My last visit to Alaska (three weeks ago) convinced me that the heart and soul of that beautiful place, if not gone, is at least on life support. I'm certain that there are still pockets of the "real" Alaska left, but they are few and far between. I was appalled to see the gang bangers, rampant drug use and alcoholism, frightened shop owners, women who feared to walk without their dogs, etc.
That said, I see the same things creeping into Dallas, Denver, Detroit and most other urban areas.
So very glad I live out of town on the side of a mountain.
Yes, there are pockets of Alaska remaining. I won't describe when I knew, what happened, that the part of Alaska where I live, the street I live on, had succumbed, but that was a few years ago and since then it has gotten more so. It was starting to go by 1984, to be specific, and nothing short of economic disaster can bring it back.