Portland vs. Burlington (Kittery, Freeport, Jay: job market, colleges, living in)

[BeantownJoe]

I grew up in southern NH, moved out west after college. Thinking about moving back to New England to be closer to my elderly folks. Late 30's. Have an MBA. Enjoy outdoor sports: skiing, hiking, mountain biking. I think Boston will be too hectic for me and am looking for a smaller town. Portland and Burlington are at the top of the list.

Any input on job market, singles scene, nearest ski areas is appreciated.

Do you think Portland is better than Burlington? I know Burlington is more of a college town with a bit of a hippie vibe.

Thanks.

[lrfox]

I think Portland has a little more going as a city. It's slightly bigger (although I'd say almost negligibly so), but Burlington has better access to the outdoors (except for the ocean obviously). Both have somewhat of a bohemian vibe and strong independent small businesses. Burlington is more of a college town whereas Portland seems to be more family-centric (lots of young families and lots of retirees). Neither is great for singles. At all. I had a girlfriend while I was living in Portland and am glad I did. They're both smaller cities so your dating pool is automatically smaller. In Portland, it felt like everyone was engaged/married by 22-23. The singles scene at the bars was really bad. I guess you could try online dating, but really most singles in their mid-late 20s move away from Portland (to places like Boston where there are more singles) and move back when they're ready to start a family with a significant other. Without sugar coating it, Portland's really a crappy place to be single. Burlington is probably a little better given how many students (undergrad, grad and post-grad) live there, but I wouldn't want to be single in either town.

Burlington is slightly smaller (again, negligibly so), but a bit more polished. It's on the brink of being overly polished and touristy. Portland is far from "gritty" (you'll notice a bit more blight and homelessness), but it doesn't quite have the cutesy feel that Burlington does (IMHO, that's a good thing) although the Old Port is fairly touristy. I feel like in terms of nightlife, dining, etc. It's a wash (or too close to really make a difference). Portland has better shopping with Freeport, Kittery, and even N. Conway so close. Portland's 2ish hours from Boston (bank on more with traffic) and Burlington is about 2 from Montreal (with a border crossing). Both are about 5.75 hours from NYC. It's a wash in "cities close by" department.

In terms of skiing, It's Burlington by a long shot. Burlington is within an hour and 40 minutes of Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Killington/Pico, Stowe, Smuggler's Notch, Sugarbush, and a number of smaller resorts. Mad River Glen, Sugarbush, Stowe and Smuggs are all within an hour of Burlington. Portland has nothing of size within an hour. Shawnee is an hour and 15. The closest notable ski areas are Sunday River and Attitash (an hour and 45). Wildcat is just under two hours and Sugarloaf is around 2.5. Big edge to Burlington on the skiing front. Actually, big edge to Burlington on the outdoors front in general.

I don't know enough about the job market to comment. However, I would consider a place like Portsmouth NH instead. It has a lot of what Portland and Burlington offer from a town perspective and it's about as close to ski areas and the mountains as Portland is (in fact, Portsmouth is closer to more good ski areas than Portland). It also puts you within commuting distance to Boston and the northern suburbs which gives you a better shot at employment opportunities (and a much, much, much bigger dating pool). Manchester is worth a look too. It's definitely not as charming as the other three, but it's got a little going on downtown, is close to skiing and the mountains, and is within striking distance of Boston and the employment opportunities there.

[Mark S.]

Portland is a small city. Burlington is a large town.

Portland has the ocean. Burlington has a lake monster.

Both are great for the outdoors. Burlington probably has more snow skiing opportunities in the immediate area.

Burlington is a college town. Portland is a city with colleges.

Portland is very easily accessible to Boston. Burlington is closer to Montreal.