Living in Portland without a car? (Washington: apartment, rentals, condo)

[migrjo]

If I want to live in Portland without a car, which neighborhood should I choose? I want to be able to walk to retail and, more importantly, to art events.

Thanks!
M.

[shadowfax1997]

Originally Posted by migrjo

If I want to live in Portland without a car, which neighborhood should I choose? I want to be able to walk to retail and, more importantly, to art events.

Thanks!
M.

You are basically looking at four locations - downtown on congress street, eastern prominade, western prominade or the deering oaks area.

Downtown would be best - congress street, middle street, exchange street. Eastern/western prom are nice but can be pricy. Probably a mile walk to downtown area. Deering oaks is a nice park, but some of the area is scary filled with prostitutes and drugs.

Nearest supermarket is probably the hannaford on back bay, and would be easily a mile walk from the above listed areas. Doable, but in january it wouldn't be much fun.

[WhoFanMe]

shadow is right. Are you looking to rent or buy? Condo or Single Family home?

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by shadowfax1997

You are basically looking at four locations - downtown on congress street, eastern prominade, western prominade or the deering oaks area.

Downtown would be best - congress street, middle street, exchange street. Eastern/western prom are nice but can be pricy. Probably a mile walk to downtown area. Deering oaks is a nice park, but some of the area is scary filled with prostitutes and drugs.

Nearest supermarket is probably the hannaford on back bay, and would be easily a mile walk from the above listed areas. Doable, but in january it wouldn't be much fun.

This is really good info, although I personally would not reccomend living in Portland w/o a car. Public trans is limited. As Shadowfax mentioned, walking around downtown doing errands in the dead of winter would be quite challenging. Good luck however.

[Prof_Dave]

Portland has gone down hill that much.. There is drugs and prostitutes. WOW! How times have changed. I remember going through Olde Port as a kid and it was perfectly safe.

[shadowfax1997]

Originally Posted by Prof_Dave

Portland has gone down hill that much.. There is drugs and prostitutes. WOW! How times have changed. I remember going through Olde Port as a kid and it was perfectly safe.

The old port is fine during the day. At night after the bars start to let out can be dangerous with fights and drunks.

Deering oaks is another wonderful spot during the day, but the area around it is rentals with many questionable people.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Fort Lauderdale mermaid

This is really good info, although I personally would not reccomend living in Portland w/o a car. Public trans is limited. As Shadowfax mentioned, walking around downtown doing errands in the dead of winter would be quite challenging. Good luck however.

The Mermaid is right ....plus you have no way to make a quick exit from Maine if you decide it isn't for you!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by migrjo

If I want to live in Portland without a car, which neighborhood should I choose? I want to be able to walk to retail and, more importantly, to art events.

Thanks!
M.

Portland it totally do-able without a car, and it might actually be better not to have one. You can live anywhere on the Peninsula and walk to everywhere that you need to go while still being close to all of the art events. Coming from St. Paul, Portland will seem miniscule. The place is kind of hilly and the bus system here is pretty bad.

I would, however, be weary of Deering Oaks and Parkside and Cumberland (the entire stretch between Deering Oaks up to Washington and most of the area West of that past Forest Ave. If I check a map, I can give you exact borders of areas to avoid.

[migrjo]

Friends -

Thanks for you help.

I will be renting and driving is not on option because of medical reasons.

After twenty years in Minnesota I am somewhat "winterized", but I will be living there as a senior. I will qualify for subsidised/mixed-income housing.

K-Luv, would you look those boundries up for me when you have the time?

Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!

M.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by migrjo

Friends -

Thanks for you help.

I will be renting and driving is not on option because of medical reasons.

After twenty years in Minnesota I am somewhat "winterized", but I will be living there as a senior. I will qualify for subsidised/mixed-income housing.

K-Luv, would you look those boundries up for me when you have the time?

Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!

M.

I will post the boundaries later (my map is in the car....the car is currently gone...), but a few things first: Out of curiosity, why can't you drive? (you can PM me if you don't want to publicly announce it, or you can just tell me to go to hell if it is none of my business) There is something like less then 35% of the housing stock in Portland that are rentals and out of that number a fair amount are subsidized and a few mixed-income, but generally rent is pretty high on the peninsula and what is generally 'cheap' comes with the price of being in a less then desirable neighborhood (like the street that I live on) or a tiny, cramped apartment with undesirable neighbors. Of course, that is not the case in every circumstance-if you dig then you can find something that is cheap and awesome, but that would take a lot of leg work on your part, knowledge of the area and at least a handful of friends. I moved here blind and ended up in a really nice apartment on a really crappy street and I thanked my lucky stars every day over last winter that the saving grace was that the heat was paid for by the landlord.

Why do you want to leave St. Paul?

Why do you want to move to Maine?

Knowing these can help in the advice that I could give.