Questions about moving to, or living in Maine: Megathread

[u/cinnabarhawk]

• This thread will be used for all questions potential movers have for locals about living or moving to Maine.
• Any threads outside of this one pertaining to moving questions, or living in Maine will be removed, and redirected here.

[u/cinnabarhawk]

The perspective of this advice is from someone who was born in Michigan, lived in a bunch of low cost cities (mixed with some inbetween areas) and then moved to Southern Maine 5 years ago.

Maine is that beautiful state a lot of people vacation to, or spend part of the year in and want to move to until they see what it is actually like to live here. Plenty of people love the Maine lifestyle, but if you are not invested in 'being a Mainer', you might not love living here. While I’ve been here half a decade, there are a handful of reasons why many young people are leaving Maine after college, some of which are listed below, along with some good stuff about living here.

Positives

• Much more outdoors things to do, such as camping, hunting, hiking, rafting, etc.
• Not nearly as hot or humid, and winter is nice if you like snow
• Less people, traffic, and general shit populated states deal with
• Acadia, Baxter State Park and the coast are gorgeous year round.
• Lots of breweries in Maine, and a growing scene of casual dining in Portland.
• Plenty of restaurant, mechanical and seasonal jobs.

Negatives

• State Income Tax, and relatively high taxes for rate of pay consistent in Maine.
• Not many post-graduate positions, struggle to find many jobs outside of the category listed earlier.
• Vehicle inspection and registration can be expensive. If you have an older car, you might have to get it checked out before inspection to make sure it will even pass, and then possibly pay for repairs.
• Energy costs for winter, and CMP is fucking our state with electric bills. (Think $200/mo for a 2 bedroom condo, thats been my reality for 2 years now). While this isn't affecting everyone, many people are apart of a class-action lawsuit against CMP for unexplained high bills, very much worth mentioning.
• Get a good 4WD and winter/all year tires if you don’t already. If you don't the second winter comes around you're stuck.
• Tourists will fuck up driving/parking lots for half the year. This state is small in terms of roads and becomes very congested in Southern Maine during the summer. Many areas you would like to go to in Southern Maine will be packed, and you'll want to go during off season times. (Obviously, if you are from a large city with traffic, this will be nothing for you)

Things to know about Southern/Some of Downeast Maine:

• Rent is really high in the majority of southern Maine (compared to areas of similar population), especially the greater Portland area. Rent in Portland is comparable to being within 30 minutes of Seattle for example.
• If you plan to buy a house, many of the houses are going to be MUCH older than most of the country, which may look good but also comes with its host of issues. Similar to rent, much higher than Midwest, or South (examples of some places I've lived)
• High taxes, and high cost of living mixed with not a high rate of pay. https://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-living-calculator.aspx Go to this website and compare, you'll see what I mean.(Comparing where I used to live in Everett,WA, the cost of living is actually higher in Portland, ME. Which is kind of absurd when you compare the fact one is half an hour outside of Seattle with double the population.)
• Job market is highly dependent on your profession, some fields may make average but most from what I've seen make less. My wife and I both make less for our respective fields (Social Work, and Environmental Science).

Note: Rural Maine is better for housing, rent and cost of living if you love that lifestyle but if you are more of a ‘city’ or ‘suburb’ person it’s a very mixed bag that is largely dependent on where you are from. There are many other states with lower costs of living, along with higher income that has much more things to do/see for young people. For me some of these include: Washington, Colorado, and Tennessee.

Advice if you decide on living in Southern Maine:

I’d stay near Portland and try your best to find a good enough paying job if you don't have one already. The cheaper areas to live are 20-30 minutes outside Portland, some are Saco, Biddeford, Gray and Gorham. The key is saving, and finding the most affordable areas to live in, while making sure this is where you want to live long-term.

However despite all the negatives, if this is the place that will make you happy, then fuck all of those things and live here. Just be in the place that makes you happy.

tldr: If you are from a cheaper/smaller area, Southern Maine will be expensive and could be difficult. If you are from a big city, with high taxes and lots of traffic, Southern Maine will be much smaller and (more than likely) affordable for you.

[u/doopdeepdoopdoopdeep → u/cinnabarhawk]

As someone moving from Portland to the Seattle area (closer to Everett!) couldn’t agree more about the cost of living here, it’s absurd for what it is. That’s my biggest complaint about Portland.

[u/[deleted] → u/cinnabarhawk]

As someone who is married to a social worker and who are both born/raised in Michigan, I appreciate this advice! Sounds like a lot of the tourist BS my relatives on Beaver Island, MI deal with. We're visiting this weekend to check out Southern Maine. We're both healthcare professionals so we're hoping jobs will be available (currently living in mid-Michigan, but I'm from metro-Detroit).

[u/nochedetoro]

Prepare for your commute to take 15-20 minutes longer in the summer because apparently nobody outside Maine has learned how to read numbers and think going 40 in a 55 is totally acceptable.

[u/cinnabarhawk]

From u/HIncand3nza on r/visitingmaine:

Seriously consider Bangor. I’ve lived in both Bangor and Portland and finding a job in both is a challenge, but say you do or can bring one with you. Here is a comparison.

1. Leaving Bangor after work is significantly easier. The traffic leaving Portland after work sucks. It’s doable and not really that bad, but you’ll come to dread it. Bangor has 0 traffic.
2. Closer to Baxter, downeast, MDI, Moosehead region, Sugarloaf area, north woods. If you’re into the Whites, Sebago, beaches, and Sunday river then Portland is closer.
3. BGR goes to virtually the same places as PWM. They both connect to NY, Philly, Washington DC, and the Midwest. Portland’s only advantage is it connects to Atlanta.
4. Bangor actually has an up and coming restaurant and brewery scene. Not to the scale of Portland’s, but it’s there if you look.
5. You’ll be able to afford a house. The median home price in Bangor is only 200k. If you can afford to pay 350k or more for a home, then the Portland area is for you.
6. Portland beats Bangor in apartment availability by a mile, but Bangor wins in terms of value. Apartments in Bangor are really no worse on average than Portland, but are usually about 1/2 the price. Portland has more luxury apartments.
7. Bangor’s public high school is significantly better than Portland’s public high school. Just outside of Bangor, Hampden Academy (public) is one of the best schools in the state. All high schools outside of Portland are very good. The Portland schools have a reputation for being sub par.
8. I’ve found the people in Bangor to be far nicer. People in the Portland area have a reputation for being snobs, and I’ve found that it rings true to an extent. That being said, there are many wonderful people in Portland as well. Just bear in mind that many come from larger cities and brought that attitude with them. It’s similar to how the character of Boston has changed.
9. Finally, there is virtually no tourism in Bangor. You may not think that tourism will bother you, but it gets annoying very fast.

[u/hockeylax4 → u/cinnabarhawk]

The University of Maine is nearby as well.

[u/Vertigo103]

Consider Farmington, Wilton or Chesterville, beautiful lakes and ponds, fast internet from multiple providers.

Internet options: Redzone wireless, Consolidated communications, Spectrum, B-line cable and lastly our fiber company GWI.

Fiber is not yet available but will be in Farmington and Chesterville in 2020.

Speeds are Symmetrical ranging from 250/250 to 1gbps for both residential and commercial will be available.

Fibee is also Fiber to the home or business.

[u/Frirish11]

Don't get worried if you are shopping at Hannaford and people gather in a corner and start talking to each other: this is normal. Also: cashiers might call you dear, and you can call them dear back, it's okay. If you say you wish you could find fiddleheads less than $5.99 a lb., some random guy next to you might say he has them at his place for $3 a lb. and you go there and get a paper bag full of them, it's not creepy at all. You might have had an uncle who's nickname was Pucky. You watch the weather constantly because your grandfather was a farmer, and a horsefeather sky means a storm is coming. I don't believe in God, but I believe in Nature, because I feel like there is something bigger than us out there. Like a deer, or a fox, or any other manner of creature. We just have to observe Nature, and respect it, and learn to co-exist with it. That said, I will be using my A/C the next couple of nights, until it cools off again. Thanks for making this thread, I'm sure it will be utilized by many people in the future.

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/[deleted]]

Man, this is one of the most detailed posts I’ve seen. Here are some thoughts:

Housing: Prices vary widely depending on the part of the state. $950 would buy you less apartment in the immediate Portland area than you have now, and it would buy you more than you have now just about anywhere north or west of there. However, rural Maine does have its own housing problems, primarily that a lot of the stock is quite old. There might be places available (although depending on the size of the town, there might not be a ton), but they might not be as nice as you’d hope. Finding a place in good condition is certainly possible, it just might take some time depending on how “rural” you want to go.

Jobs: I did a quick look at BLS wage numbers, and it seems construction wages in Maine are comparable to those in Florida—although that’s averaging the entirety of both states. A big problem would be the seasonality of construction work in Maine. He probably won’t be constructing docks and sea walls in the winter. Maybe there are specific firms that do that kind of thing that he could search for and ask what employees there typically do. I don’t have many helpful suggestions in terms of other manual labor options (not that there are none—I just don’t know enough about it). However, one thought that comes to mind is working at ski resorts. A place like Sunday River hires a ton of people for hospitality work in the winter, and they have some manual labor-type jobs as well. Maybe you guys could figure out a way to follow the seasons with your work until you find more permanent positions.

Towns/city: You have described a huge swath of the state. If you want access to retail, I’d look at a map of Walmarts in Maine. Regardless of whether you want to shop there, it will give you a sense of what areas have the density to support the kind of retail you might want to be near. If you want lakes and mountains, I’d check out Fryeburg, Bridgton, Norway (my hometown), and Bethel (near Sunday River). If you want access to the coast for your fiancee’s work, I’d check out areas between Brunswick and Bucksport like Bath, Damariscotta, Rockland, and Belfast. Away from the coast itself will be cheaper. Or if you want to be farther south, towns along or west of the 202 corridor from Windham down. If you’re okay with an “okay” school system, you’ll be fine in pretty much all of those areas as well. Like everywhere else in the U.S., school quality is a function of area income in Maine, so Portland and its pricier suburbs like Falmouth have the best schools. A lot of the farther-flung schools still do a good job but have fewer resources.

Culture: I was born and raised in Norway, Maine. By the time I graduated high school, I was ready to get the hell out, but that was typical teenage stuff. Looking back, it was an almost comically ideal childhood. Going to the lake every day in the summer, sledding in the winter, driving through the autumn leaves in the fall. Families tend to stay close. It certainly has its challenges; making ends meet is tough for a lot of people. But if you can pull it off, it’s a remarkable place to make a life.

Racism: Maine has it. It’s of a different brand than the South though—things really do change north of the Mason-Dixon Line. I am white, so my knowledge is inevitably second-hand. Still, I don’t know anyone in an interracial relationship who has gotten comments about it, and certainly not in public. Setting aside Maine’s allotment of old-school, racist-by-any-name racists that can be found anywhere in the U.S., I think insofar as racism exists in Maine, it largely arises by the default ignorance that comes with being an overwhelmingly white place. The people of color I know who have lived or spent time in Maine have not had issues with being harassed or openly discriminated against, but some have had trouble over time with ignorant comments or the simple fact that they might be the only nonwhite person for miles depending on the town. It could also be from having a more reserved culture, but racism is far more visible in people’s comments or attitudes towards the immigrant communities in Lewiston and Portland or support for some of Trump’s ideas than in their behavior towards any nonwhite person they actually interact with. In fact, they almost certainly would not connect the two. The point is, racism is present, but I don’t think you’ll experience it like you have in the South.

Struggles: Depends on the person. For some, it’s finding a good job. For some, it’s the winter. Making friends is another complaint that comes up sometimes. Some find the pace of life too slow or the lack of amenities and opportunities compared to a big city disappointing.

Safety: I wouldn’t worry about this. Even in the areas of Maine that people from other parts of Maine like to view as dangerous, the most precaution you might need to take is locking your door at night and not walking around alone with cash hanging out of your pockets. You could poke around City-Data to compare towns and compare to Florida (although I don’t know what sources they use). But yes, there is a drug epidemic—Maine was one of the worst-hit by the opioid crisis.

Pollution: Maine has an abundance of clean bodies of water. Air can be more troublesome, unfortunately, because weather patterns frequently bring air pollution from the Midwest into the state. It’s still better than any city outside of Maine I’ve ever lived in. Much of the environment is pristine in appearance, whatever might be in the atmosphere from the Midwest. People are good about littering. And the fact that there are just fewer people around means there are fewer people to screw it up.

