Best cities for... (Portland, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth: apartment complexes, to rent, crime)

[rsavb]

New here! I am seriously considering a move to Maine for my family and currently doing my research on the citites and towns. Can anyone recommend the best cities for schools, jobs, housing, starting a business, etc. Not concerned too much about crime and such because overall I know it's very safe there. Is it better to rent a house or apartment? I come from an area that is overflowing with apartment complexes owned by big property managment companies.
Any info would be great!

Thanks

[tkx7]

what part of maine and what is your price range? I would say Maine has a high homeowner's percentage compared to other states; not many people rent unless you live in an apartment.

[rsavb]

Thanks for your reply. We were thinking of portland, gorham, falmouth, scarborough, yalmouth. price up to 250k.

[tkx7]

Originally Posted by rsavb

Thanks for your reply. We were thinking of portland, gorham, falmouth, scarborough, yalmouth. price up to 250k.

I am from the area. Might as well check out Cumberland, North Yarmouth and Cape Elizabeth too. Falmouth and Cape Elizabeth have the most taxes but the best school systems in the state. The others you mentioned all very good too, including portland. Portland will have the least property taxes. Generally, people work in the Greater Portland area. Jobs vary I guess, you could always check out mainejobs.com to see what is available at the moment. I would say each of the towns has its own character, so it is more of a personal preference.

[rsavb]

Thank you. I have made several visits to s. portland area and such, but never got a chance to research those things. I like that you can still find mom and pop stores/restaurants, and generally have that small town feel.

[tkx7]

Trust me on this one, they are all very good schools, I'm not sure what you are reading but if it is the opinions of a few parents they are probably wrong. I could tell you one thing- most of the schools have little diversity (probably 95% white or more) unless you are in Portlandl; but they are definitly great schools.
yes, some towns pay for students to attend other schools. This might not be a 100% free-ride though, they might just pay partially, depending on the town and the school of interest. You will have to contact towns for more information. I am unsure what the Kents Hill admission process looks like, however I know there are many local students who attend the school so I dont think they are looked down on.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by GAhighschoolC

I was looking on greatschools and was kind of surprised by what parents said about some the schools listed above.

One thing to keep in mind when reading those kinds of sites -- be they about schools, apartments, businesses, etc. -- is that most people who take time to write in are the angry and disgruntled ones. People that are happy don't usually take the time to say so.

So I wouldn't discount those comments. But I would keep the context in mind.

[chris]

Private schools in Maine are predominately rich-kid baby sitting schools for kids outside of the state (primarily MA/CT/NY/NJ). Families who want their kids to go to a good school but don't want to have to raise them through their teenage years. Yes, I graduated from a Maine "prep" school.

"Townies" who get to go usually do well, simply because they may have more of an appreciation for what is preceived as a better opportunity in education. Certainly $15-$20k a year justifies a better high school education?

This is just my opinion of course but I think the larger the school you go to in Maine, the better (motivated) kids will do simply because there is more competition to do well (in both sports and academics) to stand out.