Gentrification in Portland? (Brunswick, Falmouth, Standish: apartments, rentals, house prices)

[Cmusic29]

Hi, I lived in, and loved, Portland Maine from August 2005 to May 2008. I lived in student dorms the first year (05) and in an apartment for the year of 2006, 2007 and 2008 right across from Deering Oaks park. Even as student I had no problem paying the rent, 575 for a one bedroom with wooden floors, kind of an old rustic looking apartment a 30 second walk from the park (just exit the apartment and cross the street) on Park Ave. It was pretty easy to find affordable restaurants for under 8-10 dollars, sometimes even just 2 or 3 bucks (a burrito place near strange Maine sold burritos for under $2). I did find, at the time, the fruits, veggies bread and bottled water were incredibly expensive, however, though some vendors at the weekly farmers markets offered good deals and you could get quite the haul for under 10 dollars if you knew where to look and got to know them well enough for better deals. A night out in Old Port, while not cheap per say, did not break the bank if it was done on occasion and I recall places where you could get microbrews for maybe 3 bucks. A public bus was quite pricey (pricey for what it is) I remember too, and they had maybe 8 routes back then. I think I made 9-10 dollars an hour back then.

Well, all that to say, sometimes I think about stopping the globe trotting and going back to P-land (do people still call it that?) My older sister lives in Maine now and she tells me prices are sky rocketing, that I would be absolutely shocked. How high is cost of living? I lived in DC too, are we talking DC standards? I actually made out like a bandit in DC too, got a room in a big house 5 minutes from the zoo and metro stop for 800 dollars, everything (electric, hot water, laundry, wifi, satellite tv, etc.) included but I know many who were paying 1500-2000 and above in DC. Any way, is it hard to find apartments under 1000 in convenient locations? How bad is the gentrification? I mean, I see in some threads people saying they can spend 2000 on an apartment (dear lord, stop please!) but surely that is not common?

EDIT: Wow, I found my old place pretty quickly actually. It was Park Ave 124 but the price for the top floor for Park Ave 120 is 850 now, I assume my apartment in the building next door would be 850 too, wow, 275 dollars more! Crazy how prices have gone up so much! Have salaries gone up a lot too these past 10 years? https://www.sawyerrealty.net/

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Cmusic29

How high is cost of living? I lived in DC too, are we talking DC standards?

Google "Cost of Living Calculator" and you'll find several sites that can give you better official stats than I can. But in short ...

No, Portland is not NEARLY as expensive as DC, or even Boston. But it is substantially more expensive than it was 15 years ago and is the most expensive metro area in Maine.

I had a realtor tell me once (only half joking) that for every mile you go north of Portland, home prices drop by $1,000 and rent by $25. That's a very broad statement and there are exceptions, but the basic premise holds true: It's cheaper to live outside of Portland than in it. I know lots of people who live in Falmouth, Yarmouth, Brunswick, Bath, etc. who commute into Portland.

[WhoFanMe]

I'm not sure if cost of living means housing prices or weekly expenses. I had a client who worked for Hannaford and I asked him if the food prices were the same in Yarmouth as Standish (areas where house prices are substantially different) and he told me that they were standardized across the region. A gallon of milk in Yarmouth is no more expensive than a gallon of milk in Standish. As for housing prices, any agent with access to MLS can give you that figure by county or town.

[maineguy8888]

Housing costs in Portland have skyrocketed over the last 30 years. I lived there on and off between 1995 and 2006. It was pretty clear that my wife and I would have to live way outside the city if we wanted to start a family (our last apartment was a small 1 bedroom by USM and cost around $750 a month, plus heat). Buying a decent-sized house near Portland would have left us house poor. So we moved way north and bought the house we wanted for less than half what it would cost near Portland. (And my job pays about the same as similar ones near Portland).

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

:
No, Portland is not NEARLY as expensive as DC, or even Boston. But it is substantially more expensive than it was 15 years ago and is the most expensive metro area in Maine.
:

Boston and Cambridge are insane these days. Even a 1-bedroom apartment will start around $2500/mo. I don't know how people are paying those prices.

[ilovemycat]

The State minimum wage went up to $11.00 hr as of 01/2019, so that has increased since you were here. I think I saw a sign that Dunkin donuts was offering $12.00. Naturally, it depends on the type of job you expect to get - a service job or a professional one. But rents are high, as you found out. Hopefully, the increase in pay would be commensurate with the increase in rents.

