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Hiya. So, in another thread, I mentioned that I made the decision to relocate to Maine. In that thread, I was asking about Bath and Brunswick and got some responses. However, now that I am about to plan a drive up to Maine to do some reconnoitering, I want to check out as many other areas there are that could possibly meet my needs & wants. So, I'm posting now to ask for suggestions on where to research and possibly visit.
What's important to me:
First of all, I need to be somewhere with reliable internet capabilities, whether that is cable or wifi. I wouldn't want to live far from cell towers and have difficulty getting a signal.
Next, someplace with or near a walkable downtown area that is more than a couple blocks long and has some variety of retail, groceries, dining, coffee shops, etc. It doesn't have to be a bustling, touristy esplanade, but somewhere I can go for a stroll, run into any friends I might make, grab a bite, and pick up most things I need or run errands without having to drive all over the place.
I'd like to be in or near a town with some kind of artsy, creative vibe, perhaps where artists, artisans, and craftspeople might live or create their works. A good museum or performance space within reasonable driving distance would be great.
Not too far from water, whether that is lake, river, bay, or ocean. Don't need to be right on the water but within a reasonable drive.
As for jobs, I would probably look for administrative work (office manager, reception, customer service, etc.), but I am also in the beginning stages of starting an online business with someone, so eventually (hopefully!) the need for a f/t job will fall away.
Not too far from good medical facilities. I don't have any complicated medical needs, but I do have some physical issues - and am not a young person anymore.
I will NOT be buying a home, just renting only. In looking for an apartment, I'll consider units that are in an apartment complex, a house that's been split up, or upstairs above storefronts on the street level. I need to be frugal and can only afford rent that is under $1k. That being said, I'm not willing to live in a run-down, blighted area, even if there is a revitalization going on. Usually, that's a slow process and I'm too old to wait around for big changes. Not saying I'm expecting upscale digs for what I can afford, either - just modest, comfortable, clean, and safe.
So, basically I'm open to anywhere on the coast and somewhat inland, from the southernmost towns and into the area around Norway (for some reason I'm intrigued by Norway), up to about Belfast, or maybe Bangor and that area. Don't know exactly why not, but I'm not very interested in the city of Portland itself, but wouldn't mind being just outside or near it.
So, if I were going to take a few days checking places out, where would you recommend I look that might tick most of the boxes? Oh, and if you can suggest any budget-friendly motels that might have a vacancy, I'd appreciate it. I will probably do my first recon somewhere around mid-July. Thinking to move up there either Sept. or Oct.
It sounds like you have a lot of parameters, and that will help you narrow it down, and you should be able to look at information about several towns and eliminate them from what you find in comparison to your parameters. I would look on Craigslist and the Zillow rental listings first to see where I can find apartments that I can afford, and start there.
I don't know anything about budget motels in Maine; when we have visited in
the summer it has been shockingly expensive, and hard to find vacancies,as that is the high season. At least after July 1 you will be able to rent a motel room, although you will need proof of a negative Covid test.
Belfast is a really nice town, and not as expensive as Portland. Norway has a beautiful lake, but it's inland. I don't think Norway has the vibe you are looking for, but only you can really tell that, and I think you are going to have to go visit some places and just see what you need.
If you are as open to time as you say, I would wait and go in the fall, as motels will be much more reasonable then, and you should have a better idea of what the towns are like for year round residence.
. . . I would look on Craigslist and the Zillow rental listings first to see where I can find apartments that I can afford, and start there.
Thanks for your reply!
I'm really only a little familiar with Rockland, Camden, and Belfast, so when I use Craigslist, things come up in a lot of towns I know nothing about. Rather than investigate every single listing, I am asking for help to figure out a direction to head in and areas to focus on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoebesmom
I don't know anything about budget motels in Maine; when we have visited in
the summer it has been shockingly expensive, and hard to find vacancies,as that is the high season. At least after July 1 you will be able to rent a motel room, although you will need proof of a negative Covid test.
I know it's high season, but when I wrote "budget-friendly," I didn't necessarily mean "dirt cheap." Just that I'd need the best price and value relative to the region. And yes, I plan on getting my Covid test before I head up there and will bring the results with me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoebesmom
Belfast is a really nice town, and not as expensive as Portland. Norway has a beautiful lake, but it's inland.
Yes, I did say I'm open to inland towns. My concern, though, would be internet connectivity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoebesmom
I don't think Norway has the vibe you are looking for, but only you can really tell that . . .
Would you (or anyone else) explain why not? Also, I mentioned Norway but also said "the area around it." So if there's another town or city in sort of that vicinity or direction that might be a fit, I'd like to hear about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoebesmom
I think you are going to have to go visit some places and just see what you need.
Well, yes, that will be the purpose of my reconnoitering. However, while I'm fine with a kind of loose and open itinerary, I also don't want to wander around aimlessly. I'm looking for a little direction on areas in which I could base my visit that might have the most potential for satisfying what I'm looking for. Wikipedia and chamber of commerce sites can only tell me so much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoebesmom
If you are as open to time as you say, I would wait and go in the fall, as motels will be much more reasonable then, and you should have a better idea of what the towns are like for year round residence.
Most of my vacations in Maine were in the Fall, so I kind of have an idea of what it's like, at least in the mid-coast region. I'm thinking I will probably have to make two trips to get a feel for the areas unfamiliar to me. And my recon mission will be looking for places to live and work, rather than vacation, so I'll be coming up with a different focus than before.
But if I am planning to move into a place in Sept. or Oct., I can't wait until then to come up and look. I'll need to have signed a lease before then, wouldn't I?
