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Portland is very livable without a car. The amount of people without cars is extremely large here. The bus system is actually quite good (I just started working for them.) The busses run from 6am to almost midnight. You can view the website/schedules here Welcom to Greater Portland METRO Bus. There are also other means of getting around like taxis and bicycles. There is an Amtrak station and two long distance bus stations. The easiest places to live are in the neighborhoods on the peninsula.
Suggestions as to nice,safe somewhat upscale places to live in Portland ME ? Fairly walkable ( at least in season other than winter ! ) We are an older couple ( 55+ ) in good health.
Suggestions as to nice,safe somewhat upscale places to live in Portland ME ? Fairly walkable ( at least in season other than winter ! ) We are an older couple ( 55+ ) in good health.
Living in Portland without a car will be a SEVERE challenge, especially in the Winter, both in the climate, and pedestrian unfriendliness of icy sidewalks
Living in Portland without a car will be a SEVERE challenge, especially in the Winter, both in the climate, and pedestrian unfriendliness of icy sidewalks
Living in Portland without a car is not a severe challenge. It all depends on where you live. Many people do it now, and I did it for awhile several years ago. Being car free is just a different mindset. One just plans ahead better because of things like travel time, weather, etc.
Living in Portland without a car is not a severe challenge. It all depends on where you live. Many people do it now, and I did it for awhile several years ago. Being car free is just a different mindset. One just plans ahead better because of things like travel time, weather, etc.
I'll take the middle road on this one.
I am living in Boston without a car now. It's easy and I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, it would be a nightmare (an expensive one too) to live with a car in Boston.
I spent 4 years in Portland. I had a car and I couldn't imagine not having a car there.
While I believe it's possible to live without a car in Portland (really, it's possible anywhere... just depends on how much you're willing to work), I wouldn't call it easy or convenient (nor would I call it a severe challenge).
Portland being as small and low-density as it is really gives you a limited area to walk (downtown really- the old port/ arts district and immediately abutting areas). Now, that limited area is quite walkable... just really, really small (maybe around or less than 1 square mile).
You can live in Bayside, Parkside, East End and West End (as well as the Arts District/Old Port) and walk everywhere if you NEED too, but it's a bit of a challenge from most of those areas. Public transit in Portland is kind of sucky. The buses run to midnight, yes; but they are hardly dependable and don't have a far reaching network at all. Furthermore, they carry a stigma with them. Unlike larger cities where the bus is for everyone, people in Portland tend to look at the bus as if it's for poor people only. Most people who rely on the bus in Portland are not thrilled with it. It's too easy of a city to drive in/around for people to be thrilled with not having a car. In short, Portland is autocentric.
If you ARE willing to make living without a car work in Portland, you still face the problem of not being able to easily reach anyplace outside the core of the city (again, an incredibly small area). Sure, the Downeaster runs to Boston (and there are buses) but it's a 2.5-3 hour ride (as opposed to 2 in a car) and is often plagued by delays and hold ups (it's 3rd priority to Freight and MBTA trains on the tracks it shares with them meaning it often stops to let them pass). Furthermore, it's not funded by Maine (it was supposed to be by June 31) and will stop service in September unless Maine finds $8Million to pay the tab for next year (and an additional $8million for every year after that). Next, you'll have a hard time reaching any place outside the city because with the exception of South Portland, most of Southern Maine has little more than a few shuttle services and those are very subpar.
Again, it's not impossible or even very challenging to live without a car if you do it on the peninsula of Portland. You will, however, be really restricted to a VERY small area and have a VERY difficult time getting anywhere outside of Portland. Those that I knew in Portland who didn't have cars claimed a feeling of caustraphobia almost.
Obviously Boston is one of the best cities in the U.S. to live without a car. it's incredibly walkable (100 times more so than Portland), and the transit network is excellent (subway, commuter rail, regional rail, national rail, buses, rapid bus, water taxi, ferry, etc). This is great for people living in the city because not only can we get around Boston, but we can jump a train and be in the suburbs and rural areas quickly (the commuter rail network is FANTASTIC). I can take a train to the nearest ski area (called the "ski train") and I can take it to any great beach (Revere, Newburyport, Salem, Plymouth, Hingham, Quincy, etc), and almost anywhere else. I can take a high-speed train to New York City in under three hours or a fast ferry to be on the beaches of Cape Cod in 45 minutes from downtown Boston. Furthermore, a car-sharing service called Zipcar allows you cheaply borrow a car or small SUV for an hourly rate (like $9.99 I think) so you can do errands if you NEED a car and don't own one. That, to me is a great city to live in without owning a car.
