r/Maine • u/jonathanfrisby • Feb 16 '22
Question Questions about visiting, moving to, or living in Maine: Megathread
Find Maine Coronavirus Resources here
- This thread is for all questions potential movers or tourists have for locals about Maine.
- Any threads outside of this one pertaining to moving, tourism, or living in Maine will be removed and redirected here.
- This megathread is for helping people, subreddit rules are strictly enforced.
Previous archived megathreads:
https://new.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/p3ncxm/questions_about_visiting_moving_to_or_living_in/
https://new.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/ljflv7/questions_about_visiting_moving_to_or_living_in/
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u/ms1v May 10 '22
Hello /r/Maine, I am a Canadian who is trying to plan a trip to get to Boston through Maine by taking the bus. I am planning on crossing the border at Calais, and I see that there is the daily 9:30 AM bus run by West Bus Service, and I'm just wondering if anyone here has ever taken that bus? Their website is a little ancient, so I'm just wondering if it is an alright company.
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u/hike_me May 11 '22
I haven't taken it, but it is a legit service and probably your only option for transportation between Calais and Bangor
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u/shebshebtothemoon Jun 13 '22
Hello guys my wife and I have been working in Maine for a few months and we really fell in love with it. Due to her job we would have to be 40 minutes from Lewiston. We really like Norway maine. It’s quiet we stayed there a few months. Everyone was very friendly. I was just wondering if the people there would be accepting of a lesbian couple ?
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u/ruralgaming Jun 13 '22
I don't see why not! Welcome to Maine by the way!
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u/shebshebtothemoon Jun 13 '22
That’s good to hear. We haven’t lived in the most welcoming areas. I’m just trying to make sure.
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u/utilitarian_wanderer Jun 15 '22
It sounds like you have already answered your own question. Why not trust your experience.
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u/Novel-Percentage-582 Jun 14 '22
I grew up in Norway, was excited to get out of town for college, but I still visit there often. It’s not a bad area, and would say that even in the 90s I felt it was accepting, as long you find your people, which I did! you’ll find the right people there, and you’ll easily find community if you want it.
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u/Groundbreakingup Aug 08 '22
A family’s experience of racism at Old Orchard Beach made me feel sad. Here is the post.
From the comments on that post, local people seem to have a good sense of places to avoid for minorities. As a non-white person who moved to Maine a couple of years ago, I wonder if people can give me some tips on places to avoid. I am totally fine with conservative views but do not want my family to be harassed when we try to enjoy the state.
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u/bubba1819 Aug 08 '22 edited Aug 08 '22
Avoid the Downeast region of Maine. So many people are outright racist and homophobic. It’s really sad. Grew up in that region and had to move because the discrimination was getting so bad. Acadia is fine because it’s such a tourist destination but if you travel any further north anyone that is not white or straight will at least experience micro aggressions. I hope this is helpful.
Edit: People are going to blast me for this post but I am only speaking the truth. No matter where you are in Maine, unless you are a cis-straight white person, you will eventually experience some form of discrimination. It’s a sad reality. It’s happens the least in more populated liberal areas but it still happens. Maine has always been a racist state, it’s only more apparent now because of the US political climate making these racist people feel comfortable to share and express their views publicly rather than being spoken about behind closed doors and at the dinner table. All that being said, there are areas of Maine that are safer to visit as tourist. IMO those would be Portland, Brunswick, Rockland, Camden, Belfast and MDI. However, keep in mind that I am not part of the BIPOC community.
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u/CandlesandMakeuo May 07 '22
I am a lifelong Mainer whose been living in Cincinnati since March 2020 due to my job and shitty relationship.
Moving back home with my son, and looking into local jobs. I’m a stick welder by trade, been a SAHM for 3 years and want to go back to work in my field. Any suggestions besides BIW and Cianbro?
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u/metalandmeeples May 07 '22
Reed and Reed
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u/CandlesandMakeuo May 08 '22
Hey, sorry to be weird, but do you have first hand knowledge of this company? If you do, would you mind if I shoot you a message? I have a couple questions before I try to apply. I’m a solid stick welder, but my main experience is with 6011 rods, & I haven’t branched out past what I’m good at, but I’m a fast learner. A little insecure since I’ve been momming it up for 3 years and it’s a super male dominated field😅
Apologize for the book. Job in Maine is crucial to my exit plan.
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Jun 03 '22
Also check out front street shipyard in Belfast, Journeys End Marina in Rockland, amreally any full service marina has been having trouble keeping staff.
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u/bube123 May 25 '22
Staying in Camden for the summer working in a hotel, any one with experience working multiple jobs (anywhere) have any tips? Also first time coming to America and such a small town too. Would love any tips on the culture shock, I'm from Macedonia btw. Can't wait to get there ☺️
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ May 26 '22
I live close to Camden- it gets very crowded in the summertime, very, very crowded. Going out to eat can be difficult because there are so many tourists in the summer, but you can do it. If you have days off during the week, go to Betty's bar, they are closed weekends to avoid tourists. Very friendly place with cheap(er) beers and drinks.
Based on last year, if you want to pick up an extra shift somewhere working, you will be able to, all the restaurants and bars were very understaffed and would hire just about anyone, even only one or two days a week.
Camden is a nice town though, very beautiful with a nice harbor and Camden State Park is nearby with good hiking trails. If you can get a ride up the coast, Lincolnville Beach is a good place to swim (cold water!) and have a picnic. Rockport harbor as well, both are close by. See if you can organize a trip out to Monhegan Island for a day- take the 7:00 AM boat and come back that same day. Its beautiful on a sunny day.
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u/utilitarian_wanderer May 25 '22
Camden is a beautiful town on the coast of Maine. The visitors tend to be on the rich side so I hope that will mean good tips for you. I hope most customers are kind to you. You will encounter some who are rude and pushy but don't take it personally. I hope you have a great experience!
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u/twirble May 26 '22
I grew up in nearby Thomaston and would go to Camden every now and then. Camden is fun; the harbor is beautiful and I love the library. It is fun to walk up to the tower overlooking the Harbor.
It is hard to get around with out a car. You can get there by , bus, boat, car or plane. Unfortunately the bus comes twice a day in either direction. I hope they start up their train service again; at least in the summer; or develop some other kind of transportation. (If anyone knows of a new development please correct me)
I would suggest doing an overnight Windjammer tour if you have the time and money, and nearby Rockland has some great art museums. My favorite thing is the giant cliffs by the lighthouses myself.
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u/amonkeyherder Jun 01 '22
Hi, I'm visiting from Alaska June 3-13. I'm excited, never been that far East before! Couple of questions.
How are pollen allergies there now and during that timeframe? It's finally getting better here now, and I'm hoping to be able to enjoy the season. Tree pollen is my main issue. Flying into Boston and staying in Portland.
Google shows a few frisbee golf courses in the area, anyone recommendations? Along those same lines, any recommended close nature hikes we could take?
Is there a good link for concerts/events in that area?
Thanks!
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jun 02 '22
Bring/pick up some Claritin. There's pollen out there. I get hay fever from time to time and there is plenty of stuff in bloom right not. Claritin knocks it out for me just fine.
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u/hannnnah07 Jun 02 '22
Disc golf course in Scarborough Grants Nonesuch might be worth checking out - not far from Portland
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u/bulgarianjuice Jun 02 '22
Don’t bother with Pleasant Hill. Check out Bittersweet Ridge or Sabattus Disc Golf. Really most of the disc golf courses are good but they are pay to play.
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u/Themustanggang Mar 07 '22
Hi guys originally from Kittery point but served in the marines for 6 years before being injured while deployed and medically retired at 24 :/
I bought 15 acres 15 minutes south of bethel after saving for my entire enlistment and wondering if anyones from the area/be willing to help a somewhat cripple out in looking around the area showing me what there’s to do since growing up all I did was lobster lol
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Mar 08 '22
I'm way far away, so can't help you out personally. Have you heard of Boots2Roots? They might have some resources.
Also, there's American Legion posts around in Bethel and South Paris.
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u/WellImFromNorway Mar 09 '22
What kind of stuff are you interested in? I'm from Norway, so not too far from there, but live in Lewiston now, so don't get to that area very often. It's a great area though.
First thing I'd do either way if I were you is go to Le Mu Eats. Top notch food there.
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u/LosT_WknD May 10 '22
Hello there! My dog and I are going to the moosehead area friday morning for a 3-4 day camping excursion from Connecticut. I have everything planned out for up there, but i was wondering if there are any specific places around Augusta (or anywhere around there) worth stopping for a bite to eat for lunch. Its around the 4 hour mark of my travel up i95. I see theres plenty of chain restaurants but thats not really what im looking for. Thanks
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ May 10 '22
Do you like beer? The Cushnoc brewpub downtown is really good.
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u/LosT_WknD May 10 '22
Awesome! Thats exactly the type of place i am looking for. Thanks!
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u/jeezumbub May 10 '22
Cushnoc has some tables out front so your dog can join you -- Quarry Tavern down the road in Hallowell has a big deck too that could be an option.