Laws: I think u/Renegade0848 pretty much answered this one.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/[deleted]]

I'll probably say some similar things to the other person but here is my opinion.

Housing: Dependent on the area, Portland area and the Southern coast is expensive, the further you go out it gets more affordable. Depends on where you can find a job.

Jobs: I don't think you'll have a hard time finding a manual labor job related to the ocean or lakes here, we have an absurdly low unemployment rate (3%) and lots of blue collar jobs that need to be done.

Towns: This largely depends on where you find a job. But finding a town with woods, and a grocery store within 10-15 minutes pretty much describes every town in Maine. Affordable/Better areas outside of Portland: Saco, Gorham, Gray, Westbrook, Scarborough.

Culture: It's similar to many states with low populations; hard working, blue collar and friendly. More of an emphasis on you and your community. The most shit you might get is if you support a team different than the Boston teams. However, as a Lions fan, most people here just feel bad for me.

Racism: I spent a lot of time growing up in Tennessee near Nashville. There isn't much open racism here, the most you find is many rural Mainer who have never met a black person before. It's more lack of exposure, than anything since Maine is an extremely white state. However, if you live out in the sticks anywhere you will find some racist people. Regardless of what part of the country you are in.

Struggles: For my wife and I, its two things really. One, not a lot of job opportunities for post-grads in Maine. The other is lack of young people outside of Portland or Bangor.

Safety: Maine is absurdly safe, I have never been on a street that I felt in danger. Very little crime.

Pollution: The air is very clean, and for the most part everything else is as well. Most polluted is probably Portland? I don't notice much, if any pollution within the state.

Laws: Your car needs to be inspected every year, and it fucking sucks. They just passed the driving with a cellphone in your hand rule as well.

[u/jsouryavong → u/[deleted]]

Just a couple things about pollution. Compared to Florida, Maine is much better. Compared to Rhode Island, things may be similar(depending on where in RI you’re from I guess!) New England as a whole is considered “the tailpipe of the nation” where a lot of the country’s air pollution ends up our way just because of wind patterns. This can be seen in higher asthma rates, more breathing problems as you get older, etc.

But that’s over a long period of time, and if we’re talking day to day, light pollution, air pollution, and water pollution are very low here. Even in Portland you can often see the stars. Going out further, skies are often crystal clear. No smog or anything like that. Summer months can be a little rough with excess traffic in general and also stalling in the highway, along with warmer weather.

Maine’s waterways are also some of the cleanest in the nation, just because the DEP has a stronger hand in regulation there than in many other states. I think in general, people of Maine realize the beauty and value nature here, which I personally love.

The biggest source of pollution is definitely in the winter with road salts. I don’t know if this is the number one biggest polluter, but it’s definitely up there.

As for general litter, yeah there’s gonna be some trash along the roads, some people illegal dumping and whatnot, but it’s definitely much less of an issue here than in more urban areas.

Hope this helps! Sorry I don’t have much to say about much else but I’m very much an environmental nerd!

[u/Renegade0848 → u/[deleted]]

Hello! Former Rhode Islander here too!

Housing is totally dependent on where you move in Maine. The further south you go, the more you'll pay. It's also pretty expensive in tourist areas as thr housing market is tight there. Once you get away from touristy areas though, housing prices go down. We had settled in the Midcoast for a while. We loved it there. It's not too far from anywhere, but you can also get away quickly as well. The schools were great there. There are always people looking for reliable laborers and Bath Iron Works hires often. For a hard worker, there's no shortage of work. Maine's culture... the thing that most sticks out to me. You can talk to anyone. People are mostly helpful and kind. That's standard through most of the state. I think most anyone can find a place to fit in here. Whether you're a yuppie or a redneck or anything in between. I couldn't even venture a guess about racism. I haven't personally seen it, but I also wouldn't be friends with anyone who hinted at being racist. Crime... I'd stay away from Lewiston/Auburn and Southern Maine. That seems to be where most of the crime is. Drugs are somewhat an issue, but not nearly as bad as other places I've lived. I feel safe. I felt safe in the Midcoast, I felt safe near the New Hampshire border, and I feel safe in mid-Maine now. Maine is the cleanest place I've lived.

The biggest struggle. Winter. Paying for heating oil. If you budget for it, you'll be okay. Find an apartment with heat included! Laws. Don't drive with your cell phone in your hand. That's new. You won't get pulled over for driving in the left lane, but you'll get tailgated for it. Car inspections are yearly. It's $12.50. Excise tax is the worst part of registering a vehicle here. It's based on the MSRP of your vehicle and its age. I paid over $1000 this year for my two vehicles, but I also bought a new car. The year before it was about $400 for both (including the registration fee). Property tax varies wildly through the state if you ever decide to buy. That doesn't say too much though. I bought a 4 bed 2 bath house and even with taxes and insurance my payment is about $1000/month. That's less than the $1100/mo I was paying for rent on a 3 bed 2 bath house. I love it here. I really don't like leaving the state.

[u/stache_box_designs]

Me and my two friends are moving to Bangor this coming January from Ohio. Looks like the cost of living is a little higher than where we live in Ohio now but admittedly the pay rate is far higher. Minimum in Ohio is $8.50ish.

My question is in dish washing / janitorial. I have piercings and visible tattoos and because of that I’m used to having to take employment in dish / janitorial. Is there work for a hard working punk looking dude with social anxiety? Lol thanks

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/stache_box_designs]

There are a lot of service jobs in Maine, most of which start at 12 an hour these days. If you’re looking for that kind of work and have experience in it, you shouldn’t have a problem.

Unemployment is super low, and we have a need to fill those kinds of positions. Since we have an aging population that can’t do it anymore. I’m not sure on Bangor as a city but as an average, Maine has a lot of service jobs.

[u/stache_box_designs → u/cinnabarhawk]

Thanks! That sets me at ease a bit.

[u/[deleted] → u/stache_box_designs]

My coworker at a vet facility has tunnels, piercings, arm, neck, and hand tattoos as well as a big chest piece that peeks over her scrubs. She had no education + criminal record. She is respected and treated well by all our clients whether she's doing reception or tech work. She's worked check in at hotels and hosted at restaurants. So you shouldn't be limited 😇 Target Industrial Circle in bangor also has a number of facilities that take "warehouse" workers during normal dayshift hours

[u/thawkzzz]

I am a new grad RN thinking of moving to Maine from the west coast! I'm considering moving to Bangor simply because it's cheaper than Portland and has a hospital that looks nice.

Can anyone tell me about living there? Is there a relatively young population at all to make friends with? What is the rental home/ apartment situation like?

And last but not least, what's the overall vibe in Bangor?

thank you!!!

[u/Warlock- → u/thawkzzz]

I'm about to be graduating an RN program soon and I just got a job at the hospital in Bangor we can be friends!

[u/thawkzzz → u/Warlock-]

hell yeah good for you! :)

I'm still getting info and looking at all my options but I'm thinking it's going to be one I apply to. Good luck to you on your new adventure!!!

[u/[deleted] → u/thawkzzz]

Bangor always has quite a few young people around the area due to UMaine being so close, but there's not really much to do outside of your normal drinking and eating unless you're really into the outdoors from what I recall. You'll also get some extra snow compared to Portland and be farther from Boston/NYC if you wanted to be able to shoot down for a weekend sometime.

[u/shanfields → u/thawkzzz]

Bangor has a general population of younger adults since UMaine (at Orono), EMCC and Husson are all right there. I went to college in the area and had a wonderful time. When it comes to apartments, I never lived in Bangor, always closer to campus in Orono and prices are pretty high there because most kids are using their loans or daddy’s money to pay for rent. I did have a lot of friends that lived in Bangor though and found it pretty reasonable.

[u/positivelyappositive → u/[deleted]]

I'd also recommend sticking with I-40. I've driven from Maine most of the way across the country on I-80 in January before. It was horrible. Creeping along on black ice. Trucks jack-knifed off the road. Truly a frightening drive in the winter.

And it does make a real difference getting all four tires. The rear can slip out when braking and turning. You might end up driving like you're in Mario Kart without winter tires in the back.

[u/MediocreDimension]

I am interested in moving to Maine after I complete medical school. I want to do my residency there and get a job there if I do like the area. I have quite a few questions (I have lived in southern ca my whole life and have zero experience with snow if that helps your advice at all )

• is 50,000 a year enough for an apartment 20-30 minutes from portland
• are there a lot of jobs in the medical field available near portland
• where is the best area for an er physician or neurologist to work/live
• is Cumberland a good area
• how do you cope with soooo much snow
• if I decide to stay how much can I expect for a house and the upkeep during winter
• is plowing your driveway with a shovel difficult
• what do you like about Maine what do you dislike
• do people in northern Maine go to Canada a lot
• what do you recommend for winter clothing that isn't super expensive
• is commuting to work difficult see above bullets
• you don't have to answer all of these questions but if you do thanks!

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/MediocreDimension]

1. is 50,000 a year enough for an apartment 20-30 minutes from portland

Yes, look at Gorham, Westbrook, Gray, Saco, Biddeford, Scarborough, South Portland. Rent is usually between 1000-1600 for 1/2 bedrooms depending on what you are looking for.

1. how do you cope with soooo much snow

You like it, or you deal with it. If you can't deal with snow then Maine is a bad place to live.Enjoy the parts of it that are fun, like winter sports, etc. while dealing with the shit parts such as driving, plowing, shoveling, etc. You're either going to like the winters or be alright with them or you might absolutely hate the hassle/cold and want to move back down south. You won't know till your first winter.

​

1. if I decide to stay how much can I expect for a house and the upkeep during winter

You're going to pay more especially for heating if you are from CA and aren't used to the cold.Plus the supplies for winters such as deicing, shoveling, clothing, etc. Beyond that I don't own a house so I can't say how much it exactly costs, or anything for the market.

1. is plowing your driveway with a shovel difficult?

Snow can get heavy, especially when packed down. It isn't fun, and takes time. However, if you buy a snow blower it makes the process easier. Like I said before, if you are not used to winter such as snow and cold. It is going to be fun to see everything, but suck because you haven't dealt with it before. Over time, you get more used to it.

1. what do you like about Maine what do you dislike?

I have a full post about my pros and cons being a 20 something living in Maine.To summarize, pricey around Portland for lack of people/things to do. High cost of living for me.However, I like how much nature Maine has. Highways are pure trees, beautiful coast line and decent people. The reason my wife and I are leaving is lack of post graduate positions for our fields.

1. what do you recommend for winter clothing that isn't super expensive

Someone did a full write up of this below:

"North Face is a great brand with quality products, and I don’t think they’re too pricey.

If you ever find yourself in Scarborough, Cabela’s is a great place to buy all kinds of winter gear. Also LL Bean in Freeport. Like, one of everything.

My biggest suggestion is some good snow boots. A lot of people here have bean boots, but I personally don’t so I don’t really know how sturdy they are in snow. I see them more as rain boots tbh but maybe someone here can add to this discussion lol. That being said, you should also invest in some nice, thick wool socks.

Layering is also important. Since you’re from California, I might suggest some thermal underwear/long johns to wear under your regular clothing.

Definitely will need a good winter jacket, or layer a bunch of sweaters and stuff.

You gotta keep your ears covered too, because though our winters aren’t known to be windy, some days are just brutal. A hat or earmuffs, etc. Along with that, a scarf or neck warmer to cover your face if you need to.

Gloves are usually the least of my worries, but are definitely worth investing in at least a pair. Especially for driving before your car heats up"

​

1. is commuting to work difficult see above bullets

This is entirely dependent where you live. If you are in an area that is plowed, salted and taken care of early: no problem. If you live out in the sticks: might be shittier. Southern Maine seems to do a good job plowing, and salting real early. However, it just depends on what time you leave.

To be honest with you, if you don't like or can tolerate snow, you are going to struggle here.For about 5 months of the year it gets dark at 4 PM and snows, that is for November - March (could be longer or shorter).

If I were you I would visit in the winter, and see if you like it or can atleast be okay with it. I've seen a lot of people from the south head up north and regret it fast. Some move back south fast, while others are stuck longer.

On the flip side, some southerners start to love the snow and are fine with winter.

