Town of Harpswell, ME (Brunswick, Topsham: rent, houses, school)

[maineman25]

Can someone tell me what Harpswell is like, including year-round? Does it feel too remote from shopping that it is an inconvenience? Is it walkable at all or does everything need to be done by car? What are the townspeople like? Thanks

[OutdoorLover]

I haven't been there in years, but from what I recall of my visit there in the good old days (grad school, about 1990), it was very pretty, and there were some inns and restaurants scattered around, marinas, and plenty of private homes, but there wasn't much of what you'd call a "downtown" to walk around in or retail business to speak of back then. If you want more of a downtown and also shopping, some medical svcs etc, you should probably look at Brunswick and Damariscotta in that area.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by maineman25

Can someone tell me what Harpswell is like, including year-round? Does it feel too remote from shopping that it is an inconvenience? Is it walkable at all or does everything need to be done by car? What are the townspeople like? Thanks

For major shopping, you'll need to go into Brunswick or Topsham. Harpswell has a few little shops and restaurants and a few small general stores, but no real grocery store. But it isn't a huge inconvenience. Depending on where you live in Harpswell, Brunswick is only 10-30 minutes away.

Harpswell doesn't really have a "downtown" area per se. It's very spread out. There is West Harpswell, East Harpswell, Cundy's Harbor, Orr's Island, Sebascodegan Island, and Bailey Island, all of which are generally grouped together as "Harpswell." (Don't let "island" give you the wrong idea. You can drive to all of them.)

Harpswell has LOTS of summer residents --- people who only live there for the summer. Some of them rent out their houses the rest of the year to locals or students from Bowdoin College. But lots of houses sit empty from late September to May. A friend of my wife lives on a street with five houses. In the summer, she has lots of neighbors. In the winter, they are the only inhabitants on their street.

The locals are friendly and welcoming.

The summer people ... it's a mixed bag. Some are really great. Others are a nuisance.

The key to making Maine your home is to come here because you like Maine and want to make it your home. People who move up here and want to turn Maine into Long Island or New Haven or Cape Cod tend to annoy the locals.