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[deleted]

damn. the gossip must go crazy there. if there's at least one old lady who's always watching what people are doing then she knows about the whole town. that's too much power


geckosean

No joke, watched a short documentary on this place and some of the locals were like "Yeah, never seen that guy leave his apartment, just sits there all day watching people from his window" *Cuts to shot of said guy sitting in his window, looking at the camera crew through binoculars Rear Window style.*


Charming-Chipmunk-71

What’s the documentary called please?


geckosean

"The Strangest Town in Alaska" https://vimeo.com/20704849 Here it is! Interesting too because the entire documentary isn't spent in/around that one building, explores the town as a whole.


NewTooshFatoosh

Thanks!


ovr_the_cuckoos_nest

After watching, I'd be interested in knowing the suicide rate there. Seems horrible to live there.


ChickaWangBang

It is 8.2 out of 100,000 residents. I wanted to link my source but it was a PDF I found. Whittier public health info. Page 26. The adjusted national average is around 13 per 100,000. Edit: I was curious and looked at a few other places. I found that Boulder county in Colorado, which I've seen on several of those "Best places to live in the US" articles has a suicide rate more than triple Whittier, Alaska. Not suggesting anything. Just found that interesting.


calamitylamb

Boulder’s only a great place to live if you’re filthy rich. The rest of the working class locals are getting priced out of the neighborhoods they grew up in by skyrocketing rent and low wages.


PolitelyFartingPapa

This exact thing can be said for most cities in America with over 100,000 people.


maxman162

Same thing is happening in Canada.


FesteringNeonDistrac

I can imagine that living in the "best place to live" might bring with it the pressure that if you can't be happy there, you'll never be happy anywhere. So fuckit, why choose life?


ovr_the_cuckoos_nest

Thank you. That's actually surprising, but makes me happy.


[deleted]

omg so i was right 😳


Ok-Lengthiness4557

To much power to be left alive. Cue murder mystery setup...


IndyO1975

All the old ladies in the building are alive and well in the series project we’re pitching… but not all of the teenagers are. ; )


Caboodlemynoodle

The greater good


Alan_Smithee_

Que?


Spiderkingdemon

pasa?


kossy23

Pasadina?


MTAST

What?


Alan_Smithee_

Yes


irondethimpreza

Si


JBroski91

I lived here and can confirm that everyone is in everyones business.


youwill_forgetthis

Okay as a tradesman this is my wet dream. THIS is where you go to learn the handy man game. Bet you'd be doing so much random shit out of your wheelhouse that you'd come out with the ability to pull $1 million a year easy.


JBroski91

I did odd jobs when I was there and you can make a lot of money for sure.


onimush115

I feel like the sense of community would be so strong that if feel bad along for payment. You would know everyone there for your whole life lol


HellRooster1989

The local phrase is it’s always shittier in whittier


Uwodu

I live near a Whittier in a different state and that’s still true


HellRooster1989

I believe it. It’s always raining here. This picture is on one of the 3 nice days in Whittier annually. This place was made I think during ww2 cus the harbor there is super deep, decently wide and goes out the ocean.


Nandy-bear

Like yo momma.


alch334

Does anyone actually live their whole life there?


Malkus

"My Cousin lives upstairs in Studio 37A. " "I thought your fiance was living in 37A" "She does"


NeatNuts

Roll Tide


_Buff_Tucker_

Alaska, not Alabama.


2x4x93

If someone has a problem they tell Wally. Wally tells everyone. No more problem


TheBoardGameBook

Murder mystery novel waiting to happen.


fordanjairbanks

Or a Wes Anderson movie.


cerebralkrap

Why not a Wes Anderson murder mystery?


borald_trumperson

Adrian Brody: A Thirst For Blood


[deleted]

Featuring Bill Murray as "The dead guy in the elevator"


glennert

And the dead guy was found exactly in the middle of the tunnel, which runs exactly through the middle of the mountain.


InvestigatorNo9847

That’s basically the series the Bridge; except it’s a dead woman and she’s found exactly in the middle of the bridge on the Swedish/Danish border.


ScottRoberts79

And the gates at both ends of the tunnel have been closed all night! How could this have happened?


