What is it like, to live in Maine?

[RuggedAlpha]

So whatever happened Wolf? Did you end up moving to Maine?

[jonesg]

Originally Posted by Wolf14016

I suppose the title is self evident, but let me explain.

I've been thinking a lot lately, about my future, and where I'd like to be in 5 or 10 years. I'm 24, graduated college a bit over a year ago, and while I know I'm still young, It's something to start considering.

I currently live in Seattle, and have lived in the Pacific Northwest for my entire life. I went to college at WWU in Bellingham, WA.


I’d love to say I have an intrinsic bond to the greater Seattle area, and to the Pacific Northwest in general. I have friends and family who live here and can’t imagine ever being anywhere else - the Pacific ocean runs through their blood, the dark winter days are their security blanket. But I can’t say the same.


Don’t mistake me; I like it here. I don’t mind the rain, and it can be achingly beautiful at times. My friends and family live here, and that - more then any other reason - is a tether that would be difficult to break.

But I don’t like it all. The whole region is growing - more and more people see that beauty and move here. It’s getting denser, and urbanization is a big problem west of the Cascades. Real estate prices are nasty, despite the poor economy.

So I've been researching - more curiosity than out and out studying - and out of all the places I've looked, Maine seems to be the most appealing. Land is much cheaper, no big cities, beautiful scenery (I'm a sucker for Fall colors; it's mostly Evergreens here) and there's a great sense of history there that we don't have as much of here.

Back to my question - apologies for the long interlude. I want to know what it's like to live in Maine, and I'm particularly interested in the opinions of people who have moved there from other places (Big bonus points for anyone from the Pacific NW).

And I don't mean the standard stuff; I could go back to Wikipedia or the Maine tourism website for stock answers on jobs, weather, etc. I'm curious as to the culture of Maine (Heck, New England in general), the people, the way of life. Not that I think it's totally different from here - still the good old US-of-A after all.

Maybe this is just wanderlust on my part - like I said, I've never been away from here for more then a few months - but even if it is, I'd like to learn more.

Anyway, sorry for the length - I'm an English/Creative Writing major, I tend to wax on - and I appreciate any answers.

No need to explain.
If you don't mind living in your own skin, dont rely on other people to give you a job and dont feel lonely , its the ticket.

I moved up from Boston to escape socialism.

[Copymutt]

Originally Posted by Kristin85

Maine is practically untouched and, imho, that is the primary reason to move there. I have vacationed in the coastal regions of the state several times a year since I was born and no other state compares to the beauty and tranquility of ME. The major beaches and Portland can get very crowded during mid-June to early-September, but the state is otherwise quiet: towns off the coast are incredibly small and coastal areas almost seem like ghost towns 3 seasons out of the year. I have not seen any major urbanization occurring anywhere along the coastline up to Canada.

As for the people: Waitresses/bartenders are so much nicer in ME than where I am from! There seems to be a culture of "common courtesy" in Maine that isn't seen in lower New England states. Near Canada, people tend to be more "in their own worlds" (less eye contact, less small talk) than they are closer to the NH border. However, that's not a bad thing--just a cultural difference and it changes once you make the effort to talk to people in that area. Just stay positive and everyone will react positively to you!

The way of life in Maine is slow. In tourist areas cars might be in a rush to pass you, but generally traffic is slow. In stores/restaurants/gas stations employees will give customers as much info as they possibly can if a question is asked, but it's not a problem if you're prepared to wait--and if you'd like to ask a question yourself. The biggest problem with living in Maine is the employment situation (as hxcobd mentioned). Jobs are few and far between and most of the jobs are highly specialized or minimum wage. Many people under 35 have left or are planning to leave Maine in favor of working in Portsmouth and Boston. (I would have moved to ME years ago had more jobs been available.) If you're willing to accept a job that's a little out of your comfort zone, embrace mild isolation, and be open and honest with people you've just met, your life in Maine will be fantastic.

After visiting Maine for two summers now I'm still blown away with the limited coastal fishing.
We reside in the dry, dry SW of Co. I can go to lake Powell and catch and keep all the Striper and Walleye I want.
To have the recreational fisherman keep only one Striper of 28" or more tells me the resource has been abused very badly for a long time. My gut tells me politics must be at the root of the exploitation. I understand it's not just Maine but, the whole Striper fishery. Also kinda disappointed that unless your rich enough to go for big offshore fish that's about all there is. I don't get it? It's the ocean, what happened? I was hoping for closer to subsistence fishing.
Other than that looking forward to relocating. The close to the land, self sufficiency, resourcefulness of Mariners is right in line w/ my values.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"My gut tells me politics must be at the root of the exploitation. I understand it's not just Maine but, the whole Striper fishery. Also kinda disappointed that unless your rich enough to go for big offshore fish that's about all there is. I don't get it? It's the ocean, what happened?"

Stripers like warm to moderate water temps as do their primary food fish. Same with bluefish. We moved back to Maine in 1973. It was a good striper year in the Penobscot River. Our stripers come from Chesapeake Bay. It's a long migration. When they come through the Cape Cod Canal it's a circus.

The Atlantic is unusually cold this year. Maine is unusually cold this year, but if you like mackerel, you can get a whole lot of mackerel right off the pier at Eastport.

The regulation of striper fishing is as complicated as the regulation of migratory birds. The federal government opens teal season about 3 weeks after the flight of teal has already passed through Maine on the way to warm climes somewhere way south.

We are not supposed to question authority on these pages. Suffice it to say these are administrative decisions and the administrators ponder these migratory fish and fowl rules and make their pronouncements, but they are not able to forecast either the water temperatures, air temperatures, the timing thereof, or wind directions. Simply put, it's a crap shoot. For this we pay these people a whole lot of money.

[Kiabmok]

Enjoyed your post because of your writing style. I lived in Snohomish Washington for many years then my salary would not afford me the opportunity to buy a home there. I vacation in Maine and Vermont because of the sparse population and like the outdoor life both summer and winter. I discovered Maine little by little by staying in vacation rentals a month at a time in various areas like Camden and down east. The Pacific Northwest is beautiful but Maine just has a “pull” with some people and I highly encourage you to explore the state. Maybe even write a book or two.....the best of luck....

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by Copymutt

I can go to lake Powell and catch and keep all the Striper and Walleye I want.

Lake Powell is not commercially fished for all the restaurants in Colorado. The east coast of the ocean is commercially fished by 1000’s of boats for the whole USA and Europe.