Alaskan metropolis (9)
I believe the answer is:
anchorage
'alaskan metropolis' is the definition.
(I know that Anchorage is a metropolis)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for anchorage that I've seen before include "Alaskan port" , "Largest city in Alaska" , "Place for ship to rest securely, and Alaskan seaport" , "sailors get attached to such a place" , "Alaska's most populous city" .)