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Hey Everyone! New here, but hopefully you guys can all help me out.
Im looking to move, and for some reason ... Maine has just sparked my interest. Im currently on the West Coast (born and raised here), but have always felt a pulling need to get a taste of the East Coast life. Ive been raised in a small town (pop. 25,000. Not too small, but small enough that you run into EVERYONE at the grocery store).
Im 22 years old, kind of at that crossroad in life where I need to go stretch my legs and get out on my own, and theres nothing Im tied to here in California (aside from my family being here), but I need to get out and experience things on my own I think, the time has come. Im a born and raised "rural" girl. Grew up riding horses, hiking, camping, beach trips, lake trips, etc etc, and from what ive read here, and also in my research of the different areas of Maine ... the state is great for all kinds of outdoor activities, year round.
So, any advice you guys could toss my way would be great. I know taking a trip back there would be a good idea, check it out, see how it feels for me.
Job wise and housing (and preferably housing that is okay with dogs/cats) how does it look for a 22 year old?
Ive also got my horse (who will most likely be coming with me, and if not, I'd get a horse once I was settled out there), riding facility/boarding facility wise - how does it look out there? Ive done some online research but I was hoping to get some info from you all who live out there.
Thanks so much! I appreciate anything/everything you guys toss my way.
Hi Mellie, good for you for having an adventuresome attitude.
Your question is so hard to answer, it really is. I am just trying to be honest. That's because Maine is hard to pigeonhole. It's kind of an odd place.
It's very different from almost any other place, in so many ways. The exception to that (you should know) is that the southernmost part of the state (York and Cumberland counties), as well as the southern half of the coastline, is kind of becoming like Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, etc. I know that some people don't like to hear that (because we have always highly valued being MAINE, not those other places), but it is true (sadly true, in my opinion). I have lived in that area of the state several times over the years, and have seen it change a lot over the last 20 years. It was "discovered" some years ago. The area I am talking about keeps growing, every year. Many people "from away" have moved into that area, because it is more prosperous, more people, closer to Boston, etc. ---and it is still somewhat cheaper than almost any part of the other northeast states (although to those of us in the rest of Maine, it is pretty expensive!!). The newcomers have "transformed" that part of the state, just by sheer numbers alone, traffic, etc. (although there are no megacities or anything). A lot of rapidly growing suburban areas which used to be rural. The newcomers have also brought in a different culture and attitude, in general. So they're not complaining that their new homes seem somewhat like the places they left behind. It's all relative, I guess! You might enjoy living in what we call "Massachusetts North", or you might feel like it is not "different" enough for you. That depends on you.
Job-wise, if you have the right degree or job qualifications, you can find a job almost any where in Maine. If you are limited, career wise, then most people start looking in southern Maine (around Portland), or in the few other "cities" in the state (Lewiston/Auburn, Bangor, and a couple other smaller ones). But again, it is hard to pigeon-hole this answer. For example, in my field (social work), there are a number of opportunities in every part of the state. And in the more rural, underserved areas, the federal government actually offers great financial incentives for qualified social workers to work there. If you don't mind driving, that helps too, when it comes to finding work wise. I currently work with a client who drives well over an hour to work, four days a week. But it's a good job.
Maine jobs pay less than the national average, but in general, the cost of living in Maine is less (except in the previously mentioned "expensive" sections where it can be much higher in places). Renting in most parts of the state might cost you anywhere from $500 to $600 for a decent two bedroom apartment or house, heat included (just to give you some idea). In the few really poor areas, it might even be less than that. In the expensive parts of the state, it can be $700 to $900, or more.
Maine has a pretty generous social services system, if that is something a person might need. The economy is pretty stagnant and has been for a while, but there are a few companies/areas that are really growing. It is nowhere near as bad here as in some other parts of the country, like Michigan or Appalachia.
Maine gets cold. You must be aware of this. Some people just can't stand it. One winter, and they're gone. There are many posts on CD related to that topic.
Mainers are pretty laid back and you will find it an easier paced life, if you come. Not much serious crime, etc. Real strong communities, in general.
Now, you will find nature everywhere in Maine. It sounds like that matters to you. It is everywhere you turn, in most parts of the state. You can't escape it, even if you wanted to... lol. (Southern Maine and the few cities are trying to cling to this quality......it's disappearing, but even in those places, if you drive less than an hour, you'll be right back in true NATURE).