Even dinky Providence has Boston commuter trains, the high-speed rail, a great bus system and walkable streets. Providinces bus system (unlike Portland's) reaches all across Rhode Island (yeah, I know.. not a far reach). You can take a bus (for free on days with high humidity too) from Providence to the beaches of Newport or Naragansett (or to ferry stops with the Block Island Ferry) or to the villages of Wickford or Bristol. like Boston, the walkability is great (much larger area than Portland); but also like Boston, the transit systems can get you outside the city easily and affordably.
While Portland isn't Boston or Providence, it really should have better options for those who live without a car. Those I know that don't have a car in Portland feel stuck because they ARE stuck. It's hard to go anywhere else in the region but the peninsula without a car. Furthermore, the hilly terrain of Portland makes it miserable in the snow and ice for pedestrians.
Can you live in Portland without a car? Yes... absoluletly. Is it VERY hard to do? No... not really. Is it convenient and easy? I don't know if it is. I still say it's FAR easier to have a car in Portland unless you don't plan on leaving the small central area of the city ever.
I am living in Boston without a car now. It's easy and I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, it would be a nightmare (an expensive one too) to live with a car in Boston.
I spent 4 years in Portland. I had a car and I couldn't imagine not having a car there.
While I believe it's possible to live without a car in Portland (really, it's possible anywhere... just depends on how much you're willing to work), I wouldn't call it easy or convenient (nor would I call it a severe challenge).
Portland being as small and low-density as it is really gives you a limited area to walk (downtown really- the old port/ arts district and immediately abutting areas). Now, that limited area is quite walkable... just really, really small (maybe around or less than 1 square mile).
You can live in Bayside, Parkside, East End and West End (as well as the Arts District/Old Port) and walk everywhere if you NEED too, but it's a bit of a challenge from most of those areas. Public transit in Portland is kind of sucky. The buses run to midnight, yes; but they are hardly dependable and don't have a far reaching network at all. Furthermore, they carry a stigma with them. Unlike larger cities where the bus is for everyone, people in Portland tend to look at the bus as if it's for poor people only. Most people who rely on the bus in Portland are not thrilled with it. It's too easy of a city to drive in/around for people to be thrilled with not having a car. In short, Portland is autocentric.
If you ARE willing to make living without a car work in Portland, you still face the problem of not being able to easily reach anyplace outside the core of the city (again, an incredibly small area). Sure, the Downeaster runs to Boston (and there are buses) but it's a 2.5-3 hour ride (as opposed to 2 in a car) and is often plagued by delays and hold ups (it's 3rd priority to Freight and MBTA trains on the tracks it shares with them meaning it often stops to let them pass). Furthermore, it's not funded by Maine (it was supposed to be by June 31) and will stop service in September unless Maine finds $8Million to pay the tab for next year (and an additional $8million for every year after that). Next, you'll have a hard time reaching any place outside the city because with the exception of South Portland, most of Southern Maine has little more than a few shuttle services and those are very subpar.
Again, it's not impossible or even very challenging to live without a car if you do it on the peninsula of Portland. You will, however, be really restricted to a VERY small area and have a VERY difficult time getting anywhere outside of Portland. Those that I knew in Portland who didn't have cars claimed a feeling of caustraphobia almost.
Obviously Boston is one of the best cities in the U.S. to live without a car. it's incredibly walkable (100 times more so than Portland), and the transit network is excellent (subway, commuter rail, regional rail, national rail, buses, rapid bus, water taxi, ferry, etc). This is great for people living in the city because not only can we get around Boston, but we can jump a train and be in the suburbs and rural areas quickly (the commuter rail network is FANTASTIC). I can take a train to the nearest ski area (called the "ski train") and I can take it to any great beach (Revere, Newburyport, Salem, Plymouth, Hingham, Quincy, etc), and almost anywhere else. I can take a high-speed train to New York City in under three hours or a fast ferry to be on the beaches of Cape Cod in 45 minutes from downtown Boston. Furthermore, a car-sharing service called Zipcar allows you cheaply borrow a car or small SUV for an hourly rate (like $9.99 I think) so you can do errands if you NEED a car and don't own one. That, to me is a great city to live in without owning a car.