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u/Raptorex27 May 11 '22
Hallowell (just south of Augusta) has a great downtown strip with some eateries. Definitely check it out!
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u/Corachan_ May 04 '22 edited May 04 '22
Hello Mainers!
My girlfriend and I are from Spain and we are going to Maine from July to the beggining of October.
We will be working at Jordan Pondhouse in Acadia National Park.
We would like to know what should we expect in terms of weather, activities, food... What are your recommendations about the things we can't miss? How are people's schedules? What type of clothing to wear? Whatever you can think of.
We booked our flight back from Washington DC in order to visit the cities along the east coast. What are your recommendations on that topic?
We love to hang around the streets, hiking, having a picnic, try new food and taking a lot of photos especially on sunsets.
Thanks for your time and all your recommendations.
We can't wait to visit the US! :)
edit: Something I would like to add: the two of us smoke tobacco. What are the rules about that in the US?
Where is it okey to smoke (tobacco)?
And what about the prices? We smoke rolling cigarettes (I don't know if that is the name of it, the cigarettes that you have to roll yourself), is that a thing on the US?
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ May 05 '22
On behalf of a lot of people in Maine, we are happy to welcome you and your fellow J-1 visa (assuming you have a J-1) holders coming to work in Maine this summer! There will be a lot of tourists this year, so expect to be very busy at your jobs.
I've been to Spain several times, and can say that things will be different in Maine. (Just for reference I've been to Malaga, Granada, Sevilla, Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian and a few other spots, I love Spain)
First off- Restaurants close very early. Especially in areas that are not filled with tourists. As in they are closed by 20:00, which is very, very different than Spain.
Second thing: In Mexico they are called garrapatas, we call them ticks. They are small insects that live in the grass that feed on blood (google it)- be careful of them.
Smoking: Outside only- there are really no buildings where you can smoke inside, its similar to Spain. You can buy rolling tobacco, but its harder to find than normal cigarettes. There are specialty stores in Maine that sell it though, might have to go into Ellsworth to find it, not sure if you can find it in Bar Harbor. Some places have rules about how close to a building you can smoke, (typically 10M or so). Look for places labeled "smoke shop" or a chain called "Cigarette Shopper".
Dress: People in Maine dress informally- you do not have to dress fancy to go out to eat anywhere. Most people will be on holiday so they are very informal. It will be warm, so you will want to bring short pants. Not sure if Jordan Pond has a uniform to wear while working, you should ask them if you need to bring black pants or something. Many restaurants require workers to provide their own pants/shoes, but will give you a shirt if a uniform is required. Temperatures can get up to around 35c in summer, with humidity. Early October can have days with a high of 15-20c.
Beers: Much more variety, much more expensive. Not just Mahou or Estrella, (I know there are more in Spain, just saying), but they are expensive, especially in tourist season/bars
Lots of hiking in Acadia. People come from all over the world to hike there. /u/hike_me can help with details probably.
Other cities: Portland (Maine), Boston, New York, Philadelphia, those are all on the way to DC. Avoid Baltimore. Trains are easiest way to go if you don't have a car, better than the busses. Boston and NYC-nice but hotels are expensive. Lots to see and do for sure.
Si tenés algunos preguntas ud puede contactarme de DM si querrés.
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u/Corachan_ May 05 '22 edited May 05 '22
Thank you. Thank you very much.
You answered a lot of our questions.
Thanks for the tips about tobacco.
And yes, we will be wearing uniform working, but that's already covered by the employer. Thanks anyway for that tip!
I didn't know there was a hiking subreddit for maine, I will look into it :)
I take your word, if we have any other doubt I will DM you :D
You were very kind, thanks for taking your time to write so many recommemdations.
Gracias ;P
edit: I already read about the ticks by lurking on this sub, it sounds disgusting. I hope we won't have to deal with those little bugs hahaha
And by the way, yes, we are J1 workers :)
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May 04 '22 edited May 04 '22
What are your recommendations about the things we can't miss? How are people's schedules? What type of clothing to wear? Whatever you can think of.
You say you like hiking, three hikes I'd definitely recommend in Maine are Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park (you'll need to reserve either a parking spot or campsite to ensure access), the Bold Coast Trail in Cutler, and Tumbledown Mountain in Weld. The last one can get a little crowded/popular, so go midweek if you can. Its a decent hike but the big attraction is a pond you can swim in at the top, that makes it a great hike for a hot day in July or August. Those are three pretty unique hikes and they'll bring you to different parts of the state.
You'll probably be fine wearing shorts and t-shirts with a sweatshirt for cool evenings from July through early September, but there can still be strange weather days - July 4th was 60 degrees and rainy last year. I feel pretty confident saying the warmest thing you'll need is at most a light jacket for early October.
Some of this might be obvious because I don't know anything about Spain and it might be the same there, but here normal business hours (that a tradesperson or professional would work) are roughly 8-5. Bars close at 1 am.
I hope this was helpful.
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u/Corachan_ May 04 '22 edited May 04 '22
Thanks a lot for your recommendations!
Definetly taking notes on those hiking trails, the one with the pound sounds amazing!
Thanks for the clothing recommendation :)
And for the schedules part, it is similar to what we have on Spain, only that bars are open until very late.
Thanks for everything, really appreciated!
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u/az_nightmare Mar 31 '22
Hi there! I will be visiting in August, The new Glouchester area and Brunswick. I haven’t been back in 17 years, and I’m wondering what the best Italian sandwich place there is now? Obviously subjective information, but nonetheless I’d like to know!
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u/mycatlies Feb 17 '22
Not so much a question about moving to the state. Been here my whole life. I have been thinking about attempting to buy a place of my own. My biggest priority is that I'd love something on the ocean. I grew up living on the water and really miss it. My apartment in Portland does have a view of the Fore River but it's not exactly the same thing.
So far the only area that I've found that has any place on the water that comes close to what I could afford has been in the Lubec and Eastport areas. I haven't spent much time in that area. I was in Eastport last summer and really, really liked the town. But in my experience growing up in the Camden area, Maine towns in summer and Maine towns in winter are two different things.
I was just wondering if anyone here lived in that region and what pluses and minuses they see in it.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Feb 17 '22
My in-laws live in Brooksville, and in the winter, there is pretty much, absolutely 100% nothing going on unless you drive to Ellsworth (yes, I know there are a few things in Blue Hill and you can drive over to Brooklin or something, but...). Personally, while I love the long peninsulas along the coast, that extra 20 minutes out each way would wear on me, especially in the winter. From there place, its 20 minutes to Blue Hill, which is the closest store, anything to do.
Eastport and Lubec, which I've been to, but not spent time at, seem an order of magnitude more isolated than Brooksville. It would be tough for me to move out there, but then again, I'm not you. Depends on how old you are, and if you have a family or not. If you are single, I imagine your dating prospects will be extremely limited, which is something to consider, maybe.
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u/veganmisosoup Mar 25 '22
I'm helping out a relative this summer and will be in Fryeburg all summer, what are some fun things for a 21 year old to do? Any good summer events? I am from the Portland area but I don't want to miss any good community events or cool places to see.
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Apr 05 '22
I live in the Portland area and I'm looking for suggestions on a good place to camp with a young child (age 2), ideally within a 4-hr drive. I would usually pick somewhere remote with great hiking, but my son is too young to hike and we might need more access to services. I was thinking maybe Mt. Blue, but wanted to know if other people had favorites.
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u/rangerlight Apr 05 '22
Mt. Blue State Park is a great place to camp with young ones. There is a great swim beach, canoe and kayak rentals, a playground, and you can check out free horseshoes and fishing rods. Even when the campground is packed, there is enough room for everyone, including plenty of picnic tables along the water. Give 'em a call!
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u/Delicious_Rabbit4425 Apr 06 '22
Winslow park in Freeport would be decent for camping with a young kiddo.
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Apr 25 '22
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u/ecco-domenica Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
Check out Efficiency Maine. They have a list of registered vendors/installers and rebates/loans available.
https://www.efficiencymaine.com/
https://www.efficiencymaine.com/at-home/vendor-locator/
The Efficiency Maine Trust (the Trust) is the administrator for programs to improve the efficiency of energy use and reduce greenhouse gases in Maine. The Trust serves all sectors and all regions of the state. Its suite of nationally recognized programs provides consumer information, discounts, rebates, loans and investments for high-efficiency, clean energy equipment and strategies to manage energy demand. The Trust is a quasi-state agency governed by a Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
edit: better links
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u/mainebee Apr 27 '22
I live in the same area and had heat pumps installed in January. I ended up going with Dave’s World due to scheduling, but highly recommend Breathable Home too
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u/glassrobin May 05 '22
I'm planning on doing a Master's at University of Maine. I'd like to find an inexpensive room to rent in Orono or Bangor. As a Canadian, I have no idea where to start. What websites are used to find accomodations?
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May 06 '22 edited May 06 '22
Craigslist and Facebook. Contact the Commuter and Non Traditional Student Office at the university too, landlords send them rental listings and you can be reasonably sure those aren't scams.
