33 Year old Single Black Female Moving to Augusta? (Portland, Lewiston: neighborhoods, school district)

[Georgiapeach32]

I'm from the south and I might be taking a job in Augusta Maine or White River Junction Vermont. I'm just curious how are race relations and if people in Maine are receptive to other races? I know people say it's a white state but my concern if whether or not they are receptive that's all.

Please understand by no means am I racist. I have a best friend who is white, I love rock and heavy metal music over rap and R&B but you must understand, having grown up here in the south, EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING is always about race. Blacks and whites are equally racist in my opinion. Some blacks don't want whites in their neighborhoods and some whites don't want blacks in their neighborhoods. It's just a big mess and really sad. I've gotten so much flack for loving rock and heavy metal but good grief music is music isn't it??

Anyway I was just curious on how I might be treated and my other thing is roundabouts! We don't have them here in GA and they sound quite dangerous and look intimidating. Can you tell me a bit about those. I hear Maine has a lot.

[GarlicGuy]

you'll do just fine up here.

[Fiddlehead]

I think roundabouts are kind of fun once you get the hang of them! When I was in Ireland a few years ago, I had to learn how to drive on the left AND do roundabouts. But neither were as frightening as driving on 1.3 lane wide two way country roads with stone walls on both sides...

You sound level headed GeorgiaPeach, and independent. I suspect you will do fine. Good luck with making a decision!

[cebdark]

Welcome. I'm with GarlicGuy. I think you'll do fine up here.

Good luck.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

What may be disconcerting to you is that people don't really care about race. They care about what you do and what you say. About a decade ago one of the first troop planes back from Iraq had a very tall black Sergeant on the plane. There was a high school band playing for the troops. The Sergeant asked to borrow a student's saxophone. The student never hesitated. He said, "Sure". The Sergeant played the best National Anthem I have ever heard. He later came back to Maine for a one week visit. I met him in a local restaurant in our town. He remarked about what an amazing place Maine is. He loved it here.

[mainebrokerman]

you should have no problems- my son went up through the augusta school district, with many friends of different races- augusta recently had a black mayor,

the roundabouts (called rotary's in augusta) arent that bad, just keep in mind, the cars approaching the roundabout have to yield to the cars already in the roundabout
ive been driving on these rotaries for 30 yrs and never had an accident

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Georgiapeach32

Anyway I was just curious on how I might be treated and my other thing is roundabouts! We don't have them here in GA and they sound quite dangerous and look intimidating. Can you tell me a bit about those. I hear Maine has a lot.

Roundabouts are a part of the "New Urbanist" or "Smart Growth" movement:

Roundabout Rant:

Mark Steyn: Roundabouts and Decline of Civilization » The Antiplanner

[Acadianlion]

[quote=CCCVDUR;13443274]Roundabouts are a part of the "New Urbanist" or "Smart Growth" movement:


lollolololllololroflllllololololololololollmaollll llllllllololololollllololollmao......ohhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, lololololololololololololololol....my Mother told me never to laugh at either stupidity or ignorance, but I just can't heloloolololololololololololololololololololololma oohhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[deerislesmile]

Originally Posted by Georgiapeach32

roundabouts! We don't have them here in GA and they sound quite dangerous and look intimidating. Can you tell me a bit about those. I hear Maine has a lot.

Ever jump rope? Driving the rotaries is kinda like jumping in on Double Dutch.. looks intimidating, is going to be hard the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be just fine.

[ckhthankgod]

I think you will be fine for the most part. I know there were some issues in Lewiston due to some Somalian refugees that came by way of the Atlanta area and there were some issues in Bangor in regards to some sicko bothering the NAACP there, but besides those incidents. everything seems to be cool. There is actually a long history of Black folks in Maine, with most of it being in Portland. There other cities and towns that have a long history too. Augusta has a lower percentage than some of the other relatively major cities there, but like someone mentioned, they've had a Black mayor and there are some Black people there.