Maine has several different regions. In general, they are: the coast (a strip running from Kittery right up to Eastport, which extends inland about 5-10 miles); southern Maine (see above); western Maine (rural, with lots of small towns, woods, hills, and mountains); central Maine (a couple small cities, many small towns, some farms and some woods, pretty flat); and northern Maine (rural, lots of woods, lots of farms, some wilderness areas, small towns, hills and a few mountains---including Mt. Katahdin, one mile high). I live in the latter. The poorest areas are the most eastern part of the state, and western Maine. Those areas are struggling. Northern and central are doing so-so. Southern, mid-coast and the south coast is still doing pretty well.
As for horses, there's a pretty srong horse culture here. Hay was very expensive in central and southern Maine this year, due to a VERY wet spring and early summer.
I hope this helps!
Last edited by maineguy8888; 09-23-2009 at 07:20 PM..
Maine is a different place than what you're used to for sure. The first part of your post that jumps out at me is that you come from a "small town" of 25,000 people. This made me laugh a little bit, but I'll try to add some relative perspective. Maine is a state FULL of small towns. Even the cities are small towns. Bangor, the "Queen City" has only 6,000 more people than the small town you grew up in and it's what most people in that area call a big city. Portland, the largest city and economic hub of the state has only 63,000 people... it's tiny, especially for the role it plays. While I tend to agree with you that 25,000 people is still a small town, most Mainers would beg to differ. No matter where you settle in Maine, you'll likely feel that you're in a small area. If you're looking for small town comforts, you're looking in the right state.
Maine's economy has never been noted for its strength. As a result, it's never been a boom/bust place. The people of Maine tend to just make it work. You'll find, genuine, hard working individuals in this state. People in Maine tend to like things the way they are. The best advice I could give to someone moving to Maine (or anywhere for that matter, but Maine in particular) is to do your best to adapt to the Maine way of life... trying to change it or making it like where you came from will be an epic disaster and really make you resent the place.
Maine's a beautiful place and there are no shortage of activities for people who enjoy the outdoors. You have everything from skiing and dogsledding to swimming and kayaking (and a plethora of motorized sports too). For the outdoor lovers, it's a hard place to get bored. There would be plenty of room for you to keep a horse on your own property if you were looking to buy, but I don't know about boarding/ associated costs. My sister boarded her horse here in Massachusetts, but I don't know the costs or details. I'd assume it would be on the pricier end given the fact that winters in Maine are harsh which would mean heating costs as well as extra effort to feed an exercise the horse. Someone else will surely know more about this than I do.
As far as jobs go, it's "iffy" at best. It really depends on what you are capable of doing. At 22 (I'm 23, btw) I'm assuming you have no more than an undergraduate degree (unless you're some sort of wunderkid). Depending on what your experience and training are in, a job may be relatively easy or difficult to come by. Maine's big industry is tourism which is mostly seasonal, but hotels, restaurants and other tourism related businesses tend to be a good place to look. As with anywhere, properly trained healthcare professionals are in demand. Other than that, you'll have to look hard. As we've mentioned, the economy is really limited in Maine and it may take some trips out here to make some connections for a job (most people won't hire someone who doesn't yet live in Maine).
Now, as far as places to live, there are plenty given the description you mentioned (maybe come back with more specifics). Rentals in Maine are mostly limited to the "cities" (Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Biddeford, Augusta). Maine has the highest rate of home ownership so rentals in small towns are really limited. If you want a small town, College towns (like Farmington, Orono, Brunswick, etc) tend to have the bet selection. As I mentioned before, cities in Maine are small. Even Portland (the largest) has a really laid-back, small town vibe. Coming from a place with a larger population, you would feel like Bangor, Augusta, Waterville, etc are small/mid-size towns more than they are cities so check them out before you rule them out.