Even dinky Providence has Boston commuter trains, the high-speed rail, a great bus system and walkable streets. Providinces bus system (unlike Portland's) reaches all across Rhode Island (yeah, I know.. not a far reach). You can take a bus (for free on days with high humidity too) from Providence to the beaches of Newport or Naragansett (or to ferry stops with the Block Island Ferry) or to the villages of Wickford or Bristol. like Boston, the walkability is great (much larger area than Portland); but also like Boston, the transit systems can get you outside the city easily and affordably.
While Portland isn't Boston or Providence, it really should have better options for those who live without a car. Those I know that don't have a car in Portland feel stuck because they ARE stuck. It's hard to go anywhere else in the region but the peninsula without a car. Furthermore, the hilly terrain of Portland makes it miserable in the snow and ice for pedestrians.
Can you live in Portland without a car? Yes... absoluletly. Is it VERY hard to do? No... not really. Is it convenient and easy? I don't know if it is. I still say it's FAR easier to have a car in Portland unless you don't plan on leaving the small central area of the city ever.
Yet another great post Ir. If one wanted to live without a car in Portland, I would buy a cheap car and then just plan to use it sparingly. The reality is you can't go anywhere without a car outside of the area Ir was speaking of. I just bought a house in South Portland(last house fell through), 3 miles from the old port area, and just communting that distance to work would be a pain with no car.
Yet another great post Ir. If one wanted to live without a car in Portland, I would buy a cheap car and then just plan to use it sparingly. The reality is you can't go anywhere without a car outside of the area Ir was speaking of. I just bought a house in South Portland(last house fell through), 3 miles from the old port area, and just communting that distance to work would be a pain with no car.
The South Portland Bus system runs into downtown Portland.
I have a truck. I don't use it if I don't have to. My gf has a Jeep. She uses it all the time. One thing to consider about having cars in Portland is the cost that goes with them. I'll use my own case for an example.
My truck costs $300 a month. Insurance runs me about $70. I spend around $30 in gas a month (if I just stay in and around Portland.)
My gf pays $280 a month for her Jeep. Her insurance is also around $70, and she spends about $50 a month in gas.
Every month we spend $800 on vehicles. Two monthly bus passes would cost us $37.50 each. We would save over $700 a month, but we would lose the convenience factor of having our vehicles. We both have family in NH and Mass. Getting there would be difficult, but we could easily rent a car with the money we would save each month.
I'm not pro car or against cars. Just pointing out the pros of going carless in a city with a decent bus system (and more cars slow that system down even more.)
The South Portland Bus system runs into downtown Portland.
I have a truck. I don't use it if I don't have to. My gf has a Jeep. She uses it all the time. One thing to consider about having cars in Portland is the cost that goes with them. I'll use my own case for an example.
My truck costs $300 a month. Insurance runs me about $70. I spend around $30 in gas a month (if I just stay in and around Portland.)
My gf pays $280 a month for her Jeep. Her insurance is also around $70, and she spends about $50 a month in gas.
Every month we spend $800 on vehicles. Two monthly bus passes would cost us $37.50 each. We would save over $700 a month, but we would lose the convenience factor of having our vehicles. We both have family in NH and Mass. Getting there would be difficult, but we could easily rent a car with the money we would save each month.
I'm not pro car or against cars. Just pointing out the pros of going carless in a city with a decent bus system (and more cars slow that system down even more.)
This is the true point of having a car vs. not having one.
To me, unless you plan to RARELY leave Portland/ S. Portland (i.e. to visit family a few times a year out of state), you can make it work, but it takes a good deal of sacrifice (i.e. a real hassle to get anywhere outside of Portland/S. Portland proper).
It's always more expensive to own a car regardless of where you live. You're paying for the convenience of having transportation at your beck and call. Some cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, etc eliminate the need for a car because buses, subways, ferries, trains, as well as a large walkable area make it unnecessary (really a burden) to own a car. That's not the case in Portland.