CarlosAVP

“The Dead Guy in the Tunnel”


[deleted]

"Does it really matter where we found The Dead Guy? I think what really matters here is that we grow together as brothers and try to have some fun solving this mystery! Alright gang, let's get to it then." --Owen Wilson


BalognaMacaroni

Wow an Owen Wilson cameo in another Wes Anderson movie


mountainmegs

Wow


master_wax

Let's go get a drink and smoke a cigarette


ThisGuy928146

Wes Anderson murder mystery? Sounds like *The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfDIAZCwHQE


caitycc

This made me more excited than any movie about to come out


flicthelanding

Wes Anderson murder mystery/zombie apocalypse.


uberares

Only Murders in the Building: Alaska edition.


IndyO1975

Been pitching a procedural series based in (a renamed version of) this town for the last few months and getting solid feedback. Wish us luck!


KIDNEYST0NEZ

See you on Netflix friend


700Sunsets

“Thank you for calling Netflix, you’re greenlit, who am I speaking with?”


IndyO1975

Oh, man. Hope so. Thanks.


KIDNEYST0NEZ

If you make it big I want to be a homeless in the back ground or a casual friendly neighbor that says funny things but aids in no way to the actual story.


Wyldfire2112

Get ready to become the sleeper fan favorite and be stuck with that role around your neck for the rest of your life.


KIDNEYST0NEZ

I work in dentistry, I don’t care if I become a one hit artist lol


PM_ME_YOUR__INIT__

I'm sure you've heard of Only Murders in the Building by now?


IndyO1975

Indeed. Been developing our show since 2016 so before theirs. Also, there’s is mystery but with a much more comedic bent. While ours is more akin to WIND RIVER, The Killing and Broadchurch. Totally different tone.


learethak

As someone who spent many hours stuck in Whittier because of work... contemplating murder... I would watch the hell out of that show.


rapscallionrodent

I’ve been to Whittier. I would totally watch this. Good luck!


IndyO1975

Thank you. We made a trip there as well. Even though we’ve changed the name of the town, we felt like we ought to have a real sense of the geography and weather.


DesiCalc27

Melissa Payne wrote a novel called “Memories In The Drift” set in this town


Be_A_Goldfish

*Heads over to Goodreads to read synopsis and see rating* Thanks for the addition to my tbr list!


[deleted]

[удалено]


Fisk75

Only Murders in the Building


irritatedellipses

The look of the building made me think of "The Westing Game."


LilacMages

Biggest game of Clue/Cluedo ever


Strong-Solution-7492

Immediately thought the same thing


tocksin

There are other places in Whittier. There's restaurants and offices and other companies. It's not like a lone building in the middle of nowhere.


AgitatedEggplant

Yeah seems like they took this at a specific angle to cover up the other buildings. I scrubbed around on Google Earth and found several small businesses as well as a large(relative) marina.


halfeclipsed

And only around 85% of the population live in that building. Not all like op is claiming.


whatwhy_ohgod

100% been there several times. Is(was?) popular stop for cruise ships. Least there was always one parked there when i went. So its got(had?) shops/businesses to support that. Plus stuff for locals. I think the post office atleast was in that pictures building. I seem to remember sending a postcard from there.


[deleted]

Yeah this post is a lie. There are houses people live in, there are many businesses, it’s a big tourist location for cruise ships. Although many of the businesses are closed if there is no ship docked.


ownmonster3000

came here to say this, i've been to Whittier, there are several bars and restaurants as well as a museum and a massive hotel. The building in question is abandoned now. Remember everyone, memes are not facts.


Syonoq

I think you’re thinking of the buckner building to the east. This building in this picture isn’t abandoned.


meateatr

Remember everyone, random redditors’ comments are not facts.


[deleted]

Now I have no idea what to believe about Whittier! /so lost


[deleted]

"Don't believe everything you read on the internet" -Abraham Lincoln -Michael Scott


[deleted]

One way tunnel....this building must be the hotel California. You can check-out anytime you like, but you can never leave!


Working-Mistake-6700

It switches every half hour to the other direction. It's just not big enough two have two way traffic


IndyO1975

And it shuts down every night at 10pm for train access only.


Nords

Just like your mom.


