“Inside a Self-Contained Community: What Happens When Everyone Lives Under One Roof for Months?”

Picture this: You’ve got more neighbors than you could shake a stick at—over 250 of them! But what if I told you there’s an entire building, yes, a single structure, in the vast wilderness of Alaska, housing nearly 300 residents who rarely venture out? Welcome to the Begich Towers in Whittier, Alaska— a place so unique that it makes living in a college dorm seem like solitary confinement! In a captivating new video from Seek Discomfort, we delve into the quirky story of this communal living arrangement, exploring the lives of those who call it home. With essential services like a grocery store, school, and even a post office all contained within its walls, it feels less like a traditional residence and more like a well-equipped bunker for survival—or maybe just a really efficient way to avoid shoveling snow! Curious about this unusual town that’s literally built under one roof? You’ll want to see what life is like for Whittier’s 263 residents. LEARN MORE.

While we all have neighbours, it’s rare that you’d find someone with over 250.

However, there’s a residential building in Alaska which is home to around 300 civilians – and they very rarely exit the building they all share.

In a new video shared to Seek Discomfort’s YouTube channel, the story of the Begich Towers is explored, including those who actually reside there.

The town of Whittier, based on the southern coast of Alaska, is home to 263 residents (as of 2023) all of whom live under the same roof at the Begich Towers.

Begich Towers in Whittier, Alaska, houses all of the city’s 263 residents (Hasan Akbas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

At the start of the video, the YouTuber shares some background information about the unusual set-up, including how the residential building is adapted for a long-term stay.

“This is Begich Towers, a 14-storey building which houses almost all of this town’s population,” he began.

“Built during the height of the Cold War to house troops stationed in this area, it was designed so that the residents could stay inside the building for weeks on end during periods of intense weather conditions.”

He added: “With the local grocery store, school, church and and post office all located inside this building, the Begich Towers seems more like a fallout shelter than a residential building.”

The Begich Towers were built in 1957 (YouTube/Seek Discomfort)

Construction on the building was completed in 1957 and it helped to earn Whittier the nickname of a ‘town under one roof’.

Elsewhere in the video, the man explored the inside of Begich Towers, showing glimpses of the basement, which is home to a post office and small shop, complete with an ATM machine.

There is then a tunnel which connects residents to the school.

He noted that some residents seem friendly while ‘others didn’t’ as he filmed in the building.

One of the residents of Begich Towers, named June, was interviewed for the video about how it is to live in such a unique place and her backstory.

She revealed she was living on a boat before she decided to take up residency in the building, but it took a while to get a home there.

“It took us a few years to get in the building, because we we had to wait for some condos to come for sale,” she said.

She revealed one of the perks of living in Begich Towers is that on the ‘clear nights’ the Northern Lights are visible on top of the mountains.

June went on to tell the interviewers: “I’ve been hear 40 years and I love it!”