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Hello fellows. Possibly moving from Phoenix. (self.Maine)

submitted ago by ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona

My girlfriend and I need a move and have been seriously considering Maine. She seems pretty sold on Portland but I thought I'd come here and ask you guys what you would recommend. She is a musician and being able to play shows/ create music is very important for her. I'm more interested in the idea of seasons (Phoenix has been rough). Any insight is appreciated.

Many pre-thanks.

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[–]Burns31 6 points7 points ago

As far as seasons, I couldn't be happier. We get EVERYTHING here. I have a hard time comprehending living anywhere else, to be honest.

[–]Civilizedman1 10 points11 points ago

really no sense in moving anywhere but portland if you are from a big city.

[–]stayinghungry 0 points1 point ago

couldn't have said it any better myself

[–]muskrat99 5 points6 points ago

If you're thinking Maine then go with Portland and the surrounding seacoast area. Burlington VT is nice too.

[–]SeanMisspelled -1 points0 points ago

Having moved from Central Maine to Burlington, VT to Seacoast, NH be aware that each region offers very different educational and employment opportunities. All great areas though. Do you have work lined up?

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 0 points1 point ago

Not as of yet but we are going about this very cautiously and opting to find work before we move. She has a job with a great deal of connections, though. I work in the printed circuit board industry so I'm expecting to have to change that.

edit: I have another question for everyone: are there any good neighborhoods we should be looking for or bad ones we should be avoiding?

[–]reggiewedgieRockland 2 points3 points ago

I don't know how it is in every other state, but here in maine, if you call the local pd and give them an adderess they will tell you if it is a good place to be living or not. They can't tell you why, but they can let you know if it is an area or landlord you should avoid.

[–]xach 3 points4 points ago

Portland gets the gamut of seasons. It can get hot & muggy in the summer and frigid and snowy in the winter. This winter has been pretty mild, but in winters past there has been snowstorm after snowstorm and that can get kinda old after a while, though if you gear up for winter recreation (skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, etc) it can be nice.

There are a lot of venues in Portland for local musicians to perform. As far as I can tell there is not a lot of money or a lot of career advancement involved. It seems to me like a strictly-day-job-having activity.

I don't know if it's still the case, but years ago I was always impressed by the music & art scenes around the UMaine campuses at Machias and Farmington. Lots of students really into interesting things and a few key music & art faculty shepherding a lot of interesting stuff. Either one might be a cheaper option if you don't care about the amenities of a city like Portland.

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 1 point2 points ago

That all sounds pretty wonderful. How about hiking and other manly outdoorsy activities? Would we have to go too far out to be in wilderness?

[–]xach 3 points4 points ago

It depends on how much wilderness you want. There's some in town, like the Baxter Woods or Evergreen Cemetery or the other numerous trails & parks, or if you drive a bit out of town you can be at a few different state parks, or if you drive for a few hours you can be, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere. You can get as wild as you want.

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 1 point2 points ago

I believe I might be sold, as well. Thanks for all your help guys. I'm very much excited to get out of here and into somewhere foreign to me. Seriously I've lived here for 26 years now (to this very day!) and I feel I've had just about enough of it. The winter's are quite mild but there's always the thought in back of your head that it'll soon end and Summer will return to wreak havoc. I don't think I can handle another one.

Again, thanks.

[–]lantech 10 points11 points ago

Not to mention all the worries about conserving water down there. Signs everywhere you turn.

We've got PLENTY of water in the northeast. Sometimes I just pour a glass of water out the front door just for the hell of it

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 10 points11 points ago

stands aghast

[–]attiladSoPo 1 point2 points ago

The thing that seemed foreign to me about the Phoenix area is the way everything seems to be housing complexes surrounding shopping complexes. It may be an adjustment getting used to only having one Walmart and Target.

Also, you will need to mow your lawn.

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 1 point2 points ago

I love mowing the lawn.

[–]kbuck2000York County 0 points1 point ago

The winter's are quite mild but there's always the thought in back of your head that it'll soon end and Summer will return to wreak havoc.

Wow. I've lived in Maine for nearly 40 years and I feel the same about winters. I moved to Florida for a few years and had to come back. Summers are really brutal down there.

[–]trailstomperwaterville 2 points3 points ago

Well, I guess it depends on what you'd call wilderness, but there are definitely many spots to go hiking within an hour or two of Portland, and also many snowmobile/ATV/mountain biking trails. People hunt and fish throughout the entire state if you're into that. The Appalachian Trail runs through a good part of the state and has lots of different trails of varying difficulty, from short day hikes to the Hundred Mile Wilderness.

You'll have no worries if you like outdoors activities, for sure, and you'll be able to find something regardless of your expertise level.

