Summer is back, and so is downtown Anchorage

One of the hardest parts about the last year has been isolation and the absence of community. We’re all human, and the stress and uncertainty has been hard on all of us.

At the Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. (ADP), we know public health includes mental health. Since it’s always our goal to keep Anchorage going stronger and healthier, we’re invested in ways to keep our community together over the last year even as we’ve been physically apart.

Last summer, Town Square Park was filled with physical distancing circles. We still danced salsa, did yoga, Zumba, Barre and Friday hip-hop dance classes. Last winter, during some of the darkest days of the pandemic, we ran scavenger hunts, put up holiday lights, and hosted a “Snow Suits and Bunny Boots” block party.

Now, summer is back. As vaccines take effect, many of us are transitioning to new routines. This is a critical time to rebuild connections. It’s good for us to feel the supportiveness of the community around us. And ADP has planned a summer of events and programs to help us get out, reconnect, and get down together.

We believe Downtown is a unique space in our community which belongs to everyone. It’s where we come to celebrate, raise our voices, eat, work and play. If you’re looking for a way to ease back into social activities and try new things, but you’re not sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are some standards to try:

• Two powerful takeaways from the pandemic: 1) Outside is best, and 2) Food tastes better there. This summer, downtown provides al fresco dining opportunities in droves.

• Go for a bike ride down the Coastal Trail. As you exit, you can enjoy a cold beer with stunning views of Susitna, the port and our blue and gold trains — which are carrying passengers north and south again.

• A great new spot just opened down Third Ave. to the east, with outdoor dining and fun cocktails.

• Oven-baked thin crust pizza, crisp cider and outdoor dining await you at a local favorite on E Street.

• A classic Anchorage tradition is to stroll down Fourth Ave. with a freshly grilled hot dog.

• G, K, and F streets all offer coffee shops and delis with spots in the sun at outdoor tables.

• There are at least four options for fabulous ice cream treats on 6th Avenue, at D Street, E Street and K Street.

• A recent addition to Sixth Avenue outside the mall has a locally grown menu and an opportunity for dining in the sun.

• Visit the taco stand on L street, which gets incredible sun and has great outdoor dining.

• An Anchorage breakfast favorite on Fourth Avenue and L Street has added patio tables, and you can place an order to go and enjoy the fresh air.

• The authentic cajun food place on Ninth Avenue offers everything from gumbo to jambalaya, with views of the Delaney Park Strip and the Chugach Mountains.

• The hot dog truck on L Street offers year-round hot dogs and the crunchiest fries in Anchorage.

• Local favorite pizza place: Two slices and a Diet Coke is one of the best deals downtown, especially when you can enjoy it on G Street in the sun.

Weekly ADP Events:

• Mondays at 6 p.m., join us in Town Square Park for an after-work Zumba party to ease you back into the work week.

• Live music in Peratrovich Park every Monday and Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.

• Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at Town Square Park is all about Zumba, bringing people together to sweat it out through a calorie-burning fitness party.

• Wednesday after work from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., join us for Pure Barre — a total-body workout focused on low impact, high-intensity to tone and stretch!

• Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. join us in Peratrovich Park for children’s storytime with Anchorage Public Library.

• Thursday after work is all about the live music: Live After Five, our signature concert series in Town Square Park, will be on from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Friday from noon to 1 p.m., join us in Town Square Park for Hip Hop dance classes with Underground Dance Studio.

• Friday and Saturday nights, we’ve partnered with the Anchorage Museum and Alaska Center for the Performing Arts for a series of live art performances that begin at 5:30 p.m. on the Anchorage Museum Lawn and continue at 7 p.m. in Town Square Park.

• Finally, on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Anaya Latin Dance brings salsa dancing to Town Square Park.

Amanda Moser is the executive director of the Anchorage Downtown Partnership.

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