What it’s really like living in ‘dystopian’ Alaskan town where everyone lives under the same roof

If somewhere was so cold you can barely go outside, you'd be forgiven for thinking no one would live there.

After all, surely you need to be able to pop down the street to grab milk, or run any manner of errands.

However, Whittier, a small town in the wilds of Alaska, has come up with a genius way to help residents survive the freezing temperatures.

Whittier has a large tower block of apartments that hosts most of the people who live in the town - this centralized living system means they can share resources and cut down on heating bills.

It also means that the building has been adapted to be more of a one-stop shop than most apartment blocks.

A TikTok video shows the building has a store, a post office, a church and a tunnel that links it to a school over the street.

The TikToker says that there are 318 permanent residents living in the building "year-round", which makes it sound like the population might get a little bigger during the summer months.

That time of year sees a lot of the local snow melt, the weather get way more mild, and more people come out toe Whittier for hikes and kayaking.

She also shows the view from her window, though, and it's pretty amazing, with huge and stunning snow-topped mountains dominating the immediate horizon.

Still, plenty of people in the comments under her TikTok video are skeptical that living there would be tolerable.

The top comment has a huge 41,000 likes already, and says simply: "I don’t want to seem mean, but ik that has to be depressing".

Interestingly, though, the creator also responded to someone asking why there's only one building, and it's not just about the communal benefits. She said: "You can’t buy property because most of it is owned by the railroad", which makes it sound like people are slightly more trapped than you would think.

This isn't the only way to get a glimpse into life in Whittier, though - in mid-2023 YouTuber Ruhi Çenet took a trip to the town to get a look at life there, and in particular to see inside that big building.

He gives you a way more in-depth look at the facilities on offer, including a peek at that store in the building, and the school that all the kids go to.

It's impressive how many locals he manages to talk to, and it's a must-watch if you're curious about Whittier.