Re : John's hateful post - 10/25/2008

Re ; John's Post "hating dogs" ...animals appreciate everything you do for them- unlike "people"...and if you hate dogs- it means that you're a horrible person, and don't derserve to have a pet. If I had my choice of saving your life and the life of an animal...I'd pick the animal. You don't deserve to breathe.

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Taxes - 5/3/2008

While Portland has some positives the negatives far outweigh any positive. Try to find a decent place to live at a reasonable price. You won't. Finding a place at all at any price is challenging. Utility costs are sky high and the people seem eager to vote for every new tax and fee increase possible. You have vehicle inspection fees yearly in addition to your registration renewal and the people there want to add a vehicle emissions inspection fee similar to California's even though air quality is not an issue. The people constantly brag about their "common sense" but picked a police chief who when asked "How would you deal with the problem of people running red lights?" had no answer. In fact out of about 30 people polled only 1 person had an intelligent answer. Some of the other "common sense" answers included taking away their cell phone and doughnut privileges! In short the state is run and supported by people who have no common sense and the state itself has one of the highest rates of taxation in the country.

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Taxes - 5/3/2008

While Portland has some positives the negatives far outweigh any positive. Try to find a decent place to live at a reasonable price. You won't. Finding a place at all at any price is challenging. Utility costs are sky high and the people seem eager to vote for every new tax and fee increase possible. You have vehicle inspection fees yearly in addition to your registration renewal and the people there want to add a vehicle emissions inspection fee similar to California's even though air quality is not an issue. The people constantly brag about their "common sense" but picked a police chief who when asked "How would you deal with the problem of people running red lights?" had no answer. In fact out of about 30 people polled only 1 person had an intelligent answer. Some of the other "common sense" answers included taking away their cell phone and doughnut privileges! In short the state is run and supported by people who have no common sense and the state itself has one of the highest rates of taxation in the country.

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things to love and hate - 3/11/2008

Like many, we came from the Boston area thinking it would be cheaper. It is not. The population is unhealthy and the business climate unfavorable which has driven healthcare costs through the roof (i.e., little to no competition for health insurance). Mainers have slowly driven up their taxes making them obscenely high. Everyone complains about it and yet no one vote anyone out of office for it. In fact, the headlines decry worry and fear if you try to cut programs. We have some of the highest social spending in the nation and terrible govt inefficiency. And there seems to be no economic plan to bring businesses in. We are rolling the dice on the "vacationland" concept. Well, the tourism industry does not require much of an education and it doesn't pay well. It is not an asset to hang your hat on. It's very frustrating because Portland is beautiful. It has a fairly cosmopolitan scene. The architecture and independent shops are great. Lots of good restaurants. There are many outdoor activities. We send our kids to a private school, but that's a personal decision. The public schools seem good. Crime is relatively low. But there are no jobs here, high taxes, and no public will to do anything about it. Oh, and you have to be OK with long winters...

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NYC born and raised - 1/23/2008

... And I just love this place. And, no, I didn't come here with a NY job, nor NY money in my pocket. I did come with a family and got a professional job, however. We're doing all right, and I highly doubt I could say the same if we were back in the suburbs of the big town. You want to talk expensive? Taxes? We have it so good here by comparison. Which leads me to another point.. Try this: open up Google Maps or some such in another window and drift down the East Coast with your cursor. Type in coastal cities on this site and look at the comments. As you head south of here, the money and population density becomes more and more of an issue with posters. Once you hit the South, crime and heat come into play. Then try the Northwest, like Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Folks were generally upset about money as a rule, but climate and crime are big woes (the lack of sun seemed to really depress a lot of posters there). In affordable regions like Utah, for instance, stranger issues arise like closed communities due to religious practices and such. I read also about the influx of Californians and their arrival driving up real estate, goods & services, etc. My point in this exercise is to illustrate that it is all rather relative. You have to trade one (or two) inconveniences about a place for the positive benefits. Of course, one has to be realistic. You can't live normally in a high crime area if you have a family. You can't live in an extreme climate if you're elderly or infirm. You can't live in a highbrow city if you have no job or job skills that will afford you the cost of living. But here in Portland, we trade a warmer climate and higher cost of living for good schools, beautiful surroundings, safety, green space, an urban trails system, an amazing array of places to eat (per capita, it's impressive!), the convenience of nearby shopping, very little congestion, a steady economy... I could go on with little details, but you get the idea. I came from, and still visit the NYC area frequently, and, though that city is dear to my heart, I'm glad I live here. Come visit and take this test: Drive to the east end of the city to the Eastern Promenade park. Get out (doesn't matter what time of year it is, honestly) and look across Casco Bay. Ask yourself, "Is there any city left in this country that has this kind of view right in town?" And, if you can come up with one, I'll bet anything that you can't get a 3 BR cape for under 250K in that city. You can here, there's one that just sold 'round the corner from my house. Honestly, there's no cities like Portland left on the East Coast, or maybe anywhere.