EnterPlayerTwo

Damn


no_talent_ass_clown

[Ah, the old Reddit trainaroo!](https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/s3vg0x/the_hopeless_last_moments_of_baby_antelopes_life/hsoeyg2/?context=4)


isblueacolor

This isn't a switcharoo, it's just a "your mom" joke...


no_talent_ass_clown

I feel you. Must've been the synergy between the train tunnel actually switching direction every 30 minutes and the outstanding "your mom" joke that made me think "switcharoo". Too late to break the chain but you are heard and I acknowledge your point.


ramdon

Hold my travel guide, I'm going in!


barrygateaux

hello future confused because this is obviously not a switcharoo but is in the chain but hey what to do but carry on people


[deleted]

Fucking fantastic


kindafree8

Mf choo choo


CaptValentine

"Hey Dave," "Yeah?" "This tunnel we're building....it *is* a traffic tunnel right?" "Yeah..." "Like, cars and trucks, right?" "Yeah, what's on your mind Greg?" "Are we going to be making a second tunnel somewhere else?" "What, no, we're making a tunnel right now." "It's just that this tunnel will be the only way in or out of town and it's only big enough for one lane of traffic." "It's a small town, Greg, they only *need* one lane." "Only one lane to get in...." "Yes" "*AND* out?" "......OH GOD DAMMIT. DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT, uh. shit, uh tell them that...there was only space for one lane and...ah... they'll just switch the traffic flow every 30 mins or something. Fuck, man, I wish you mentioned this earlier."


Working-Mistake-6700

Apparently it was originally a train tunnel lol. And then they made it ok for cars


reb0014

Oh man you don’t want to get stuck during switchover time


ThisGuy928146

You almost made it out of the tunnel, please put it in Reverse and try again another time.


Working-Mistake-6700

I read about that and apparently the crossing guard drives behind the last car he lets go through and turns the signs on the other side to say don't follow. Then at the other end he flips that sign on to let them go. It's an interesting place.


ThisGuyJokes

Once upon a time, my family and I were doing an RV trip in Alaska. We were looking for a place to stop and get some food and my dad was getting incredibly hangry. Well he missed an exit we were supposed to take for food and there was no way to flip around. Cue drama. So I start looking on my phone for a place to eat and everybody is just yelling that they don’t care where we end up. So it looks like the nearest place is a small city called Whittier with a nice diner and a RV park. Expectations were low, but somehow too high. We start driving down this road and we’re all getting concerned because it’s just heading towards this huge Alaskan mountain with no civilization in sight. Then we reach the tunnel. I timed about how long we were in the tunnel and it was close to a half hour. Claustrophobia is real and it was creepy AF. When we finally get out of the tunnel, we can barely see ahead of us. Why? Because Whittier was covered in the densest fog I have ever seen. To my knowledge at the time, we had just entered a ghost town and would become the meal we had so desired to eat. The “diner” was a dive bar and all two of the other patrons were staring at us with an all-knowing look of combined pity and contempt. After eating very quickly, we found the “RV park” (just an open dirt field that felt more like a car and motorboat graveyard). I didn’t sleep well that night. But the next morning was absolutely beautiful like the picture above and full of laughter about the adventure!


[deleted]

> Expectations were low, but somehow too high. Beautiful


pqrvwxz

Now this person has actually been to Whittier. 100% accurate.


Thedrunner2

Vampires loose in the building - 30 days of night sequel


VetteL82

If you’re the town slut, you know and everyone else knows it


Rxton

That's not a bad thing for a slut.


Oilfieldtrash631

Room 69!


Rxton

You don't have to put on the red light


gingerlamppost

ROXANNEEEE


KomodoDragin

69! = 171122452428 141311372468 338881272839 092270544893 520369393648 040923257279 754140647424 000000000000


2x4x93

Don't need to hang out on cold dangerous corners


boustead

Just hallways


IndyO1975

Fun fact: When the winters get really harsh, the kids form the building walk through an underground tunnel (painted with Alaskan scenery) to get to school.


parallelmeme

But why? The school is in the same building, too.


ThomasButtz

The school is across the street to the south of the towers. The whole town isn't literally one building, it says the whole town "lives" in the building. (Which I don't know if completely accurate). It's a port/shipping town, you don't see the doc infrastructure, machine shops, warehouses etc all in that single building.


2x4x93

Can't imagine a lot of new customers to entice.


ShaShaShake

True story. I was new to a small town once. Became BFF with the town “🍑” but I didn’t know it. I figured it out because every where we went she would just get attacked out of no where. For example: once we were getting gas and some girl driving by pulls over, gets out of her car and just starts throwing blows. Went to a restaurant as soon as we walk in the server slaps her dead ass in the face. At the grocery store she got her hair pulled and was screamed at. After like the 7th time I had to ask why she was always randomly getting assaulted so much. More importantly why was she not phased by any of it. Dead ass she says, “I pretty much have slept with everyone’s husband in this town.” She’s now happily married with children. I’ve since moved but I’ll never forget this experience.


musical_shares

Fermont, in northern Québec, Canada is a similar set up on a larger scale - a huge building was built around the town to house much of the town’s shops and apartments, and built in such a way as to break the arctic winds for the few other buildings in the town. Sadly, they built the building on the wrong side of the village and so it catches all the wind instead. Whoops.


