Anchorage, Alaska

:Note: an anchorage is a place where a ship lies at anchor. An Anchorage is also the residence of an Anchoret, a hermit sometimes called an anchorite. Anchorage redirects here. See also: Anchorage, Kentucky.

Points of interest

The largest branch of the University of Alaska is located in east-central Anchorage. Despite the relative remoteness of the location, the city sports a lively arts community. The city boasts a symphony orchestra, an opera company and concert association, and numerous independent performance groups. There are also weekly sessions of Irish traditional music, Jazz, and other musical scenes.

Related Topics:
University of Alaska - Symphony orchestra - Irish traditional music - Jazz

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There are other features of Anchorage that make it unique: the large tidal range; multiple, beautiful cross-country ski trails; the Fur Rendezvous festival, held each February; America's highest percentage of licensed airplane pilots (with several airports and landing strips in the city or nearby); a very low population density for a city its size; frequent small earthquakes; spring windstorms ("Chinook winds"); active volcanoes nearby (to the southwest, in the Alaska Range, volcanoes such as Mount Spurr, Mount St. Augustine, Iliamna volcano, and others have coated the city with ash in recent years); its extreme youth (it was founded in 1915 but didn't grow much until the 1940s); and much else. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Anchorage is definitely an American city, replete with a vibrant business climate, large shopping malls, traffic congestion (one can't easily move about by foot and public transportation in the middle of winter), suburban-style subdivisions and two suburbs, Eagle River and Chugiak, unless one counts the massive numbers of commuters who drive from as far away as the Matanuska Valley communities of Wasilla and Palmer.

Related Topics:
Fur Rendezvous festival - Population density - Chinook wind - Alaska Range - Mount Spurr - Mount St. Augustine - Iliamna volcano - 1915 - 1940s - Shopping mall - Public transportation - Suburbs - Eagle River - Chugiak - Wasilla - Palmer

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Anchorage has been named an All America City in the years 1956, 1965, 1984-85 and most recently in 2002. The city won its latest award based on civic activities like the 2001 Special Olympics Winter Games, the Anchorage Youth Court, and Bridge Builders.

Related Topics:
All America City - Special Olympics - Bridge Builders

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The Alaska Botanical Garden contains over 900 species of hardy perennials and 150 native plant species.

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Anchorage is home to the Alaska Aces of the ECHL hockey league.

Related Topics:
Alaska Aces - ECHL

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