, such establishments as the Northern Lights Hotel, the Hampton Inn and SpringHill Suites welcome guests to the area.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: clark

Photo: Annie Pants

Photo: hikergrl73

Photo: Adam Flater

Downtown

Anchorage
United States
Considered the "red light district" in the 1970s and 80s due to the heavy presence of massage parlors and escort services, this area has since witnessed a revitalization program that has cleaned up the area and brought in many new businesses. The closest thing to "bohemia" in Anchorage, this district is home to new cafes and juice bars such as the Organic Oasis and the Q Cafe. Some of the older Anchorage flavors remain, such as Chilkoot Charlie's Nightclub, with its dirt floor and stump seating, and The Fly By Night Club, which hosts musical and comedy acts. An old-time local favorite is Gwennies, an Alaskan-style restaurant. New hotels such as the Holiday Inn Express and older ones such as the Regal Alaskan and the Best Western Barratt Inn conveniently serve visitors staying in the airport area.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Steve N
Photo: Roshan Kumar
Photo: Erin Grindstaff
Photo: Kelly A. Fenley
Photo: Steve Browne
Photo: marco.giazzi
Photo: Auli Juntunen
Photo: Morgan Williams

Photo: James Ross
Photo: Fly Boi
Photo: Stuart David Gray
Photo: Mike Chapman
Photo: David Dobbins
Photo: lucychromosome
Photo: Trish Abbate

Midtown

Anchorage
United States
Ship Creek was selected as the original tenting site of the pioneers who arrived in the area to build the railroad in 1914 and 1915. They first filled the area located nearby Ship Creek, then spread north up to Government Hill. Visitors who come during summer can experience the fun of amusement rides, car races and the Saturday Market. Ship Creek is also a great place to be when the salmon are spawning, and it provides excellent salmon fishing, as approximately 9,000 king salmon spawn here yearly. The large parking lots used by fishermen in summer play host to the ice sculpting contests held during February's Fur Rendezvous Festival.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: guoo

Ship Creek

Anchorage
United States
An area teeming with activity and filled with businesses, restaurants and hotels, Downtown allows you to experience both the historic and the modern within the space of several blocks. From the small log cabin that houses the Visitors' Center, you will find yourself in view of such hotels as the landmark Captain Cook Hotel, the recently opened Marriott and the Hilton. Several blocks away are glass-walled skyscrapers with offices for multi-billion-dollar oil companies and other businesses. Nearby, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts offers local and international opera, theater, dance, chorus and symphony performances. From that building's second floor, take the Fifth Avenue skywalk over the town square toward the Egan Convention Center. Finally, don't miss Captain Cook's Resolution Park platform at the Inlet's edge.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: absolutlib
Photo: Ricky Farmer
Photo: dc5189
Photo: Adolf Pantoja
Photo: Mikhail Siskoff
Photo: Corrin Escobar
Photo: Matthew Boswell
Photo: John Sokol

Photo: freewill057

South District

Anchorage
United States
This trail-filled district begins at Dimond Boulevard, home to the Dimond Mall Shopping Center and its more than 200 shops. The Siam Cuisine restaurant and the Southside Bistro provide the area with a couple of first-class, yet still casual, dining options. Pockets of business dot the residential areas, which are made up of wide yards and quiet streets. Campbell Creek Greenbelt winds its way through the South and Midtown districts, beginning at Dimond Boulevard and stretching three miles to the east, meanwhile passing by salmon-spawning streams and several small lakes. A number of residential areas circle bodies of water such as Campbell Lake, which is also a floatplane runway; many residents park their floatplanes in their "backyards" here. Also in this district, on the far west end, is Kincaid Park.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: clark
Photo: frh3

University District

Anchorage
United States
Tucked between Midtown and Muldoon, this district is composed of the University of Alaska, Anchorage and the private Alaska Pacific University. Together, they swallow up an expanse of nearly one square mile, which is home to two small lakes and a multitude of walking and biking trails. On these casual campuses, professors are nearly always referred to by their first names, while students sometimes cross-country ski to class. Many sky bridges and buildings are joined by hallways in order to help students escape the elements. Across the street from the Providence Medical Center, the UAA campus is home to the popular Seawolves hockey team, which recruits both international and local players onto its roster.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Sean Enright
Photo: Peggy Asbury
Photo: elliott cable

Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Anchorage - Neighborhood Guide"
Anchorage
Anchorage - Historical Background
Anchorage - Where to Stay
Anchorage - Dining & Drinking
Anchorage - Art & Entertainment
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