[–]cogthunk 4 points5 points ago

Portland is a pretty great city to be a musician. Tons of bars/venues, and some of them aren't even run by assholes! The First Friday Artwalk is a great way to experience the local arts community. There's all kinds of Open Mic nights and blues/bluegrass/whatever jams, pretty much any night of the week. Your girlfriend probably won't get rich playing shows in Portland, but she'll have a lot of fun.

[–]drunkardmormon 1 point2 points ago

I'm moving back there from Utah and I know just what you're talking about. I highly recommend Maine. It is such a glorious place with lots of fun things to do outside.

[–]Myshinshurt 0 points1 point ago

What part of Utah to which part of Maine? I'm in the greater Ogden Metro Area.

I've alwayed wanted to see Maine, and I'm offically visiting for the first time in October. (I'm just trying to start earlier on things to do in and around Bangor.)

[–]mynameisbram 1 point2 points ago

Portland's really nice, but the rural areas are worth taking a look at too.

[–]Pseudo_Moron 0 points1 point ago

I grew up in Portland and would say that I think you will be comfortable there. I now live about 1/2 hr. SW in a rural area. If you prefer a more country setting, I'd say it could start as little as 15 minutes outside of Portland. Beaches and islands are very close and The White Mountains can be reached in an hour or so drive. Hiking, biking, skiing, whitewater kayaking, snowshoeing, skating... Many possibilities. I would also agree with other responses here.

[–]Toasty_Ohs 0 points1 point ago

You are not alone. Where I work, we just interviewed a guy from Phoenix looking to move to the Damariscotta area. Yes, not Portland.

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points ago

Portland is the only place with any trace of things happening. Seriously. Move there if you're not looking to live in the woods.

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points ago

Portland for sure. It's got more culture than anywhere else in the state, nicer people, and more to do as far as recreational stuff goes.

Anywhere north of Augusta gets all grey and drab anytime of the year except the summer which makes everything really depressing (not to mention the opiate problems in the central/northeastern parts of the state).

One other major negative for living here is the lack of work. If I wasn't self-employed I'd be pretty boned to be honest. In any other town except Portland it's not what you know or your work experience, but who you know and how reliable THEIR word is.

As far as cost of living though, Maine probably isn't the best place to live either. If you want to live in-town in any of Maine's larger areas, be prepared to pay up to $1,500 for even a small two bedroom. Be extremely thankful if heat is included in the rent, because you will NOT like that electric/oil bill (being from Arizona you can probably compare it to your central air bills).

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points ago

Depends on what part of the area you're living in. Hence the "up to". I pay $1,000 for my three bedroom apartment in Downtown-ish Bangor. A friend rents a studio downtown for $1,800 a month - electric and heat included.

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 1 point2 points ago*

We have searched and found plenty of 1 bedroom places under $1k with heat included. We are both very good at living within our means. The primary focus now is finding work there and saving for the big haul in June or July.

[–]nivek191 -1 points0 points ago

Don't! You will hate it the weather here is crappy 80 of the time, hardly any sun, people do not groom themselves that well, lots of drunk drivers, druggies, a general state of depression, lots of welfare recipients and African immigrants. You will not find much luck in music as the bars and coffee shops pay little and most of them are closing up. Real estate and job market is a joke and no one seems to be doing anything about it. Stay where you are or look into a more populated area especially if you are coming from Phoenix. Trust me I came from SoCal and I hate it.

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 0 points1 point ago

What if I told you I absolutely hate Southern California?

[–]nivek191 0 points1 point ago

Then you still won't like it here, it is really boring and isolated. One starts to get cabin fever in the winter, also have to deal with SAD in the winter, granted it is fun and exciting here from Memorial Day through October, but once the leaves fall off, all the shops, clubs stores etc shut down and you are limited to short days, (sun up at 6, goes down around 4ish) if that is not bad enough there are lots of power outages if the snow is wet, or if it is icy rain and it takes the power company forever to restore power. It is very primitive also, technology is slow to come here, we lived here five years and just have cable in our area. A very frustrating place, lastly if you are from "away" as they call it and not born and raised here, you are treated as a 2nd class citizen. Good luck with you decision.

[–]ryandailyPhoenix, Arizona[S] 0 points1 point ago

It's like a dream that you're describing to me. It is the familiarity that I feel where ever we go here that we're trying to escape; it's all the same here. Also, shopping and clubbing aren't really high up on our list of fun activities. Thanks for your other-side-of-it opinion, though. Most of what we've heard (we've been asking around here, too) is positive; it's good to hear the negative sometimes.

[–]nivek191 0 points1 point ago

it is good to hear all sides, i would strongly urge you to visit and not like a tourist but go to some town hall meetings, a library, preble street where the homeless live, try to talk to people during the middle of the week, and then decide.

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