Portland: Love it or Hate it & why? (hotel, neighborhood)

[umograd83]

Now you've done it. You've made me homesick. I moved away in 2003 and really miss the Portland area. Portland is so unique to me. I lived on the West End, one street parallel to Congress Street in downtown and off Woodfords Street. I loved it when I could walk to work (except when it was snowing).

I'm a native Mainer who moved to Washington, DC after college. After five years in DC, I moved back to Maine. After living in the "big city", I couldn't fathom moving back to my hometown (Old Town), so I settled in Portland. Portland has everything a big city offers - minor league sports teams (hockey and baseball), great concerts (Civic Center and City Hall - saw big name acts like Sting, Elton John, Aerosmith, Hall & Oates, Earth, Wind & Fire, Foreigner, Styx, etc.), great symphony, the Old Port with great shops and restaurants, access to a decent mall, the traffic/commute isn't too bad compared to other cities, lots of educational opportunities, lots of professional jobs, etc. What's not to like about Portland (except the six-month winters, which is why I now live in the mid South).

Norma

[mainegirl]

I lived in Central Maine as a child, was dragged kicking and screaming to New York by my mother when my parents divorced. My father stayed in Maine, and moved to Portland. I've been in love with it ever since, and have wanted to move there for so many years, to no avail.

Portland is truly where my heart is, there are so many things about it to love. No place is perfect, but I think the city really has a lot going for it. There are so many restaurants and shops to choose from, walking paths with beautiful views and ocean breezes, history, wonderful lighthouses within a short driving distance, and of course the incredible rugged coastline is just down the road. When I am there I can sit on the rocks at Two Lights Park for hours and never get bored... or go sit at the Eastern Prom and watch the comings and goings of the beautiful Casco Bay. I also love to get my exercise on the the track at Back Cove.

I was just there a few weeks ago, and was heartsick the day I had to leave.

If anyone has anymore nice photos in and around the city to share, I sure would appreciate it !

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by 3 Seconds

Great input so far....I am so excited I pushed my trip up to tomarrow. I going to spend 3 days there just to get a feel. Hopefully the ballclub is in town & I can catch a game.

Any recommdations for a newcomer for some nice places to check out & get a feel for the city or any good places to grab a bite to eat etc....I will be by myself so hopefully there is somewhere I wont feel awkward being an out of towner by himself

Also if you had to recommend the best way to go apt searching what would it be & any areas to avoid?

Looking to spend about 1K a month for a 1 or 2 bedroom apt....

Geographically its not an extremely large city so my advice would be to print out a good map of the city and and spend a half day driving around it. Take a duck tour to futher your knowledge and then just walk around the old-port. Tons of great rest. and bars (I'm partial to the fore st grill, it's a little pricy but has the best pork chop ever) As far as areas to avoid you'll know when you get there. Have fun.

[warpedg]

Originally Posted by 3 Seconds

Also if you had to recommend the best way to go apt searching what would it be & any areas to avoid?

Looking to spend about 1K a month for a 1 or 2 bedroom apt....

I just recently moved from central Maine to southern Maine and was in the same boat you are as far as apartments were concerned. I wanted something very close to Portland but because of the needs for lawn for my dog, settled for Freeport (great town non the less, 20 mins outside Portland). I combed Craigslist for apartments when I went looking. Lots of listing on there many with pics too. But be forwarded, pics dont show everything...I found that out several times.

As far as bad parts of Portland, I asked the same thing when I went looking and didnt get a lot of response from people on here. So I never did get good information on that topic.

Good luck!

[3 Seconds]

Thank you everyone for all the info.

Greatly appreciated.

One last question...can anyone recommend any hotels to stay at in Portland?

Mind you not the $300 a night type, but not a roach motel either...just something CLEAN, somewhat centrally located @ a decent price....The Holiday Inn @ the Bay looks pretty good.....

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by warpedg

As far as bad parts of Portland, I asked the same thing when I went looking and didnt get a lot of response from people on here. So I never did get good information on that topic. Good luck!

As familiar as I think I am with that info its still a subjective subject. My idea of a bad area can be very different then someone els's. So I usually try to tell just look around. People can usually tell if there standing somewhere they don't belong or things don't seem right.

but just incase that doesn't work check this site out.

American FactFinder

its basically the us gov sensus data base. You can map out any city based on any statistic the interests you. want to look at where thie highest income leves are...just click on "Map". It's a lot of fun and can be very informative. Make sure your look at the 2000 (they dont have accurate infor for 2005)

[warpedg]

Originally Posted by flycessna

As familiar as I think I am with that info its still a subjective subject. My idea of a bad area can be very different then someone els's. So I usually try to tell just look around. People can usually tell if there standing somewhere they don't belong or things don't seem right.
2005)

That is so true...I considered possibly moving to Florida so I was looking on the Orlando forum. The wide spread opinion on how bad it is down there is amazing....some people are screaming how bad it was and while others disputed them. So its hard to tell whom to believe at times.

[starzfalldown]

I'm not a local, but a frequent visitor as of late. I'm from Massachusetts. Last year I fell in love with Maine, and Portland in particular. The city has excellent food, excellent art, and a mellow vibe. Also a bit on the earthy side... some hippies dreadlocks granola folks especially in the summer. So I assume its a tolerant place. Its also alot like Providence, RI but with a better attitude. Doesnt seem to take itself so seriously. People actually seem to be friendly. If all goes well, I too will be living there within a year or so. I also love Rockland, and Elssworth(Bar Harbor area)

Best of luck!

[starzfalldown]

I stayed at the Morrill Mansion. Room was under a hundred bucks and was beautiful. The bathroom was pretty much entirely stone and tile. 1800's Victorian- very charming! Dont stay at a hotel, find a guest house or bed and breakfast! You're in Portland, not corporate Americaland.

[3 Seconds]

Originally Posted by starzfalldown

I stayed at the Morrill Mansion. Room was under a hundred bucks and was beautiful. The bathroom was pretty much entirely stone and tile. 1800's Victorian- very charming! Dont stay at a hotel, find a guest house or bed and breakfast! You're in Portland, not corporate Americaland.

Guess it's hard to break old habits!

Thanks for the info...