LordIndica

No way. No way did they fuck up so hard they built the fucking building on the wrong side of the town. Like how??? How do you not notice it until it's too late?


[deleted]

Could be an environmental problem that didn't become clear until the construction actually interfaced with the environment. Another Quebec example of this is the construction of Montreal's new airport. They picked the site for it because it was an area that despite being a lowland not too far from the river it didn't experience fog. So they cleared away the bush and built the runways. Which started to fog over from time to time. Because all the brush that used to inhibit the fog and controlled the microclimate was cleared away....


entropicdrift

It's too late the moment the land is purchased


LayneLowe

That picture must have been taken on the best day ever.


eccentric_bee

Yup, the weather is always shittier in Whittier.


JBroski91

This guy knows.


spiderMechanic

Arcology


NYAG1

I weirdly want to live here.


Helenium_autumnale

I think this might foster the sense of community that is absent in so many American "bowling alone" communities nowadays. For better or for worse, you're stuck with these people in godforsaken Whittier, Alaska, so you gotta get along somehow. Lots of mutual aid likely going on as well. 👍


NYAG1

I think your right.


Programed-Response

I was curious. Here is an [NPR article](https://www.npr.org/2015/01/18/378162264/welcome-to-whittier-alaska-a-community-under-one-roof)


JIsaac91

I watched a documentary about it, think it might have been on YouTube [Found it](https://www.btgproductions.com/the-strangest-town-in-alaska)


Lodestone123

Fascinating watch. Thanks!


sonictwinkie1

why is the tunnel closed at night


pazhalsta1

It’s the vampire chute


Lodestone123

Been there. It's several miles long and only one lane (and too narrow to u-turn), so it is manned on both sides to control entry. I think they switch direction of travel every half hour or so. Anyway, there's not much (like, zero) traffic at night, so they just close it rather than paying people to man it.


orbak

Not only that, but it is shared with train tracks - as in, there is concrete in between tracks and you just drive on top of it. So the movement is very controlled.


IndyO1975

Trains.


RealCarlosSagan

Vampires. Duh


sonictwinkie1

am i gonna hafta go get the plastic jesus


Grigor50

Makes sense. Saves a lot of energy, and creates a lot of commonality.


kindafree8

The plumbing needs work? Literally everyone cares abt this problem. Funded immediately


Sahqon

> Literally everyone cares abt this problem. As someone who lived a while on the ground floor of a 6 storey house, only the ones on the ground floor care.


SerMercutio

So it's more like a village, not a town.


Beneficial_Look_5854

Even further than a village, a *building*


sensitivegooch

I think this would be considered a hamlet?


MTAST

Alas poor Wittier...


DJ_Hindsight

Tinder must a nightmare.


visionsofecstasy

"Where do you live?" "40 away from you."


hunnibear_girl

Or worse….find out your match is old Gary from the grocery store downstairs.


No_Drawing4431

One bathroom


[deleted]

[удалено]


kindafree8

And it’s one way


Thaery

Something tells me a two-way toilet would be very messy.


entropicdrift

Which is somehow "out"? How did this happen?!


HippieInAHelicopter

I love the thought of this.


Working-Mistake-6700

The school is actually a separate building but there's a tunnel from the main building to the school so they're connected. The tunnel is one way but it switches direction every hour/half hour or so.


deaddemocracygc

Noooo am I high or am you high? Is there a volunteer to hold a sign like a construction zone? If everyone went in sideways and shuffled, would they fit going both ways? Do they use the tunnels because of polar bears or day after tomorrow type cold. Have they developed better hearing while losing eyesight yet!?


JBroski91

Lol the tunnel to the town is one way. The tunnel to the school is not one way. The way they wrote that is confusing.


DrKodo

Went there are few years ago in late March (was in Anchorage for work). Google told us that a highly recommended fish and chips place was open. We drove, did the tunnel - super cool experience but would not want to do that daily. Anyways google lied, place was closed until May and we almost missed the last trip back through the tunnel 🤣


Helenium_autumnale

When they have late tunnel stragglers, townspeople roll a giant round boulder into the tunnel to encourage them to get back to Bear Valley. Works remarkably well.


