Moving to Maine!! (Portland, South Portland, Brunswick: apartments, rentals, insurance)

[a_kirk_]

Hi there!

My boyfriend and I are thinking of moving from CT (yuck-we know!) to Maine-but we need some help figuring out what area would be best! We've been to Portland and a few other others places and are really drawn to Maine for it's natural beauty and overall wonderful feel. We're in our late 20s/mid 30s. My boyfriend does software development/computer programming and works remotely. I'm currently a public school elementary music teacher but will be transitioning into teaching private music lessons/creating my own music studio. Here's what we're basically looking for:

-Somewhere where families are looking for creative opportunities for their children and are willing to pay for them (since I will be starting my own small music studio business)
-As close to the coast as possible-at the very least within 15/20 mins.
-Close to major metro area but does not have to be in an actual city
-Mid/southern part of the state
-Decent renting options-would be comfortable paying up to $1600 for a 2 bedroom apt.
-Within 30 mins. of basic department stores/grocery stores/drugstores

Thank you SO much for your help!
xox

[River Runner]

If you don't want to be right in Portland I would suggest looking at the Brunswick area.

[a_kirk_]

Awesome! Thank you so much!

[OutdoorLover]

I'd second Brunswick. It's cheaper than Portland, but it's still a real nice small city, and only about half an hour from Portland. Plus they have Bowdoin College there - a very good school. Brunswick also has a little bit of an arts scene, and it's a little bit of an upscale town, but unlike some coastal towns with big places that are just summer homes, people actually live in Brunswick. And it's not right on the coast, but lots of pretty midcoast Maine is day trippable from there.

[a_kirk_]

Awesome! Thanks so much for your advice!

[Mark S.]

I third Brunswick. Other things others have not already covered ...

Rentals can be a tad pricey in Brunswick because of Bowdoin College. It's easiest to find a good rental during the summer when students are gone. Craigslist is generally the best option. Some rentals are managed by realtors, but in my experience, I'd steer clear of those. They tend to target wealthy people coming to Maine for vacation, sabbaticals, teaching assignments, etc. and tend to overcharge.

But if you can't find a rental in Brunswick, you can easily rent in Topsham, Bath, or even Bowdoinham and drive in to Brunswick. Lots of people do that. We have friends who rent small apartments above the downtown shops, and they love it, being downtown in all the action. It would make me batty, but they love it.

Your original post mentioned being close "to a major metro area." There really is no such thing in Maine. You've been to Portland? That's as metro as it gets. But you're only 2-3 hours from Boston (depending on traffic). Lots of people living in Brunswick and go to Boston for fun stuff. My daughter and her friends did it just this weekend. And if you don't want to mess with the traffic (it can be bad in Boston), you can catch the train in downtown Brunswick and ride it all the way in to Boston.

Brunswick has two large grocery stores, some specialty shops with lots of organic and free trade items, and farmer's markets in summer and fall.

Big arts scene in the area. Maine State Music theater does shows in town. Children's theater too. The Bowdoin International Music festival brings in people from all over the globe. See: www.bowdoinfestival.org There is a big movie theater in town, an independent movie theater, and another "dine and watch a movie" type place in Topsham.

There really isn't a shoreline in Brunswick itself (unless you count the river), but you can drive down to Harpswell for great Maine views of the Atlantic. Closest "sandy" beaches are Reid State Park and Popham Beach, both of which are beautiful and clean, if occasionally crowded during the height of summer.

If you like ice skating, in the winter the city floods the village green into a big public ice rink.

There are no seriously dangerous neighborhoods. Nowhere I'd be afraid to walk alone in the daytime, and very few at night. The only neighborhoods you might avoid for sake of quiet and possible property crime would be the low-income and multi-unit housing by the river. It's not like they are gang 'hoods or anything like that, but if there is a drug-related or burglary arrest in town, it's usually in that area.

[a_kirk_]

Such good info and advice! Thank you so much for your post. We're going to look more into everything you mentioned!

[Submariner]

Welcome to Maine.

I suggest that you focus on renting during your first year in Maine. To give yourself a chance to play tourist and explore to see which region of Maine is best suited to your tastes.

I have a studio loft apartment on a 3rd floor that is currently leased for $700/month in Old Town [over looking the town's riverfront park]. If it were empty I would suggest that you look at it, but it currently has a nice young couple in it, sorry.

I wish you luck in finding your new home.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by a_kirk_

Hi there!

My boyfriend and I are thinking of moving from CT (yuck-we know!) to Maine-but we need some help figuring out what area would be best! We've been to Portland and a few other others places and are really drawn to Maine for it's natural beauty and overall wonderful feel. We're in our late 20s/mid 30s. My boyfriend does software development/computer programming and works remotely. I'm currently a public school elementary music teacher but will be transitioning into teaching private music lessons/creating my own music studio. Here's what we're basically looking for:

-Somewhere where families are looking for creative opportunities for their children and are willing to pay for them (since I will be starting my own small music studio business)
-As close to the coast as possible-at the very least within 15/20 mins.
-Close to major metro area but does not have to be in an actual city
-Mid/southern part of the state
-Decent renting options-would be comfortable paying up to $1600 for a 2 bedroom apt.
-Within 30 mins. of basic department stores/grocery stores/drugstores

Thank you SO much for your help!
xox

Congrats on the decision! I hope to be doing the same as well. Would love to hear from you in the future after you settled in. I can't give advice on where to live but I can ask if you are aware of the climate differences? Not sure exactly where in CT you are now but be prepared for colder winters and maybe snowier depending on location you choose.

[KEVIN_224]

Connecticut native here who has lived in Maine twice...but in the opposite direction from Portland. I lived in Wells first and then in Old Orchard Beach, both of which are in York County and reached from I-95/Maine Turnpike. I wouldn't recommend O.O.B. in the summer, since it's a major resort town. Trust me on that one. Wells is closer to Portsmouth, NH than it is Portland (Exit 19 while Saco/O.O.B. is Exit 36). US Route 1 and the beach are nice there, but too quiet in the winter time, especially west of I-95 where I was.

I absolutely LOVE Portland. It feels much larger than the city of 65,000 that it is. They have minor league baseball (AA-level Red Sox) and get hockey back this fall in the form of the ECHL at the Cross Insurance Arena. Their Jetport (PWM) straddles the South Portland city line. Amtrak's Downeaster line and Concord Coach Lines has frequent service to/from Boston and the Maine coast.