Small town Maine retirement (Portland, Bangor: apartment, crime, how much)

[OutdoorLover]

If you're going to the Camden/Rockport area and like walking, hiking and cycling, I can highly recommend the folllowing:

1. This hiking/biking map:https://www.amazon.com/Camden-Hiking...dp/189006033X/

2. This hiking guide: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/149301000X/

[zendwa]

So if any of you knowledgeable Mainers are still looking at this thread: How bad (or not) is the “big city” influx to mid-coast and downeast Maine? I currently live an hour and half from the 4 million people in Seattle, and they ALL seem to come our way on (mostly) 2-lane Highway 101 every weekend – motorcycle groups, lines of RVs, car clubs, hundreds of SUVs with kayaks and camping gear. I lived in popular Colorado ski country for 20 years, and it was nothing like this. Is the Boston metro population far enough away to not totally inundate Maine? (I've heard of the “Volvo line” but still don't really quite get how the proximity to a huge population center affects local communities.) Thanks.

[yaeger07]

Traffic is bad at the New Hampshire tolls and in very Southern Maine and in Wiscasset on summer weekends, but otherwise I think tourists generally fan out.

[zendwa]

And what about Cherryfield and/or Sullivan? Culture? Climate? A region I just don't know anything about. Considering my same original criteria -- small town, natural foods store, farmers market, services, gardening climate, tourism, nearby hiking, liveability. Thanks!

[TechieTechie]

Originally Posted by zendwa

So if any of you knowledgeable Mainers are still looking at this thread: How bad (or not) is the “big city” influx to mid-coast and downeast Maine? I currently live an hour and half from the 4 million people in Seattle, and they ALL seem to come our way on (mostly) 2-lane Highway 101 every weekend – motorcycle groups, lines of RVs, car clubs, hundreds of SUVs with kayaks and camping gear. I lived in popular Colorado ski country for 20 years, and it was nothing like this. Is the Boston metro population far enough away to not totally inundate Maine? (I've heard of the “Volvo line” but still don't really quite get how the proximity to a huge population center affects local communities.) Thanks.

If you have concerns about this, do NOT pick anywhere near Camden. Traffic is awful during the summer.

And, anything south of Portland/ Freeport, and Mt Desert Isle are all shizzleshows during the summer. Particularly south of Freeport, you can expect hordes of weekend warriors. Like traffic slowdowns on 95 bad. Once you get north of Wiscasset/Boothbay (where Rt 1 can be backed up for a mile crossing the Sheepscot River), weekend traffic starts to thin out. Blue Hill is far enough north that it doesn't get crazy weekend traffic. But Saturday is turnover day for weekly rentals here, so most areas will be busy on the weekends.

Castine is a very pretty town not yet mentioned, and because of the academy, it has a working year round population. And not overrun by tourists AT ALL. Agree with the rest of Outdoorsy recommendations. S Bristol is particularly great...small well run market, couple small restaurants, but Darimiscotta less than 15 minutes away.

South of Mt Desert Island, a few areas nothwithstanding...if you are south of Rt 1 you are going to pay a very big premium on real estate, particularly now. Just be ready.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by zendwa

And what about Cherryfield and/or Sullivan? Culture? Climate? A region I just don't know anything about. Considering my same original criteria -- small town, natural foods store, farmers market, services, gardening climate, tourism, nearby hiking, liveability. Thanks!

Neither town will have that natural foods store. There may be a farmers market in a nearby town. There definitely is hiking in both areas. Sullivan will be more touristy than Cherryfield. Depends upon what you want for services. It's not the end of civilization, but you can see it from there...

[zendwa]

TechieTechie: Been to Castine, loved it, seemed small and expensive (but as you say, what isn't now?). I wonder why I didn't have S Bristol on my list (been to Boothbay, and realize "you can't get there from here").

AustinB: Love "not the end of civilization, but you can see it from there."

So many of my questions are because I know one season can be so different from others -- tourism, gardening, snow, etc. I've only been to Maine in late summer; other areas of New England in fall also; never in winter or spring. (As I said, winter itself isn't an issue -- I've lived in snow country for a good chunk of my adult life.)

We do plan on renting for maybe a year to explore ALL the possibilities. Still leaning toward Blue Hill as the base for that first-year rental.

[phoebesmom]

What I like about your Blue Hill as a base is that on hearing your list, Belfast seems perfect, but maybe Blue Hill would be better, and it normalizes where it is for you--right now, it seems really far to me, and Belfast seems as far as I would go, but that is because my family is in Portland.

We moved to Northern Michigan, and it seemed "so far" to me because my family was in Chicago, but now NOrthern Michigan seems like the center of the universe to us, and of course, the kids moved to Portland, so. . .

So if you rent in Blue Hill for a year, that will seem normal to you, and it is a far piece from Portland and a lot more affordable, and you may absolutely love Blue Hill, and it won't seem "far away" to you, if that makes sense.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by zendwa

So if any of you knowledgeable Mainers are still looking at this thread: How bad (or not) is the “big city” influx to mid-coast and downeast Maine? I currently live an hour and half from the 4 million people in Seattle, and they ALL seem to come our way on (mostly) 2-lane Highway 101 every weekend – motorcycle groups, lines of RVs, car clubs, hundreds of SUVs with kayaks and camping gear. I lived in popular Colorado ski country for 20 years, and it was nothing like this. Is the Boston metro population far enough away to not totally inundate Maine? (I've heard of the “Volvo line” but still don't really quite get how the proximity to a huge population center affects local communities.) Thanks.

So if you're looking for somewhere that's more off the beaten path, you might want to describe your need for things like:
- a cell phone signal
- high speed internet access
- a supermarket
- a primary care physician

There are many beeeeyewteeful smaller towns in Maine, where you can't take these things for granted. That may still be fine for you, but it'd help if you offered some more details on what you "want" and what you "need".

[zendwa]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

There are many beeeeyewteeful smaller towns in Maine, where you can't take these things for granted. That may still be fine for you, but it'd help if you offered some more details on what you "want" and what you "need".

Yea, read ya loud and clear. Used to live off grid (generator/battery power; spring water; 15 minutes to nearest gas station/small store; expensive cell booster/antenna that was still marginal; super-slow sat internet; had to own 3 modes of snow removal [if 1 died you still had 2]; and the closest "real" small town was 900 people half hour away).

I figure that we can choose between a few of my "want" towns, and then explore out to smaller and smaller (and "beeyewteful") surroundings and see where we land, and that meet the minimum "needs." I was focusing on the types of towns you've generously shared info on, and then plant ourselves for a year and explore to find the perfect outlier.

Thanks!