Can anyone offer info about living in Machias, ME area? (Ellsworth: how much, homes)

[bluewatergirl]

This time, we didn't stop in Belfast. I do like the town and have been there quite a few times in the past; my Great-Aunt Fran lived there for years on
Bay View Street.
For a while, we had been focusing more on the mid-coast area as where
we wanted to move to. We seriously looked at homes in both the Bath/Brunswick area and in Rockland . . . we just have concerns as to how fast these communities will be growing in the near future, especially with talk of re-habbing the railway lines between Portland and Brunswick so the "DownEaster" (I think it's called) which runs from Boston can go there, too. Which is a great idea, but will probably ultimately drive up the population and cost of real estate etc. in those coastal cities & towns.
I've spent lots of time over the years in the Brunswick and Harpswell (Beautiful! One of my favorite places on earth!) areas, especially in the summer.
What I like about the towns even further north but still on or relatively near to the coast (we want to be at least fairly close to the ocean) is that they are so far away from larger cities, malls, urban sprawl etc. and the inevitable slow but certain influx of "transplants from away" (yet here I am planning to be one!) I think the further you go, the smaller the towns will stay, at least
for a while longer.
If my hubby & I thought we had the skills and perseverence, especially with
3-going-on-4 young kids, we'd choose to be "back-to-the-land" types and
buy acreage to build our own place, hopefully "off the grid."
In Machias, the "downtown" area, including natural food co-op, P.O., municipal buildings, schools (one pre-K through 8 and one high school), the
UMaine Machias campus, churches and hospital are all within walking distance or a minute or two drive of the houses we looked at. The water - the mouth of the Machias River and the falls are right there; we found a lovely rocky beach just down the road in Machiasport. The stars at night were breath-taking. It just seems to us to be a no-brainer if we're able, job-wise, money-wise - and courage-wise - to make the move.

[lqbell]

Hi
My husband stumbled upon some land six years ago in Machias and now we are currently building a log home(gardener's lake). Yes we've seen some great things about progress in Machias as well as some depressing rumors. but like everywhere else in America it's what you make of it. the natural beauty is unparalleled and close enough to ellsworth for shopping etc. canada just up the road. so I guess it's what the individual wants from life, we love nature and the kind people. so far we have gotten to know some down to earth good people.....there are some developing small businesses and the more people who transplant with the same intentions will create more of the same atmosphere that attracts us to this area. currently we are from a large city in Massachusetts and are sick of the pollution, noise, traffic and hurried lifestyle so we plan on being part time mainer's until we can afford to live here full time. hope to hear back from you soon with your decisions and progress. Eric and Lana

[bluewatergirl]

Hi Iqbell,

I'm so glad to hear that you "love it in Machias!"

Are you literally building the home yourselves?
The properties we've looked at have been mostly
in the town and a couple of nearby towns with
older homes already in place, some move-in-able
and a few that need some fixing.
Like you, we are tired of city life in MA and are seeking
to move FAR away from the very negatives you
mention - hectic lifestyle, pollution, noise & heavy traffic
as well as to move into a safer, greener community/environment.
Do you have children? Ours are one of the main reasons we
want to make such a big lifestyle change.
My husband writes for a living and plans, for now, to keep
his current job via telecommunication.
Our biggest obstacle has become health insurance coverage;
we've got family coverage here (for what it's worth - Fallon)
which will not cover us for anything routine out-of-area.
From our research, it looks like Maine has only limited - and
expensive - choices. But we'll persevere and figure something
out. (Any advice, Mainers?) Em

[lqbell]

hi em
sorry it took so long to respond. yes we are building a log home off of gardner's lake and at the time it will be a vacation spot until we are financially ready to live up there full time, but the area is really improving, check out the sunrise trail coalition website for info about a trail that will be making machias a stopping port. we have been up there quite a bit over the past few years and we know progress is slow. but that's fine with us. as far as health insurance, etc....we haven't really given it too much thought, especially since we do not have children yet. well keep me posted, Lana

[Griggz12]

3 years ago, we had bought a house in Pembroke and decided to remodel the entire home ourselves and we have loved the area up there. Although I currently live and work in the MA area, i look forward to spending weeks up in the area during the 4th of July as well as Christmas. One complaint we constantly heard up there was that if you needed to buy a computer or needed help with a computer or internet access, the closest place to go would be ellsworth or even Bangor. So we decided to open up the store. The store has been open for only 7 months and we have been doing just fine and paying bills. So the economy of the area clearly isn't all that bad if people can afford to buy brand new laptops. If you're ever in the area again, stop by the store. My parents would give you some EXCELLENT advice considering they did the same thing you are looking to do.

[Mainer61]

Your BA in English won't get you anywhere, but the nursing degree would be a big plus in that area. How about Bucksport? It's not that far from Bangor/Brewer, but a nice small town that won't grow as fast as Rockland.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion;

We have also enjoyed a trememdous increase in medications for children diagnosed with ADD,a nd in more than just a few cases, children have taken to selling their Oxycontin on the school grounds where business is booming.

Oxycontin is a pain killer and is not prescribed for ADD.

[thenewNewEnglander]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

Try Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce - Down East Maine Vacations - Machias Tourism

IMHO, if you're coming from an urban area like we are, you may be completely lost in what looks to me like a wilderness area. Just do your homework, and you'll find everything you could possibly want and need in Maine. We're settling in Belfast along the mid coast. It's a spectacular area that's just the perfect size for our family. Not too remote - not too over civilized. Good luck in your search!

Belfast is beautiful!

But so is:

Ellsworth, Bath, Wiscasset, Brunswick, Bucksport, Gorham...

So many! Machias is a little bit quiet. Which if that is what you want all the power to ya! But I myself would love to live about 15 minutes outside downtown Ellsworth. Ya have Bar Harbor and Acadia right down the road. Bangor isnt terribly far. Sundays walking around in Camden. And a Saturday night or weekend in Portland is still doable.

So hard to pick!

[MaineMathTCHER]

Hi-
I am a girl who grew up on the white sandy beaches in the Southern California shores. I had all the amenities one could want. Then I lived in the cool hip town of Austin, Texas-live music and all the city fun you could want. But, I would choose Washington County, Me over all of that. In LA I worried about crime, in Austin I worried about crime. I have taught high school in all three places and what locals here in ME think is a drug problem would not even register in my other towns. This is a wonderful place to raise a family. We live 30 minutes North East of Machias and LOVE it. Yes there is no starbucks, big box stores, or MAJOR crime. We have a beautiful home on the water for FAR, FAR less than we paid for a condo in town. We have a beautiful drive to work and love the area. Washington Academy is a great school and Machias has many good things to offer. But if you want everything you are leaving in MA, Machias would not be a good bet. To live in this part of the country you have to want a real serious change.

[bignhfamily]

How lucky you are to live in or near Machias! My first memories of Maine are from trips to Machias to visit family there. Most of my Mom's family is from Maine though I grew up across the Maple Curtain in NH.
We originally were looking for farmland around Machias but had no luck in finding potential job opportunities. Now we have spent the last couple of years searching around the greater Bangor area. We hope to move by fall.