What don't you like about living/having lived in Portland? (Brunswick: condos, how much)
Portland areaPortland, ME metro area
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I lived in Cumberland and Yarmouth for more than ten years. My business took me in and out of Portland, sometimes on a daily basis from my office in Falmouth.
What I didn't like about the entire experience was that it was less like living in Maine, and more like living in suburban Boston.
I grew up in a suburban town west of Boston, and graduated from Boston University. Whenever I go back to Portland, I am amazed at how much it reminds me of what I escaped from thirty years ago.
Given the choice today, I think I would rather live in a suburb of Boston that is served by the MTA than in suburban Portland. Boston is a much larger and more cosmopolitan city than Portland, and with the train service, it would be easier and simpler to see what the city offers. In the Portland area, as with every other small city in Maine, without a car, you are out of luck. With gasoline prices set to rise above $6 per gallon, Mainers will soon become a highly immobile citizenry.
LOL. I liked it for the reason that Acadialion doesn't like it. I like that it's a city and yet it is so close to the mountains, lakes, etc. I moved back to Maine from Washington, DC, so I couldn't see myself moving back to Old Town. This was in 1988. Portland has a lot of what you would find in a bigger city - museums, concerts, educational institutions, etc. When we finally move back to Maine, we will be in one of the burbs of Portland.
A city is a city ...unless you're talking about Grand Rapids, Michigan.."the city that never wakes". I spent a month in Grand Rapids one weekend.
My brother grew up in Yarmouth and moved to Portland in his twenties. He liked the convenience of being able to walk or bicycle to just about anywhere he wanted to go, though he just never felt comfortable living in the city. It's the constant drone of traffic, police and fire sirens,noisy people walking around after the bars empty out at night, he said it always kept him on edge and he never got used to it. As soon as he could he moved to the Brunswick area. Less congested,quieter and much cheaper rents. It's all what you're used to I guess. I don't like cities, some people love them. It's really a personal choice. There's no right or wrong with anyone's choice when it comes to city vs suburban living.
So far, sounds like Portland has a best-of-several worlds thing going on.
...i was hoping to get a lot more input--like we did in my city of Pittsburgh about this topic--but maybe we'll hear more soon...
What don't people like about living in Portland?
Nothing is perfect, and there HAVE to be downsides per each person's perspective.
What don't people like about living in Portland?...
If you're talking about just Portland, as a city, I think the one thing that it lacks is good public transportation. It may have improved over the years, but I know when I lived in town it was just a given that you would drive pretty much everywhere. Yes, there are buses, but not to the extent that you find in a major city. I guess because Portland isn't a major city, though. And cabs were virtually non-existent, although I think they are becoming a little more prevalent.
Hmm. I hated having to move my car for snow plowing when I parked on the street. Does that count?
-It's large enough to find plenty to do, but small enough to not be overwhelmed (well, not according to Mainers).
-Good amount of bars and a variety of restaurants ranging from sushi to Thai to Lebanese.
-Portland Sea Dogs
-It's right on the ocean.
-Nature is a very short drive away.
DISLIKES:
-It's kind of a weird size. At times it seems like it is either too big or too small.
-People drive like idiots (drive way too fast) but yet they take their effin' time when they are not in their car.
-People will block the isle of a grocery store and pretend(?) to not notice that you want to get around them. If you say excuse me, they act real annoyed, if they even move at all.
-Occasionally, you will get stuck in a check out line because the person in front of the line is having a conversation with the clerk behind the counter. Regardless of how many people are in line, the clerk will continue the conversation and will not help other customers until they are done talking.
-There are a lot more druggies, drunks, crazies and homeless people roaming the streets than you probably think or can imagine.
-The discrepancy between the rich and poor is too great for the size of the population.
-Impossible to find a decent burrito.
-Impossible to find a cheap place to eat. Even a simple sandwich will cost you $8. There are no places to run in and grab something for under two bucks unless it is a candy bar or Dunkin Donut.
-There is only one Taco Bell (and it's at the Mall-bad) and like one Burger King, Arby's, and McDonald's (good) but for some reason there is a Dunkin' Donuts around every corner (bad).
-The roads, suck.
-Far too many tourists in the Old Port.
-Too many condos are going up.
I'm off to school...will post more when I get back.
-It's large enough to find plenty to do, but small enough to not be overwhelmed (well, not according to Mainers).
-Good amount of bars and a variety of restaurants ranging from sushi to Thai to Lebanese.
-Portland Sea Dogs
-It's right on the ocean.
-Nature is a very short drive away.
DISLIKES:
-It's kind of a weird size. At times it seems like it is either too big or too small.
-People drive like idiots (drive way too fast) but yet they take their effin' time when they are not in their car.
-People will block the isle of a grocery store and pretend(?) to not notice that you want to get around them. If you say excuse me, they act real annoyed, if they even move at all.
-Occasionally, you will get stuck in a check out line because the person in front of the line is having a conversation with the clerk behind the counter. Regardless of how many people are in line, the clerk will continue the conversation and will not help other customers until they are done talking.
-There are a lot more druggies, drunks, crazies and homeless people roaming the streets than you probably think or can imagine.
-The discrepancy between the rich and poor is too great for the size of the population.
-Impossible to find a decent burrito.
-Impossible to find a cheap place to eat. Even a simple sandwich will cost you $8. There are no places to run in and grab something for under two bucks unless it is a candy bar or Dunkin Donut.
-There is only one Taco Bell (and it's at the Mall-bad) and like one Burger King, Arby's, and McDonald's (good) but for some reason there is a Dunkin' Donuts around every corner (bad).
-The roads, suck.
-Far too many tourists in the Old Port.
-Too many condos are going up.
I'm off to school...will post more when I get back.
K-Luv,
When you get back to post more, let me know what you think about my being a grad-student about to graduate, maybe moving to Portland. I wanna be close to the good stuff and in-town, but not among a bunch of drunk 21-year olds. Somewhere with some places you'd wanna be, but for adults--relatively young, single adults. Old Port? Penninsula?
You need to move to Texas or Arizona we don't eat that stuff around here!
Maybe if it was deep-dried and glazed?
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