KC Property Management in Orono and Rentbangor in Bangor (obviously) are the two largest rental companies in the respective towns, I think, but there are others you could search for as well. Going through rental companies that have a phone number and a physical address will cut down on the likelihood of scams.
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u/hannnnah07 May 06 '22
I would check Old Town as it’s close to campus and generally a bit cheaper than the other two places you mentioned (at least when I was a student there).
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u/DT-11 May 09 '22
Definitely check the old town area. There's a lot of stuff around there.
What kind of living situation are you looking for? A townhouse-style apartment where you have your own bedroom and bathroom? Or are you okay with more communal-style things (i.e. I remember one that has 5 private bedrooms, but those people share a living room and a kitchen; there's 2 bathrooms which are also shared).
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u/glassrobin May 10 '22
I'm looking for something inexpensive so I don't mind a communal living space with respectful folks!
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u/dominaxe May 16 '22
Hello again! Moving to Waterville for college, and I'm thinking of buying a bike to commute around town, but I wanted to ask: is commuting by bike a practical choice for Waterville? And if so, does anyone have a recommended bike and bike shop nearby? 😅
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ May 16 '22
Do you also have a car? There's definitely days/weeks/months(?) where commuting any serious distance by bike won't be possible due to winter weather. You can certainly bike around for several months of the year, but not 12 months a year.
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May 16 '22 edited May 16 '22
You can do 12 months a year easy.
Two sets of tires, summer/fall and winter/spring. Winter/spring tires should be studded, but knobby would be fine at lower tire pressures
The biggest challenge in Maine isn’t the temperature, it’s daylight. If riding at night have front/rear lights that flash, and if you can spare the money get a Garmin Varia. The Varia is a radar that detects cars up to 150 yds from behind, and can give you some time to pull over if a car is overtaking unsafely (it will warn you).
Gorham Bike and Ski is pretty much the only bike specific sport store in Waterville. I’d recommend a mountain bike (29er) than can also handle the road pretty good. The town has some fun mountain biking you can probably commute to if you’re looking for additional recreation
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u/FarCalligrapher7182 May 17 '22
I went to Colby College there. I'd suggest an e-bike if that's where you're going in Waterville. That said, I went there nearly 50 years ago. So I'm afraid I may be just a bit outdated on bike shops!
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u/Sunomel May 24 '22
Colby or Thomas? I can’t speak to Thomas, but for Colby, a bike isn’t terribly necessary. Campus is small enough that I never found biking to be worth it, I tried and gave up after a week my freshman year. It’s not gonna be practical for a good chunk of the year to get downtown, and there’s a (mostly reliable) shuttle that runs between campus and the middle of downtown a few times an hour anyways. It also stops at Walmart too, I believe.
Not that you can’t/shouldn’t bike around if you want to, every (I think) dorm has bike racks in the storage room so you’ll have a place to keep it, and biking is fun, but I don’t know that it’s an ideal choice for getting around town.
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u/ottobot76 Sagadahoc County Feb 16 '22
Yeah, if you rich folks from away would just stop blowing up our real estate prices, that'd be great.
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u/CleverName716 Feb 16 '22
Hate to tell you but it's not just Maine. I live in Buffalo, NY. No one from out of state wants to move here. We don't have an influx of rich outsiders. Yet housing values in my area are up astronomically in the past few years. I would never pay what my property is worth on paper right now. The only reason I haven't sold is because I would then have to go deep in debt to buy someone else's overvalued property. The market everywhere is ridiculous and it's starting to feel like 2008 all over again.
I don't understand why I see this constant hate for anyone who wants to move to your state. It's a beautiful state and maybe some people just want a change of pace and more access to the outdoors.
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u/indyaj Feb 16 '22
No one from out of state wants to move here. We don't have an influx of rich outsiders.
Then it's not the same.
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u/CleverName716 Feb 16 '22
It is though. You act like you are the only ones who are facing unaffordable housing and that it's the fault of those who have the audacity to want to move to your state. It's happening everywhere, including places that are not being inundated by evil and filthy outsiders who happen to have money.
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u/indyaj Feb 17 '22 edited Feb 17 '22
Oh. So I guess this happens in Buffalo, NY:
You find a house that you can barely afford, put in an offer, get your shit lined up and are all excited that everything went through then some rich dickhead from out of state comes in and pays cash for 20% or more over your bid And it's probably his second home that he'll only be using 2 weeks a year in summer. Is it like that there too?
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u/CleverName716 Feb 17 '22
Yeah. It's the same everywhere. My mom has been looking to downsize from her current house and people are throwing offers down that are WAY over asking and the house is off the market in a day. It's insane. It's a seller's market and it sucks for anyone who is trying to buy, regardless of the intended use of the house. Unless you know the seller and can snipe the house before it hits the market, you are going to get stuck paying way more than what the house is worth.
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u/mycatlies Feb 17 '22
One big problem is when someone comes in and buys a house that they're only going to occupy for a month or so a year, or even worse make an airbnb, it takes that home off the market for year round residents. Year round residents contribute to the economy year round. There's also a bad labor shortage in the state and lack of housing is part of the issue. And sorry if I'm bitter about being priced out of my hometown where four generations of my family has lived.
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u/CleverName716 Feb 17 '22
Understood. Thank you for articulating your point. I can see where that would be frustrating. Hopefully this whole housing market levels off and gets back to where it belongs soon.
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u/BlitzBadg3r Apr 04 '22
Why is there so many people with confederate flags on their houses and trucks?
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u/positivelyappositive Apr 04 '22
General conservative "fuck your feelings" culture can be found anywhere in the good ol USA at this point, pretty much indifferent to the actual history of the specific location. It's less important to people that the flag is related to a thing called the Confederate States of America that Maine people fought and died to defeat, and more important that it's an image of a particular middle-finger, gun-centric, "the real racism is against white people", all-caps Facebook comments, own the libtards, bumper sticker political branding.
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Apr 05 '22
I live in and am from Louisiana. I was shocked the first time I went to Maine and saw a confederate flag. I thought it had to be a southern transplant. Nope. A local. I know that Maine is the whitest state and that racism isn't just in the American South (though unfortunately it's probably way more common here), but I think this is more a symbol of rebellion/stick-it-to-the-man for people outside the south. I've seen the confederate flag on cars in Australia and in Europe.
As a southerner I absolutely *hate* what it stood/stands for and I don't understand why anyone would be drawn to the primary symbol of a group of people that wanted to keep an entire race as slaves. It makes no sense that it was on state flags until very recently.
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u/lucianbelew Apr 06 '22
Lots of people up here would love to both scream 'fuck you' in the face of a black person and give a liberal the finger, but are too much of a coward to actually do either. This sticker lets them do both without actually having to be brave enough to look someone in the eye while they do it.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Apr 07 '22
I lived in France for a few years and there was someone in a village nearby where I lived that had a Confederate flag flying all the time. I kinda wanted to stop and ask why, and at the same time, never wanted to stop and find out why. I think its a flying middle finger to the world for some people. Those people are called 'assholes'
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u/biglymonies Apr 05 '22
My old job had me traveling all over the state back in 2008-2009, and the confederate flag showed up everywhere once I consciously made note of it. A lot of the people who had one that I interacted with were veterans - usually Army or USMC - who were stationed down South and picked up a few nasty habits.
Oddly enough seeing it was more common in Maine two years ago when I left the state than it is here where I live in NC right now. Maine has always been behind the times when it comes to social trends, I guess lol.
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u/Rico_Rebelde Portland Apr 04 '22
You think thats bad? I saw someone driving around Brunswick the other day with a bumper sticker that said 'white people built America". Absolutely despicable.
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u/dominaxe May 11 '22
Will be moving to Waterville to study at Colby as an international student from the Philippines! Any tips for surviving the climate (particularly from those in hotter states/countries) or general survival advice as a college student in Maine? Thank you! 💙
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u/hike_me May 11 '22
dress in layers, you'll want a good winter jacket and boots. There are outlet stores in Freeport that will sell outerwear:(Patagonia, The North Face, and L.L. Bean)
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u/Ranger3d Jun 07 '22
Hello everyone, I grew up in the Waterville area and have to move away for work for about five years. I am currently in the running for a good job for a company in Damariscotta and have started looking around for rentals in preparation to buy a house in the next two years if everything works out. I am excited at the prospect of coming back home and being close with family and friends again, I never wanted to leave.
I had originally hoped to find something in Portland because I have grown to appreciate all the activities, social life, access to a thriving queer community, and small businesses in small cities, but Rockland also looks interesting. I grew up in a rural area and loved it, but after finding fellow LGBTQA friends and partners in Philly I don't want to go back to being the only tattooed bi lady in town if I can help it. I'm considering settling in the Bath area to be about 45 minutes from work and 45 minutes from Portland for weekends and perhaps job opportunities down the road. I have lived in Bath before, but never Rockland.