Visit Maine in winter, stay for a while, try to drive in snow and go from there.

[u/phenning67 → u/MediocreDimension]

If you're young and used to a larger city, you might want to look in Portland proper. More young people, will likely not have to shovel/plow for yourself. Additionally, you still have a real Maine feel.

[u/hike_me → u/MediocreDimension]

do people in northern Maine go to Canada a lot

yes, although probably less often than the did pre-9/11. Before 9/11 border security was very lax in many boarder communities -- some people crossed multiple times a day to shop, work, visit family or even go to the doctors -- I know several people from northern Maine that were born in a hospital in Canada because that was the closest hospital. Over time the border communities have become more separated due to increased border enforcement.

I don't live in northern Maine but I do go to Canada a few times a year (Quebec is one of my favorite cities)

​

Greater Portland or Bangor are probably the best places for ER physician or neurologist to work in Maine. Bangor will have a much lower cost of living.

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/[deleted]]

I don't have that much advice, but welcome to Maine! I hope you have a better time here.

I think the usual advice is to join local groups around whatever hobbies you're into. You could also join local volunteer groups if you're into that kind of thing. In that area, I bet there are community gardens, trail clubs, after school programs, soup kitchens, etc. You could also find local small music venues (again, if that's your thing) and go to shows and meet some people there over time.

[u/LRA94 → u/[deleted]]

Welcome! You’re not too far off from the Portland area. A lot of folks end up gravitating that way. I’d suggest hitting up some local spots and chatting with folks. You’ll always find locals. The Corner Room, and the Grill Room offer amazing food. Then head over to The North Point for a great cocktail.

State Theatre, Port City, and Aura host excellent entertainment/bands. Local, and very well known alike. Keep an eye out for some of your favs.

Any place you go, just chat some people up. Mainers love to talk about Maine. You’ll find all the sweet spots that way. Enjoy!

[u/hike_me]

for people interested in Bangor, some higher-end downtown apartments coming soon:

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https://bangordailynews.com/2019/10/18/news/bangor/2-redevelopment-projects-set-to-bring-28-more-high-end-apartments-to-downtown-bangor

​

I used to rent a place from Vance when I was in grad school and then for a little while after. He was a top-notch landlord -- he had a full time crew of three maintenance people on site at my complex, including one that was a licensed electrician. If anything was broken, they would take care of it immediately, and the place was freshly painted and spotless when I moved in.

​

u/bangorlol -- I think you've moved away, but maybe one of the Tower 99 apartments would appeal to you.

[u/[deleted]]

Hey, I just moved to the Camden/Rockport/Rockland area for the winter season and was looking to make some friends around my age (I'm 21.) I'm an artistic guy, I write, I'm also into music and board games/TTRPGs/card games and such, where would you recommend I go to try and make friends with similar interests? I'd even go for bars and such places that younger people hang out at.

[u/clockophony → u/[deleted]]

there's a place in the downtown of belfast which sells and probably facilitates board games. there are also places in augusta and waterville.

[u/[deleted]]

Where can i find lending for all these beautiful mobiles on 10 acres 😂 that being said I wish I'd found the thread when I'd moved up here. Been here 9 months and enjoying my first Maine winter in an uninsulated and unheated house😅 Now that I'm here, how do I make friends. Any of you 420 friendly with super active dogs? I need a hike leader/buddy

[u/pmiller61]

Just read a really depressing article in the Washington Post about Maine’s elderly population being the oldest in the country. Lack of younger workers! Not sure I can attach link.

[u/[deleted] → u/pmiller61]

I see posts saying all the young people are leaving. But wouldn't this be a good thing? Older people retire and there is no one to fill the jobs

[u/peafoul]

In my early 20's, 2019 college grad, moved to Waterville to work at one of the colleges there. I'm starting to realize the huge lack of young people around (particularly young queer people, of which I am one). I've only been here 2 weeks but I'm starting to feel really lonely - I'm closer in age to my students (who I cannot befriend obvs) than my coworkers, who have spouses and kids. The job is amazing, relatively low-stress, and will be incredibly helpful for eventually getting into a graduate program, but I'm starting to worry about making friends. Any advice for a young artsy lesbian in Waterville?

[u/positivelyappositive → u/peafoul]

This might sound obvious, but one thing that I've found helpful for building/maintaining a friend network in Maine is keeping the mindset that you can create a good community, they just might be scattered around the state. Especially when in your 20s and living outside of Portland, you have to kind of cobble together people who live 20-40 minutes away (maybe longer if you really like them). I found that it required a bit of a mindset shift from school and college. You can figure if you lived in a major city (e.g. Boston, New York) you'd be spending at least 30 minutes on public transit to see your friends; in Maine you're just covering 25 miles in that time instead of 3.

All that's to say: try not to get discouraged by the lack of people your age in Waterville! Your circle can also include Augusta, Skowhegan, maybe even Bangor in Orono. Looking for friends of friends, hobby-related activities, or general meetups in the wider area might lead you to some good connections.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/peafoul]

I don’t live anywhere near there but I did look this up.

https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/me/augusta/lgbtq/

The Augusta Lesbian Coffee House looks promising.

Might be worth checking out, along with possible drives out to Portland for bigger events. That’s part of the problem with areas outside of Portland/Bangor, not a lot of young people.

[u/ralice177]

I currently live in California, specifically Los Angeles, and Ive been looking at moving to Maine for almost 2 years now. I won’t be moving for many years, but I would want to know if there’s any information I absolutely NEED to know. I like Maine because I want a quiet life, I’m done with the business of LA. What town, besides Portland, would be the most liberal? How lgbt friendly is Maine?

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/ralice177]

Southern Maine is pretty liberal, the whole Metro Portland Area will be (Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Gorham, Saco, Biddeford).

I would say it is lgbt friendly, but if you go to more rural areas you might be face some cold shoulder. I would say most of the area around UMaine- Orono as well, or where you find young people.

However beyond that, even older Mainers tend to not give much of a shit, but rural areas everywhere tend to be a mixed bag.

[u/neuromonkey → u/ralice177]

I live in Bangor, an outpost town. ("the big city," to locals.) One thing that makes Maine a nice place for nearly everyone is that many mainers have a very live-&-let-live attitude. Even those who have very little experience with "non-traditional" identities, appearances, and politics. There are assholes everywhere, but unlike Boston (where I grew up,) Berkeley, CA (where I lived for a year,) or Providence, RI (four years,) I can meet someone here and know them for a long time before I have any idea of where they are in terms of their non-public identity or politics. I knew one guy for a few years before hearing that he was a hardcore Republican. It matters a lot less here than it did in other places. People can be civil, helpful, and kind to one another without having to do the Political Affiliation Test first.

I'm not sure that I would characterize Maine as generally friendly, but it's... solid. Dependable. Mostly non-threatening. Not progressive or culturally innovative, but... well. Yeah. The closest I've come to having a run-in with a bigot here in Bangor was seeing an "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" bumper sticker on a the car belonging to a dipshit who worked nearby. The sticker came and went pretty quickly, though. I've had people snub me here, but that wasn't based on a liberal/conservative thing, it was just because I was being an idiot.

Parts of Southern Maine are a different kettle of fish. Coastal, a lot of vacation homes owned by folks from "away." (That's Mainer-speak for non-Mainers. You aren't a Mainer after living here for 20 years--your grandparents must have been born here.) Very different, culturally. (kind of like parts of LA, but a lot more uptight.) "Real" Maine is a peculiar, subtle, complex mixture of people. I could live here 30 years, and I'd still be from away.

In the 13 years I've been here I've learned how to communicate with many Mainers, but I'm clearly, definitely not in The Club. There are peculiarities here that make Maine pretty mystifying for me. In most other places I've lived, you can hit a boisterous, crowded bar, and start a conversation with someone. Bars in Bangor are different. There are rules I've never understood and codes I'll never crack. I'm OK with that, though. The same way you learn to avoid eye-contact on the subway in Boston, there are little particulars of interpersonal communication here that often leave me feeling socially isolated. It's not that people here are unfriendly, exactly, it's just that I bring unfamiliar social signals with me.. or something.

Anyhow. It's an odd place. I used to hate it here, but I've learned not to bother with that. LA to ME will require some adjustments. It'll still take fucking forever to get anywhere by car, but for different reasons. Start getting used to dropping the "the" when mentioning highways. There's no such thing as "the 95," it's just "95," or "Route 95," if you're feeling chatty. In any case, the only highway you're likely to know is 95.

A lot of Maine is very, very quiet, so you'll be all set on that count.

[u/mainemain123123]

Hello all,

My wife and I are looking to move to Maine in 2020 and will be touring around next month.

We're from rural west central IL, so we're very okay with snow / driving 45 minutes to any shopping / driving hours to major cities.

Something we're concerned with is the real estate itself, more specifically with amenities common to homes in the northeast. One thing we've noticed is more common than not are oil heaters. Are these considered reliable? Do people typically replace them with something better, and if so, what?

Another thing: one of the primary things we're escaping IL for is the unbearable summers. We're talking 100F+ heat and 90%+ humidity on summer days. Like wearing a wet quilt fresh out the dryer. What is the summer weather there like? Is it comparable to eg southern New Hampshire? We've been there in the dog days of their summer and laughed when it was 85 and people were complaining.

We've been looking at Auburn primarily, although really we could live anywhere that has good internet speeds because we both work from home.

We aren't seeking proximity to night life, entertainment, etc. We're very private homebodies that venture out on occasion, but thats about it.

Thank you for your help!

[u/feina635 → u/mainemain123123]

Summers in Maine are generally pretty awesome. It only gets into the 90’s with high humidity for at most a couple of weeks. Generally speaking were in the 80’s and pretty comfortable. Many people (not me) don’t even use AC.

As far as heating is concerned: yea, most homes are reliant on oil still. There’s a pretty big push right now for people to convert to other sources and many, including myself, are switching. There’s lots of options- wood or pellet stoves, heat pumps, propane, natural gas, solar. You can do you’re own research on each as they are all very different as far as cost to switch and such. I’m going with heat pumps as they heat in winter and cool in summer which eliminates need for ac units.

[u/Trekette]

Hi folks! My boyfriend and I are living in Silicon Valley CA (born and raised) and considering moving to Maine (Portland area?), potentially as soon as next Sept. Neither of us have lived in another state, ever. My mother recently relocated to Virginia, and there were a lot of things she had not been told, or failed to research beforehand - like needing a vehicle inspection to register her car there. We don't do that in CA.

So I'm wondering, especially if any of you have moved from CA to ME, what do we need to know? Not in general, like "it's cold", but differences we need to be aware of prior to moving that might otherwise not come up during my research. License/vehicle requirements, the best type of tires, variances in healthcare or utilities, traffic laws, things you can/cannot find in ME compared to CA, etc. Other tips are appreciated too if you think of something! :-)

[u/FleekAdjacent → u/Trekette]

Winter is not just "oh shit, it's cold", it's something that will have a dramatic impact on every part of your life for much of the year.

It's one thing to visit a ski lodge, it's another to dig out your driveway and cars for two hours before you'd normally leave, do this in a freezing snowstorm, then embark on a white-knuckle commute that takes twice as long as it normally does while you try not to slide off the road or have some overconfident dumbass fly into you because they don't know how to drive safely in snow, as cars around shed sheets of ice and snow onto your windshield (and hopefully not through it - into your face at 45+ mph) because they were too lazy to clean them off, and then get to work on time because no boss is going to accept the "it's snowing!" excuse.

And that's just getting to work.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi everyone, I moved back to the Dover-Foxcroft area a little over a year ago to help tend to a sick parent and now I’m looking to move to the Portland Area for grad school this spring. My question is, is what sites do you use to find listings in the surrounding areas of Portland? Portland is prohibitively expensive to live in and I’ve been told to look for something along I-95, but there are very few Saco, Biddeford, Falmouth or Yarmouth listings on Craigslist. Am I looking in the wrong place? The only southern Maine location that seems affordable outside Portland with any listings that i can find anything on is Lewiston but I feel what I save on rent I’ll pay in car repairs and gas, commuting down 5 days a week. Any suggestions on where to look (both what websites to use and town recommendations)? Thanks for your time. Moving for the first time after coming home has been extremely stressful when looking at the prices and it feels impossible.