Those car payments your referring to in Portland would be the same if you lived in Falmouth, Gray, Westbrook, etc. Living even in Downtown Portland wouldn't change that cost. So in terms of cost, owning a car in Portland isn't a problem at all as parking is easy and cheap most anywhere in the city. Furthermore, traffic and grid lock are not even close to an issue so it's usually not a hassle to drive anywhere in Portland (in fact, it's usually quicker and easier than a bus or walking). The "convenience" of a car is still just as present in Portland, which is an autocentric city, as any other town in the area. There is minimal regional transit and outside of downtown, the neighborhoods aren't incredibly walkable.
Portland's (lumping Portland/S. Portland together) bus system covers The Peninsula in Portland well, the area off the peninsula well enough and South Portland to an acceptable degree. That's it. A city like Providence, on the other hand has buses that go all over the state so you're not restricted to using the bus in a tiny chunk of land. You can take the bus across the state to the beach, farms, or other towns. You can't in Portland. It's a very local bus system. The train only has 2 (3 seasonally) stops in Maine and is very burdensome to get to Boston.
It's not impossible or even prohibitively difficult to live w/o a car in Portland, it's just hardly convenient and often times really restrictive. There is little reason (unlike many of those other cities where it's actually easier to NOT have a car) to not have a car in Portland other than the fact that you just don't want to have one or pay the basic car ownership costs (which, by the way, are excellent reasons to not want one). But in order to live without a car in Portland you're going to have to work hard to do so as unlike in Boston, New York, Chicago, etc, the convience that you give up isn't really made up elsewhere (i.e. sprawling mass transit network and extreme walkability). In those larger cities, you're giving up the car in favor of another convenient way of getting around. In Portland, you're not doing that; you're giving up a car to work harder at getting around (as there are much more limited options). In those large cities the tradeoff for not having a car is great transit/ walkability. In Portland, the tradeoff is mediocre transit (with a very small range) and a very small area of walkability-- not a great one in my opinion.
I'm living in a neighborhood in Boston right now (Mission Hill) that's WELL outside the city's core. It's still very walkable and I have the subway, bus, and commuter rail within walking distance. Also, the subway and bus can take me quickly to train station where I can board a local commuter train for just about anywhere in the Eastern and Central part of the state or a regional train that can take me beyond Washington D.C., Toronto, Chicago, etc. I can also jump the subway and head over to the ferry, water taxi, or the International Airport where I'm one more stop away from just about anywhere else in the world. With the exception of the Airport, I take advantage of these modes of transit every day. Not making car payments, insurance and paying for maintenance is a wonderfully freeing feeling. In fact, to own a car here I'd have to pay extra (parking costs a fortune) and it's a super hassle to park, drive, etc. I never felt this way in Portland. It would have been VERY difficult for me to not have had my car while there (though not impossible). Having lived here for a bit now (I grew up not far from here) and lived in cities like Washington D.C. and Providence as well as visited others (NYC, Philly, Chicago, etc) where it's just as easy to live w/o a car as Boston, I have to say that I can't call Portland an EASY place to live without a car. It can be done with effort (I know plenty of people who do it), but it's hardly a great city for not owning a car.
The South Portland Bus system runs into downtown Portland.
I have a truck. I don't use it if I don't have to. My gf has a Jeep. She uses it all the time. One thing to consider about having cars in Portland is the cost that goes with them. I'll use my own case for an example.
My truck costs $300 a month. Insurance runs me about $70. I spend around $30 in gas a month (if I just stay in and around Portland.)
My gf pays $280 a month for her Jeep. Her insurance is also around $70, and she spends about $50 a month in gas.
Every month we spend $800 on vehicles. Two monthly bus passes would cost us $37.50 each. We would save over $700 a month, but we would lose the convenience factor of having our vehicles. We both have family in NH and Mass. Getting there would be difficult, but we could easily rent a car with the money we would save each month.
I'm not pro car or against cars. Just pointing out the pros of going carless in a city with a decent bus system (and more cars slow that system down even more.)
Well put :-) I could also point out that one could buy two inexpensive cars for a total payment of perhaps 200 or so (assuming two 3-4 K cars with a 3-year note at 6 percent) and drop that 800 dollar figure down to three hundred total. Granted, maintenance will be an issue, but at that level the cost of renting a car a couple times a month to go where you want should be a wash in relation to the car ownership option. And, one would have the freedom to go where he or she wanted without restriction.
Just my opinion, but in this area I don't see any huge advantages in not owning at least a cheap car :-)
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places to look for houses/condos in Portland ?
