Portland: Love it or Hate it & why? (South Portland, Scarborough: apartment, how much)

[ExAirForce]

Love Portland and all other places in Maine buuut I am flying back from Germany tomorrow to Portland for some computer classes (could pick anywhere for the classs) and I am staying at the Holiday Inn. They listed the govt rate and I am on official govt buisiness but their rate is higher than what the govt gives folks for the Portland area. No where have I seen that anywhere in the world. When I called Holiday Inn Corporate they called the hotel and the on duty manager told the corporate lady "if he doesn't like our price he should stay somewhere else". I was shocked ... didn't cancel my reservations and plan on talking to the main manager when there. Shoot the Hilton lists the govt rate correctly.. but they were booked. Needless to say I was very surprised by the attitude in general. Still looking forward to my trip back and will enjoy my time in Portland regardless.

[Xan]

Hi MainelyNYer, I live in Rhinbeck NY, originally from NJ and I was introduced to Maine about 8 years ago. For the past two years I have been considering moving to Portland. I love the place too. I don't know if I should just buy a small house or a townhouse.I would like to have an apt. there and then buy a small camp for weekends. There are the association fees and the horrible parking issue, etc. as you know. My first trip to Portland was after double back surgery. They towed my car away while I was getting something to eat. The parking lot was not marked and I had to go out to some trailer in the marshes, on my crutches and fork over 65$. I find that the only thing I really think is unfair. Anyway, sorry you've been crying......but your regret has given me knew hope. I'm sure you have many friends to visit when you go back but when I finally settle there, you can stop by, you and your beer.....he he. Junior member, Xan p.s. Any advice welcomed.

[Cornerguy1]

Xan,

This is fairly old thread you've resurrected.

If you have specific questions about Portland and area, you might get a better response from the very helpful forum regulars if you put those questions or requests into a a new thread.

[Petertherock]

Originally Posted by ExAirForce

Love Portland and all other places in Maine buuut I am flying back from Germany tomorrow to Portland for some computer classes (could pick anywhere for the classs) and I am staying at the Holiday Inn. They listed the govt rate and I am on official govt buisiness but their rate is higher than what the govt gives folks for the Portland area. No where have I seen that anywhere in the world. When I called Holiday Inn Corporate they called the hotel and the on duty manager told the corporate lady "if he doesn't like our price he should stay somewhere else". I was shocked ... didn't cancel my reservations and plan on talking to the main manager when there. Shoot the Hilton lists the govt rate correctly.. but they were booked. Needless to say I was very surprised by the attitude in general. Still looking forward to my trip back and will enjoy my time in Portland regardless.

I know this is old and I don't even know if this person is here but I find Portland to be very anti-military. The city of South Portland wouldn't even let the American Legion put yellow ribbons up on city property in support of the troops because they said it shows support for Bush and the war. But if it was some homosexual group that wanted to put ribbons up for their cause you would have the city council out there helping them put up the ribbons. I can't wait to leave this liberal fiasco of a state.

The politics, the weather, and activities suck not only in Portland but in all of Maine.

[K-Luv]

Yes, this is an old thread, but here it goes anyways;

-I find it odd that the city shuts down every time there is a good snowing. I understand the logic is to keep people off the icy roads since there are a lot of people who commute to and from Portland for work and school, but it is just ridiculous.

-City-wide parking ban--It is completely unrealistic to expect that the entire city will be able to park their cars in the appropriate spots as there are not enough parking spaces. Thus, it is guaranteed that X number of cars will get towed. Guess it is just another way for the city to get paid. It is nice that they plow it all at once, though.

-Having to buy City of Portland trash bags if you don't want to pay for private trash service. Now, I'm not so much against having to pay for the bags, but-the bags are cheap and tend to tear open rather easily causing garbage to be blown down the street (where it will remain, by the way)

-Other parking bans such as No Parking This Side Of Street Between x time on x day. Okay, during the non-winter months, this makes sense as the street sweepers will come by and clean that side of the street, but to do this in the winter? I think that it is BS that you will still get a ticket and/or towed if you ignore the sign when during the winter. A couple of weeks ago I asked a parking cop that was ticketing on my street why they would continue to do so during the winter. Her response was, "because municipal vehicles will occasionally come done the street." Yeah, right.