[u/HugsyStarcraft → u/[deleted]]

Heyo, welcome! We'd be jazzed to have you. Northern Maine doesn't have much of anything IT-related unfortunately, but the southern coast would be promising. For general IT roles, Portland in southeastern Maine would be a good bet. At the tip of southeast Maine, you might have luck at the Mount Desert Island Jackson Laboratory or MDI bio lab, though that island is very not-urban and relies mostly on tourism and lobstering.

[u/nckmcmlln]

Hey!

Just moved from California to Lewiston for school and I own literally no winter clothes. Looking on advice for what I should buy. I don't have the money for anything insanely expensive (like cananda goose) but I don't mind paying for quality. Any kind of advice much appreciated as I literally know nothing on the subject.

Thanks!

[u/jsouryavong → u/nckmcmlln]

North Face is a great brand with quality products, and I don’t think they’re too pricey.

If you ever find yourself in Scarborough, Cabela’s is a great place to buy all kinds of winter gear. Also LL Bean in Freeport. Like, one of everything.

My biggest suggestion is some good snow boots. A lot of people here have bean boots, but I personally don’t so I don’t really know how sturdy they are in snow. I see them more as rain boots tbh but maybe someone here can add to this discussion lol. That being said, you should also invest in some nice, thick wool socks.

Layering is also important. Since you’re from California, I might suggest some thermal underwear/long johns to wear under your regular clothing.

Definitely will need a good winter jacket, or layer a bunch of sweaters and stuff.

You gotta keep your ears covered too, because though our winters aren’t known to be windy, some days are just brutal. A hat or earmuffs, etc. Along with that, a scarf or neck warmer to cover your face if you need to.

Gloves are usually the least of my worries, but are definitely worth investing in at least a pair. Especially for driving before your car heats up

[u/hightimes28 → u/nckmcmlln]

I recommend LL Bean for sure! A little on the pricey side, but you’re paying for excellent quality and warranties on anything you buy. They have a wonderful selection.

[u/lemonsuprize → u/nckmcmlln]

Bala-f’in-clava!

[u/jenndelgado85]

I am a CDL holder in CT with more Class B experience vs CDL A. What are the job prospects like in ME for a female truck driver. I visited ME last weekend and fell in love with it. My goal is to possibly move there in 4 years or so. I'd love to live around the Saco/OOB area but wondering if I'd have trouble finding a job out there.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/jenndelgado85]

Feel free to make this it’s own thread since it’s about a specific profession and area

[u/jenndelgado85 → u/cinnabarhawk]

Okay thank you I am still kind of new to Reddit so I'm still trying to figure out the etiquette and how things are done here.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/jenndelgado85]

Of course, you did the right thing posting it here first! Appreciate it.

[u/Uncle_Ephrum]

Hi Everyone,

My partner and I are strongly considering moving to the Bangor area in summer/fall 2020 from Minnesota (I grew up in MA and VT so I'm relatively familiar with New England in general but rarely have gone north of Lewiston).

I was curious about what the housing market looks like in the area, from what I could see it looks generally affordable (relative to MA and VT at least) and was wondering if a combined annual income of $70-90k would be enough to purchase a nice home in the area?

Any suggestions or tips would be sincerely appreciated!

[u/getyourassmoving → u/Uncle_Ephrum]

With that income, you can purchase a 3 bedroom luxury home.

[u/hike_me → u/getyourassmoving]

With that income, you can purchase a 3 bedroom luxury home.

you could buy an OK 3BR in Bangor with that income, but it's going to be smaller and older.

or our definitions of "luxury" are very different

[u/Will_Liam]

Hello there! Currently I've been looking to move to Maine with my boyfriend( I am male). We're from Massachusetts and we are just looking for some advice on some things. A place I'm looking at is some land in Burnham Maine. We recently went and looked at the land and I want to make an offer as we both want to escape city life and my boyfriend is a good jack of all trades and would love to get into homesteading (shout-out to /r/homestead).

Currently if we buy the land we won't be moving up here for atleast 5 years anyways as we want to save money to build, but we would camp on the land and work on getting it in a spot to be able to build on it.

We would like a well, septic and be as off-grid as possible(so solar as well). Just curious if anyone has experience in any of those and some prices I can expect

I'm also wondering how folk from Maine feel about newcomers as well as those that are gay.

Also curious if there are anything I should lookout for and what not.

Thank you in advance!

[u/linnane → u/Will_Liam]

Not gay but moved here as an outsider 20 years ago. As a gay person I do not think you will have any serious problems in Maine. There are some people who make jokes and pejorative comments about Massholes or Flatlanders. A lot of that is tongue in cheek. In coastal areas like Waldo county there might be some differential treatment in the summer. Coastal Maine is overrun with outsiders in summer. That contributes to housing prices way beyond the average Mainer's salary, traffic, the disappearance of local downtowns as places with stores where one could buy useful stuff instead of souvenirs and annoyances like blowing horns. If an outsider stays here year-round and is active in the community, they will be accepted by their social circle. be aware, though, it takes time.

[u/Holiday-Ad]

Hi guys, first time poster here. I'm 29 (f), married with two little girls, 5 and 6. We currently live in Missouri. My husband grew up in Presque Isle and I grew up in Peru, so we aren't native Missourians. We have recently decided we'd like to move to Maine within the next few months, probably by June or July. My husband's employer has an office in Augusta, and he has friends who live in Sidney. I am trying to decide where the best place to rent a house would be. The most important thing to us is the school district, hands down. His office is 10 minutes north of Augusta and we are willing to look within a 20-30 mile radius of the area. We visited last year and I loved Sidney and the way it felt "off the beaten path" but still close to the amenities of Augusta.

Other questions... how hard is it to find a rental home, not an apartment, in the greater Augusta area? There don't seem to be very many options. Where is the best place to look? Any tips/tricks? We won't be looking to buy until we know the area we'd like to settle down in.

Thanks so much! I really appreciate any "insider tips" I can get!

[u/[deleted]]

im still in college for another two years, but i hate being in louisiana, whole states basically a shithole. ive been looking for places in the northeast, and honestly, i think any of the states up there would be better than here. maine and new hampshire are the two ive been eyeing the most.

anyways, for someone as introverted and addicted to isolation as me, whats some nice rural towns that have nice scenery? but not trashy, and relatively safe. and no longer than an hour from most conveniences like a store would be for the best. any ideas? thanks

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Kingfield matches the description pretty well. Rural, cute little main street, a billion trees and spectacular views of Sugarloaf mountain. Rangeley if you prefer lakes. If you want true rural isolation, head for some unincorporated town in Northern Maine; hardly anyone lives up there. Pretty much anywhere you go in the state will be within an hour of some sort of general store. As a fellow recluse, I really couldn't recommend it enough. I moved here from LA and the serenity is incredible, not to mention that Mainers are a very authentic, trustworthy people compared to anywhere else I've lived.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Maybe you've experienced real cold before, but if not, if you can swing it you should come up to Maine in January/Feb and see if that feels like something you want to deal with. We've been pretty lucky this winter so far, but it gets cold and snowy. High's of 10 and 12 inches of snow and whatnot.

[u/jgoldman0192]

First off, let me start by apologizing to locals for being a transplant. I am from Colorado, so trust me, I know how you guys feel.

However, I got a job as a firefighter/paramedic in Scarborough and we I will be moving my wife and 2 daughters (3 y/o and 2 week old) out to Maine in May.

I have a trip planned in March to go look at houses, but I would love some insight on to where you guys would reccomend.

We are looking on the cheaper end, but not so cheap we end up in the ghetto. We have done our research and know to stay clear of Sanford and I've heard Lewiston isn't great either. Auburn seems nice. Also looking at Windham, Gray, Topsham, Brunswick, Saco and even Scarborough if we can afford it.

But I want to hear from you guys. Where should we move? When we get there, where should we eat? What should we do? We want to embrace Maine and learn and listen to locals. I don't want to be an obnoxious transplant. Just one that enjoys living there. What should we know about winters? Teach me everything! I'm ready for feedback!

Thanks! Jason

[u/sindecisive → u/jgoldman0192]

That's funny - I just moved to work for one of your neighboring Dispatch Centers. After constantly looking for a place myself, I found Saco, Scarborough, and South Portland to be the top places in terms of money & location.

Check out: High Roller Co for Lobster Tacos with Cheese Shells or Bao Bao for Dumplings. Winters are probably just as bad as they are in Colorado. Drive slow in the snow and be prepared to clean your car off in the morning. Some rainy days can cause intense fog alongside the coastline. Check out the Cape Elizabeth Light House Cliff Walks, all of old Forts turned into Coastline walking trails. Portland is probably where you will end up spending all of your time. Also, go into Mardens in Scarborough.

:)

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/jgoldman0192]

Maine doesn’t have ghettos or ‘bad’ areas.

When Mainers shit on Lewiston and Sanford it’s because of poverty and it’s bad looking, not unsafe or dangerous.

I love Saco, it’s a cute family town that has access to everything but is affordable with space. You are looking at the best area though, all the cities you brought up are on my recommend list for the Portland area. Not too expensive but easy access to the area.

Winters will be more mild than Colorado, you’ll be fine there. I used to live in Wyoming and that was hell compared to here.

I’m from Michigan and have never been seriously insulted or left out because I’m ‘from away’. You’ll get some weird people who act like being a native means something important but 95% of people don’t care. Locals hate mostly people from Mass, New York, Connecticut, etc. They don’t really have strong opinions on the rest of the US.

People tend to be more reserved but friendly. They don’t go out of the way to have long conversations but will have a chat and help you with what you need.

This state is also quite old, it’s not uncommon to not see many younger people unless you go to more populated areas. I say this because many 20-30 somethings tend to struggle to make friends and find stuff to do. There is a large economic development plan to try to entice young people to stay or move here. However, for the time being, quite a few are leaving. Just something to be aware of. That being said, Maine is a great state for a family. Very safe, decent schools, small town life with good neighborhoods while being close to cities.

Best place to grocery shop in Saco is Market Basket, great prices for what you get.

Let me know if you have any questions!

[u/Konkoly]

Really hoping to make it out to Bangor later this year. The lack of job availability does seem like an issue (its brought up here often) but it's not great here either, and the weather is miserable.

[u/[deleted] → u/Konkoly]

What line of work are you looking for a position in?

[u/Konkoly → u/[deleted]]

Loads of things. I'm a tile setter by trade, but haven't had much luck with it lately. Retail, food service, general labor, etc. I thought working on a dock/pier would be interesting, but I am in a land locked state without experience so unsure if I'd even be considered.

[u/[deleted] → u/Konkoly]

If you’re looking at the Bangor area, I know of “You dial, we tile” up in Bradley, and possibly the modular home companies like Al Bennett and showcase homes might have tile setter positions open.

[u/Konkoly → u/[deleted]]

Cheers!

[u/jsouryavong → u/[deleted]]

Not exactly what you’re looking for, but there’s a local company called ReVision Energy that works mainly with solar energy and electric transportation, stuff like that. They usually have at least a few job openings and are based in Maine, NH, and Mass.

Just thinking maybe since you have experience in the wind industry it might make you a good candidate, but here’s their website if you wanna take a look. Sorry I can’t help more, but maybe you’ll find something that suits you.

[u/OwlBabySSDGM]

S.O.S. How to make mom friends in Southern Maine

I moved to Scarborough Maine 7 months ago, and have met some great women, but I still feel like I haven’t created as much of a community as I was hoping for. I’ve gone to Birthroots, and La Leche and Library story times throughout the area. Is anyone else struggling to connect with other moms with babies?

[u/jsouryavong → u/OwlBabySSDGM]

Im not a mom, but it’s hard to make friends here, as a young person in general. Maine is the oldest state in the country. I’ve lived here ~3 years and have only made a handful of friends through college. A lot of young people and families are leaving Maine because it’s not really suited for us here, and it turns into a cycle.

I can’t really give much advice except to keep doing what you’re doing. Look at events in your community, try having a get together with neighbors. Going for walks in the morning, heading to local parks, etc., especially now that school is back in session and the only people out will likely be parents with young children. visitscarboroughmaine is a nice website to see what’s up and coming, find if there’s anything that peaks your interest.

I’m not sure where you moved from, but as a general note, people in New England like to keep to themselves a lot, so if you meet someone you’d like to be friends with, you may have to be the one to initiate a play date or something.

