Imagine an entire town living under one roof. That’s life in Whittier, Alaska, where nearly everyone calls a single building home. The place is called Begich Towers, a 14-story apartment complex that houses about 90 percent of the town’s 272 residents. It is so unique that Whittier is often called “the town under one roof.”
What started as an old army barracks has been transformed into a self-contained community. Inside you will find a post office, general store, police station, laundromat, health clinic, the mayor’s office, and even a heated indoor pool.
Reaching Whittier is an adventure of its own. You can only get there by boat, plane, or a single-lane tunnel that stretches more than two miles through Maynard Mountain. With winters that are harsh and unforgiving, it makes sense that almost everything residents need is tucked safely inside one building.
The rest of the town lives in a second condominium. Even the school and gym are in their own building but are connected to Begich Towers by a tunnel so children can walk to class without ever stepping into the freezing Alaskan cold.
Would you ever want to live in a place like this?