One Roof Town...!

Now even though I live in a big city, I don't think I want to be this close to my neighbors. In fact, I know I don't ! Privacy must not be much of a concern for these folks.

A Town Under One Roof

Photo credit: Jessica Spengler

In Whittier, Alaska, nearly the entire population of 218 people resides in a single building! This 14-story condominium was originally designed as an Army barracks during the 1950s and was made a residence in 1969, about five years after the Army moved out. The building, now known as Begich Towers, doesn’t just have people living in it but is nearly a fully functional tiny town under one roof. The building also serves as a church, the police station, a convenience store, and the post office for the town, 100 kilometers (60 mi) south of Anchorage.

In this so-called “town under one roof,” keeping secrets is much more difficult than in other small towns. However, since Whittier is situated between mountains and the sea, the town, or rather building, can mostly only be accessed by boat from long distances. Or, you can take a very long one-lane tunnel that runs one way underneath the mountains for certain portions of the day. While this setup might look strange, isolated, and perhaps even uncomfortable, Whittier’s residents seem to get along quite well and are a very close-knit community.

I found this article over on Listverse, for what it's worth. I'm not sure why these folks want to all live under one roof, but I reckon whatever rocks their boat.

Coffee out on thew patio again today!