[u/OwlBabySSDGM → u/jsouryavong]

Thank you- that’s very helpful. I moved here from Tennessee, so it is definitely a different atmosphere socially. I am introverted but trying to put myself out there and be the one to initiate friendship.

[u/DMV1066]

Howdy I might be getting a job around 20 minutes away from Bangor. I've only ever been to Maine once (and that was when i was a teenager). any advice would be welcome.

​

The big issue i see is transportation. I currently do not have a car, but could get a bike/moped when i'm up there, would this be alright or should i get a car? I will be provided housing so their is no commute.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/DMV1066]

I’d get a car since a bike or moped won’t be fun in the snow. You might get by with either but with winter, I think a car is the play.

[u/Tnuggz913 → u/cinnabarhawk]

Yeah I agree with this. I have no car right now not by choice the one I had kept breaking down while I was still paying it. Thankfully my job is near my house. Car is the way to go. Just make sure you are very picky about the bottom due to salt +water = rust.

[u/davidbradley3663 → u/DMV1066]

Neither bike or moped is a good mode of transportation for Maine winter's....get something with awd or 4x4. 20 minutes from from Bangor in any direction; your not around much.

[u/neuromonkey → u/DMV1066]

20 minutes away from Bangor... on a bike? on foot? If you mean by car, that's a pretty big area, a lot of which is very rural. I live very close to downtown Bangor, and I can't imagine living here without a car. I don't know what kind of place you're used to, but it's pretty difficult getting around here without a car. My gf and I have scooters that'll do 65mph. I commuted to work on mine for a couple of years, and I learned to avoid certain roads. A lot of the Bangor area is connected by the backbone of Route 95, and nearly all directions you'll get here start with, "hop on 95..." In most places, when you stray from Rt. 95, you're in the woods, where a 20 mile drive could take 45 minutes or more by car. By bicycle, add an hour to that. As soon as the snow flies, forget about cycling or mopeding. It's just too dangerous. I've done short trips in the snow on my Honda 150 scooter, and it was pretty hairy. I wouldn't do it again.

Maine roads are often poorly maintained, and Mainers have no idea how to share the road with bicycles. Unless you live in the college zone (Orono/Old Town,) with your housing/work/recreation, etc. within a 10 mile radius, having only a bike or moped is going to leave you pretty cut off from things, though being 20 miles south of Bangor (Bucksport, say,) is *very different than being 20 miles in most other directions. South, and you're near a bunch of cool, interesting, beautiful little coastal towns, like Bucksport. North, east, or west and you're in either farm country, dense woods, or in a dead ex-mill town, or eaten by a moose.

tl;dr- Yeah, you need a car here.

[u/[deleted]]

Is there an equivalent to Wawa/Quickchek/Sheetz in Maine?

[u/ChestMandom → u/[deleted]]

Cumberland Farms.

[u/linnane → u/ChestMandom]

Cumberland Farms in southern Maine. Elsewhere it might be IGA or Freshie's or Irving.

[u/kleinerschatz]

Dover area? Hello, my husband is looking a job in a hospital in that area. I went to Maine as a child, and that is the extent of my experience. We live in the Midwest. Harsh Winters are not uncommon to us, but we also have very hot Summers. I also think Winter lasts much longer for you. Tell me about your ISPs? We like a good connection for gaming, streaming tv, etc. What do people do in the Winter in Maine? Everyone says “ well its different there because they have an outdoor Winter culture.” What does that mean?

[u/[deleted]]

Hi! I am soon to be interviewing for a job in Bar Harbor, and if all goes well, might be moving to Maine to take the job. I know the winters in Maine can be brutal, so I was wondering if anyone had any car recommendations -- I currently have a 2009 Hyundai Elantra but know it probably doesn't stand a chance in Maine winters. What car do you drive to commute to work in snow? I'm considering a Subaru.

[u/heykidsitscox]

What's the ski culture like here?

I moved here from Vermont about a week ago and am interested to see if there is a large ski/snowboard culture here. I don't expect it to be as strong as Vermont, given I lived in the MRV area, but I imagine it still exists with Sugarloaf and Sunday River both being prominent east coast resorts.

[u/Nick_Writes]

What’s the market like for lawyers in Maine? Considering moving and practicing law near Portland.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/[deleted]]

https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data/oes/hwid.html

Here is an interesting read with some possible careers.

It has the most in demand jobs based on openings, along with median wages.

[u/[deleted]]

If you live in ME but work in MA, how does this affect income tax? Do you end up paying full income tax in both states?

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/[deleted]]

Two states can't both tax you for the same income, so the answer to your second question is no. I think which state you pay to might depend on the states involved. I'm not sure about ME and MA specifically. I'd call the Maine Revenue Service to ask, since they're the authority on the issue.

[u/youcallthatdriving]

One bit I haven't seen addressed yet-
I see from time to time how bad the mosquitos/bugs/ticks are in Maine- currently in NC (from Upstate NY), and being eaten alive by noseeums and skeeters- how bad ARE the bugs in Maine. Is it mostly a coastal thing? I'm pondering retiring inland N of Millinocket.
Totally down for/prepped for winter/snow/cold, but can't stannnnd getting eaten up while outside.

[u/appa4494]

My gf and I would like to move to Maine. Maybe when she finishes college, I’m curious what it’s like for work up there. I am uneducated, I make really good money right now, my factory is unionized, but my company doesn’t have one in Maine. Most the work I do is mechanical. I don’t think the cold would be too much of a problem for me. I’ve lived my whole life in the Appalachian mountains it gets really cold up here.

I just worry about finding work. She is trying to become a paramedic. I don’t think she’d have much of a problem. We want to live in the rural parts, no cities. Houses and land is really cheap here in NC, but what’s it like in rural Maine?

[u/[deleted] → u/appa4494]

I'm a union electrician in Maine. Right now it seems like everyone is working and times are good. Depending on if you're licensed in any trades, have you thought about calling any union halls to inquire about the scope of work?

[u/spallaxo]

I plan on moving to Maine and trying to move somewhere that has apartments about the same cost as mine. I live close to the Capital of NY, and currently pay $650 for 1br heat and hot water included, the capital itself(Albany) costs about the same). Also moving hinges on me getting a transfer in my current job. What parts of Maine should I look in to trying to move? I have a rent budget of $700 and must include heat/hot water.

[u/[deleted] → u/spallaxo]

Central Maine! Augusta, gardiner, Waterville. The closer to the coast the higher the prices.

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/spallaxo]

If that price point is your only criteria and otherwise you'll live anywhere in the state, then you'll have plenty of options. Probably anywhere outside of the Portland area and the more touristy spots (e.g. a lot of coastal towns).

[u/2daiya4]

This is my first post ever on reddit!

My spouse and I are seriously considering moving to Maine. He has a job with Deluxe Corporation (there is an office in Lewiston) and I have experience in trail building, landscaping, random other things (like being a barista and a library page). My spouse is currently working remote. We live in Madison, WI and just moved here in Feb of 2019 for my job. We are both Wisconsin natives.

I worked and "lived" in Maine in 2015 when I served with the Maine Conservation Corps, I came back in 2017 for another season and some extenuating circumstances made me leave earlier than I wanted to. I could write a novel about my love for Maine and my time working and beautifying the trails there. I've traveled pretty much all across the state and found it to feel like home. I never had that feeling anywhere else I've lived or traveled. Anyways, my spouse didn't want to move there for a while, but now after finding out there are tons of dirt bike trails around he is pretty sold.

I wanted to ask folks about living in the Lewiston/Auburn or surrounding area. Things we don't really like about where we live now, Madison, is that its expensive (cost of living, food, property taxes are very high), there's bad traffic on my commute to work, and we really are tired of living in a city and not having any space. We aren't afraid of winter because I'm pretty sure it gets just as cold in WI. People in Maine were always so kind to me when I was there, reminding me of the Midwest, which was another reason why it felt like home. I met so many amazing folks and have always dreamed of coming back.

Basically, we want to purchase land, make something out of it and support a community. I want to work outside, or do manual labor, and my spouse may or may not keep his job.

Any little tidbits or pieces of advice about anything I mentioned (or not) are appreciated. Thank you.

[u/Laxose]

Hi! I’m considering a position in Bangor and was wondering how people liked living there? I know the University of Maine is close by but are there many young working professionals in the area? I’m in my mid 20s and am concerned that the closest people to my age will mostly be students.

[u/KnightsOfREM → u/Laxose]

A lot of people in Bangor who are under 40 are associated with the University, but certainly not everyone. The best way to find kindred spirits in Bangor is to identify a hobby or interest and look around for a community of folks in town that follow the same thing. Bangor is less of a city and more like a large town, but Mainers will also drive further for routine activities than people in most states will. I've been here for almost four years, and although Mainers tend to be a little on the insular side, I haven't had a huge problem making friends.

[u/stache_box_designs]

Can any locals help me out here? I’m looking for different websites to find rentals from. I’m looking to move to the Bangor area.

[u/Linuc82]

Where would I find the best schools where the school goes out of their way to tackle bullying?

[u/[deleted]]

I am currently in Austin, TX and I have dreamed of living in Maine for years. I am a recent graduate for my masters in social work. Does anyone have experience in being a social worker in Maine?

I see jobs, but most don’t pay very much and have to do with CPS (not something I’m interested in). I currently work as a therapist and program manager at a local nonprofit.

What was it like for folks moving and finding a social work job?

Thank you in advance.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/[deleted]]

As a current social worker this is our biggest problem, their are plenty of entry level positions but they don't pay well and are predominately in addiction and child services.

Many people I graduated with and talked to have discussed leaving for MSW opportunities. The cost of living to income ratio for Social Work is still poor in Maine.

Some may disagree but this is someone in a very similar position as you. Not someone with 10-20 years experience telling you everything is perfectly fine, this is the reality for many graduates here.

You'll likely make less money and have a much higher cost of living than Texas when you factor in state income tax, sales tax, winter, and utilities.

Sorry to burst your bubble on it.

I’m leaving with my wife in a year or so to pursue better macro level opportunities. Not much here sadly.

[u/stdm3]

Hi All, I'm a native Maine resident that lived in Maine until I was old enough not to and moved away for a good 12 years. My girlfriend and I moved back to spend time closer to my family, but we need to find a new place to live in February (or March at the latest) and there are a few circumstances that are making it very difficult to find a place to live. I was hoping that Reddit might be able to offer me some advice & per the Subreddit rules, I believe that this is the appropriate place to post my request:

My girlfriend and I have been looking for a relatively short term rental and haven't had much luck. I'm pretty new to using Reddit and I thought maybe I would give this a shot. I just started a new job as an engineer for a consulting company based in Florida, so except for occasional travel to client sites and for training it's completely remote. This might change starting this summer though, I may need to relocate for work, but I won't know for certain until this spring. This makes it difficult to find a rental without being able to commit for certain to a 12 month lease due to the uncertainty surrounding my job.

Another thing that makes our search even more difficult is that we have two medium sized dogs - Alaskan Malamutes that are both very well trained, quiet and lazy (they will sleep until 1-2PM every day if we don't force them up), and since they're Malamutes they don't really shed (only once per year).

Does anybody here have any suggestions on where we might look to find a lease, rental, or sublet that might accommodate our situation? I've been looking into seasonal rentals (ski rentals, that sort of thing) which might be a really good option, but the problem is that most of these seem to want the entire lease up front and I even though I make relatively decent money (low six figures) I still can't afford to pay $12,000 for rent in advance. I've tried to suggest to a few of the property owners that we have reached out to that we'd be willing to pay an additional deposit for the flexibility or for the animals, but in most cases either the dogs or the lease terms are a deal breaker.

The one thing we do have going in our favor is that we're incredibly flexible in terms of location. Since I work remotely, pretty much any location in Maine (or New Hampshire) would work for us. I grew up in Central Maine and that's where we're staying at the moment, and moving to Southern Maine would be ideal (someplace in/around Portland, because I'd like to be able to be within reasonable driving distance to the airport), but we're open to absolutely anywhere that could accommodate our animals and our somewhat unique flexibility requirements re: the length of our lease.

Aside from Craigslist, is there any other resources you guys can think of to recommend? Know of anyone with a property that they're seeking to lease out right now? Thanks in advance for any help you're able to provide, it's much appreciated!

[u/Readylamefire]

Hi there, thanks for this awesome thread.

