Most common questions about moving to Maine (Portland, Eastport: fit in, best town)

[Elcarim]

It occurs to me that there are some common questions that are asked by nearly every new visitor to the Maine forum. You were all SO helpful to me when I first appeared asking 120,000 questions about moving. I think it would be nice to have a "commonly asked questions" thread that everyone can contribute to.

I know my first "need to know" questions before even deciding if I'd chosen the right place were "Will I be accepted - will they be nice to me - will I fit in?" Also, "I'm looking for a quaint, old village atmosphere, small population with at least a few modern amenities and work within driving distance. Which area should I concentrate on?" And then, of course the big question, "How do I prepare to survive the winter, coming from a more tropical climate? Don't want to freeze my *ss off!"

Can you think of any of the other common questions we see every day?

And thank you all for making my decision to move my family across the country such an easy one!!

[mollysmiles]

"where'd the water go?" commonly asked by those from away during low tide....well, except for the time when the USS Mitchner docked in 2000 over the 4th in Eastport, and they docked at high tide....they actually though they were sinking!! LOL....

ok, sorry, seriously now...the hardest question for me is when people post and have very little idea of where they'd like to settle if they move to Maine. Maine's so different from one part to the next, that it's hard to answer that one until we know what THEY are looking for!

[Elcarim]

Yeah, it always helps to know exactly what you're looking for. I think that so many people have never really asked themselves what lifestyle they are looking for. If you just do a little soul searching and decide exactly what your inner nature is, that's an easy one to answer. Then, it becomes an easy thing to narrow down. I know for a fact that I do not want to live in or around Portland, simply because it's way too urban for my liking. Stuff like that.

[MRVphotog]

We could ask the moderator to make a thread about "moving to Maine" a "sticky" which means it will appear at the top all the time. Every state should have one. I gave all my useful responses to this question many posts ago.

So, mr/ms/mrs moderator, can we do a sticky " moving to Maine thread "?

thanks

[Moxie]

I'd love to see a photos of Maine sticky too! That way folks can easily update photos of the beautiful Maine countryside. I'm looking forward to seeing some of upcoming winter. Pictures of towns too would be nice. Of course I'd prefer you leave out pictures of questionable donut shops, etc.

[pixieshmoo]

Jobs? Will we find them?

Jobs? Will my children find them in the future? From the negative comments I've seen on here, it concerns me that even if my husband and I can financially survive, that maybe my children won't be able to. Then they'll be those "young people who leave Maine" that everyone talks about and our purpose and point for relocating there in the first place will be moot.

The people - I've met some and hung out with them; I've passed some on the street; I've spoken with some in the grocery stores = haven't met one I didn't love yet.


The way of life and air quality = couldn't compare many places to Maine.

Jobs/future economy?????? That's my concern. I hear healthcare is a big industry up there. But what about everything else, not everyone can be part of the healthcare system. I also become concerned when I hear people talk about how easy it is to obtain welfare. Not there aren't a billion people here on welfare, but according to some opinions, Maine "gives it away". If it's so easy to obtain, there are going to be many people who get it instead of a job because they're lazy. That's what I don't like. I don't want it to be easy for my children to live like that, I want them to have to work and learn the value of the dollar they earn, not to be obsessed with money, but to appreciate their educations, brains, values and what they work for.

Lack of work is what scares me.

[Elcarim]

The stickys are a great idea! And the photos - yes! That's the one thing I found so hard to come by when I first joined the forum and started seriously researching specific places. We need to create the "Maine Network" and when someone is looking into a certain area, get them photos to go by. Surely as many people as there are on this forum, we've got the whole state covered! Listen to me, I sound like I'm there already!! But when I am...I'll go out and shoot for you. It's not exactly like Texas, where you can drive for two days straight and STILL be in Texas - not kidding!

I needed to SEE the towns and the WHOLE town, not just Main Street and tourist areas that are available on the visitor's guide websites. We need to see the real Maine - not the doctored version in print. That will not replace the need to go there and see everything in person, but it's helps to get the research started into specific areas.

Just my thoughts!

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

But when I am...I'll go out and shoot for you. It's not exactly like Texas, where you can drive for two days straight and STILL be in Texas - not kidding!

I needed to SEE the towns and the WHOLE town, not just Main Street and tourist areas that are available on the visitor's guide websites. We need to see the real Maine - not the doctored version in print. That will not replace the need to go there and see everything in person, but it's helps to get the research started into specific areas.

Just my thoughts!

Sounds a lot like what I did when I moved to "down east" NC... this is a very well defined area, accessable only by boat or over a single bridge. Many small communities (but not a WHOLE lot of roads, compared to many places, on account of the water and marshes...). I built a community website, and a business directory, for there was nothing like this for that part of Carteret County. I got the info for the directory by literally driving EVERY road down east, to the very end, and making notes of what businesses I found along the way. In these small communities, it is traditional to do business out of your home, or a nearby outbuilding... from the days of the backyard boatbuilder and family fishing fleet. So I found campgrounds and beauty shops, fish houses, artists, decoy carvers, an aquaculture operation... all sorts of things. AND I took lots of pictures along the way. I didn't use the photos on the website, as it was never designed to be a money-maker and honestly I got busy with paying clients... but... several hurricanes later, it is interesting to go back and shoot the same scenes again. One oft-photographed old boat, washed up and decaying in the marsh, disappeared with Ophelia.

SO maybe we can divide up the state? LOL

[AlisonL]

Too many people ask "what is the best town/city for me?" That is difficult to answer unless its broken down into what they want in a new town.

[Cornerguy1]

Only one "Sticky" per forum as requested by the Administrator of City Data.

Figure out which one you'd like: Pictures or Questions.