-The amount of money that goes into promoting the Old Port to tourist, maintaining the Old Port for tourist and revitalizing the Old Port for tourist all the while ignoring the rest of the city.

-Something like nine out of the ten city council members live in the Greater Portland Area, and all nine of them seem to be very successful in diverting funds that are intended for the City of Portland to be used in their own cities/townships/suburb.

-The ease of how it is to get on the welfare system and the amount of subsidized housing in this city make it a hot spot for those from all over the state and as far away as Boston who want to milk the system.

Just my two cents.

[K-Luv]

Oh, and I forgot that there seems to be zero sledding hills and no winter time activities/festivals.

[msina]

You can come sledding in my town if ya want K-Luv. There's a golf course down the road a bit the kids like to sled at.

[Petertherock]

I can understand the city closing down for a big storm. I mean if you are getting over a foot of snow that's one thing. But how often has that happened this year? One storm we got 13 inches. But they close things down for 3-4 inches of snow. I may hate the snow and cold and want to move but I certainly have no problem driving in it. I only have a little Toyota Corolla and I have never had any trouble driving in any of the storms we have had this year. Do I like it? No. But in my line of work it doesn't matter what the weather is I have to be at work.

When I grew up in Massachusetts we would get 6-12 inches of snow and we would still have school. It would have to be really bad before they would close. But even there they close at the sign of the first snowflake. I guess the fear of law suites has driven the decision to close now-a-days.

There was one day last week where we had a few inches of snow and I had class at SMCC. The roads were snow covered but not that bad. Less than half the class showed up. I made the comment to our instructor that all these kids want to be law enforcement officers but they don't want to come to school in the snow? What are they going to do when they get to work on the streets? One of my classmates was telling me how they had their live exercise last April and it was snowing out and these 18 year old girls were complaining they wanted to go inside because it was too cold. But yet they want to be police officers where you don't get the chance to go inside when it's cold. No wonder Americans have become lazy.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

I can understand the city closing down for a big storm. I mean if you are getting over a foot of snow that's one thing. But how often has that happened this year? One storm we got 13 inches. But they close things down for 3-4 inches of snow. I may hate the snow and cold and want to move but I certainly have no problem driving in it. I only have a little Toyota Corolla and I have never had any trouble driving in any of the storms we have had this year. Do I like it? No. But in my line of work it doesn't matter what the weather is I have to be at work.

When I grew up in Massachusetts we would get 6-12 inches of snow and we would still have school. It would have to be really bad before they would close. But even there they close at the sign of the first snowflake. I guess the fear of law suites has driven the decision to close now-a-days.

There was one day last week where we had a few inches of snow and I had class at SMCC. The roads were snow covered but not that bad. Less than half the class showed up. I made the comment to our instructor that all these kids want to be law enforcement officers but they don't want to come to school in the snow? What are they going to do when they get to work on the streets? One of my classmates was telling me how they had their live exercise last April and it was snowing out and these 18 year old girls were complaining they wanted to go inside because it was too cold. But yet they want to be police officers where you don't get the chance to go inside when it's cold. No wonder Americans have become lazy.

Yeah, Minnesota was the same way. After school activities would get cancelled or sometimes school would get delayed by an hour or two to give students time to get there, but it would have to seriously blizzard or be -30F for anything to shut down. Although, it was up to the parents discretion if they wanted their little to stay home, and if they did then it was considered an excusable absence. It might have been different further North, but not in the city anyways.

I go to SMCC as well and last Thursday had a 1pm class cancelled because the teacher 'couldn't' make it up form OOB.

True about the CJ program and becoming a police officer.

Not sure if you have noticed, but there is a pair of bicycle cops that ride around the city through out the winter. Saw them out and about on their mountain bikes in downtown yesterday.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by msina

You can come sledding in my town if ya want K-Luv. There's a golf course down the road a bit the kids like to sled at.

I would love to, but that would be quite the drive for me