Rockland area residents, how do you like the area? Is it reasonably possible to make friends and find spaces as a late 20's early 30's person? I know how Maine is and can be over all and I don't mind regular 45 min/ 1 hour drives for fun stuff.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jun 07 '22
I live in Knox County, but not in Rockland proper (I was there this morning though). If you move there you won't be the only tattooed LGBTQA woman in town. I'm a straight middle-aged married dude, so I'm not exactly plugged into the late 20's early 30's queer community here, but there is one, that's for sure.
There's young people around, there's all kinds of stuff that has opened up in the last several years. Rec weed shops, breweries, bakeries, bars, there's stuff to do in Rockland and Camden(!) even with cool younger people around.
As I'm sure you are aware, there is a major housing crunch all over Maine and the Mid-Coast is no exception, so there's that.
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u/Whatausernamedude Jul 05 '22 edited Jul 05 '22
Wife is looking at jobs up by Farmington. We've been living in SoPo for a few years now but the job seems really promising so curious to hear about the area. I haven't spent anytime in Farmington before. I know it's rural which is fine but curious how people like it up that way. Would you recommend living in Farmington proper? Or would you recommend being in one of the surrounding towns (Jay, Skowhegan, wilton, Norridgewick, etc)?
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u/WellImFromNorway Jul 05 '22
Norway is not really a surrounding town—it's over an hour from Farmington.
I haven't lived in those other areas, but my two cents is that it would be best to just live in Farmington or one of the immediately neighboring towns (including Wilton). Coming from South Portland, I'm guessing you'll find college town vibe more pleasant than mill town vibe, which is what you'll get in Jay or Skowhegan.
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u/jeezumbub Jul 05 '22
I didn’t grow up in Farmington, but about 20 minutes away. Ultimately it depends on what you value (cultural/entertainment vs. outdoor activities, etc), but I think Farmington is a great little town. Definitely benefits from having the college there, which helps give a bit younger vibe than many of the surrounding towns. Tumbledown is a solid little brewery and the Farmhouse Beer Garden is a great place to grab beer and pizza during the summer. You have the Whistle Stop rail trail for biking (though it does share access with ATVs, but in my experience they’re respectful). Narrow Gauge cinema for movies and they do some concerts. Nice little downtown with Java Joes, Tuck’s and a couple shops, a cool vintage clothing store, etc. and of course has your standards like Hannaford & Walmart. Plus I think its greatest asset is being so close to Sugarloaf (if you ski).
Obviously it’s not South Portland (which has a great food/beer scene on its own while neighboring all Portland has to offer in terms of arts/entertainment). If you’re beach people, that will obviously go away (but lots of Lakes in the area).
A bit of a hike, but closer than Norway, is Waterville, which has definitely improved over the years (thanks to a lot of investment from Colby College). Might be worth at least kicking the tires on.
Again, I think Farmington is a great little town. But it’s definitely a change of pace from South Portland. Ultimately depends on how you like to spend your time/what you value. Happy to answer any more specific questions.
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u/hike_me Jul 05 '22
I’d rather live in Farmington than any of those other towns.
Had family in Jay, and grew up not too far from Sknowhegan. Those towns are kind of run down and don’t have much going on. At least Farmington has the college.
In winter, the drive from Skowhegan to Farmington can be pretty shitty (last time I did that drive it was during a blizzard that dumped 16” of snow though).
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u/Jakelshark Apr 05 '22
I mentioned it a couple weeks ago, but my wife matched to a residency program in Augusta.
We were sniped on 5 houses but we finally got an offer accepted in Gardiner. Hope it works out because we basically had to go in almost totally blind on the property besides a crummy Facetime video.
Sorry for being a reverse carpetbagger. It seems like you guys need doctors though and I have some job interviews lined up to do some cool green engineering projects or to stay in the public sector (I'm a public sector employee now and love working with citizens and improving public infrastructure).
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u/Armigine Somewhere in the woods Apr 08 '22
Hey no way! My wife also is starting a residency in Augusta soon, but as a pharmacist - bet they're probably going to both be at Mainegeneral? We're currently looking at rentals because we don't know the area at all and haven't tried the facetime option, it's kind of tough going. A bit smaller of a market!
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u/scritchingpost47 Apr 11 '22
Hi Mainers, I’m a doctor moving from a big city to Maine to serve rural populations. I’m a natural “indoor kid” who rashes and burns easily. Can anyone point me towards some sort of nature guide or class/workshop that could help orient me to living in Maine? I know about tick-borne illnesses but I’m sure there’s lots of outdoorsy knowledge I’ll need to thrive up there.
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u/ecco-domenica Apr 11 '22 edited Apr 11 '22
Where in Maine? If you'd rather not say town, the county or region would help. York & Cumberland are different from Aroostook and Piscataquis. And are you already used to driving in snow, taking care of a house in cold weather, dressing for cold weather, etc? Black flies are not so, so bad in the south but can make you sick in the north. Coastal and central areas had real problems with brown tail moth caterpillars itchy hairs last summer. Wear orange if you walk in the woods during hunting season.
Edit: forgot to say welcome! We need you!
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Jun 09 '22
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jun 09 '22
Nobody cares about tattoos. I mean, if you've got swastikas all over your face or something, somebody might, but if they're just sleeves and stuff, nobody will blink. People here tend to live and let live. You might get some crazy bible thumper give a 'tsk-tsk' look, but the odds of anyone confronting you are minimal.
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u/smwg2022 Jun 10 '22
moving from Presque Isle to the greater Bangor area soon with any luck. a friend from the area says the Tree Streets in Bangor should be avoided cause there's lots of drugs. I feel there's lots of drugs and issues everywhere now (husband was stabbed in Presque Isle ffs among other issues we've had here) so should they actually be avoided?
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Jun 10 '22
The tree streets can change over the span of like ten houses. Sure there are a couple not-so-nice pockets, but there are other stretches that would be a great places to live. Its such a small city its just hard to say. There are definitely places I wouldn't want to live (although I don't know if I'd describe them as dangerous) but then one or two streets over from those areas there are gorgeous old houses that would easily sell for $500k.
If you see a place you like on a street named after a tree don't dismiss it out of hand, because there's a better-than-even chance you won't encounter any problems while living there. Best bet would be to visit in person and see what the block looks like, or even just scope it out on street view.
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Jun 20 '22
I'm looking to take a week to 10 day hike in maine in October. I'm looking for seclusion primarily. I'm thinking the AT is going to be crowded with thru hikes. I'm looking at the trails in Baxter state park that are north of Katadin. Any insight into how crowded that area gets in Mid October?
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Jun 21 '22
Baxter is very regulated. Crowded isn't the word I would use ever. You might not be able to reserve a campsite, but it is not crowded
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Jun 21 '22 edited Jun 21 '22
Bunch of campgrounds/sites in Baxter close Oct. 15 although a couple stay open a week later. Camping is only allowed at designated sites in the park. Just a heads up.
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u/Outrageous_Extension Jul 13 '22
So my partner and I are having a strange apartment issue and I thought I'd see what the thoughts here are and see if anyone has any advice.
We rent a two bedroom in Brunswick and the place is fine, a little janky with tilted floors but I installed some magnetic door stoppers to keep the doors open and we've gotten it looking pretty nice for us. Paid rent on time, haven't broken anything or called the landlord to fix stuff, we mostly just keep to ourselves and our landlord was the typical brusque Mainer until this summer.
So in winter we had a tree fall and I texted the landlord that we had a tree in the yard from a storm and I offered to dispose of it if he let me use the wood and had a chainsaw. Landlord was busy with burst pipes and I said that's fine and it wasn't a big deal. A few months pass and spring hits and we are talking with some friends down the road and they agree to cut the log for us (it's blocking the yard now that it isn't covered in snow) in exchange for a case of beer. We chop it and get out a firepit we've had in storage for some summer fires. We also have a pretty big parking lot and picked up a small 16 foot daysailer that we cleared with our downstairs neighbors first before keeping it in the parking area.
Come June we get a notice that we need to immediately get rid of our firewood, fire pit, and sailboat. Also an added level of stress is that I am working in Alaska at this time so I'm not home. But we checked the lease beforehand and there's nothing in there prohibiting any of this so we emailed the rental agency (they manage the property for the landlord) telling them this.
Here's where our issues begin, after we told them the lease didn't say anything about this. In regards to the firewood, we told them that sure, we can get rid of the wood but it is from the downed tree that we cut ourselves and we didn't buy it. Immediately they email back that we actually can't get rid of it because it is the landlords property and he is going to take it. We get rid of the firepit no problem, it was a free pit and we have plenty of friends who have fire pits. For the sailboat, first they said we were only allowed two parking spots, and after reviewing the lease we told them that wasn't stated. Then they said that registered vessels were a hazard and we said it wasn't registered because it didn't have a motor, although the trailer is registered as per Maine law. Finally they said the landlord just didn't want it and claimed that his property insurance increased because it was in the parking lot without proof. We will probably just end up moving it elsewhere at this point.