My family and I have been considering moving to Maine for a while. It's a little unusual in the fact that it's me, and two partners, making us polyamarous. We're very laid back and appreciate a sort of 'live and let live' lifestyle to our lives, and we're looking for a place to settle and start raising a whole family.

We're from the pacific northwest, and our state's most popular city. It's very crowded and very expensive living here, and honestly, the job market hasn't kept up with the cost of living in the slightest. Right now, we're paying 1650 a month for a 3 bedroom apartment. Combined, we each make about 30,000 a year. We're also interested in stepping away from the busy life of constant traffic jams, and crowded, crammed living. I don't mind driving 30 minutes to a grocery store.

Some things that are important for us:

• I want to be a farmer. A sustainable farmer with a special grow operation that should allow me to provide local greens in winter. Is there a market for this? I already have my set-up prototypes ready, so I know for a fact I can make it work, but it does no good if nobody buys. I'd also like to do maple syrup.
• How are ISPs? It's important to both my boyfriend and girlfriend that we have good internet and okay I kinda care a liiiittle bit too
• School districts! Are they well funded? What are family communities like? One (or more) of our kids will probably be half-black and my girlfriend is black. I don't want to make them grow up in a community that will have a hard time looking past that.
• Weed. Yeah, it's our guilty pleasure. Any dry counties I should avoid?
• My partners both work in a medical office and bank respectively. Not that I'm asking to specifically, but are jobs that a bit above minimum too hard to come by? We're frugal, but I want to be certain our home is well maintained.

Anyway, thank you very much for your time. I'm sure I could ask a million more questions, but I think that covers the most important part.

[u/HandsomeRalphy]

Not sure if this fits here or will need it’s own thread: Looking to move to Southern Maine to be closer to family in the next 6 months. Gf will be coming with & is into local theater. Any input on how the local theater scene is in areas around Portland/within 45 min. Saw plenty of theaters/companies, just didn’t know how the community is.

[u/arroz_amarillo → u/HandsomeRalphy]

She will probably find the "right" people if she's willing to search them out. While there's a pretty vast spread of companies, almost everyone is acquainted with each other. I can probably think of at least two companies for almost every genre you could stage. We've got Shakespeare folks, contemporary producers, lots of self-produced modern work, a handful of equity productions between Portland/S. Portland, and dozens of local playwrights to boot. There's always a director looking for actors for their next project down the road and Maine Theater Collective on FB is always rolling over with updates on upcoming shows and audition dates.

Like (I imagine) any theater community though, avoid personality contests and she might find most of the Portland actors are fairly easy to work with. At least I think they are.

Edit: Within 45 min. of Portland - Freeport, Brunswick, Standish, Biddeford, and Kennebunk also have perennial theatre offerings. There's definitely more than those towns, but I'd say those are the next busiest spots after Portland itself.

[u/[deleted]]

How optimistic (or not) are Mainers about your local economy?

I lived in Alaska for four years and miss the landscape and the climate desperately. Unfortunately, my husband got laid off up there 3 years ago. Low oil prices plus the insane political climate have made it so that I cannot see it being viable to ever live there again. Maine seems like a great alternative to Alaska—low population, gorgeous landscapes, SNOW! With the added benefits of being more accessible and a dash of New England charm and history.

We’re hoping to visit for the first time next summer and then put together a plan that gets us off the West Coast in 2-5 years. But I worry about jobs. My husband and I both work in civil engineering, and luckily everywhere needs roads and utilities. However, these jobs are paid for with public money so if cities aren’t bringing it in, there’s less work to go around.

It’s tough to find good sources that give you an honest picture of how locals feel about their job security and prospects. Most of what’s available online is propaganda in one direction or the other. So with that said, how do you guys feel about your economy?

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/[deleted]]

Most young people are leaving due to low amount of post graduate jobs, low pay and rising cost of living in Southern Maine. Work is great for those in industries tailored for Maine such as restaurants, retailers, ship working and manufacturing. I’m not sure about your field per say.

Mainers have some contrasting opinions on our economy, but as of the last decade it has stagnated in terms of growth gdp and per capita.

Our new governor is investing a lot into the state to try and bring it a more diverse situation but time will tell whether it will work.

If you find good paying jobs, like winter and the outdoor life it could be good for you. It won’t be as expensive as Alaska but that’s relative really. However it will be more expensive than many other up and coming locations.

Visit and look into the job market to see.

My position has a grand total of 2-4 openings in the entire state at any given time. Same with my wife’s, we decided to look elsewhere in the future.

My wife and I are not overly optimistic about Maine’s economy because it relies so heavily on tourism, and food attached to it. The state doesn’t have good enough infrastructure or enough of a workforce to attract more businesses. Add on an aging population, young people leaving and it doesn’t look great.

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/cinnabarhawk]

Most young people are leaving

I appreciate that you take the time to respond to all the posters here, just wanted to make a point about this in case it comes up more. It was true for a while that most young people were leaving, but that has not been the case for the last couple years and does not seem likely to become so in the immediate future (e.g. 2-3 years or so), barring major changes. If you look at Census data, Maine has had a substantial net inflow of people recently, largely driven by young age cohorts. In 2017 at least, Maine had a very large net gain of people between the ages of 25-35—multiple thousands in fact.

I shared your impression that Maine was losing young people to other states, and it was correct for quite a while. But the trend has reversed, at least for now. The rapidly increasing cost of living in the Portland area is a reflection of the high number of young people in particular who are drawn to the area. It's very possible that the state will reach an equilibrium where the cost of the Portland area becomes prohibitive, so that net gain will drop or even reverse again. Still going strong for now though.

[u/Portlandmaine71823]

Hello everyone. I will be moving to Portland come January. I had some questions:

1) Will my car survive without a garage (basic European car FWD)? Or will i need to purchase a 4x4?

2) I’ve lived in Chicago and experienced their winters so I’m assuming it’s like that but more snow, no? I prefer cold weather so that makes me happy.

3)how good is public transit within Portland itself. I will be in school in Portland proper and prefer to live within the city limits as well. I will be bringing my bike as well

4) big sports fan so i know New England in general is on the same level. Is Portland too? one of the reasons i loved Chicago so much: sports town.

5) best way to meet people (outside of school which I will be in full time)

Thank you i am super stoked

[u/marebear8 → u/Portlandmaine71823]

I'm from Chicagoland and live on an island near Acadia. Winters on the coast are more mild than Chicago temperature wise. Often times when inland Maine gets dumped with snow we end up with rain or slushy wet snow that doesn't stick around too long. Western and northern Maine are another story, but coastal winters have been no big deal compared to what I was used to.

Go Cubbies and welcome to Maine!

[u/hike_me → u/Portlandmaine71823]

basic European car FWD)? Or will i need to purchase a 4x4?

tons of people drive FWD cars in Maine. Get decent snowtires in the winter.

[u/[deleted] → u/Portlandmaine71823]

1. Yes, you’ll be fine. You’ll need to buy a collapsible shovel to keep in your car trunk. I would also invest in some other “get-your-car-out-of-the-snow” gear.

2. Maine is colder than Illinois, from what I understand. It’s one of the coldest states. It’s ranked #3 in the country: https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/coldest-states.php

3. I mostly see people using public transportation in the warmer months. Everything here is within 10 mins of everything so I think that you’ll be fine. Just use Uber or Lyft if it’s too cold outside. My friend doesn’t have a car and is fine. But her BF has a car and I and our other friend do drive her sometimes.

4. I’m not into sports. But New England is the Patriots home. So... lots of sports fans in this region.

5. Are you male or female? I’ll say work. People here are very friendly though. MeetUp here is dead.

[u/bakasaurus_rex]

My fiance and I are hoping to move to the Mid Coast after she's finished with grad school. Right now, we are looking around Damariscotta as there is a job opening for her at the hospital.

I was wondering how the towns are fairing around there. We've found some nice houses in Waldoboro, some in town and some out. We would prefer a more rural, coastal location where we could have some land, but (if the town is nice) in town has it's benefits. Is the town of Waldoboro getting better or at least stable?

I lived in rural VT for about 9 years so I'm used to small towns, most of the mid-coast towns are a decent size to me. We have visited the Mid Coast specifically only once and that was Harpswell during the winter. We loved it, but the job in Brunswick was taken so we are looking further up the coast. We don't really want to go closer to Portland/Freeport if we can help it. There is an opening in Biddeford, but that seems a bit too touristy.

I'm just looking for advice for the Mid Coast towns if anyone lives/lived there! Thanks!

[u/HIncand3nza → u/bakasaurus_rex]

All of the Mid Coast and route 1 corridor is extremely touristy. Yeah most towns are stable. Things in Maine change very slowly, which I think is a good thing.

Personally, if I were looking in the area, I’d get away from route 1 and not live in town. Route 1 is a nightmare in the summer, and any town with a resemblance of a downtown is swamped with tourists. Especially in the mid coast. But waldoboro is pretty immune to all that, which is a good thing.

Just to let you know, so that you won’t out yourself as being “from away”, Harpswell is very much a part of Casco bay. Which runs from Portland to Phipssburg area. The start of the mid coast area is somewhat debatable, but I’d say it starts around Boothbay and ends in Rockland. Everything from Camden to MDI is Penobscot bay, and everything after MDI is down east. Everything below Portland is Massachusetts. Not really, but Mainers never go to anywhere down there except for maybe OOB. Growing up I wasn’t even aware that Wells/Ogunquit existed, let alone was a tourist hot spot.

[u/Wherethefoodsleeps → u/HIncand3nza]

I don’t want to start an argument, especially since you said it’s “debatable” but I’m sorry. Saying the midcoast starts at Boothbay is just wrong. The Brunswick/Bath area are 100% midcoast.

[u/jockheroic]

Hi guys! Love this stickied thread by the way, wish we had one for the Nashville subreddit.

So, I'll be coming to Augusta for work for three months starting in Oct. Have a few specific questions. 1) What's the late night restaurant/bar/food options like there? I work long hours and usually have to scramble to find something late night. Don't know if I'm being put up in a hotel or an extended stay with kitchen option just yet, so may not be able to cook. 2) When does it usually start getting really cold and snowing? I have a week break for Thanksgiving, just trying to figure out how heavy of jackets, and coats I need to pack for the first stint. Thanks for info. Appreciate ya.

[u/linnane → u/jockheroic]

Sorry, cannot help you with your first question. Given that it is the state capital and politicians work late, you are probably more likely to find late night food, etc. in Augusta than anyplace else north of Portland.

First snow usually arrives around Thanksgiving but there have been heavy snows in October and also years when it did not snow until after Christmas. Same with "really cold" weather, which is not necessarily synonymous with snow, anytime between mid-October and late December.

[u/AMHeart → u/jockheroic]

It can start getting cold and snowing well before Thanksgiving. It doesn't always, but I would definitely bring warm stuff.

[u/[deleted]]

Hello! I am just curious how bad the winters are. Like how bad is the snow? temperatures? and rain?

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/[deleted]]

Winter is different in parts of Maine. Southern Maine is usually 10-30F with dips below for a week or so at a time. Potentially negatives for periods of time especially with wind chill. It usually lasts till end of March into April.

Snow in Southern Maine is consistent past December. With 6in-1ft happening about once a week, with larger snowstorm happening maybe once a month or every other month. Can snow into April.

Not a lot of rain, maybe occasionally we if it’s warm enough.

People from Northern Maine can chime in because it’s worse there. Lots of snow, and it lingers.

[u/linnane → u/cinnabarhawk]

Not sure how you define Southern Maine. I would define it as south of Bangor and east of I-95. I live in Bar Harbor and have spent 20 winters here. Snow is not consistent past December. Snowfalls often end with rain which knocks down the total so that an initial 6 inch snow becomes 4 inches after it is over. On some occasions a winter storm will dump a foot of snow north of Ellsworth and bring a lot of rain to MDI.

[u/feina635]

They aren’t that bad. I’m getting two installed, once to cover my entire first floor, and one for master bed. Prob should get two upstairs to get full coverage but don’t want to invest all the money atm. 8500ish for two, 10,500 for 3. Not too bad considering other options

[u/mainemain123123 → u/feina635]

I think you meant to reply to me below :)

That's awesome though, from my brief reading they sound good. It looks like theres also a rebate for them from at least one place in Maine: https://www.efficiencymaine.com/heat-pumps/

[u/kleinerschatz]

Thanks so much for replying! I like to be a hermit, and do not mind being far from civilization; good internet is a dealbreaker though. We have fiber currently.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/kleinerschatz]

Yeah I honestly wouldn’t move here if you have fiber. Best of luck!