Now I need to add one thing. I tend to want to pull my hair out when people say that Southern Maine is "becoming like Massachusetts and Connecticut." I can assure you that someone who says that is completely unfamiliar with Massachusetts and Connecticut and that there is really no comparison between Southern Maine and those two areas. There is some discontent for Southern Maine amongst Northern Mainers (while there is some the other way around towards Northern Maine it's largely one-sided) as Southern Maine is the more thickly settled/well-to-do portion of the state. However, this is all relative. Maine as a whole is one of the most rural states in the nation and in the bottom half in terms of income (MA and CT are among the wealthiest and the most densely populated). Northern Maine is incredibly sparsely populated. While Southern Maine has MORE people it's still VERY sparsely populated (again, the largest city has 63,000 people!). It has nothing that even approaches the population density of Massachusetts or Connecticut. It doesn't resemble them in any way. As far as the "well-to-do" part of that, it's the same as the population part. Southern Maine may have a higher average income than Northern Maine but it's hardly a beacon of incredible wealth. The wealthiest town in Maine (it's Cape Elizabeth, by the way) has the same average household income as what would be considered a working class/ middle class town in Massachusetts or Connecticut (or California for a reference point). Hardly incredibly wealthy or snooty. The people who have this point of view towards Southern Maine really tend to have no basis or legs on which to stand when insinuating that Southern Maine is "like Massachusetts or Connecticut." Those areas are really not similar at all. Don't get the impression that living in Southern Maine is the same as moving to Massachusetts or Connecticut because it couldn't be further from the truth. I've lived in Massachusetts (did before I went to Maine and do now) as well as Southern Maine. A small pocket of suburban retail or a larger population than Northern Maine doesn't make an area similar to a good chunk of the nation's largest megalopolis (Bos-Wash); if that were the case, than Billings, Montana or Anchorage Alaska would be just like MA or CT as well. While Southern Maine may be a bit different than Northern Maine, it doesn't mean that Southern Maine is like Massachusetts... that's taking the "differences" to a serious extreme. They're incredibly different areas and don't believe anyone that tries to point to the contrary.
In Southern Maine you can find your large chunk of rural area and your access to the outdoors easily. In fact, when moving to Maine at age 22, I would encourage you to consider the Portland area first. Portland is the cultural hub of Maine. It's very small, yes, but it's a good jumping off point for someone who wants to see Maine. It will have some of the comforts of home (charming little downtown, moderately sized suburban retail outside the center of town, small airport, etc) yet be right at nature's doorstep. 10 miles from downtown Portland (depending on exactly which direction you go) puts you in a world of lakes, forests, oceans, beaches, etc. There are plenty of rentals available and Portland is an easy city to drive in. There are plenty of places to board your horse nearby too.
If you end up disliking Portland, you can easily up and move somewhere a bit quieter. Belfast is nice as is Farmington, Eastport, Bangor, etc. However, they're all very different. It would be tough to settle into one of those places and then find out you don't like it which is why I suggest starting in Portland (certainly visit before moving). Maine's a beautiful place, but I would come out here first because it would be a terrible place to come out to and decide you didn't like it and have to move all the way back across the country.
I appreciate Fox's input on here. Well thought out. And I do NOT want to be come TOO curmudgeonly, lol. The last post has some great points. I think we just have different perspectives, based on age, where we're from, etc.
I guess I've just become older and more realistic since 1989 (the first time I lived in the Portland area). I like a lot about that area, or I wouldn't have lived there much of the last 20 years. (One thing I love about it is that I still have lots of family there!) My wife and I really miss heading to the beach on a nice day, that's for sure. Not that we did it a lot, but it was nice to feel we could head on over to Willard for a few hours, or down to OOB to kill a day. (When we were down there in late April, we took our son to Willard for his first trip to the beach---he was almost 1---- but it was SOOOOOO cold that we literally snapped a couple pics and ran for the car after 2 minutes! The wind coming in off the water, and all.....oh well!)
I lived outside Boston, and have worked literally all over the northeast (doing construction). So I agree that there are definitely more congested and pricey areas than southern Maine/the coast. But the trend is not good for the latter. People keep coming. Prices keep going up. Traffic keeps getting worse (some of the worst traffic I have ever experienced is in southern Maine in the summer, with all the tourists, or in Portland with the commute, if you're on the wrong artery at the wrong time. It's true!) The apartment prices are getting awful high in Portland. The last place my wife and I rented there, after looking all over, was small, one bedroom, nothing fancy, and cost $750, nothing included. As for working in my field and the salary I make, I would never have been able to buy even a halfway decent house in the greater Portland area. I would have had to live at least half an hour out, if not further. And that's the problem. So many people are in the exact same boat that the towns around Portland are changing rapidly. I lived in Buxton for a couple years, and saw it firsthand. While its population was only 8,000, that was twice what it was a decade earlier. Huge change! CumberlandCounty alone lost over 56,000 rural acres in the last 20 years. Gone to development.