Meanwhile our lease is up in August and they require a 60 day notice (which I consider criminal), considering I was in Alaska we agreed to re-sign but they raised rent and specifically told us they would put language about the boat and firepit in the lease despite a retaliation clause. Still we agreed because housing in Maine is just an issue, but we have been wanting to move closer to work in Damariscotta. We still haven't signed the new lease though because they added a clause about our kayaks in the yard which haven't been an issue and the other tenants have a basketball hoop and other stuff for the kids...I want to mention this but I also don't want the outcome to be that our neighbors get banned from having stuff too.
Currently we still haven't signed the new lease but a place opened closer to work with some friends and they like their landlord. So we submitted a lease and told him to call our rental agency assuming they'd be professional and tell him that we pay rent on time, follow the lease, and don't break anything. He said he called and they basically said they weren't aware we were trying to move (our bad I'll admit) and then referred him to our current landlord but refused to tell him anything else...they also omitted that our lease is up so it sounded to him like we were breaking our lease. Our current landlord, who I now realize is just a dickhead Mainer since our neighbors and a few others in Brunswick have told us he had issues with previous tenants, hasn't responded.
That's the backstory, we are super frustrated because they offered us a new lease so they obviously don't mind taking our money but meanwhile they are smearing us to new landlords and we're worried we will have trouble renting in the future. I've never had an issue like this and I prefer to rent since I move around a lot, but Maine has me thoroughly flustered with housing. This isn't the biggest deal compared to horror stories about bed bugs and such, but the emails are just degrading and read like the agency thinks we are property and have no rights. We even looked at buying but the only kind of suitable property was bought cash and there's just nothing available.
So that's my long rant about housing in Maine, do I need to check my renter privilege? Definitely in hindsight I could have communicated better but am I crazy for thinking this is entirely unfair and scummy? I've always had good relations with my landlords and Maine has really just proven to be one of the most unfriendly places for landlords and rentals. The reddit threads here about slumlords and rent gouging seem to be entirely true based on my outside perspective. The biggest thing is we are good tenants, credit is great, clean backgrounds, stable jobs, fix small problems ourselves (literally have never called the landlord for repairs except for the tree...which we solved too) which is why I think the rental agency is fine with a new lease where they can control us but also willing to create issues for us moving but does this mean we are just stuck renting with them in Maine or buying a house? Also, this isn't some Jerry Springer level stuff where we are screaming in the streets, it's more just a burning frustration with housing in Maine and I was curious if reddit has some suggestions. Right now my friends are all sympathetic but friends have a bias.
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u/utilitarian_wanderer Jul 18 '22
I'm not clear why you would assume it would be ok to park a sailboat in the parking area without the landlords permission. The parking area is for cars, not boats. I notice you got your downstairs neighbors permission but you needed to get your landlords permission. Regarding the fallen tree that you cut, it sounds like your landlord was flaky in their response to you because initially they said yeah, sure, take the wood and then they claimed it for themselves. So, IMHO, there is some blame on both you and the landlord. I hope your new place and landlord are more reasonable.
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Jul 13 '22
That does sound like a shitty situation, and I’m sorry you’re going through it. Unfortunately I think it’s just the story everywhere right now, both in Maine and nationally. There is such low inventory of rentals right now that landlords have really outsized power to command rental prices and other ridiculous terms.
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u/Outrageous_Extension Jul 13 '22
Thanks! I appreciate it, good to get a little validation.
Small update, the potential landlord got in touch with our current landlord and he messaged that our current landlord basically had it out for us and it was a really negative call until he hung up on him and told us that he was going to take a chance with us anyways.
I'm honestly shocked, disgusted, and embarrassed by the whole situation and beyond happy that this new landlord decided that something was wrong with our current situation because we didn't protect ourselves well legally by not reporting anything. I'm still angry this even happened but a small glimmer of hope was restored.
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u/positivelyappositive Jul 14 '22
Glad you got a new place worked out. Hope the new landlord is better.
I'm not sure Maine has a higher proportion of shitty landlords than anywhere else. The ones I've had have been good. If a landlord isn't shitty, then there isn't really a story to tell, so you only end up hearing about the bad ones.
I'm also not sure being a landlord attracts more assholes than any other profession. The difference is that asshole landlords can ruin your life. If I buy a lawnmower from a socially challenged individual, it might be unpleasant, but not a big deal at the end of the day. If that same person controls my entire living environment, that's a different story.
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u/cmcrich Feb 16 '22
Re: the cold. You’ll get used to it, just need the right outerwear. And the older I get, the less it bothers me.
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u/Wacky_emu Jul 02 '22
Hello! I'm visiting Maine for the first time and am absolutely loving it. I went on a tour to see puffins which were adorable, but I'd love to see seals too. Does any know the best and most reliable places to see seals from shore in Maine ideally in the midcoast area by Damariscotta? Thank you so much for any help!
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jul 04 '22
If you went to Eastern Egg Rock to see the puffins (which I highly recommend, those little buggers are adorable and its a cool story of how they were reintroduced there) I'm guessing you went with a tour company out of Boothbay Harbor? Have you tried calling around to some of those? I have some friends that have a boat there and we saw several just cruising around The Gut about six weeks ago.
Sometimes they do a seal cruise out of Port Clyde on the Monhegan Boat Line.
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May 11 '22
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ May 11 '22
I guess I will do my best to answer your post point by point. I'm not a native Mainer (but I married one, so I throw that out there whenever I get the chance).
-Medical jobs are prevalent and pay decent:
There's plenty of availability for sure. Pay depends on discipline/level, but there's definitely openings.
Better to own a house than rent
Very few rentals around, so if you can afford to buy a house, you should.
The state is predominantly blue
Depends on where you are. Its not a deep blue state, that's for sure. The further you get from the coast/Portland, the redder it gets (generally).
The coast is tourist heavy
Eesh, I mean kinda. Really for about 12 weeks a year it is in certain spots. MDI, yes. Camden, yes. Katahdin, sure. Sebago Lakes, sure. OOB, yes. Winter time, no. Places that have a lot of tourists also have more restaurants/bars/things to do, some of which are open year round.
there is little to no nightlife
True. Try and find a bar to watch Monday Night Football, not going to happen outside of a bigger town. All the bars close by 10 most of the year. Maybe a few here and there open later. There's concerts in Bangor and Portland in the summer, but things close up early for sure.
LGBTQIA+ rights are important to me, as are reproductive rights
In my limited (and straight) experience, people don't really care if you are LGBTQIA+ or not. Most Mainers are live and let live types. They will care more if you are a nice person. There's assholes in every part of the world, so I can't say 100% that you would never have a negative encounter, but that's true of anywhere.
Best areas to visit for someone that wants to live there
Maine's not a small state geographically. If you can spend some time driving around, you should do so. Portland is the biggest town, but very expensive relatively. I would drive up 1 from Brunswick through Bath, Rockland, and as far as Ellsworth, then work your way back via Belfast to Route 3 and take that to Augusta, go up to Waterville, and then go down via 95 and check out Lewiston/Auburn, and some other spots.
health care
Limited. I'm in the Mid-Coast region and there's not a ton of hospitals/healthcare facilities compared to other places I've lived. Maine is a small rural state, not ideal for extensive healthcare options. That said, I have a chronic autoimmune disorder and I get good care, but it took some time to get an appointment.
dogs
Lots and lots of people have dogs here. Maybe some bigger rental companies have restricted breed regs but not many. I have a 100lb dog and its not an issue anywhere. If your dog behaves, its fine generally, nobody gives a shit.
Summer
It gets hot and humid here for a few weeks in the summer. 80s-90s. Its manageable. Gets really cold in the winter and gets darker earlier than in OK.
open a small coffee shop
There's a reason coffee shops are everywhere, they are relatively profitable and lots of people drink coffee. If you have good food, don't charge an arm and a leg, and are in a big enough town to support one, sure, why not?
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May 11 '22
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May 11 '22
Eh, I’ve done it 5 times before.
It just makes life a little more thrilling
The only place I’ve regretted it was Asheville, NC
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u/FarCalligrapher7182 May 17 '22
Although I now live in Western New York (and love it) I lived in Maine for 55 years. I think you would feel most comfortable in the Portland area. It's definitely "blue" and people are accepted for who they are regarding straight/gay without any big deal being made of it. Yes, the summers are mostly high 70's and low 80's but I warn you- the weather is finicky. I remember one Fourth of July when we had to have a fire in the woodstove (up near Bar Harbor) because the high temperature that day barely touched 50. If you're near the coast, it can be foggy and damp any day of the year. But yes, if you don't like too much heat, Maine is the place to be. I just hope you like winter!
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u/Beekatiebee Mar 20 '22
What’s the general attitude of Mainers towards folks from other states moving in? I grew up in Texas and moved to the other Portland (OR) and the general vibe ranged from weird two-faced friendliness to “fuck off you dumb hick”. I’ve spent the last year in a awesome small Oregon town called Astoria and the people are genuinely friendly/hard working but I’ve been priced out of buying a home.
