Why Most of This Alaska Town Lives in One Building

Fewer than 300 people call Whittier, Alaska, home — and most of them live under one roof. Inside the 14-story Begich Towers, residents have apartments, a post office, a general store, a clinic, and even a protected passage leading toward the local school. Outside, steep mountains, extreme weather, and a single-lane tunnel separate Whittier from the rest of Alaska. But what is everyday life actually like when most of your neighbors live in the same building — and why do people choose to stay? In this Remote Humanity documentary, we explore daily life in Whittier, the unusual history of Begich Towers, the tunnel that controls access to town, the working harbor, and the reasons this isolated corner of Alaska remains home for the people who live there. Could you live in a town where most of your neighbors shared the same building? Subscribe to Remote Humanity for documentaries about how people build ordinary lives in some of the world’s most extraordinary places. Watch next: What is life like when the sun doesn’t rise for 66 days? ▶️ Why Nearly 5,000 People Live Where the Sun Disappears for 66 Days    • Why Nearly 5,000 People Live Where the Sun...   CHAPTERS 00:00 A Town Under One Roof 01:08 Where Is Whittier, Alaska? 02:18 Inside Begich Towers 03:21 Everyday Life in One Building 05:14 The Only Road Out 06:31 Whittier’s Military Past 07:57 Life Around the Harbor 09:28 Why People Stay 10:00 What Whittier Teaches Us Topics covered: Whittier Alaska, Begich Towers, remote Alaska, life in Alaska, remote communities, isolated towns, extreme places people live, Alaska documentary, Begich Towers building, Alaska Railroad tunnel, Prince William Sound, remote living, extreme weather, life in remote communities, geography documentary, human adaptation #whittier #alaska #RemoteHumanity