Portland: Can a family of four make it on $100k?

[lostinme]

I moved to Maine over 3 years ago and it has been the worst experience of my life. The people appear to be very friendly and you think you have gone back in time where people genuinely care about each other and are courteous. Not true. At the 2 year mark, you start to notice that you are not being invited in to their world. You will never be in their "club" and always an outsider. You can give and give to these people and they will take but not give back. I am a native New Englander and have not experienced this any other place I have lived. I came back to New England after stints in CT, Houston and Maryland. You get lulled in to the easy lifestyle here but it is way too socially isolating. You start asking other people not from here and they have had the same experience - 13 years, no friends; 5 years, no friends. I came here alone so I don't even have a significant other to chum around with. I want off Plant Maine!

[Missbeingama$$hole]

I agree Maine is a nice place to visit but not to live unless you come with friends and family of your own.

[dennis s]

I was talking to a wise man (not one of the three) in Florida once about all of the lost souls moving to florida for a "better life". He told me the problem is that they bring themselves with them. They keep the same habits and outlook that they had where they are from. They end up complaining about the same things that they complained about before and eventually move to a new "great place to live".

[gaisracisttokoreans]

Dennis not always the case...Maine is beautiful but very unfriendly to outsiders. Oh except the tourists, like most places that depend on that for the economy they love to take our money.

[dennis s]

You may be right to some degree. The reason for their standoffishness is that so mant people come up on day trips from Boston and N.Y. and they try to tell the locals how the "SHOULD" be doing business. Some move there and as soon as they unpack their boxes of all of their useless stuff. They begin to go to the town meetings and start complaining about how this and that should be changed. They want to live in Maine and be Mainers but they want things in the town to be like Boston or New York. Maine has it's own way of doing things. Too many people are trying to change Maine and "bring these people up to date" If someone even looks or smells like they are trying to impress a Mainer with their money or stuff or what they have done or where they have been, A true Mainer will shut them off without batting an eye. So if you want to move to Maine, study not only the way of life there but the way of thought about life , and keep you'r opinions to yourself, at least for 50 years or so.

That is what makes Maine and Mainers so great.

[lovemaine]

Originally Posted by dennis s

You may be right to some degree. The reason for their standoffishness is that so mant people come up on day trips from Boston and N.Y. and they try to tell the locals how the "SHOULD" be doing business. Some move there and as soon as they unpack their boxes of all of their useless stuff. They begin to go to the town meetings and start complaining about how this and that should be changed. They want to live in Maine and be Mainers but they want things in the town to be like Boston or New York. Maine has it's own way of doing things. Too many people are trying to change Maine and "bring these people up to date" If someone even looks or smells like they are trying to impress a Mainer with their money or stuff or what they have done or where they have been, A true Mainer will shut them off without batting an eye. So if you want to move to Maine, study not only the way of life there but the way of thought about life , and keep you'r opinions to yourself, at least for 50 years or so.

That is what makes Maine and Mainers so great.

Well put, Dennis! I completely agree with everything you mentioned!

[gaisracisttokoreans]

Um someday progress and population will change Maine just like it has done with the rest of the US no matter how resistant to change the old folks are - why? because most of the old timers will die off and their kids have left the state in search of employment. Look at the article in Downeast about Westbrook - once a paper mill town and now it's becoming an arts and business center. It might take a few years to happen but eventually their will be more non natives than natives.

[dennis s]

um..................Riiiiiiiight !