Info please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Portland, Lewiston, Bangor: amusement parks, low crime, house)

[mystique1983]

I am looking for the perfect spot to live after my hubby retires and i was hoping that i find a lot of people who can tell me about maine here.
How is the job market, house market and are the schools good?
I have three kids and i would need one of each schools.
I read that maine is very racist, is that true?
What about weather and stuff to do?
Pros and cons.
And is there a good chance to find like a little ranch or at least house with a little acreage for horses but still close to a city?
Thanks so much

[corgis]

Maine - racist? I'm really not sure what you mean by asking if Maine is racist - I don't think it is but your term racist and my term for racist may not be the same.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by mystique1983

I am looking for the perfect spot to live after my hubby retires and i was hoping that i find a lot of people who can tell me about maine here.
How is the job market, house market and are the schools good?
I have three kids and i would need one of each schools.
I read that maine is very racist, is that true?
What about weather and stuff to do?
Pros and cons.
And is there a good chance to find like a little ranch or at least house with a little acreage for horses but still close to a city?
Thanks so much

I'll address the rest of the post the best I can in a minute, but I must clear the air... Maine is not racist. Yes, Maine is one of the least diverse states in the nation (second only to Vermont and not by much), but it's not due to the fact that it's "racist."

Maine is as white as it is mainly due to geographic location and the economy. Immigrant and diverse populations settle places where there are jobs AND/OR are closest to where they're from (Mexicans along the Southwestern U.S., Asians on the West Coast, Cubans in Miami, etc). Maine is close to Canada and there are some Canadian immigrants (counted as "white"), and a pocket of Somalian immigrants, but that's about it. It has nothing to do with "racisim" or intolerance.... not at all. There is less racism and intolerance in lilly-white Maine than there is in many "diverse" cities.

You will never find a state that doesn't have one racist person, but Maine is pretty accepting of all races and all people with interest in Maine.

Maine's weather is pretty well known. It's cold and snowy here from December to about mid April. Spring is muddy, summer (June- mid September) is about as perfect as weather gets... warm days, somewhat crisp nights. Fall is beautiful and comfortable. People say Maine is colder than it really is, but it's cold in the winter, make no mistake about it.

As far as stuff to do, depends on what you're into. Maine has it all when it comes to outdoor activities given that it has Mountains and the Ocean. You can swim, ski, bike, hike, etc... if you like the outdoors, you shouldn't get bored. Bowling is popular here, there are movie theaters in and around many of the more populated towns, there are some museums and art galleries in certain towns and there are a good number of restaurants just about everywhere. There are even some small amusement parks. It's not an urban place, so don't expect big city living, but much of it (particularly along the Southern Maine Coast) has enough to keep people occupied.

The job market in Maine is in rough shape. It's not an easy place to get a job right now... it would probably be a mistake to move here without having something lined up to begin with. I wouldn't come here without a job hoping to find one.... you could be waiting a while.

Like I said, Maine is a rural place. Maine's biggest city (Portland) has only 63,000 people and that population is estimated to drop after the 2010 census. Not only could you find a single family home with a yard NEAR the city, but you could find one IN the city. Same goes for any of Maine's other cities. Horses may be difficult within Portland's city limits (though not impossible), but it would relatively easy to do in almost any neighboring town. In fact, there's no reason you couldn't have a house with a few acres for horses and commute 10 minutes to downtown Portland. In Bangor, Lewiston, Waterville or Augusta, you could probably have a few acres within the city limits with horses. In fact, I've seen horse ranches in Lewiston, Waterville and Augusta (never looked in Bangor). The "cities" here are very small and relatively sparsely populated. It's not hard to have land within a few minutes drive from downtown.

The public school system in Maine is what I would call average. Some are a bit above average, but many are below. The Portland area and the Bangor area have the best schools in the state so you may want to focus your search around those two towns. You should easily find one of each of those schools (I'm assuming elementary, middle and high) in those areas. Some places have elementary and middle schools combined and some have middle and high schools in one building. Some even have intermediate schools (between elementary and middle... usually 4th and 5th grades, sometimes 6th).

Quick Pros and Cons about Maine living for you (my opinion, certainly not all encompassing)

Pros:
Friendly People. Naturally beautiful. Plenty of open space. Plenty of fresh air. VERY low crime. In MY opinion, it's pretty cheap... especially by North Eastern U.S. standards. Laid back attitude. Genuine, honest people. 4 DISTINCT season.

Cons:
It can be cold here in the winter. Spring is MUDDY! No major cities, as a result, it's a long drive (usually to Boston) to have real urban amenities. Little ethnic diversity.

[tcrackly]

Amen. Hear, hear. Yoh.

[retiredtinbender]

Very nicely put, irfox. And I'm glad to see "t" saying hear, hear. Although she and DH do dress the dog funny.

[tcrackly]

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender

Very nicely put, irfox. And I'm glad to see "t" saying hear, hear. Although she and DH do dress the dog funny.

Hey!!!

[retiredtinbender]

Whaaat!?!?!? I'm just saying.

[Deborah Caldwell]

Wikipedia has a nice article about Maine. Under "demographics" it mentions that Maine is 97.08% white, about one percent black, about one percent Asian, about one percent American Indian.
It is impossible to be racist when there is only one race.

[Elcarim]

"One race" would indicate that Maine has a 100% caucasian population. Maybe we should inform the approximately 39,000 NON caucasian people in the state that they are operating under a mistaken identity!

Now, if you're referring to "one race" as in THE HUMAN RACE, of which we are all a part, then you're absolutely correct.

I think if the good people of Maine will accept this Texan, they'll surely be accepting of ANYONE who comes in with the right attitude and intent!

[givemeoob]

I grew up in NE Pennsylvania where I had friends that were not even allowed to watch The Cosby Show and Archie Bunker was a hero in many households.

I have been in Maine almost 10 years and can honestly say I have not met one person I would consider "racist". Mainers are among the most accepting group of people I know, basically a "live and let live" bunch.