Walkability in Portland (South Portland, Falmouth, Casco: best neighborhoods, apartment, rentals)

[ChicagoToNewEngland]

I live in Chicago and am planning on moving to New England in the Fall. I've heard amazing things about Portland and am seriously considering relocating here. However, I love not having a car and would like to live in a place where I can manage day to day life without one. Is Portland a walkable city? Would I be able to get to grocery stores, libraries, banks, coffee shops, etc? I don't expect it to be as walkable as Chicago and certainly don't mind walking a mile or 2 to get to places from where I live. Are there any neighborhoods that might be ideal?

[la_cavalière]

Hello! I just moved to Portland from St. Louis, Missouri. Living in a pedestrian-friendly area was paramount for me in choosing where to live.

Portland is very walkable and compact, and it's easy to get to the downtown/Old Port area from any neighborhood on the peninsula on foot or by bike. Still, it would be far more difficult to live here without a car than in Chicago. While there is a bus system, complaints are that it is not very extensive nor efficient, and the buses do not run very late at night. Plus, you'll need a car to visit all the beautiful sites in Maine. If you still want to live without the hassle of owning a car, you can sign up for U Car Share: https://www.ucarshare.com/secure/Home.aspx

I would recommend the East End (Munjoy Hill) or the West End as the best walkable neighborhoods on the peninsula. I live on Munjoy Hill, and we have a wonderful little grocery store, a number of excellent restaurants, lunch places, a coffee shop, a small theater, a convenience store, a drug store and a dry cleaning/tailor shop. The Old Port/downtown/arts district is just a short walk down the hill. The bonus is the Eastern Prom, with walking trails, a small beach, a boat launch and spectacular views of Casco Bay. The West End is also a beautiful, charming neighborhood, with stately mansions lining the Western Prom. You could also live in the Old Port or downtown if a little noise doesn't bother you.

If you're used to a city the size of Chicago, Portland will feel VERY small and laid-back. However, there is still plenty to see and do, and the restaurant scene is amazing! Plus you can take the train or the bus to Boston when you need a big-city fix.

Good luck!

[ChicagoToNewEngland]

Thanks so much for the info; I really appreciate it! I figure I might get a car to explore like you mentioned and to run some errands, but I'm very glad to know that I can make it through most days without having to use one. It's good to know Car Share is available as well.

I really appreciate the neighborhood suggestions. I've been to Portland before but it's been a while and I'm sure things have changed. I'm a female in my mid-20s, liberal, and love the outdoors. I'm not interested in living in a neighborhood with tons of night life- I'd much rather spend my evenings at a coffeeshop or at home cooking. Any neighborhood suggestions? I'll definitely look into Munjoy Hill and the West End.

I'm so glad to hear that Portland will be small and laid back. I'm from Ohio so after living for a while in Chicago, I can't wait to get back to a more cozy (and beautiful) environment.

[lrfox]

^You'll probably love Portland. It's "city" enough for those who don't want to be stuck in the woods and desire some urban amenities, but it's still up on the edge of the great outdoors (mountains, lakes and oceans right there). Small and laid back are exactly how I'd describe it.

The core of Portland, like most of New England's cities, is walkable. Still, this is a relatively small area (about 2 square miles including downtown and adjacent neighborhoods). Mass transit in Portland is next to non-existent (especially if you compare it to the CTA which is one of the best in the country). There are a grand total of 8 bus lines and only two of them cross outside the city limits (one to the mall in South Portland, and another to a retail strip in Falmouth). The train is essentially a glorified tourist train to Boston. It's a 3.5 hour trip to Boston via the Downeaster (a 2 hour drive). It's fun for a day trip, but you certainly wouldn't want to rely on in regularly. When you want to go to the city, drive or take a coach bus.

When you say you want to walk to grocery stores, libraries, banks, etc you have to keep in mind that there are only two grocery stores close to the center of the city... Whole Foods and Hannaford. They're really only walkable from the Bayside neighborhood and parts of the East End/Munjoy Hill. There's supposedly a Trader Joe's on the way into that same area. There are some smaller shops scattered about, but for big grocery shops, you may have a hard time walking there.

