Moving to Maine? Help! (Portland, Bangor: condo, taxes, living in)

[WhoFanMe]

Standish is 30 - 40 minutes from Portland, Maine's largest city. Portland is 2 hours from Boston by car, 2.5 by Amtrak.

In addition to Sunday River and Sugarloaf, Shawnee Peak (night skiing) is just an hour from Portland in the Lakes Region area, a great place for summer recreation too.

[Desirae]

Bangor and Standish are nowhere near each other. Do not move to Bangor. Portland is definitely the place to be in Maine. I'm actually thinking of moving (to CA) because of the winters, but you can't beat Portland in the summer and fall. There's a lot to do, your neighbors are close, and shopping isn't an issue. Teaching in Maine will be a lot easier with a teaching certificate.

[forest beekeeper]

I never go to Portland except for on the freeway going through it. No amount of money could drag me into Portland. I just stay on the freeway.

I would recommend the same to everyone else.

City; with urban issues. High taxes, crime and population.

I have lived in other big cities, and can not imagine why anyone would put themselves through that non-sense.

[umograd83]

If you're moving from Dallas, I would suggest the Portland area. Dallas is a big city. The move to Maine would be a big shock to you. There are only 65,000 in Portland. Portland is Maine's largest city, but it really doesn't have a crime problem. Any city is going to have crime. The only thing I can be critical about is the taxes.

I'm a Maine native, now living in a big urban area (Memphis). I grew up in a small eastern Maine town of 10,000 (Old Town). After college, I moved to Washington, DC. After five years, I got homesick and moved back to Maine. I moved to Portland because I knew I would go crazy back in my hometown because I had grown accustomed to urban living. Portland seemed too small for me when I first moved there. However, after awhile I settled in. Plus, being on the coast, the winters will be tempered by the ocean and it will be warmer. I was very disappointed my first few winters there because of the lack of snow those winters. I had outfitted myself at LL Bean with X-country skiis and didn't get to use them unless I went north or inland. You'll like the summers, though!

[WhoFanMe]

Well said umograd83, I guess I could be usmgrad83, we must be the same age. Last winter we had temperatures in the 50s in December and a green Christmas. However, we also had big storms into April - we got a winter after all, just a couple of months late!

[HOOPERV]

HI oceanfit185

I am in Florida and was born in Bangor Maine. Bangor is no Dallas. but there's about 35000 people there. It has an international airport and a reasonable size mall and some smaller strip malls. With movie theaters. Its a much slower life but I myself miss it so much I'm buying some land and plan to move back.
I really can't say much about jobs I have been gone a long time. And I'm sure it depends on what you do for work.
I wish you and your fiance lots of luck. hooperv

[HOOPERV]

HI oceanfit185

I am in Florida and was born in Bangor Maine. Bangor is no Dallas. but there's about 35000 people there. It has an international airport and a reasonable size mall and some smaller strip malls. With movie theaters. Its a much slower life but I myself miss it so much I'm buying some land and plan to move back.
I really can't say much about jobs I have been gone a long time. And I'm sure it depends on what you do for work.
I wish you and your fiance lots of luck. hooperv

[umograd83]

Hi, HOOPERV.

I, too, love Bangor. Quite a different opinion now - in 1984, when I left Maine, I couldn't wait to get away from the area. It was too boring for me. Now that I'm approaching my 50s, I have a different outlook on life. Bangor is a great little city. If I were to move back to Maine, Bangor would be where I would live. My sister lives there and loves it, too. I just can't do the winters anymore. The ideal situation would be to live in Maine June through October, then head south. Unless I win the lottery, it will have to wait until retirement.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by umograd83

... I just can't do the winters anymore. The ideal situation would be to live in Maine June through October, then head south. Unless I win the lottery, it will have to wait until retirement.

A fairly well insulated house with an attached garage, and maybe a small riding lawn tractor with a snow blower on it.

Your home is maintained warm and cozy.

Your car is free of snow and ice. It is warm and easy to start.

You can open your garage doors and drive the lawn tractor out to clear your driveway. So you need never even own a snow shovel.

Now our garage is not built yet, however that is our plan.

[AlisonL]

[quote=
You can open your garage doors and drive the lawn tractor out to clear your driveway. So you need never even own a snow shovel..[/QUOTE]

Even better, you hire someone to plow your driveway for you. Much much easier. I will not miss the bitter cold and all when we move. I will finally be able to enjoy a winter because I will be able to breathe.