Moving to Maine -Please help !! (Portland, Bangor: for rent, law school, colleges)

[bostonlady]

Hi Everyone ! My husband and I are moving to maine in the spring (next year) and we need to know where the nicest areas are. I grew up in a pretty little town in a suburb of boston (ma) and I would love to find a town like it in Maine. We have heard that towns like Yarmouth and Scarborough are nice and safe - OOB seems a little too touristy- but we also will be renting and the prices in the northeast are sky high compared to what we pay now. (499 for a two bed -two bath) I am a paralegal and my husband an IT but there are not many white collar jobs here - it is mostly manufacturing. My family is in Mass and NH - but the rents there are astronomical. We would like to be on the seacoast- maybe in a small, quaint NE town near the water but not right on the beach- ( I've seen the flooding on the coast and it's getting worse) We are looking for rents in the 750- 1000 range and 2 b/2b that HAS to accept pets. Can anyone help us out? We are looking for a small town that is almost like a Gimore Girls theme but close to everything.

I'm happy to see you guys have a really good transportation system-(rail-bus ect) We don't have that here and you're stuck if you don't have a car.

Also- Are there any good colleges in the area? I may be headed to law school once we get settled.

Thanks !

[oceanfit185]

I know USM has a law program. From what I understand it is a descent one too. If you’re looking for an affordable coastal town I would recommend Brunswick. But if your going to the law school and need public transit Brunswick might not work. It is about 25 minutes north of Portland. I have always liked the Willard Beach area in South Portland. Try Falmouth, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Free Port, Durham, Gorham, and Scarborough. Not all of those towns are coastal, but are all pretty nice.

[mollysmiles]

Husson College in Bangor is also going to be starting a Law School....I heard that this week from a friend of mine who is just finishing up another master's there. Not sure when that will be up and going, but it's worth looking into. Also, I'm not sure if you have a preference as far as regions, but the mid-coast area is very nice and still relatively affordable. Belfast is only about 45 minutes from Bangor, and there are many sweet towns nearby if Belfast feels too big. Stockton Springs and Lincolnville may be the size you're looking for. Scarborough and Yarmouth are growing--fast. My sis-in-law was visiting this weekend, she's lived in Yarmouth her whole life. She said there's very little land left for new building, and they've got to be close to their saturation point. She's missing the small, hometown feel it had when she grew up, and is thinking of moving, and commuting in to Yarmouth to work.

It really depends on what you are looking for as far as population, because along the coastline here you can find every size town. Good luck in your search!

[riley49]

I just had a good laugh - I love Gilmore Girls! We're headed up to Portland, actually Yarmouth, for a vacation in mid-July and I'm excited to see if the smaller towns in Maine seem a little like GG's Star's Hollow.

Also, we're planning a move next spring/summer to the Portland area, so I'm interested in what people tell you. Good luck with your plans!

[umograd83]

The law school at Husson hasn't been approved yet. But the pharmacy school was approved. The only law school in Maine is in Portland at USM. Husson sure has changed since I graduated from there in 1978!