Car Rental Alternative? (Portland, Hope: hotels, neighborhood, buying)

[MissLariss]

Hi everyone,
I have been following these forums for awhile but this is my first time posting a new thread.

My husband will be doing a month long rotation at Maine Medical Center in Portland in September. I am looking into craigslist and roommates.com for temporary housing but am not having much luck. Beyond that, a month long car rental is horribly expensive. So that limits his housing options a lot.

Do any of you know of any alternatives to the usual car rental way of transportation? If I need to, I will limit my housing search to the downtown area so he can just walk to work. But he enjoys outdoor activities a lot (fly-fishing, hiking, white-water kayaking) and I wouldn't want to deprive him if there is another way..

Does anyone have some suggestions for housing and cheap cars?

Thanks in advance!

[lookinforahome]

About housing: They just finished building a Residence Inn for long term stays on the watefront

Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Waterfront: Spacious suites and amenities for longer stays


Not sure about how to get around. There's a new car sharing thing called U-Car Share, but I don't know a whole lot about it.

https://www.ucarshare.com/secure/Home.aspx


Other than that, getting around with a bike would be easy. A lot of people have been biking as of late what with the going green movement and all, so Portland and Maine seems to have gotten more bike friendly. Of course there are buses around the city and I have been noticing more taxis. You could probably walk there too easily, its about a mile and half from the Residence Inn which would be a quick bike ride or not a bad walk.

Hope this helps, good luck!!

[Maineah]

You can buy a not so good car on the side of the road for $500.00 or less in every town in Maine. Much cheaper than a month long rental. If hubby doesn't care what he drives there's planty of iron out there for next to nothing. Housing....not so cheap.

[MissLariss]

Thanks for the info lookin. I will check it out.

I had been wondering about just buying a car... He would probably have a hard time offloading when he left though, huh? And I don't know anything about registering a car for a month, is that a big deal?

[lookinforahome]

I wouldn't buy a car because there's a lot of public/alternative transportations to get around. But thats just me. If you did want to buy one, Craigslist would be the way to go (am I allowed to do that on this forum?).

[broadbill]

Can Maine Med steer him toward some short-term/temporary housing options? Surely other folks have done similar rotations and have needed housing.

As for a car, I would say he should get something close by and walk. I can't imagine he'll have much time to do alot of sight-seeing/outdoor stuff, but if he does then he could probably rent a car for a day or borrow a car.

Good luck!

[MissLariss]

The car share thing that lookin directed me to looks pretty perfect for what he needs. My only worry is that he will probably be getting off his shifts in the middle of the night sometimes. Is it safe to walk, ride your bike at 3am?

Maine Med usually provides temp housing but they ran out before he could benefit. I will tell him to ask them if they have any suggestions beyond that.

Thanks everyone!

[lrfox]

If it's just for a month, why not just live near the hospital (the West End is right there and a nice neighborhood) for the time being, and rent a car for a day or two when your hubby wants to get away? Maybe your roomate would let you borrow theirs as the "outdoors" aren't far from Portland at all. Portland's small enough and not so dense that it doesn't give someone the sometimes oppressive feeling of being "stuck" in the city. It's just not big like that. Heck, even a quick ferry ride from Portland's waterfront will take you out to some of the islands in the bay which are quite pretty and quiet. I doubt that your husband will have ANY trouble connecting with the outdoors in Portland.

Furthermore, I may know some people who would be willing to rent to to/ let you stay with them in that area. If you're still interested, let me know and I can try and put you in contact with them. Of course I'll have to check with them to see if they're looking for temporary roomates still, but if they are and you're interested I'll send you a direct message with their info. They're professionals living in the West End so it would be convenient for you.

P.S. September is a perfect month to be there. You'll enjoy it.

[MissLariss]

Good to know that Portland doesn't feel big! I think he will appreciate that.. :] Thanks for the information Irfox, and yes, I would definitely be interested in talking to your friends about a room possibility for my husband. That's really nice of you to look into for us! Thanks!