And that drives real estate prices through the roof, as every one wants to live half an hour outside Portland for work, services, etc. and to own a house in the suburbs. Some of those price jumps have slowed in this real estate bust, but southern Maine has still become pretty expensive. If you have a great job, that's moot. As I said, it's all relative. The towns around Portland all have relatively high median household income levels..........anywhere from $60,000 to $90,000. That's why people say the area is becoming LIKE Massachusetts/southern New Hampshire. Fox is right that those income levels are around the same as most parts of Mass., NH., Connecticut, etc. I have to stick with my point that if you drive around much of southern Maine and the coast (escpecially in the summer), and then drove through the small cities and suburban areas of southern NH, Mass., much of Connecticut, etc., you'd get the same feeling. It all just increasingly blends together, until you get to Boston. I'm certainly far from the first person to notice this or say what I'm saying.
I don't know if Fox is right when he says northern Mainers feel negative about southern Maine. I guess it's a combination of frustration and sadness...........and just feeling disconnected (the whole "two Maines' thing). As I said, my nephews are growing up in the Portland area, so I hope it will be a decent place to live. The advice about starting out there if you move to Maine is good. Just make sure you branch out and start checking out "the real Maine" once you land!!
Last edited by maineguy8888; 09-24-2009 at 11:14 AM..
Good post, Maineguy. You didn't come off to curmudgeonly.
I think that sounds accurate (I am assuming you're right as I'm too young to have witnessed the change first hand). My point wasn't that Southern Maine wasn't evolving (it certainly is); it was that it isn't, "like Massachusetts and Connecticut" which it still isn't. The area around Portland is growing, but that doesn't make it the same as Mass or CT (most of the nation is growing).
I can sympathize with rents in Southern Maine (particularly in Portland... there is value elsewhere in the region). I paid $750 for an apartment too (2br close to downtown Portland). I don't think the rent in Portland is so high as much as it's hard to find a job to cover the cost of paying rent. In Boston, for example, a similar apartment to what I had in Portland would cost nearly double what I paid for it in Portland (actually it would EASILY cost double). The difference is, in Boston, there are plenty of jobs that would give me the ability to pay for it. Same goes for Southern CT. The cost of living in Portland is not proportional to the average income in some cases. However, that's actually different than Massachusetts and CT... two places that are expensive but have high paying jobs as well (which is why they have 2 of the 3 highest average incomes in the country... Maryland being the other). However, if you have some money to start with and are able to find a decent job, the Portland area isn't too bad. $750/mo for a 2 bedroom in a relatively safe, active, coastal city isn't bad... I don't know too many places with the same assets Portland has that are cheaper.
I don't know about traffic in Southern Maine. Sure, a holiday weekend can get slow on the Maine Turnpike on the Friday and Monday, but it's generally not too bad. Route 1 is slow, but more a result of the lights and stops than the volume of traffic. The workday commute in Portland is fine. 295 gets slow in the afternoon at exit 3, but we're talking about slow moving (not stopped) traffic for about 1/4 of a mile (because there is a light at the end of the ramp). There are some roads that aren't quick moving, but they're not bad. Maybe maineguy has seen some bad traffic, but I never did in 4.5 years in Portland (unless, of course,there was an accident or serious roadwork). Certainly nothing compared to what you see in Boston, Hartford, New Haven Bridgeport, Stamford on a daily basis. Again, it may be a bit worse than Northern Maine (which really is WIDE open), but I don't think there's a comparison to the much more urban areas of Mass and CT.
In the end, maineguy is probably in the minority when it comes maligning to the "urban troubles" of living in the Portland area. I understand that many are adverse to changes, but even a small city like Portland is going to have to change a little bit to stay afloat. A great planner once said, "Cities are like sharks, the have to keep moving forward or they will die." Portland, like every other city in America is no different. It has to keep evolving to stay relevant. It may be different in that regard from many Maine towns, but so far, it's been successful. It's evolving at a moderate pace (it's not changing dramatically). If Portland didn't evolve, it would become a dead wasteland like some many of the manufacturing hubs and cities who's industry has become irrelevant. I think that would pose many more problems than some growth in communities immediately adjacent to Portland.