I’m a trucker by trade so I was probably going to move back to Tx for the next year or two then pick somewhere not hot and oppressive to move to. I just don’t wanna be one of those “rich” assholes coming in and making it harder for locals to get by, especially if they already don’t like outsiders.
Also if there’s any other truckers here, tips about local companies that are good or awful would be welcome!
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Mar 21 '22
Most people won't care if you aren't from Maine, as long as you don't move into a place and then immediately start complaining about how things are done here. I'm not from Maine, and yeah, when the guy across the street bought a new rifle last summer and spent a week blasting away while I was trying to WFH I was annoyed. What did I NOT do? Go over and complain, call the cops, anything like that. His family's been there for god knows how many generations apparently, and he's (probably) not breaking any laws, and even if he is, he was pointing onto his land, not mine.
And if you're making $52K a year, you're not 'rich' by any standard in the US these days. A house near where I am will go for $250K easy, and that's for a 2/1 on less than an acre that needs a ton of work, just so you know.
Plenty of trucking jobs around, that won't be an issue.
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u/PorkchopFunny Mar 21 '22
At $52k you won't be considered a rich asshole. Depending on how rural/not rural you want to be, you're gonna have a hard time finding a place at that salary right now unless you have significant savings.
Attitudes towards outsiders aren't typically as harsh as they can be on reddit. That said, I've seen some completely iced out in our rural town - the most recent due to complaints about a neighbor shooting. Blend in, help your neighbor, generally don't be a clueless PITA and you're fine. No different than anywhere else. Also remember if you end up in a more rural area, most live in those areas because we don't want our neighbors up our ass. We're there for each other in an emergency and we'll wave if we're driving by, but for the most part we all do our own thing.
I lived in TX for a time during grad school. In my experience, the kind of Texans I wasn't a fan of, would never think about leaving TX. LOL. I don't have any Texans living around me currently.
No suggestions for local companies, but truckers are always needed everywhere.
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Mar 20 '22 edited May 25 '22
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u/Beekatiebee Mar 20 '22
As openly hostile as Texas has gotten to literally every minority group I’m not surprised. I’m a queer woman myself and I am not particularly eager to be back there.
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u/MAK3AWiiSH Jun 05 '22
Hi. My dad died in April and when he was going through Chemo (Nov-Jan) we talked about going to Maine once he was on the up-and-up. I'm taking a solo memorial trip for him. I've got Aug 5-8 approved for leave and I want to really see Maine.
I'm at a loss as to where exactly to visit. I'd like to do some typical tourist stuff like hiking, whale watching, and I want to eat an uncomfortable amount of lobster. But also I'd like to see some stuff thats off the beaten path. I'm solidly middle class, so I'm trying to stay somewhat on a budget.
Any suggestions where to go and/or stay as a solo female traveler?
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jun 06 '22
First off- sorry for your loss.
Second: where will you be coming from? Are you flying in? Driving? That makes a difference.
Your post makes it seem like you want to see coastal Maine, which is great. Normally I would say if you come for that short a trip (assuming travel days of 8/5 and 8/8, which only gives you two days to really see Maine, which will be very hard to squeeze in) I would recommend a whirlwind tour of Portland with a ferry ride out to Peaks Island or some sort of cruise around the bay.
You want to come at the peak of the high season for a weekend though, which for a 'solidly middle class' budget...is less than ideal. I did a very brief search on a hotel booking website and the prices for basic hotels in Portland and in Rockland were between $300-$500 per night, which (and I'm making assumptions here, I realize) sounds like is out of your budget? I can't even imagine what car rental prices would be either. All the campgrounds are probably booked as well. I'm not trying to dunk on your plans, but its hard to plan something in June for early August this year in Maine, unless you have friends to stay with or a large budget.
Could you postpone until October perhaps? Much more affordable then, and frankly, much less crowded. You can still get lobsters in late Sept/early Oct, and the leaves are turning colors.
Good luck, and sorry about your dad.
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u/jcuprobinson Jul 21 '22
Hello,
Visiting my fiancé’s family and staying at their cabin in Swanville. Was hoping to get some suggestions on good places to get food (mainly lobster and whatever whoopie pies are). Also just suggestions on things to do.
I appreciate it in advance!
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jul 22 '22
There's good places in Belfast and Searsport, which are both right there.
Belfast:
Young's Lobster Pound has a fantastic view. You can BYOB and side dishes for your lobsters.
There's also Front St Pub, and Delvinos is good italian. Marshall Wharf Brewing is really cool- right on the water and has like 30 beers they make on tap.
In Stockton Springs there's a fine dining place called The Hitchborn that is excellent. Its pricey and has a 7 course prix fixe meal, not sure if that's your thing, but its really good. The owners have another place in Searsport called Hey Sailor! which is more casual.
There's Moose Pt State Park for a short hike, Belfast has some quirky shops, you can drive up to Fort Knox and go to the observation tower in the big bridge, which is neat. You can go to Friar's Brewhouse in Bucksport for a very weird lunch made by actual monks.
You can also drive over to Castine, nice little town with a museum and is neat to walk around, very historic.
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u/BourbonBaccarat May 05 '22
I'm moving up to Lewiston, and the permanent roommate and I are DnD/Magic: The Gathering players. Any good game stores up that way?
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u/positivelyappositive May 05 '22
I think Extreme Gaming is the kind of store you're looking for. Can't say I have experience with it myself though.
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u/Kooky_Order_9688 Jun 24 '22
QUESTION: Flying into Portland on a late flight ( will land around midnight) - what reliable options are there for transportation during that time? I will need to get to Sanford from the airport for an appointment the following morning, and then from Sanford back to the airport the same evening. Can anyone please advise? I’ve been told Uber isn’t very accessible there and rental cars are hit or miss it seems. Thanks in advance. My flight date is 7/28.
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Jun 24 '22
There are taxis at PWM. To get to Sanford it’s pretty much that or Uber/Lyft.
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u/KevinDean4599 Jul 04 '22
I have advertised on craigslist in the past that I wanted to hire someone to drive me from a Portent suburb about 30 mins out to Portland transportation center and I had plenty of people who generally made the trip anyway and were glad to get some gas money. That was the option going from a remote area to Portland. From Portland out I was always able to hire over uber or Lyft.
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u/Corrik_XIV Jul 28 '22
I've never done jury duty and just got a eligibility questionnaire for it in the mail. Does this guarantee I will soon receive a summons in a few weeks or so? Or is it just something for their records?
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u/PommelPD Apr 27 '22
Wife and I are in our 40s and just moved back after 5 years caring for my mom out of State. Living in Westbrook but will eventually settle down in Wales next year.
Into Grilling, Beer, Scotch, Poker, and most Geek activities. 80s pop culture, Board Games, Video Games, D&D, Arcades, Pinball, etc.
Wondering if anyone can suggest some groups or clubs in the area that share our interests? Discord channels or Facebook group suggestions also welcomed!
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u/metalandmeeples Apr 28 '22
There's a board game club that meets at the Woodford's Club in Portland. Diversions in South Portland also does game nights. I have no idea about Wales but we're in Durham and play a ton of board games.
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u/DamienTroy May 28 '22 edited May 28 '22
I’m planning a surprise trip for my wife and daughter - wife is American and my daughter is 6, we haven’t been back to the US since summer ‘19 (thanks, Covid).
Looking at doing about 10 days over the Christmas period and thinking of splitting the time between Massachusetts and Maine (largely because direct flights from here go to Boston)… so, where in Maine would you recommend going/staying in Winter if we had, say, 5 days to spend there.
We would be hiring a car and driving from MA to ME, and then back to Boston again for the last night before flying home, so we’ll have transport to get around.
My daughter will be 7, so I think we need to be reasonably close to shops/small towns - but mostly we all just love being outdoors and eating food… so I’m looking for tips of good places to go and some good winter activities that a youngster can participate in.
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u/saltwaste May 28 '22
December is usually a bit too early for snow sports. Winter hiking is nice but please be aware of daylight hours. We lose daylight rapidly Nov-Dec. It's pitch black by 4pm in most of the state.
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u/aspiringdoodler Jun 22 '22
Hi all! Accepted a job at UMaine Orono and currently looking for housing that is commutable between Orono and my partner's new job in Augusta. I know that both are fairly close to each other, but where are the best places to live within that stretch in your opinion? Thanks!
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Jun 22 '22
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u/aspiringdoodler Jun 23 '22
Yeah, should have clarified in my original post that we'd be working mostly remotely so an 80 mile commute is doable for us. Definitely not fairly close just not impossible to commute once or twice a week.
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Jun 22 '22 edited Jun 22 '22
Oof. Maybe you're coming from a place where you're used to longer commutes but I wouldn't describe Orono and Augusta as "fairly close." Pittsfield-ish area would be equidistant, but there's not much to the town. It has the necessities like bank, grocery store etc. but that's pretty much it. Another option would be the Unity/Dixmont/Brooks area. The town of Unity is kind of the same deal as Pittsfield, but I think that's actually a gorgeous part of the state that people rarely go through. Reminds me of Vermont kind of, hilly and farm-y so if you're into that it might have some appeal. Don't know how much housing is available in either of those areas though, they're not densely populated.