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Glad to be back in Maine - 10/7/2007

I lived in Portland, ME for 8 years before leaving to get my Master's in NY. I loved it then and I love it again, having recently returned. Portland is a very livable city with good people and vibrant downtown. Maine is a wonderful state whether you are in Portland or a small rural town---but, Portland has jobs, culture, recreation, ocean, and a great climate (providing you can handle the cold in January). It is also a dog friendly town (e.g. dog beach, 7 acre fenced in dog park with trees and hiking trails, etc., great doggie day care).

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Born and raised - 8/1/2006

The number one thing i love about portland is the water quality. The tap water is like Poland Spring bottled water. Portland is one of those cities where it has a big city feel in that there is lots of stuff to do and visit but there isnt much for crime. I feel completely comfortable leaving a car unlocked etc without anything happening to it, dispite that its a busling city. From portland you can drive 20-30 minutes to a great swimming/beach spot whether its a lake or ocean. It has many museums/historic buildings, camping/ hiking locations malls/shopping plazas and generally has lots to do if your open minded. WIthin a few hours is also some great skiing/snowboarding places also. However i never got into them. The people are great and tend to be friendly overall.

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Working in Portland, living in Scarborough - 5/5/2006

Portland is a wonderful little city. There is a lot of art and culture there. I live in Scarborough, about 15 minutes south, and I am moving away. So, here is my assessment: Good: good schools, beautiful summers, wonderful architecture, art and culture in Portland, great restaurants, good symphony, fantastic minor league baseball (Red Sox farm team), Acadia National Park is worth weeks of time. Bad: Living in Scarborough, there are monster mosquitos. Count on winter from November through April. That is 6 months. In January, there is very little light because the days are so short, and I find that hard to live with. I don't mind the cold, but it is the dark that is difficult. We have the highest taxes and the lowest discretionary income in the nation. Housing costs have been very high, and my wife and I have had to buy a house on a busy road just to afford something decent. Property taxes in Portland are a lot higher than they are in Scarborough. There has been a massive influx of Bostonians over the past 10 years that I have lived here. I teach at a private school, and the high-powered population spurs a frenetic pace that is uncharacteristic of the more northern parts of Maine. Portland is no longer Maine, but northern Massachusetts. This is a great place to live for 5 months out of the year if you are wealthy.

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Best of all worlds - 2/27/2006

Portland is a great city; big enough to have all the virtues of a city (restaurants, bars, cultural events) but small enough to miss a lot of the vices - crime, traffic etc.

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Great Place to Live if you don't mind Moderate Win - 2/26/2006

Portland is a really great place to raise a family, and is a beautiful outdoor paradise. After living here for 49 years, however, I am ready to give up on winter. Though Portland is far milder than many other places in the US, because it's on the coast which keeps it warmer and moderates the snowfall, sometimes the cold temperatures can be taxing.

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Overall Nice Place to Live - 12/28/2005

I am a lifelong resident of the greater Portland Maine area and I can certainly attest to the positive and negative aspects of calling this area home. The positives being a very safe and healthy climate to raise a family in, with great schools and many recreational activities year round. The negatives being a very expensive real estate market, extremely high tax structure and of course the winters. Although Maine is a very rural state, the greater Portland area is fast becoming an exburb of Boston. Having travelled to many major cities across the US, however, I can say that Portland has a long way to go before it experiences many "Big City" issues such as violent crime. If you live in a large metropolitan area and dream of moving your family to a friendly, safe, and charming area, as long as your pocketbook can handle it this may be the place for you.

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beautiful but expensive - 8/13/2005

I moved here from Boston almost 10 years ago. I thought it would be less expensive but everything costs more. I did buy a house though, right before the market went through the roof. The reason I bought was because it was cheaper than renting around here. The taxes though are quickly becoming an issue and there is a limited amount of good jobs and even those do not pay comparable to living expenses including taxes. They called Mass "taxachusetts" but Maine is worse. The state is visually amazing and you have to take that into consideration. Maine is beautiful, the coastline and the mountains... definitely breathtaking. If it wasn't for that I would have already left.

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Money, money, money.... - 7/29/2005

It's a nice place to live - if you can afford it! We moved here about 6 months ago. It is definitely more expensive than anticipated. Everything costs more here: groceries, daycare, housing, utilities. It's sad, but we're not sure if we can make it here on our income (60,000 +). We are barely keeping our heads above water.

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housing - 7/19/2005

Very expensive to live...........average house is around $225,000 for an area that does not have the incomes to really afford it. taxes out of site, poorly managed state goverment

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Large Small Town - 7/11/2005

It's a small city - some people call it a large small town dressed up like a city. But it's got some big buildings, lots of places to eat, but man - live here more than three months and you've likely met everybody. Clean tap water, though!

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