Thinking of moving out of Portland ... (Biddeford: neighborhoods, restaurants, stores)

[recovering yank]

Originally Posted by Maineah

What's wrong with that?

Thats an incredibly healthy attitude.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Maineah

My stepson and his fiance' lived in Boston for three years after getting out of school. In three years they were broken into and robbed four times of everything they owned. He said never again. Now she's in New York and he's in Maine.

Hi Maineah, Thats too bad..when that happens it changes people for the worse and can really damage perception.. I can only imagine they were in a really bad area of Boston or really unlucky...however.. That can happen in any city in Maine too.. and it does.

I lived just outside Boston my whole life and never was a victim of a crime. We never locked our doors to our house or our car.. Like anything... if you have the means..there are plenty of nice safe areas to live.

Case in point.. Newton Ma for example has 50% more people than Portland, directly borders Boston, but has exactley half the violent crime rate and even LESS the property crime rate than Portland.. (sperlings crime rate comparison)..

[broadbill]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Hi Maineah, Thats too bad..when that happens it changes people for the worse and can really damage perception.. I can only imagine they were in a really bad area of Boston or really unlucky...however.. That can happen in any city in Maine too.. and it does.

I lived just outside Boston my whole life and never was a victim of a crime. We never locked our doors to our house or our car.. Like anything... if you have the means..there are plenty of nice safe areas to live.

Case in point.. Newton Ma for example has 50% more people than Portland, directly borders Boston, but has exactley half the violent crime rate and even LESS the property crime rate than Portland.. (sperlings crime rate comparison)..

I lived in Jamaica Plain for 8 years, which is considered (by many, not by me) one of the seedier parts of Boston. For the record we never had either my car or my house broken into.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Case in point.. Newton Ma for example has 50% more people than Portland, directly borders Boston, but has exactley half the violent crime rate and even LESS the property crime rate than Portland.. (sperlings crime rate comparison)..

Excellent point. Boston has some seedy neighborhoods (not too many though), but there are large chunks (larger than Portland) that are safer as a whole than Portland. Newton (pop 80,000) is larger and safer as you mentioned as is Quincy (80,000) and Cambridge (105,000). These cities either share a border with Boston (though Quincy's is along the Neponset River) are larger than Portland, are on transit lines (Red and Green) AND have lower crime rates.

While the most dangerous Boston neighborhood is more dangerous than anything you'll ever find in Portland, there are large chunks of urban area that are safer (at least, statistically) than anything you'll find in Portland.

The kicker, however, is cost. Quincy is relatively affordable for the Boston area and very safe. It's still a lot more expensive to buy/rent there than in Portland. Newton is ultra-expensive (with the exception of a few small pockets) and Cambridge is pricey too.

Personal addition, I'm in Mission Hill and my sister is in Fenway and in our short time (she's been there 1.5 years and I've been here about 2.5 months) we've never had issues with crime nor has anyone we know.

I hardly consider Portland dangerous and on the whole I don't consider Portland more dangerous than Boston... but the people whining about Boston's crime are really making the mistake of lumping it into one big category. It's a metropolitan area of nearly 5 million people (7 Million if you go by CSA) and a diverse one at that. You'll find some seedy pockets for sure, but they make up but a fraction of the whole area. I'm sorry for anyone who's had a bad experience there, but it's unfair to say the whole place is dangerous.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by recovering yank

Thats an incredibly healthy attitude.

Sarcasm, I believe .

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Boston09

... but wondering if the grass is always greener.

I have moved from California to Kansas, back to California, to Minnesota, and then to Maine. I have also moved from one area of a city to another as well as having lived as an 'extended guest' (i.e., one to six months) in various other cities including some spots in Europe and all I can say is that the grass always looks greener from the other side, regardless of which side you are on.

My experience has taught me that no matter how desirable a place may seem (greener grass), shortly after I (you) get there, it turns out to be just like everywhere else. While it may be exciting to move someplace new, the only thing that makes this other side greener is YOU, but the kicker is that the reality is that you are going to be the same person once you get there and looking back the grass on the side you just left is going to look greener.

There is also another truth; chances are high that if you are young(er) you are only going to end up doing the same sh*t in Boston that you do here. The difference is that Boston may offer more of what-ever it is that you do but you'll more then likely find your own little niche and stick to it while not taking advantage or experiencing these other options.

I don't know, maybe it is just me, but humans are pretty predictable and routine-based.


On another note: Everybody knows that Maine is the safest place on the planet; possibly the solar system. There are hundreds of post right here on City-Data by real-life Mainers who say so. Crime just does not happen here. It all happens in Massachusetts. Or Vermont. The FBI will even back that up.

[michael49]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

.

.....I don't know, maybe it is just me, but humans are pretty predictable and routine-based. ...

You are so dead on with this that I just had to second it.

[elston]

Originally Posted by recovering yank

The issue is, with Portland, is that the vast majority of "things to do" involve alcohol. You can only run back cove, and walk around the Old Port so many times before you get completely bored.

Greater Portland is not turning into a new Boston, unless you count Jetblue coming into town.

This must be an age thing. I dont go to the Old Port for evening entertainment and I dont run the back cove. I have plenty to do....gardening and yard work...reading....my church....visiting....going out to eat....and attending to daily life. That is what I would do in Boston or Providence....it is what I did in San Diego and what I do in my little town in Maine. "I'm dancing as fast as I can" and dont need more to do.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by elston

This must be an age thing. I dont go to the Old Port for evening entertainment and I dont run the back cove. I have plenty to do....gardening and yard work...reading....my church....visiting....going out to eat....and attending to daily life. That is what I would do in Boston or Providence....it is what I did in San Diego and what I do in my little town in Maine. "I'm dancing as fast as I can" and dont need more to do.

Great post!

[moughie]

Originally Posted by Boston09

... but wondering if the grass is always greener. I'm looking at greater Boston because of family and better job opportunities, and opportunity to be closer to the city. But I do enjoy and have gotten to know Portland pretty well.

Any advice one way or the other? Thanks!

Move..... go for it...... you can always come back to Maine!

Unless you believe in reincarnation, I would state that you have one life to live, so do what you want, as long as it causes no harm to yourself or others.