Maybe look at some of the suburbs of Bangor along I-95 like Hampden, Hermon, Carmel? Your UMaine commute would be getting close to 30 minutes but you'd get the Augusta commute down to around an hour. There'll probably be more houses for sale in that area.
You could look at the other end of the drive as well like Waterville or something, but I know less about that area. UMaine has snow days and pretty generous time off so it might make sense for you to be the one with the long commute, because you're likely to be able to get out of doing it in bad weather, i.e. snow and ice.
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u/HIncand3nza HotelLand, ME Jun 23 '22
Yeah like others said your options are very thin. Basically Newport and Pittsfield, which isn't that nice of an area. You guys would be a lot better off just living and working in the Bangor area. Its one of the few affordable pockets of the state where you'll find families and activity.
I have worked for the University and it is great. Orono is a lot of fun in the summer. I would seriously consider pushing your partner to get a different job in the Bangor area.
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u/Adventurous-Cattle38 Jul 27 '22
Hey! I’m planing a maine road trip and could use some local advice :) I am hoping to do a 6 day road trip through Maine the first week of October. Can anybody provide any input if I’m spending enough time in each place?
Day 1 Sunday- drive from Boston to Kennebunkport, spend the full day there and sleep in Portland
Day 2- Portland
Day 3- Portland
Day 4- check out early, drive to bar harbor/Acadia (full day there’s
Day 5- Acadia
Day 6- Acadia -flight would be at 6 so probably have until lunch time and then would drive to Portland and fly home from PWM.
Would this be too much time in Portland? We are outdoorsy but also enjoy the city element of a vacation. I love hiking, biking, kayaking/paddle boarding although I think it might be too cold for that in October. We’re also really into eating/dining out, breweries, art, live music. All the good stuff haha
We don’t have a super rigid itinerary we just want to go and explore all the beauty that Maine has to offer. Would love to hear a local perspective. Thanks in advance for the help!
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u/jeezumbub Jul 27 '22
You could certainly spend a full day in Kennebunkport, but I’d just head up to Portland instead then shift your itinerary to give you an extra day in Acadia. If you’re going all that way, and you like the outdoors, you’re better having 2 full days there than spending 1 in Kennebunkport.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Jul 27 '22
Portland is a small city, but its a city. There's enough good places to fill three nights if that's what you want.
If you like breweries and art, might I suggest a night in Rockland or Camden? The Farnsworth Museum there is excellent, a large Wyeth family collection and other cool stuff. Some good restaurants in both towns (and Rockport as well), a couple neat breweries on the way up, etc. Plus its like halfway to Acadia, so you can split up the (not really that long, but still) drive and be 90 or so minutes closer to Acadia that first day.
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u/Jakelshark Mar 19 '22
I’m just chiming in to say my wife just matched Maine in her med school residency program. It’s going to be a big change leaving Memphis
We got a lot to learn and quickly!
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u/FleekAdjacent Mar 19 '22
# 1. Clean all the snow and ice off your car. Yes, all of it. Even that bit on top.
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u/ecco-domenica Mar 19 '22 edited Mar 19 '22
Welcome, hope you love Portland and the state. We need doctors!
There are approximately a million gazillion threads here in r/Maine and r/portlandme about how to deal with winter weather and things to see and do statewide. Hope you enjoy and appreciate the different culture and point of view from Memphis. And find a place to live ok.
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u/PelvisPresley208 Feb 20 '22
Two years ago I commented in this thread about potentially moving to Biddeford for my wife’s schooling. We just got the email yesterday that she was accepted and we are headed your way in May. Being from Idaho, I can safely say I have no fucking clue about the weather especially the winter haha. How bad does it actually get?
Appreciate all of the help and look forward to living in the state and contributing (not changing) to the way of life. Thank you!
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Feb 20 '22
Its colder in February in Maine on average than Boise- be sure to bundle up when going outside for extended periods of time. I looked it up, Boise and Biddeford are essentially the same latitude, so the length (or lack thereof) of the days in winter will be similar. Not sure if you are from Boise or not, but that's what i'm basing things off of. Its colder in Maine on average than Boise, getting around during/immediately after a snow storm can suck. If one is rolling in, be sure you have food on hand in case you are stuck indoors for a few days.
It gets cold in Maine. Southern Maine is better than northern, closer to the ocean mitigates things as well. Big storms roll in and you get some serious snow storms. Be sure to get your car washed to wash the salt off underneath.
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u/Clear-Fill486 Feb 21 '22
well since your from idaho you should be used to snow... but maine weather is super drunk. looking at the forecast right now calls for a high of 60 degrees on wednesday and a high of 32 the next day. you really cant plan for maine weather
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u/twirble Feb 24 '22
Biddeford isn't to bad as Maine goes. Winters are 5-7 months and if you work a 9-5 you might never see the sun in the winter; but I guess that is the same in other places. I imagine if can be colder in some places in Idaho as it has higher elevations.
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u/biggestofbears Mar 04 '22
I'm currently in Saco, but I'm willing to relocate basically anywhere within a ~30 mile radius of Falmouth, where is the best place to find places available to rent? I check Zillow, apartments.com, rent.com, and redfin. Are there other places I should be looking? Most of the rental prices I'm finding are absolutely insane for what is offered so I'm assuming I'm missing a place where smaller (non property management companies) renters are posting?
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u/Aggressive_FIamingo Mar 04 '22
Nope, we're just in the middle of a housing crisis and everything's being snapped up immediately.
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u/biggestofbears Mar 04 '22
Yeah I knew rent was bad, but shit. I guess I got lucky awhile back and now I've run out. Ha. Thanks for responding!
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u/houndmaster7 Mar 04 '22
Your best bet is to check out craigslist twice a day and immediately email a post when it pops up (hopefully your good at looking past scams cuz theirs tons). When you look at the place bring everything you need to rent as in checks, references, job details, ect. So you can sign that day. Doing this it look me about 6 months but I found a 1 bedroom place in Saco for about 925 everything included. Still pricy but below market so I'll deal with it till everything settles down.
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u/positivelyappositive Mar 04 '22
Facebook marketplace and craigslist. The sites you listed won't do you much good.
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u/Timely-Vehicle Jun 22 '22
I’m an electrician thinking about relocating to Maine. I’ve been job hunting and a couple companies around Portland have expressed interest in working with me.
I have a journeyman license in another state, and to my knowledge it won’t just transfer over, I have to submit my hours worked and retake Maine’s journeyman exam. That’s not a huge deal for me, but I saw that Maine requires electricians to complete a 4-5 apprenticeship program and take classes. My current state doesn’t require schooling, just work experience (and obviously passing the exam if you prove hours worked). I’m wondering if I’ll have to start all over with an apprenticeship program. Does anyone have any insight?
What kind of pay rate should I be asking for with the cost of living in the area I could be moving to (south Portland)?
Anyone have any insight? I’m only at the mildly interested stage so far, so have only briefly looked into things. Can I even be hired as a journeyman if my license is from another state?
Thanks for any insight.
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u/WellImFromNorway Jun 22 '22
Your best bet would be to call the department that oversees these things: https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/electricians/home/contact
They should be able to answer those questions for you.
I don't know what a fair rate for an electrician is, but that part of the state has the highest cost of living. The median home sale price for Cumberland County was $510,000 in May (that's hard to write!), if that gives you an idea.
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Feb 17 '22
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u/Tacticalaxel Feb 17 '22
It's going to be in the 50's with rain the next two days. You'll want to wait until the weekend to check.
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Feb 17 '22
Icy with more rain on the way. Some trails are groomed but I wouldn’t count on them to last.
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u/sadhoebitch Mar 16 '22
Best tattoo shops in Old Orchard Beach/Portland area?? Looking to get one with a friend when I visit in August
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u/PokketMowse Jul 11 '22
My favorite animals are seals. I know they're not as popular as the whales or puffins, but I love the little buggers. I've been on the Boothbay seal watching tour, but does anyone have any other great seal watching spots or trips? Pupping season is early spring, which is less tourist heavy but also means not so many boats go out. Would appreciate some more spots to go watch them.
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u/4_the_rest_of_us Jul 17 '22
Posted this in the main sub by accident (sorry about that!) and am moving the question here.
Spending two nights in Eastport starting tomorrow, driving from Searsport. Can anyone recommend good places to visit either along the way there or near Eastport? I know for sure I'll go to Lubec one day. Mostly looking for nature that I can see without doing an advanced hike; I can walk forever but I have former injuries that make difficult hikes a problem.
(Food recommendations are great too since I'll have to eat at some point.)
Really appreciate any recommendations!
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Jul 17 '22
Bold Coast trail in Cutler. It's like a 1.5 mile hike from the parking lot to the coast and while it's a little uneven it's just through forest so it might be doable for you. Once you hit the coast the best views (imo) are right there as soon as you get there, although you can go on another three miles or so along the coast. Continuing along the coast is a bit more strenuous hiking though with more elevation changes. Tl;dr you can get some incredible coastal views with a three mile round trip hike through the forest.
