If you're looking for a place to call home with a friendly atmosphere and community feeling than there are few better choices than Anchorage, Alaska. Even though this city has a population of over 200,000 residents, you'll still get that small town feeling when you walk down its streets. And if you're new to the area, there are lots of people who can help you find the things you need. Whether you're looking for a dentist or for a store to get the latest R&B hip hop music there's a place for you in Anchorage.

Let's start with the basics. If you're moving from out of town then it's pretty certain that you're going to need to do some shopping to fill that new home. The Diamond Center Mall should be your first stop for getting everything from new curtains to aquarium heaters. There are over two hundred stores and you'll see many chains from all across America. The mall also includes an ice rink, bowling alley, movie theater, athletic club and library. So, if you don't fancy shopping all day with the whole family there's lots for them to do while you're getting your errands done.

If you're looking for a more unique shopping experience, there are lots of places throughout the city with original pieces of Alaskan art and many gifts and treasures. The Anchorage Market and Festival is definitely something to check out and runs from May to September on the weekends. Here you can find local produce and many trinkets and works of art. If you're looking to replace the vinyl wall letters that currently decorates your home with something more authentic to the area, this is where you should look.

The downtown core of the city has places where you can do everything from grab a fabulous bite to eat to trade cash for gold jewelry. The Alaska Mint is located in this area, as are the Town Square and the Anchorage Museum. For those visiting the area, there are lots of attractions and tours available downtown as well.

But Anchorage is not all about its shopping and tourism. For someone looking to live in the area it's likely they're going to need a place to go to work every day. The Municipality of Anchorage website is a great source for finding all of the latest job postings. If you're coming into the city on a temporary foreign worker program and already have the job but need to find additional services, the city website can help you there as well. This site can help you with everything from understanding your property taxes to helping you find the right bus to get you from home to work.

It's amazing to live in a city with a view of the snowy mountains where you could catch a salmon from the river in the downtown core in the summer and get around using a web of trails for hiking and skiing throughout the area. But with all of this beauty and bliss there are still day-to-day things that we all need. Luckily, you can find those things as well in Anchorage.