A remote Alaskan town that is so small, the entire population lives in one single building, has captivated the internet with its incredibly unique housing situation.
Whittier, which has a population of just 263 people as of 2023, is located on the coast of the Passage Canal, about 60 miles from Anchorage. It’s known for its incredibly wet climate—and its stark lack of buildings and amenities.
So much so that almost every member of Whittier’s minuscule population resides in a single high-rise building, the Begich Towers Condominium, earning the area the nickname “the town under one roof.”
Over the years, Whittier’s unique housing setup has drawn a huge amount of public interest, with TikTok and YouTube users posting videos about the Alaskan locale.
Nikki Delventhal recently dubbed the area “the strangest city” she has ever seen.
“I discovered the strangest city in Alaska,” Delventhal says in her TikTok video. “This is Whittier, a city where the population lives under one roof. Not only that, they don’t even have to leave.”
Inside the building sits a post office, a corner store, a laundromat, a church, a tunnel to school, and an indoor playground, Delventhal explains. At one point there was even a police station on site.
“Now Whittier is locked between water and steep mountains, and the only way to get there is between a 2.5-mile, one-way tunnel that closes down at night,” Delventhal explains as she drives through. “You could literally get stuck here.”
Residents have until 10:30 p.m. to get home. After that, the tunnel is closed and they are left out in the cold for the night.
The naturally protected bay outside the building was used by the U.S. Army and the building was used to house Army families in the 1950s, Delventhal continues.
“Whittier…