You also said I have "a lot of parameters," but I think I am being fairly flexible. I said several times I'd want to be in "or near" a town or city that has what I want. Maine's coast is pretty long and I said I'm open to about 3/4 of it. The things most important are safety, affordability, and internet/wifi. I'm excited and looking forward to settling into Maine's beauty and slower pace, and I'm trying to be as open as I can to looking at a range of possible places to live.
another option is to check airbnbs. Some may consider a long term rental, especially with the tourist trade being slow. Maybe even a place to stay while you look for a place to stay.
That's a good idea, PAhippo! You might like this book, too, although it's dated, and won't help with things like internet access, but I thought it was a good place to start when we started looking for a house near our family
Citychik, I know you aren't retiring, but still, it's got specific places and tries to give an idea of what it's like there.
I guess I'd start there, too, with travel books, as you can buy a bunch and see what appeals.
As to motels, I wasn't saying "dirt cheap" I was commenting on how shocked we were on a. how hard it was to find a room anywhere and b. how the prices were SO high-- we paid over 200 dollars a night at the Fireside Inn in Portland, for example, and it was a pretty run of the mill room. I think getting an air bnb and making it your base and driving everywhere is such a great idea!
I used home stays several times for my exploratory visits to Maine. I placed an ad on Craigslist describing exactly what I wanted and how much I could afford. I described myself pretty well and included a photo to reassure people about who I was. I usually had 4 or 5 good replies to choose from. They were always cheaper than motels and I got to know some nice Mainers. Admittedly, this might be complicated during COVID-19, but in some ways I might trust a private home more than a motel. I used this strategy many times to visit New York (more specifically cat sitting, which had the advantage of being free).
One strategy would be to rent a room by the month in a private home when you come in the fall, and use that as a home base to explore the surrounding towns before you choose a long-term destination. This looks great for an extended stay and it's only $500 a month: https://maine.craigslist.org/roo/d/b...150343998.html You could ask whether the homeowner would consider a short rental in the summer.
I agree with you that you should come in the summer. You really need to get a sense of the route 1 traffic in the summer.
Wow, this looks inexpensive in Rockland--I really think Rockland might check a lot of your boxes, from art scene to healthcare to water to nice downtown:
Wow, this looks inexpensive in Rockland--I really think Rockland might check a lot of your boxes, from art scene to healthcare to water to nice downtown:
Rockland has a surprisingly good arts scene for a smaller city. There are several nice museums including a terrific Wyeth museum, plus commercial galleries, you can see live music, occasional comedy and lectures in town, they have a few big festivals each year, and they also have a very good documentary film festival in the fall with some events in Camden and some in Rockland. There is a community hospital that's part of MaineHealth network on the Rockland/Rockport border. It's also close enough for spontaneous trips to other interesting area towns like Owl's Head, Rockport and Camden, and Belfast is still an easy daytrip, less than an hour. Ferries to some midcoast islands leave from Rockland and nearby Lincoln.
The other town I'd look hard at would be Brunswick. Brunswick also has a good arts scene for a smaller city including the terrific Bowdoin College Museum of Art, then you have events sponsored by the college itself. Brunswick also has a good community hospital on the eastern end of the city's outskirts. It's also close enough to Portland for easy daytrips to Maine's biggest city, and for daytrips to the Harpswell peninsulas. You might find something a bit less expensive right across the river in Topsfield. Topsfield doesn't have quite the attractions of Brunswick, but it's certainly pleasant enough and it's right next to Brunswick, so you could still easily take advantage of Brunswick.
Both Rockland and Brunswick have a supermarket, restaurants, bars and cafe's as well as a walkable downtown, and cell phone signal won't be a problem. In my experience as a visitor only, I have found downtown Brunswick a little quieter than downtown Rockland, right on the main street, if that is a concern.
Rockland has a surprisingly good arts scene for a smaller city. There are several nice museums including a terrific Wyeth museum, plus commercial galleries, you can see live music, occasional comedy and lectures in town, they have a few big festivals each year, and they also have a very good documentary film festival in the fall with some events in Camden and some in Rockland. There is a community hospital that's part of MaineHealth network on the Rockland/Rockport border. It's also close enough for spontaneous trips to other interesting area towns like Owl's Head, Rockport and Camden, and Belfast is still an easy daytrip, less than an hour. Ferries to some midcoast islands leave from Rockland and nearby Lincoln.
The other town I'd look hard at would be Brunswick. Brunswick also has a good arts scene for a smaller city including the terrific Bowdoin College Museum of Art, then you have events sponsored by the college itself. Brunswick also has a good community hospital on the eastern end of the city's outskirts. It's also close enough to Portland for easy daytrips to Maine's biggest city, and for daytrips to the Harpswell peninsulas. You might find something a bit less expensive right across the river in Topsfield. Topsfield doesn't have quite the attractions of Brunswick, but it's certainly pleasant enough and it's right next to Brunswick, so you could still easily take advantage of Brunswick.
Both Rockland and Brunswick have a supermarket, restaurants, bars and cafe's as well as a walkable downtown, and cell phone signal won't be a problem. In my experience as a visitor only, I have found downtown Brunswick a little quieter than downtown Rockland, right on the main street, if that is a concern.
Yup. All true (except it's Topsham, not Topsfield).
Brunswick also has a train station that can take you into Portland and points beyond.
There is a train from Brunswick up to Rockland as well, but it hasn't run in a few years. It might open up again. Or might not. Who knows?
As for rentals, this coming fall might be an ideal time to find a good rental in Brunswick. A whole lot of landlords count on Bowdoin College students for rentals, and in Fall 2020, only freshman and seniors are coming to campus due to the pandemic. With a few exceptions, all sophomores and juniors will be attending online only. So I'm sure there will be a lot of landlords desperate to fill their properties.
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