It's a tiny area and not one that can be compared to the much more thickly settled, more expensive, and more congested regions of Massachusetts and Connecticut and that was my point. Portland has certainly seen changes, what town hasn't? Those changes, however, don't make it at all like Massachusetts or Connecticut which are growing at a much faster pace than Southern Maine.
Good post, Maineguy. You didn't come off to curmudgeonly.
I think that sounds accurate (I am assuming you're right as I'm too young to have witnessed the change first hand). My point wasn't that Southern Maine wasn't evolving (it certainly is); it was that it isn't, "like Massachusetts and Connecticut" which it still isn't. The area around Portland is growing, but that doesn't make it the same as Mass or CT (most of the nation is growing).
It's a tiny area and not one that can be compared to the much more thickly settled, more expensive, and more congested regions of Massachusetts and Connecticut and that was my point. Portland has certainly seen changes, what town hasn't? Those changes, however, don't make it at all like Massachusetts or Connecticut which are growing at a much faster pace than Southern Maine.
That's a good last point! I always used to try to remember what REALLY bad looks like: Compton or South Central L.A. lol........( and I have added "Michigan" to that little mantra recently!)
Your main point that southern Maine is a good place to start is right on. It's a bit different from most parts of the country, but not a shock. It takes a special kind of person to move to Maine and NOT live in southern Maine, because it's so different in the rest of the state (unless you're coming from Alaska, Montana, or a few other place!)
I have been stuck in traffic in southern Maine, though, let me tell you! The kind that makes your head spin. You were lucky!
I live in Gorham.....a bit inland from Portland.....but close enough to avail ourselves of the aspects of the city we enjoy and also to get to the coast.....we dont experience a lot of tourist activity and really enjoy the country feeling.... we hear coyote and moose out in back of our house, see deer and turkey and more song birds than I can identify. It is beautiful here and the town is just about right for us. We have found the people friendly and neighborly.....but far enough apart to be an option...not in your face. Everyone is friendly!
I like to drive up to Cornish and Limington way.....and also New Gloucester.
I dont know about up north.....my folks lived up in Eastport at one time and in Dexter and in Pittsfield....nice but not my cup of tea. I would never bad mouth those areas.....they just arent the part of Maine I choose to live in.....fortunately there is a lot of room and lots of experiences. I do plan to explore a bit up the coast on day trips and short vacations. (I havent seen any part of Maine I would compare to Massachussets or Conn or NJ....altho I know some pretty nice areas of western Massachussets up near Vt.)
Anyway.....I found exactly what I was looking for in Maine here in Southern Maine. I love it.
Great debate Maineguy8888 and lrfox and very amicable too. I see both of your points of view. While I agree with maineguy that Southern Maine has grown a lot in the 51 years I have lived here it is nothing in comparison to greater Boston and places like New Haven CT as pointed out by lrfox. All of my father's relatives were from the Boston, Medford, Dorchester area. They think Maine is Wyoming. They consider Portland to be like Springfield, Mass and can't believe it's the biggest "city" in Maine.
On the other hand my mother's family was from the Vanceboro, Me., Mc Adam N.B. area of Maine and Canada. They thought Bangor was the biggest city in the world! It's all relative to what you're used to. You have to come here and judge for yourself.
We had to go into "the City" (Bangor) last month for a Dr. appt. It had been long enough since we'd been there that we didn't realize Wal-Mart had moved. That store is so big you can get lost in it. We did find the new store and the new Home Depot as well. Bangor is a big enough place for me, you can have the city, I'll stay in my lil corner of heaven.
I can finally say it official we are moving!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a great job that starts on the 23rd, which I will commute back and forth to Mass for 3 days, then we will move up Thanksgiving weekend. I ended up being a little further north than Raymond. I will be working in Lewiston. SO we were thinking of Poland.
Any good or bad???
Also, we are looking to rent. If anyone could contact me via PM for an agency I would so appreciate it!!!
I can finally say it official we are moving!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a great job that starts on the 23rd, which I will commute back and forth to Mass for 3 days, then we will move up Thanksgiving weekend. I ended up being a little further north than Raymond. I will be working in Lewiston. SO we were thinking of Poland.
Any good or bad???
Also, we are looking to rent. If anyone could contact me via PM for an agency I would so appreciate it!!!
Poland is nice, There is a big spring there.
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