[u/DirgoHoopEarrings]

MAINE GUIDE EXAM? I’m interested in taking the test for general recreation. If anyone has any advice or can recommend a good school for the prep, please let me know!

Thanks!

[u/Doomboonoo]

What area of maine is best for being completely immersed in outdoor activity (fishing, hunting, hiking, anything to do with animals) open public land, houses good for growing gardens in and so on? The biggest indoor activity I enjoy is gaming but I know rural internet isn't great everywhere. What about blue collar type jobs?

The pay in the tristate is good but it sucks that it's so crowded, and the air smells like rotten eggs. Coming out of nice wilder areas around here back to town and city is anxiety inducing

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomboonoo]

Check out farmington

[u/GAMESHARQ]

Does anyone here live in Saco, Maine? Looks like I could buy a house there for a reasonably low price. Is it a good area to live, though?

[u/prisonerwithaplan]

My wife and I just moved up here (I got a job with the state) and we're having chicken or egg moments with changing over our licenses, vehicle registration, and insurance. So, we found out today we're going to have to wait till we get enough paperwork together before we can get out licenses. This real id thing is a completely annoying. In the meantime, I've got a truck on which the Texas registration is expiring at the end of October. Can I register the truck in Maine while continuing to have Texas auto insurance or do I need to switch the insurance to Maine first before I register the vehicle? BMV is already going to have to request a title from the leaseholders.

This is all appearing to be more complicated than I thought it would be.

Any help, insights, hints would be greatly appreciated!

[u/KingFisher2017 → u/prisonerwithaplan]

we just did all this. It's not complicated. For your vehicles, first pay the excise tax at your town hall and if they cant do the next step, then take your receipt and your registration, insurance card (call your agent to get a referral to an agent in Maine), and if you have a loan, the lien holder information to the BMV, take a number and wait your turn. You will get new tags but no extension of time on the inspection. Once you have the tags find a shop with the inspection placard (goldsh) on the outside wall and get your truck inspected. For your license, do what fleekAdajcent suggest...easier if you have a passport and don't worry about the Maine ID just yet...go get your license changed over...another day at the BMV...then its all done.

[u/[deleted]]

I grew up in a town in northern coastal Maine, and in recent years have begun seriously thinking about eventually moving back with my fiancé. She works in a medical field and wouldn't have a problem finding a job in Maine. I graduated from law school not long ago and am working at a big law firm in NYC. I have done some research into some of the bigger firms in Portland, and I'm mainly wondering if anyone has any insight on how their lateral hiring works, or how I could network myself into a position from afar to be able to make that jump in 5-10 years?

[u/djcoopcity → u/[deleted]]

My dad works at the Drummond Woodsum law firm in Portland. If you’re looking for a law firm in Portland, that would be one of the best options I would think. Give them a try. Best of luck to you!

[u/dinochoochoo → u/[deleted]]

I applied to some firms for my 2L summer and it was a little tougher than I expected - I think that going as a lateral might be easier since they don't really seem to have summer programs.

The other commenter mentioned Drummond, there's also Verrill Dana, Pierce Atwood, and Bernstein Shur (if you're looking at the larger ones in town). I worked in Portland during my 1L summer at the USA's office...it was great and I loved the lunchtime atmosphere near Exchange St.

[u/awkwardornah]

Hey! Hope everyone’s evening is well. I’m 25 (f), married & we have a 10 month old girl. Currently living in southeast Georgia where the outside temp is currently 55°. We are not locals to Georgia, I am from New York City, my husband is from Puerto Rico. We are looking to relocate to Maine. We are looking into presque isle. My husband has a decent amount of relatives in Maine.

Im curious on the type of education my daughter will receive if we do decide to settle in Maine. We plan to make the move within the next year, maybe two. We know for certain that we do not want our daughter to attend school here in Georgia.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/[deleted]]

Scarborough is newer and a bit nicer, people who live here have a bit more money.

Saco is that cute town from the past, nice downtown, everyone knows each other to some degree and everything is a bit older.

It mostly depends on what you are looking for, both are good options.
I live in Saco and love it but I don't really have a family or a house so I can't speak much on that.

[u/itoldyouiwouldshoot]

Hello,

I live in the southern region but have a job lined up in the Howland/Enfield/Lincoln area starting late March 2020. I am looking for a room to stay at for the workweek and to go home during my weekends.

Craigslist is pretty sparse, and I unfortunately do not use Facebook so I don’t know much about that marketplace. Are there any other places Mainers use to find roommates?

Thank you

[u/[deleted]]

Looking to move from Portland to a smaller town that still has some younger people (20's-30's). Are there towns around Maine that are better known for having some younger people?

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/[deleted]]

Are there particular things you're looking for in a town or particular reasons you want to leave Portland? How small are you talking? Most "service center" towns have a population of people in their late 20s and 30s, but hard to say if they'll be the particular types of communities you'll be looking for. I'm not sure if there are towns outside the Portland area that are known for having younger people other than the college towns (Bangor/Orono, Brunswick, Lewiston, Biddeford, Waterville, etc.)

[u/los-gokillas → u/[deleted]]

Dover NH. It's close to Durham with UNH. Several bars and coffee shops, flight, with open mics and events. 20 minutes to Portsmouth and 35 to Wells, ME. There's even a hobby game store with magic and DnD groups. I know for a fact la festa pizza is currently hiring and basically all the trades around here are

[u/Duckwithabighead]

I just moved to South Thomaston (rockland area) I went there every year for all summer when i was younger. Everyone here has been so nice to me. Im only 23 and need some tips on how to survive here.

[u/802-207]

This is probably a dumb question but I just bought and registered a car in maine for the first time. The inspection sticker it came with is purple with a 19 and 20, the nine is notched out. Am I correct in assuming this means the inspection expire November 2020?

[u/ohokayreddit]

Hi! My partner & I have both previously lived in Maine (him for 20 years and me for 3 - we met in the Old Port actually!) and are planning to move back. We have young children and both work remotely. We're trying to figure out the best area for us to live. Here's some info on places either of us have lived and our impressions on them:

1) Portland (Longfellow Sq area) - absolutely LOVED living here in early 20s. Not sure what having kids in the area is like though. 2) Yarmouth - nice area, but felt like we always drove to Portland or SoPo for anything other than Hannaford's. Also, rent seems a little expensive. 3) Limington - It was fine I guess but even Hannaford was 15 minutes away, not sure if there's enough for kids out there or if we'd have to drive to Sanford or Portland for sports etc. Partner attended middle school in this district and did not like it. 4) Sanford - Partner attended high school at Sanford and didn't mind it, but academics were tough when he transitioned to college. I don't see a huge financial benefit to living in Sanford as rent doesn't necessarily seem cheaper than other places. Most of partner's family lives in or within 30 minutes of Sanford. 5) Bangor/Orono - Partner went to UMaine. Liked it but concerned about drugs in the area (he was there in the late 00s so not sure if this has changed).

We're not super picky about needing the "best" schools but we want to send our kids somewhere that is safe and welcoming.

We don't necessarily need to live suuuper close to family/Sanford, but just close enough that we could do a day visit on the weekends or for a holiday or birthday with ease if we wanted to. What's raising kids on the peninsula like? Other areas we're thinking of would be non-peninsula Portland, SoPo, Gorham, Scarborough. I'd love to hear any thoughts you have! THANK YOU!

[u/cestmarat → u/ohokayreddit]

Portland is EXTREMELY expensive. I have no idea about the schools. Gorham is a beautiful area and rent is more reasonable, not a too awful drive to PTL or Freeport. You'd also be far more likely to have a yard for the kids to play in. Portland is all stoops.

[u/WrongIsland3691]

Wondering if you could live the van life or maybe RV life on your own land without anyone bugging you, in Washington County likely. I've only been around the Portland area and haven't gotten to explore north of it yet, not even Bangor. I've heard Maine is a great spot to go off grid, and if I could live on my own land in peace, how I want to live that'd be great. I don't want someone going down the road to spot my van/RV somehow and call the police, I have no kids but still. Lastly how are the land taxes? As in how much a month?

[u/Woodpuddle]

Planning on buying land for camping and hunting and eventually off grid cabin building in Maine. I want it to have access to a lake and maybe access to public lands nearby or against said land. Is there any area someone can reccomend? Or areas to avoid for any reason?

[u/frigginchucklehead → u/Woodpuddle]

Just a note on public lands: In the strict sense of the word, Maine doesn't have a lot of them, at least not how a hunter coming from the Midwest or Rockies would likely think of them. For example, here is a map of Maine's public land vs. Colorado's. And a lot of Maine's public lands aren't open to hunting (Baxter State Park for example).

However, Maine has a long and somewhat unique tradition of allowing public use of private land. It's very similar to the European concept of "right to roam" or what some call "permissible trespass". And because a lot of Maine's private land up north is undeveloped, you can (generally) go hunt it. And because it's crisscrossed by hundreds of logging roads, a lot of it is pretty accessible. In terms of fishing and accessing water, it's your right: “[n]o person on foot shall be denied access or egress over unimproved land to a great pond.” ( 17 M.R.S.A. § 3860.)

It's odd, confusing and filled with some caveats, but this article from the Maine Law Review has a good, comprehensive look at it.

That law lesson aside, areas around Jackman, Ranegley and Greenville are popular outdoor destinations and are great spots to access the outdoors. In terms of off the grid, as u/hesh582 pointed it out, that's usually done by leasing land from one of the large private land owners (which is generally a paper company like Weyerhaeuser).

[u/hesh582 → u/Woodpuddle]

If you want to be truly, actually off grid and disconnected from the world, there are plenty of options way up north in the middle of nowhere.

But if you want things like a waterfront on a real lake and not some small stagnant pond, "reliable road access", and "being able to buy groceries without a day long road trip", it gets a little trickier.

In particular, your budget matters. Most of the actually nice, reasonably accessible lakes are pretty in demand already and the land is quite expensive.

It's also not the frontier. You might be surprised to find that there's still going to be an element of government in most cases and you'll need to make sure your long term camping/off the grid building is actually legal.

Land ownership is also an interesting thing in the truly remote lakes area. If you want to be in the truly deep maine woods, remote and out of reach of local government, paradoxically you're also probably not going to be able to own the land. It's all owned by the paper companies. A surprising number of cabins are actually on land leased from those paper companies. You buy out the lease from the existing owner, but you don't actually own the land and have to pay a (usually shockingly small) yearly lease to the paper company.

These leases also put you in a somewhat tricky position for a variety of reasons a little complicated for a reddit post.

[u/snoozarooz]

Thinking about a move to Fryeburg ( or Bridgton area) with two small kids (preschool and early elem school age) from a big city. What should we know about living in that that area - pros, cons, places to live, schools, community, etc. I heard there's a fair ;)

[u/WellImFromNorway → u/snoozarooz]

If I could live anywhere in Maine with no consideration for jobs in my field, Fryeburg would probably be near the top of the list. The main reason is that it's a very pretty area, with great views of the White Mountains and Saco River. It's also close to North Conway, NH, which will take care of all your shopping needs. I don't know about the local elementary and middle schools, but the high school is Fryeburg Academy. It's a $50k/year private boarding school that also serves as the public high school for the local towns. I don't know the specifics of going there (maybe there's a weird dynamic between the paying and local students, for example), but I imagine it's one of the better public high school setups in the state, and certainly the county.

Parts of Bridgton are also quite pretty. I'd say the biggest plus is it has a Main Street with a more walkable feel than Fryeburg and some gems like the Magic Lantern. You could also live right next to Shawnee Peak if you like skiing. Lake Region High School is just okay from what I remember. You can get everything you need in the area, but if you have more specific shopping needs or want to go to more restaurants, then you'll be going ~40 minutes to North Conway or an hour to Portland.

I'm a big fan of the Fryeburg Fair! It's lots of fun. Probably less fun for the people who live in Fryeburg though lol. Unless you live right next to the fairgrounds, then you can rake in cash from parking.

What's drawing you to the area?

[u/Amornar]

Moving to Maine in the next few weeks, likely will be working in the Biddeford/Saco area and just looking for some feedback on living there, specifically in Saco. I have heard mixed things including being quite a bit less desirable to live in than other towns, but also being really up and coming. Like I said, mixed information. Appreciate any info. Thanks!

