Would like to relocate to Maine (Portland, Lewiston: condo, crime rate, how much)

[AuntLinda1]

I currently live in Southern California - have lived here all my life - my husband died very suddenly 5 weeks ago - we were planning on relocating now that we (I) am retired - now that I'm alone, I'm seriously thinking Maine.

I think I'd like to live near a college so I could take some classes and maybe mentor - any suggestions?

[lawmom]

So sorry to hear about your husband.

What are you looking for as far as ammenities (city, rural, access to stores, ocean, lakes, etc.?) What is your housing budget?

I've never been to So Cal, but I can guarantee that Maine is very, very different!

[CoastalMaine]

Such an amazing idea only 5 short weeks after your DH's death. My condolences.

[forest beekeeper]

As a retiree from California I love it here.

Are you familiar with Northern coastal California? Or the Sierra Nevadas? If you subtracted the mountains and HOAs; added a slightly cooler winter; and lowered the cost-of-living a great deal: then you would be talking about Maine.

Maine is mostly rural and forested, with lots of lakes, ponds and rivers; and ~3,000 miles of coast line.

There are small towns with selections of amenities, and there are lots of rural areas where you can be somewhat self-sufficient.

There are colleges where you could possibly work on campus. I was a vendor at the Orono Farmer's Market for a year, it's usual location is alongside a river. I was amazed that we had customers who would kayak on the river to the FM to get their organic veggies.

Maine must be seen.

Come out for a trip, and tour every region of Maine, to get a taste of what each region is like. You really need to before you finalize your decision to move here.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Maine has a huge number of colleges for the number of citizens here. You are never far from a college. Of course most colleges are in the lower half of Maine along with the majority of our population.

[anotherplebe]

maine is a looooong way away from So Cal..... I'm from the west, and if I had it to do over again I would never chose maine to move to, or anywhere on the east coast for that matter.
Seriously.... Consider testing a place for at least six months before deciding.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by anotherplebe

maine is a looooong way away from So Cal..... I'm from the west, and if I had it to do over again I would never chose maine to move to, or anywhere on the east coast for that matter.
Seriously.... Consider testing a place for at least six months before deciding.

That's an interesting point of view and one shared by my cousin and his family who live in Simi Valley California. My cousin visited Maine last year and went on a hunting trip with us. For him even the Cumberland County area in Maine was such a slow paced rural place he said it was nice to visit but he could not live here. To him there is just nothing going on and the area was depressed in his view. We don't see it that way at all. Most observers feel ok about where they live. It really is what you become used to.
He likes having neighbors on top of him having reciprocal BBQ's all year 'round, going to the best of the shows at The Greek Theater,driving 50 minutes to Los Angeles, living among the rich and famous etc. He was amazed at how far away the neighbor's houses were from ours.(we think they're too close). He had never seen non minorities (white kids) working at a fast food establishment (he even took a picture to show his coworkers). He was upset that no good salsa was available to put on EVERYTHING he ate!
He relaxed and enjoyed himself but said theres no way he'd live here. He invited us to the LA area but it isn't on the top of my list of places to visit....don't do cities though I suppose one trip wouldn't hurt.

[Sunday1]

[quote=forest beekeeper;10657956]
Are you familiar with Northern coastal California? ... If you subtracted the mountains and HOAs; added a slightly cooler winter; and lowered the cost-of-living a
great deal: then you would be talking about Maine...."

I'm sorry for your loss Aunt Linda!

As for forest's comment above, I must offer a friendly disagreement. I've lived in both areas (yet am a newcomer to Maine) and I don't see any noteworthy similarities between the two other than they're on two very different yet equally beautiful, ocean coasts.

You mentioned wanting to be near a college. Maine has several outstanding liberal arts colleges. Brunswick has Bowdoin, Lewiston has Bates, and Waterville has Colby -- just to list the top LACs. Bowdoin allows adults to audit a class without paying tuition ~ which is an incredible opportunity. I'm not sure if Bates or Colby do anything like that.

Not to tread into an area you didn't write about -- but having lost three siblings in the last couple of years and having been a shoulder for their spouses -- I'm thinking you might want to give some thought to the conventional wisdom/advice to not make any big life changes for the first 12 months after loosing a spouse. I'm told that ~ in hindsight ~ it will make a lot of sense.

A long trip to Maine, however, might be a great idea! The leaves will start to change soon (actually we have some red leaves out already) and autumn is beautiful here. Warmest wishes to you.

[woolwiTch]

Hello Linda,

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's death. I'm sure the two of you had made lots of plans for your retirement. I always hear people say you shouldn't make any radical changes in your life for a year after a spouse's death. But even if that's good advice, it doesn't mean you shouldn't explore some ideas for radical change.

I think you may like Brunswick and Bowdoin College. It's a wonderful school and a very nice town. Its location is close to Portland and the ocean. Brunswick has a real downtown that is a delight to walk, with many unique stores and restaurants. Here is the downtown Brunswick website: Downtown Brunswick Maine Visitor's Resource

And here is the Bowdoin College website: Bowdoin College

I grew up in Maine, but I lived for many years in Chicago and San Francisco. I loved my time in those cities, but I was happy to move back to Maine. It's beautiful, peaceful and quiet. The crime rate is very low. People are not caught up in the rat race or outdoing the neighbors with material acquisitions. Instead, they're interested in their families, pets, gardens, local high school sports teams, hobbies and outdoor activities. They read a lot of books, cook, bake, do crafts, spend time with friends and play games. There are a lot of community groups, like singing and theater groups. If that sounds appealing to you, Maine may be right for you.

It's a big adjustment to go from southern California to Maine. I'm sure you know that, but you may not realize just how much of an adjustment. There is very little at all in common between the two. Of course, you start with the weather. It is already in the 50s at night here; sometimes the 40s. In recent years we haven't had serious snow until December, at least in the southern counties, but once it starts it goes through March and occasionally into April. Having all that snow means you need a means of snow removal; something to keep in mind when you're looking at housing options. And of course you need to heat your home and consider all the options and expense there. Driving in snow is an adventure, especially if you've never done it before.

As has been mentioned, Maine is very white. If you live near a college you will find a more diverse population, of course. In Brunswick, because of Bowdoin College and Brunswick Naval Air Station (closing soon) there is greater diversity and more ethnic restaurants.

I would recommend that since you're retired, maybe you should come to Maine for a good long visit. This idea of six months isn't a bad one. If you came right away, you'd see just about our best season, fall, and our most challenging, winter. If you still liked Maine after that, no doubt you'd like summer.

I hope you'll post some more with your questions and tell us more about what you're looking for in a retirement home. People on this forum are very helpful.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Sunday1

... As for forest's comment above, I must offer a friendly disagreement. I've lived in both areas (yet am a newcomer to Maine) and I don't see any noteworthy similarities between the two other than they're on two very different yet equally beautiful, ocean coasts. ...

Hmm, I grew up on a farm in the Central Valley very near Yosemite, I have hiked all over the Sierra Nevadas. I attended Mendocino CC in Ukiah for my Horticulture A.S.

Where were you in the Sierra Nevadas? And which part of Lake / Mendocino / Humbolt / Trinity counties region did you live in? We were in Lake county with a goat dairy for a few years.