Even if you don't want a car, I just can't see it being easy to live in Portland without one. I lived there for 4 years in a "walkable" neighborhood and couldn't imagine not having one. The first reason is simply because it's very difficult to get anywhere outside of the city limits without one. Portland is not a sprawling metro area (like Chicago) with extensive transit connections to nearby cities and towns. It's sort of on an (metaphorical) island in that it gets rural quickly just outside the city limits (to a degree, within the city limits). This is why so many outdoor lovers enjoy Portland, because you're so close without sacrificing some of the "urban" amenities. The catch is that a car is required to get anywhere off of the small (2 sq. mi) peninsula that is the center of the city.

The second reason I couldn't imagine not having a car in Portland is because it's just so easy. Portland is a simple city to drive in. Traffic isn't a problem (at all), drivers are relatively pleasant, and it's not so confusing. Parking is cheap (free in many cases) and it's never hard to find a spot. There's no "neighborhood resident sticker" issue like you have in some big cities and street spots are always available. Many (if not most) rentals even near downtown include off-street parking. You do have to find your closest "parking ban" for snowstorms if you rely on street parking, but it's usually close an there are usually always spots.

I live in Boston now without a car. I love it. I think I'd go crazy in Portland without one even if many day to day activities can be done on foot.

I basically feel like life in Portland is akin to living in an outer, fringe, suburban/urban neighborhood in a larger city minus the access to a larger downtown area. There are no such thing as "neighborhood centers" in Portland. Not one. Downtown/the Old Port is THE "neighborhood center" for the entire city. It has the feel of a neighborhood center more than it does of a big downtown area (cute, local, eclectic shops, small, neighborhood style restaurants, a handful of pubs, etc). You won't find any of the pretentious big-city downtown restaurants (you know the ones, the stuffy black tie lounges) or the upscale exclusive clubs (velvet ropes, guest lists, etc) and mega banks lining the streets. What you have is the opposite. The restaurants (even the best) are generally reasonably priced and locally owned/operated and a general "community" feel for the entire city (not just a particular neighborhood). There are no dress codes (anywhere), and the nightlife for the entire city is a brew-pub/friendly neighborhood dive bar scene. There are no dance clubs (though some of the little bars have a small dance floor 51 Wharf and the Oasis come to mind) whatsoever. Like I said, the city's downtown area IS the neighborhood center. After all, Portland has 63,000 people... smaller than many big city neighborhoods.

This means that if you live in the East End, West End (two best neighborhoods) or Parkside and Bayside (two worst, but still not-so-bad neighborhoods) which border downtown, you will most likely be going downtown for day to day "neighborhood" business like shopping, dining, etc. It also means that you won't have bars or clubs right near your apartment. Those things are located downtown (really, mostly along a small back alley called, "Wharf Street" with a few outlying exceptions).

In summary, you should bring a car. It's just too easy to have one and to inconvenient not to have one. There's really very little reason not to have one even if it's just for when you want to go outside the city a little bit. Look at the East End and the West End first. Those are the nicest neighborhoods. There's nothing "exclusive" in Portland as far as prices or wealth go, but those are the best two spots. Parkside and Bayside are also right near downtown but they're not as "pretty" as East/West End. They're also the most "dangerous" neighborhoods, but crime in Portland is VERY low. There is nowhere in town that you should really worry about. You may even get a kick out of what's considered "dangerous" in Portland.

Outside of those four neighborhoods, Portland becomes VERY suburban (rural in spots) fast.Much of Deering is cute, but it's really that old "streetcar" style suburb (of course, minus the streetcar now) and the same goes for Oakdale and Rosemont. Back Cove is cute, but again, very suburban. Parts of North Deering, Riverside, and Stroudwater are fringe rural (and only a few miles from downtown). I'd stick to those four neighborhoods given your criteria. The West End is my favorite (best architecture and a bit more pedestrian friendly), but the East End has nice harbor views.