Downtown Anchorage packs a lot in a small area

HISTORY, SHOPPING AND NIGHTLIFE IN DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE

Town Square Park is a riot of color in downtown Anchorage during the summer.

PHOTO BY ERIK HILL

By KATIE PESZNECKER

Downtown Anchorage is just busy enough to entertain yet compact enough to easily navigate — a perfect combination for curious visitors ready to explore Alaska’s largest city by foot, either during the light of day or into the tantalizing twilight of the midnight sun.

Of the roughly 731,000 people who live in Alaska, nearly 293,000 people call Anchorage home. e city celebrated its centennial in 2015, and its frontier-town past lingers alongside today’s modernity; downtown is full of creative art galleries and museums, hip boutiques and shops, upscale eateries and moody dive bars. Its compressed size and sensible street grids render it pleasantly walkable, and its share of hotels make it a probable home base for tourists, if not a logical stopping-o point for any Alaska vacationer.

To get started, stop by the downtown Log Cabin Visitor Information Center at the corner of F Street and Fourth Avenue, a central location for launching Anchorage explorations. Sta ed year-round, here you’ll nd information about town history and connect with exciting out-oftown excursions or city tours.

While the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake did a number of downtown’s architecture (a 9.2 magnitude to be exact!), some scenic structures remain. Next door to the visitor center sits the two-story cast concrete Historic City Hall, which rst opened in 1936. e art deco 4th Avenue eatre (currently closed) remains a prominent Fourth Avenue landmark.

A handful of quaint circa-1915 cottages on ird Avenue are among the city’s oldest structures. Just below downtown in Ship Creek, the Alaska Railroad Anchorage Depot, built in 1942, still serves the state’s rails today.

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In downtown, watch for interpretive signs that tell stories of Anchorage’s earliest days and important landmarks. Or visit the circa-1915 Oscar Anderson House museum at 420 M St. e charming cottage is scheduled to open in May 2021. Anderson, its namesake, claimed to be the 18th settler to arrive in Anchorage, and his widow donated the property to posterity in 1976.

Other downtown stops for the historically curious include the Anchorage Museum, at 625 C St., packed with historical, arts, and cultural exhibits; the Alaska Experience eatre, which boasts an experiential show dedicated to the historic 1964 quake with seats that shake and tremble; and even the picturesque Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, established in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson, where some of Anchorage’s most signi cant pioneers are buried.

Downtown has plenty of shopping too. Fourth and Fi h avenues are never short of tourist shops with reasonably priced T-shirts, hats, trinkets and more. e more discerning shopper will nd clothing and jewelry boutiques, art galleries, and dessert and wine shops.

DOWNTOWN NIGHTLIFE

Anchorage is full of nighttime pursuits, too, with an inclusive array of bar-hopping options ranging from higher-end cocktail bars to breezy outdoor spaces to no-frills Alaska dive bars.

Start out at the corner of G Street and Sixth Avenue, where you’ll nd a nexus of bars, anchored by Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse (610 W. Sixth Ave.). e menu covers the gamut of Alaska pub grub, like fried halibut and king crab nuggets, and its beer selection is toptier.

Next door to Humpy’s is Flattop Pizza + Pool (600 W. Sixth Ave.), featuring solid pizza and a laid-back, urban vibe. Across the street is Williwaw (601 F St.), whose gem is a roo op bar that opens on nice summer days and is unparalleled for its sun-soaked seating and views of Town Square.

For a fancy evening, several ne-dining restaurants downtown have similarly delicious cocktail creations and extensive wine selections.

Ginger (425 W. Fi h Ave.) serves Paci c Rim-in uenced cuisine amid a modern, warm interior, and a chic bar area where cra cocktails reign. Crush (328 G St.) consistently o ers wine ights alongside small, foodie-pleasing plates like feta-stu ed dates wrapped in prosciutto; the menu subtly shi s with the seasons.

Haute Quarter Grill (525 W. Fourth Ave.) boasts upscale American cuisine featuring Alaska seafood and produce whenever possible. is is a great spot on a warm summer night when the bar opens up its front-facing accordion walls and diners can enjoy patio seating.

To mingle with locals at authentic dive bars, try Darwin’s eory and Pioneer Bar. Both have been around for decades and share some commonalities: no food, no-frills bartenders and no shortage of loyal regulars.

Mad Myrna’s (530 E. Fi h Ave.) is downtown’s lively and welcoming gay club, recently remodeled. With drag shows, cabaret performances, karaoke nights and dancing, Myrna’s is a true standout with a highenergy vibe.

In your nightlife explorations, don’t forget Anchorage’s growing number of breweries. Downtown hosts 49th State Brewing Co. (717 W. ird Ave.), complete with a huge bar, massive menu, and an epic roo op deck with fantastic views of the inlet and distant mountains – even Denali on a clear day.

There’s always a place to sip an evening away in downtown Anchorage.

PHOTO BY MARC LESTER