Meet Whittier Alaska, The Tiny Town Where Everyone Lives Under One Roof

Between mountains and sea lies Whittier, Alaska, one of America’s most unusual communities. Nearly all 272 residents live in a single 14-story building called Begich Towers.

This remarkable arrangement isn’t just an architectural curiosity: it’s a practical solution to surviving in one of the harshest climates in the United States.

1. Alaska’s Town Under One Roof

Sixty miles southeast of Anchorage, a tiny town has rewritten the rules of community living. In Whittier, nearly all 272 residents call the 14-story Begich Towers home.

Built in the 1950s with the region’s fierce climate in mind, the building isn’t just an apartment complex: it’s the town’s heartbeat.

2. Everything You Need Without Stepping Outside

Inside Begich Towers, residents find a full-service life under one roof: a grocery store, a small clinic, a post office, a church, and even the police station.

Children attend school via a connecting tunnel, avoiding the freezing winds and icy roads outside. Convenience meets necessity in a place where the weather doesn’t negotiate.

3. Life in a Vertical Village

With snow-capped mountains on one side and the icy waters of Prince William Sound on the other, Whittier’s geography makes this unusual setup surprisingly practical.

Hallways double as meeting spots, neighbors become extended family, and everyday errands turn into social encounters, proof that in Alaska, community sometimes means living literally on top of each other.

4. A Rare Glimpse Into Arctic Adaptation

Begich Towers stands as a testament to human ingenuity in extreme conditions. For outsiders, it may look strange; for Whittier residents, it’s simply home, a place where the necessities of life, friendships, and survival coexist within the walls of a single towering building.

5. The Gateway to Wilderness

Beyond its unusual living arrangements, Whittier serves as a portal to Alaska’s pristine wilderness. Locals step from their communal home into breathtaking natural beauty, glaciers, fjords, and wildlife abound just outside their doorstep.

Many residents work in tourism or fishing, making the most of their unique location where land meets sea in dramatic fashion.