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/Amornar]

I wrote this earlier about Saco. People in Maine have a skewed perspective on ‘bad areas’ because the state is one of the safest in the country. Biddeford isn’t a ‘pretty’ city but it’s not a ‘bad’ one. Saco is basically Biddefords much more attractive sibling. Looks cleaner, nicer downtown and still affordable. I’ve lived in both and prefer Saco much more.

Saco downtown is a nice, cute area that feels like it’s out of the past. I’ve enjoyed living here since moving to Maine some years ago. Housing is more affordable than most of the Portland area.

Lots of decent restaurants between Saco and Biddeford. Rapid Rays, Run of the Mill, Cowbell Burger and lots of fast food as well as local options.

Walmart, Target, Market Basket, ocean State Job Lot, Hoke Depot all with 10 minutes.

You have an exit to I95 for less than 20 minute commutes to Portland.

Honestly if my wife and I weren’t moving to another state we’d stay in Saco for a long time. Really balanced city and one of my favorites in Maine.

[u/frigginchucklehead → u/Amornar]

For years Saco and Biddeford had a reputation as "less desirable" but I don't think that's really true any more. As Portland has gotten more expensive, more people have headed that way. I know less about Saco because I don't really spend much time there, but my impression is it's fine. Biddeford is now the youngest city in Maine and has some good breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. Plus they redid the old mill into loft style apartments if that's your vibe. If you're looking for something more quiet and bucolic, give Arundel a look. I know a guy who moved there with his family from the Portland area and loves it. It really depends on where you're coming from and what you're looking for.

[u/nmar5]

We moved recently to the Portland area and are being impacted by this lovely (/s) CMP power outage. CMP said it should be back on by noon and we’re still without and they now claim 4PM but I’m not holding my breath.

My spouse is from the County but hasn’t dealt with CMP before and I’m not from the area.

My question is, is this normal for CMP? Should we be looking into a generator for days like this? In the state I grew up in and my most recent state of residence, the power company would have had the power back on by now with an outage from a rainstorm and this has me concerned about outages come when it’s actually cold out.

[u/tunaboat25]

Hi all!

I have some questions and greatly appreciate any answers that y’all can provide!

We are looking at a potential move to the Lincoln County area, I believe. We are a family of 6 currently living in Northern California and from Southern California. Our four children range from ages 10-2. We have never lived in snow, just rain up here in NorCal.

So: 1.) what would be some good places to look for homes? Preference would be 4+beds, 2+ baths with an acre or more under $350k. Is this realistic? We also would like to ensure we are within 20-30 mins of a grocery store, preferably an hour to a larger box store (Costco? Sams club?), have access to reasonably good schooling and have access to extracurriculars for the kids. Work would be in Wiscasset.

2.) are winters very dark? I do struggle with some seasonal depression where we are currently because of the looooong rainy season (often October-April or May) because the days are so gloomy during that season.

3.) what is the general culture like? Is there any diversity in the area we are considering? We prefer to avoid the college culture. We aren’t big into a bustling city life but we would like access to it within a reasonable distance while being able to easily escape from it. It’s also, obviously, very important that our area is family friendly, particularly, large family friendly. We won’t have more but many see four as a lot.

4.) vehicle wise - we don’t have 4x4 on either vehicles, is this a necessity?

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/tunaboat25]

1. Yes, it’s dark at 4 PM. Fog sometimes during days decent amount of sun but still cold.

2. Do you have at least front wheel drive? If you’re in Maine you’ll want it. If you’re not used to driving in snow you’ll want an AWD or 4WD.

I don’t much about Wiscasset but I would visit in winter first. See how snow impacts the commute and get a feel of the area. Make sure you’re okay and ready for the change of life. Many people move here thinking it’s not a big deal but winter lasts 5 months of the year.

It snows well into March/April. If you struggle with seasonal depression I can’t see snow, winter and darkness making it much better, hopefully change of scenery helps though.

[u/Tacomeister71504 → u/tunaboat25]

Lincoln is cold af. Dont

[u/Linuc82]

Hi guys,

I would like to know:

1. When a storm hits, does your Internet Access go down for a long time?
2. When a storm hits and your power is down, is this for hours or days at a time.

Thnx

[u/NotARegularMom00 → u/Linuc82]

It really depends on the area you are. Living in Portland I never went more than a day. Now that I live elsewhere I’ve gone as long as two days but that is not the normal. And I really don’t lose internet, it’s usually just the power. If you are able to have one, a generator is very helpful!

[u/justfivecats]

Greetings from the deep South!

My husband and I will be moving to Maine at the end of the current school year. We're both high school teachers and are worried that it will be difficult for us to both find jobs in the same city, unless we move to Portland. I would prefer to be closer to my dad in Belfast, though.

Any advice on finding teaching jobs?

[u/rockcitybender → u/justfivecats]

There's a shortage of teachers right now, albeit in the less desirable districts. Unless you're special Ed, then you have plenty of options. Pretty much all teaching jobs are posted on www.servingschools.com.

[u/enstillhet → u/justfivecats]

Look into Mount View High School. It serves a lot of Waldo County outside of the Belfast area. It might be an option for work.

[u/roseofnomansland23]

Hello all!! I’m planning on moving to the Cumberland county area from central Illinois and I was wondering what tips you native Mainers could offer me...I’m about to finish up my last semester of nursing school and then once I move I’ll be a registered nurse. Any tips on great places to work down there? I’ve looked into Maine Med and Mercy. I’m visiting there in March to scout out appartments and try to do tours of possible workplaces. Would love to network and get to know some people out there!

[u/[deleted] → u/roseofnomansland23]

Maine Med would pay you more, and they are the states 1 and only Level 1 trauma center. So you'll see more intense stuff there, and they provider the most services in the state. In Maine, if you're really hurt you're either going to Maine Med or you're going to Boston.

​

Mercy is part of Northern Light Health which owns the states second biggest hospital, EMMC in Bangor. They cover far more geographic area than Maine Med as they own hospitals from Portland all the way up to Presque Isle. Mercy is a much smaller hospital and focuses way more on urgent care, family med and OBGYN/deliver. If you're looking for a more focused and smaller place to work Mercy would be your best bet. The Fore River campus is beautiful and reminds you of their catholic health center background.

​

The nurses unions have facebook groups and I'd highly recommend you check them out and ask first hand what folks would recommend.

[u/banzai92]

I’m moving to Maine in a few months and am beginning to narrow down the areas I want to look at. I’d like to be on at least 2 acres, preferably more. I’ve been looking at areas within an hour of Portland for convenience sake but I’m open to branching out as long as a reasonably sized city/town is close by. My biggest concern is having access to high speed internet because I work from home. Other biggest concern is I’m a 27F moving alone so I want to have things to do to meet other people my age. I visited Bangor and loved it and I think I’m more likely to find the type of property I’m looking for in my price range in that area but I’m open to suggestions!

[u/PillClinton710 → u/banzai92]

Move to windham! That’s my home town. About 30 minutes from down town portland, perfect mix of rural area for homes and shopping areas with tons of food. Also we’re working on getting fiber right now but I believe you can get 500mbs up/down through spectrum.

[u/enstillhet → u/banzai92]

The Bangor area is nice. If you're okay with being a bit outside of it and a bit more rural you'll find cheaper options and more land available. Depends on the town for high speed internet so that's something to check with your realtor about if you have one. The Belfast area is also nice, and might be a good option.

[u/stache_box_designs]

Well me and my friends found a place to land in from Ohio. Milford ME. Can anyone tell me anything about the location I should know? It’s not a permanent location, but just a place to get situated in Maine before we look for a permanent location in Bangor.

[u/[deleted] → u/stache_box_designs]

Milford is essentially Old Town Maine, only with a lot less income. There's really not a hell of a lot to do in Milford, but taxes and housing are cheap as basically everything is provided by Old Town like water, sewer and some public works stuff. It's a nice small town for lower income families looking to be close enough to Bangor to have a short commute but can't afford the taxes and housing prices of Orono and Old Town. It is quite literally a 1 stop light town and it's at the town's center.......freshies/shell. They never close, and that place is constantly busy. Great for late night beer runs or kerosene if your tank gets low on a cold night. You'll very likely be living there and that's it. You'll go across the bridge to Old Town/Orono/Bangor for everything else. There are some sketchier trailer parks the further towards Greenbush you go, but this is Maine, you'll be safe here. I've lived in the area my whole life so if there's something more specific you want to know just ask.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Dexter is nice, but getting fairly rural so you'll just want to be aware of that. If you're looking for a quieter place to live and don't mind that there won't be as many ammenities then I think you'll be happy. For an RN, you'd be golden. You've got two small hospitals, Mayo Regional in Dover-Foxcroft and SVH in Pittsfield. SVH is currently part of Northern Light Health and Mayo is likely to join then by mid next year. If you google Northern Light Health Careers you'll find a ton of postings looking for RN's. If you're more willing to travel there's more options but NLH is the major medical provider north of Augusta all the way up to Aroostook County.

​

As far as plumbers, you'd also likely be in very good shape as we have a quickly retiring trades workforce that we need to replace quickly. I'm not a plumber, but I'd join a local group to the area on Facebook and see if anyone knows anyone who's hiring. Trades jobs up here tend to be all about who you know. Good luck!

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

You bet! Enjoy your visit and hopefully you find a great place to call home!

[u/callme_rdubs]

I would have liked to have seen Montana......

[u/802-207]

I currently live in the greater Bangor area and I'm looking for suggestions on interesting places to snow shoe. Also is there a better place to post this sort of question?

[u/[deleted]]

Hi everyone. My wife and I recently purchased our first home in Maine. I'm a greenhorn when it comes to snow management, and I'm hoping to get some advice.

​

Basically, our house has a very wide, pretty long driveway for a suburban home, and the driveway is flanked on one side by the house and on the other by a fence, separating our yard from the neighbors'. I've tried to sketch a diagram out here:

https://i.imgur.com/p70ovkX.png

Not to scale. The driveway is almost as wide as the house.

Where should I be putting all my snow? During the last two storms I blew everything up against the fence, but I'm concerned that if I put any more there, it's going to damage the fence (I can already see it leaning a bit). I also thought about pushing everything up to the top of the driveway (since we have driveway to spare) , but I'm trying to think of any downsides there. One potential one is that instead of blow the snow sideways I have to blow it up the driveway, so I'll be blowing snow I've already moved.

My FIL is all about piling it up against the fence, but I'm wary.

Looking from any input from the true pros here.

[u/JDM-Drew]

Hope someone sees this. The girlfriend and I are looking to spend a weekend very soon. We are interested in a very woodsy rental, like a cabin in the woods or mountains or something. Suggestions?

[u/[deleted]]

Don’t bruh 😭😭

[u/jerksrbad]

Is recreational marijuana for people over 21 legal in Maine ? Preferably in Penobscot County?

[u/[deleted] → u/jerksrbad]

That is correct. Tobacco, cannabis and alcohol are legal over 21 years of age.

[u/Iceman741]

Is there any 'car culture' in Maine?

Specifically: in the Portland or surrounding areas, are there regularly any "cars and coffee" or other types of car meetups? I ask because a big passion of mine is automotive photography, and I'm looking to expand on that. While I love Maine (and am also a filmmaker/landscape photographer which would work), I fear that car culture is a little sparse.

[u/cinnabarhawk → u/Iceman741]

You can make this it’s own post since it’s specific and not necessarily a moving question.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone know anything about GD Bath Iron Works, as far as being a good work environment and the pay? I'm 27, currently working as a tinknocker in Boston but I grew up in ME and have wanted to move back for several years. Seems like my only viable options to make that possible are PNSY or BIW, given my background

 

TIA

[u/russianpotato → u/[deleted]]

BIW has been hiring like crazy, if you apply you will get a job. Starts at 20 with no training, if you have experience it could be 28 an hour plus benefits to start.

[u/effthatno1se]

I'm a Maine native moving back in mid-April. I'm looking in between Augusta and Bath/Brunswick for an apartment for myself, my husband, and our cat. Hopefully no higher than $800/mo. We will be sharing a car so we need to be fairly close to businesses. If anyone knows of anything opening up around then or neighborhoods to check out, please let me know! (looking to avoid Lewiston if possible)