[mainegrl2011]

Some people think that because rent is high, raising the minimum wage to $15 would/will solve their financial problem; you may have heard the term "living wage." When businesses are forced to pay higher wages, typically they raise prices to customers. Then you as a customer/consumer making a $15 an hour minimum wage are paying more to purchase items because the price of the items was increased to cover the cost of the wage increase for the business. To me, no one was ever going to have a "living wage" based on earning minimum wage. In this situation one, two, three or more roommates are needed to make ends meet. If you want an apartment you can afford to live in by yourself, you need a marketable skill resulting in a career that will allow you to make enough $ to afford the things you want and/or need in life without needing one or more roommates. From what I've observed, rentals are expensive on the coast of Maine, much less expensive in Houlton, for example. Most people don't prefer to live in a non ocean coastal place such as Houlton so next we have the concept of supply and demand. Other paths taken by some is to apply for and get housing $ assistance from the state or work multiple jobs.

[NYRicantraveler]

I had lived in Portland,Maine from '12 till August '18. My studio apartment was at $925/mo (only h/w was included). To live comfortably you would be spending around $1,300 to $1,500 a month. The job market is not very stable. Plus, they have a craze for the food "scene". So, you could adapt into the culinary lifestyle but the jobs are not rewarding as for the wage an hour, well, let's just say men are still paid more than women. The universities are great in education, no doubt. The employment is an issue when young and ambitious to level-up. I had three jobs trying to live a normal lifestyle in Portland, Maine. After those years of strain, decided it was time to move on to something better. Nowadays, everyone has roommates and landing a full-time job is scarce, especially if you don't know people within the company. There is an old say: It is not what you know, it is WHO you know. And, the winters are harsh... Three months of spring/summer. Employment agencies such as Adecco, Robert Half, and Bonney Staffing are tremendously picky towards the 'bestest' clients. So, competition in all of those are difficult and the employees with the important titles will not help boast up your work ethic without years and years of work experience. Maine is a state for ski-lovers alike and tourist, but to live as a young individual will be challenging.

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by NYRicantraveler

I had lived in Portland,Maine from '12 till August '18. My studio apartment was at $925/mo (only h/w was included). To live comfortably you would be spending around $1,300 to $1,500 a month. The job market is not very stable. Plus, they have a craze for the food "scene". So, you could adapt into the culinary lifestyle but the jobs are not rewarding as for the wage an hour, well, let's just say men are still paid more than women. The universities are great in education, no doubt. The employment is an issue when young and ambitious to level-up. I had three jobs trying to live a normal lifestyle in Portland, Maine. After those years of strain, decided it was time to move on to something better. Nowadays, everyone has roommates and landing a full-time job is scarce, especially if you don't know people within the company. There is an old say: It is not what you know, it is WHO you know. And, the winters are harsh... Three months of spring/summer. Employment agencies such as Adecco, Robert Half, and Bonney Staffing are tremendously picky towards the 'bestest' clients. So, competition in all of those are difficult and the employees with the important titles will not help boast up your work ethic without years and years of work experience. Maine is a state for ski-lovers alike and tourist, but to live as a young individual will be challenging.

join linked in and maybe someone you know knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who can help with job searches. Www.linkedin.com or download the app

[NYRicantraveler]

Originally Posted by mainegrl2011

join linked in and maybe someone you know knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who can help with job searches. LinkedIn WWW: Log In or Sign Up or download the app

I am all good, no grazie! LinkedIn did not provide any luck in my past nor would it be in my future cards. My past life was a stressful, hefty price tag of $2,800 - $3,000 a month in Portland, Maine working three jobs a week meanwhile the process to pick up a forth job. No thank you, gracefully.

Therefore, no longer living in the USA as I made the jump to study in Italia for a third college degree and currently living in Italy with my fiance. We do not have plans to move to the USA anytime soon. Plus, learning to speak, write, read fluently in italian is my goal.

However, there are plans to study many more languages in my future living in "il bel paese!"

For this, I feel truly appreciative to change my entire life in a new country, in which, not one of my Maine friends will never experience. Sad, but it is true.

On the plus side there is no snow where we live in Italia.

Mi piace tanto qua! Anche, molto contenta in Italia!