Living & Working in Kenai
Surrounded by Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay and Resurrection Bay, and with lots of inland lakes, there are plenty of options for being on the water; from boating, kayaking, beachcombing, and exploring, to fishing one of the many world-class freshwater trout or salmon fisheries, or saltwater salmon or halibut fisheries. Hiking the nearly limitless number of trails on the Peninsula is just one of the many exciting outdoor activities you will find. And the fun does not stop when the snow flies in Kenai. Winter offers good cross-country skiing, reasonable proximity to downhill skiing at Alyeska and several back-country locations, in addition to great snow machining, snowshoeing, and ice skating. The Kenai Peninsula is known as “Alaska’s Playground”.
The Peninsula also offers a variety of more leisurely activities. There’s weekly concerts in Soldotna Park, numerous weekend community festivals, the vibrant artistic communities of Homer and Seward, and theater, concert, and speaking events always going on, on the Peninsula. The active Native Alaskan tribes on the Kenai Peninsula also provides for uniquely rich, educational, and engaging cultural activities, experiences and friendships.
In all, Kenai is a nice balance between the busier city atmosphere of Anchorage and the limited opportunities of a small town. The weather is temperate: not as hot in the summer, or cold in the winter as the Interior or western Alaska, and not as rainy as Southeast. It is also reasonably close to Anchorage if you want to head to a bigger city. Cost of living is also reasonable, with moderate housing costs and enough local stores to provide good access to more than just the necessities.