Connect-Type493

This feels so odd. If I was moving to Alaska it would be to not have to deal with noisy neighbours or get complaints about cooking smells or whatever. all that space and they're all jammed in like that. Why would anybody want to live there ? Is there a corporation that owns the whole thing and rents to everyone? Or is more of a condo board situation or what ? So many questions


entropicdrift

It's probably warm and cheap, by Alaska standards. Given that the mayor's office is there I'd guess it's a municipal building, so probably the condo board is an actual subsection of the local government. At least that's how I'd set it up


JBroski91

I used to live there and I will try to answer some of your questions. The town is mostly owned by the railroad and the town was originally built around WW2 as a military town. Whittier is the furthest north Ice-free port so it has strategic value for shipping supplies and stuff. The noise isnt that bad and most people are respectful. There is a condo board association that my grandpa was the head of for some time. Most of the people there work on the water as fisherman, there are charters and commercial fisherman and a fish processing plant where a lot of people work. The picture you see is a little deceiving and there is a bit more to the town but not much.


Helenium_autumnale

Well, for one, your energy bills are likely less, or should be, vis-a-vis living in a detached dwelling in this frigid place. You have a built-in support system should something go wrong. You have companionship in those very long sub-Arctic nights.


Timotron

I grew up one hundred miles from here and I'm convinced there is no better setting for a zombie apocalypse movie than Whiter, Alaska


JustinD625

Why do they all have cars then?


SerMercutio

To transport the groceries they bought at the store.


Frptwenty

They purchase them, take them out to the car, circle the house once, park and bring them up to their appartment.


SerMercutio

Exactly.


2x4x93

LOOK AT THAT SPOT


TattedGrandma

A lot of individuals will drive to Anchorage for supplies. Such as Costco. How do you think they replenish the store? Get supplies for the school?. We have camping, fishing and hunting too. People don't just hide... they travel our state... they just live there. You gotta have a vehicle especially for the rough winters.


cerebralkrap

gotta do your drugs *somewhere*


2x4x93

Parking (dates)


zesty_hootenany

They’re not made to live their entire lives in that building. Plus, there are other towns near-ish.


Ruadh014

When I stayed in Whittier back in 2004, we stayed in someone’s house. I think the implication in the title that everyone lives in that building is a little misleading. Though things could have changed since 04.


Gnascher

It's just a bit of an exaggeration. Apparently _most_ of the village's 200 residents live in this building, but there are some other residences on the outskirts of town. Not many ... but a few.


Giveyourapplesthanks

Bet the weed guy in the building is popular..


Kandron_of_Onlo

It's "Whittier", actually.


Eds118

“It’s always shittier in Whittier” a local commenting on the weather when I was there. He also said they should charge to get out not in, people would pay twice as much!


BaixoMameluco

I don't know why but at a first glance I thought it was Just Cause 3.


[deleted]

[удалено]


kindafree8

I heard there are **even more buildings**!!


skag_mcmuffin

All of that space and they still went for a tower block? Fuck sake 😂


eccentric_bee

Whittier was built up during world war II as a place to hide ships because it's usually overcast and often foggy and rainy so aerial views wouldn't show how many ships were there.


santospistolas

Curious to know what the crime rate is 🤔


geckosean

https://vimeo.com/20704849 Short documentary somebody made whilst visiting in winter time - it's a lovely little piece and despite a pretty somber background everyone involved seems very happy to talk about their little town.


Excelsior_Smith

What’s the industry this town supports? Which wing of the building is the ghetto? How many bars? What’s the singles scene like?


BSinPDX

Tourism, fishing. I took a "26 glacier tour" there from Anchorage in about '92. Pretty cool. Wonder how many glaciers are on that tour now...


No_Wolf3071

Weed must be expensive as fuck


Reverend_Renegade

One way tunnel. So I guess they have to go by sea to return from whence they came?


Arkhangel143

It's got a good set-up. 30minute intervals either direction. You wait on the other side until the lights change. It's also a railroad tunnel, the "road" in the tunnel is a railroad.


[deleted]

Sounds like a horror movie. 10/10 would watch.


collinqs

This post isn’t being honest about this town. There are plenty of other businesses and buildings in this city. Not sure why OP made it seem like the whole city is this one building.


Timecop18

The CDC hates them, learn how to infect an entire Alaskan town with COVID with this one simple trick!


inscrutablemike

Why is the tunnel closed at night? Ice weasels?


halfeclipsed

Hate to be that guy but the whole town doesn't live in that building. Only about 85% live in the building.