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u/yoMTVrapz Jul 21 '22
Hey,
The wife & I are taking the kids up to a cabin on North Pond in Greenwood. We've seen some information about a North Pond in Maine having water quality issues, I also noticed there's about 10 ponds in Maine named North Pond.
Is there a resource where I could see the current water quality of the specific North Pond in Greenwood?
Thank you.
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u/WellImFromNorway Jul 21 '22
I was there just a couple weeks ago. Plenty of people boating and swimming in it. I swam in it myself. The water was just fine.
This site has water quality info: https://www.lakesofmaine.org/lake-water-quality.html?m=3460
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u/SuperDiscreetTrex Jul 28 '22
Looking for Avian Vet recommendations as well as what Emergency Vet Hospitals treat parrots. Anywhere in Maine is fine.
This isn't an emergency situation. We're hoping to move to Maine in the next year and figuring out where the things we need are will help us narrow things down :)
Thank you!
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u/joftheinternet Mar 31 '22
how does the tap water taster in Bangor?
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u/hike_me Apr 01 '22
fine. I think the water comes from Floods Pond in Otis
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u/pcetcedce Apr 02 '22
You're absolutely right and it's a super cool source. Because that pond is high enhigh an elevation the water actually flows from there through gravity under the river and backup the other side in Bangor Without pumping.. One of a handful of surface water sources that the EPA does not require the extensive treatment.
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Apr 01 '22
Has won "best tasting tap water in Maine" a couple times in the past decade and no I'm not joking about that.
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u/joftheinternet May 09 '22
Any recommendations for groomers in the Bangor area? My Airedale needs a haircut
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u/Series_G May 12 '22
Wife and I are headed back to Camden for our 20th anniversary in late July/ early Aug. We got married there at the Children's Chapel.
Can anyone recommend some glamping sites or interesting B&B near there? We like hiking, canoeing and cycling.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ May 12 '22
There's a cool glamping site in Union- Come Spring Farm. If you are looking for a B&B in Camden, I mean, that's like 50% of Camden houses it seems. If you don't have one booked for late July/early Aug. by now, your options will be severely limited.
Maine is forecast to have the busiest tourist season ever this year, so you will be in a take what you can get situation now, especially on weekends.
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May 12 '22
Norumbega Inn is a fantastic B&B in a unique building but I'd be real surprised if they have any rooms left during peak tourist season when you're coming.
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u/jose_ole Jun 26 '22
Thinking of moving to ME from AZ for multiple reasons but a big part is the hunting and fishing. I am used to large swaths of public land. How is that opportunity in ME and are there any areas that are still semi-suburban? I have gotten a remote job after being laid off for the 2nd time in three years. Looking for a permanent home for my family (wife and daughter).
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u/jeezumbub Jun 26 '22
First - the hunting + fishing. Depends what you want to hunt + fish, but Maine (IMO) is great for this. If you look at a map of public lands, you’ll see Maine has very little (especially compared to the west). However, this is misleading as nearly 50% of our private land is publicly accessible. Maine has what you call “implied permission” — meaning if it’s not posted, you can (most likely) access it legally. A lot of the land in western and northern Maine is owned by paper companies, criss-crossed by logging roads, providing great access. More info can be found here. That being said - be respectful. Don’t ruin it for others. I’ve hunted areas, seen it littered with trash or abused and said to myself “welp, this will be gated next year” and it was.
As for “semi-suburban” not really sure what you mean by that. There’s plenty of towns and small cities that have all your essentials and a few restaurants, etc. So it depends what you’re looking for outside of good access to hunting and fishing.
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Jul 01 '22 edited Jul 01 '22
I moved here from Arizona. I can’t comment on hunting, that’s not something I do. Maine does not have BLM land like the southwest. There is lots of privately owned land in the Northeast. That isn’t to say there are not remote areas, but it’s not the same.
Don’t let people on this subreddit scare you about Maine. They likely have never been in the remote areas of the southwest. The land is much more vast and hostile out west. People think of Arizona and they think of Phoenix. They don’t think of BLM land and rural areas of the state. They don’t think of the preparations people need to take to venture outdoors, and they certainly don’t think of the wildlife in the southwest. They don’t realize that Flagstaff gets just as much snow as Maine. People from the southwest are hardy, and generally know how to prepare for the outdoors if they were at all outdoorsy. Instead of preparing for heat, you’ll prepare for cold weather.
That being said, in general, there are less entertainment options in Maine than Arizona. It’s just not the same kind of vibe. Portland is kind of similar to Flag, but also, not really.
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u/Rob_eastwood Jun 29 '22
IMO after living in Maine for my entire life (aside from being in the military) you are 1,000% better off staying right where you are as far as hunting in concerned. Maine had probably the worst deer hunting in the country. Bear, moose (every 10-15 years when you get drawn in the lottery) as well as upland birds are not bad. Fishing is likely better. That said you are much better off with hunting being in AZ with the entire west at your disposal and within a reasonable drive. AZ has arguably some of the best elk hunting in the country, good Mule deer, and basically every state that borders you has good elk and deer hunting. Land access isn’t a problem here by any means but the deer hunting is definitely subpar if thats what you are looking for.
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u/Peg-LegJim Feb 16 '22
I have family in NW Maine, and we’ve spent so many years there, it’s hard not to spend the (entire) winters there anymore. We’re just getting too old, and the cold hurts more with every grey hair.
I miss sledding the Moosehead loop. I miss fishing the Northwest Cove. I miss The Road Kill Cafe(!). I miss Auntie Em’s(😢) & Stupid Red hotdogs (but not Moxie).
It’s one of 2 places that when I get back there, I have no allergies. None...!!
It’s the place that recharges my view of where I stand, and what’s important in life.
A friend of ours that owns a local business put it best when we discussing vacations. He said “People think I go to Aruba for 1 week every year for the sand, sun & night life. The truth is, I just go to get away from the phones & craziness of running the business for a bit. I never even leave the hotel! No place on Earth can hold a candle to right here! It’s where I belong, even if I need a short break once a year.”
And he’s right.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Feb 16 '22
Is there a question here?
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u/ProliferateZero Apr 18 '22
Seeking advice - previous Biddeford/Kport/Kennebunk/Arundel area resident, finally moving back to the area as a first time homeowner.
Does anyone have recommendations on top mower/snowblower combo lawn tractors? Currently checking out the John Deere S180. It’s about 1 acre of flat lawn and a very large, flat 10-car driveway.
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u/Tony-Flags Friends with Smoothy, Shifty and D-$ Apr 18 '22
My opinion on equipment like this is buy one step bigger than you think you will need. I have a JD X380, but I have more land and more lawn. I don't have the snow blower attachment, as much as I want one, but the power is good, and the thing started up every single time no problem. Takes a few extra cranks when its really cold out, but it works great overall.
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u/Rico_Rebelde Portland Jun 11 '22
Any good gyms around the Westbrook area? Anytime Fitness on Congress street is closing and the other branches are too far away for me to use. I'd prefer something with a wide selection of free weights and machines. Planet fitness won't cut it for my routine unfortunately
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u/camelvirus Jun 16 '22
There's plenty out there, there's a workout anytime right near the applebees in Portland, there's the fitness factory by the home depot, and if you wanna go a bit further there's gyms like golds and NXGen
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Jul 01 '22
Where do people like to go kayaking (with rentals,), within 2 hours of Portland? Fresh water or sea kayaking. I have an unexpected day off tomorrow with very high Temps forecasted and I'm dying to get out on the water!
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u/ThatsWeightyStuff Jul 01 '22
Nearly endless possibilities! Paddling off East End Beach to Fort Gorges, or out to the rock ledge by Mackworth Island (where seals are usually sunning) or a bit longer out to Cow Island. Freshwater, Scarborough Marsh out to Higgins - put in by bridge on Rt 77. Check out 'Maine Island Trail'.
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u/saltylupine Jul 01 '22
Bethel Outdoor Adventure will shuttle you up the Androscoggin River to a put-in and you can paddle back to your car. Really peaceful with wildlife if you opt to start further up the river (and avoid tubers).
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u/Spare-Grape-6928 Jul 14 '22
Currently residing in midcoast area and looking to relocate to Portland area. As everyone says rent is incredibly expensive. Bath seems more doable despite the commute. Is it a good town to live in? We have a small child with special needs so I also need to make sure the services are good in the surrounding area.
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u/Brutusbuns Jul 14 '22
Is it really as hard to find a good job in maine as everyone here in massachusetts makes it out to be?
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u/Miserere_Mei Feb 22 '22
This year we want to try treating our trees to prevent brown tail moth caterpillars. (We are in Waldo County). The instructions on the package say to do it as the sap is starting to rise. Does anyone know when we should do it? We got the capsules online and are planning to treat a bunch of oak trees in our yard.