Maine (Portland, Lewiston, Presque Isle: middle-class, crime, houses)

[Submariner]

I have seen and been in ghetto/slum areas of cities.

I can not picture anything like that in Maine.

Granted you may see one nice new home, and the next home [a quarter mile away] may be an old trailer that is obviously tilted next to a barn whose roof has caved in. And then the next house might again be a new modular home.

There are older and run-down homes, there are falling down old barns. I know of a single wide trailer with folks living in it, where part of the trailer's roof has been blown off.

Some folks are doing well, and other folks are not. That is life.

But I have not seen any slums.

We just do not have enough people in the entire state to populate a proper city slum.

Ever been to Cairo? 4 million people and not a water-proof roof in the lot.

[deerislesmile]

I may have a wacky way at looking at things, but I wouldn't neccesarily consider a run-down house with a few junk cars on the front lawn as ghetto-ish. Hickish, yes, but here in Maine, there's still a good chance that the people living in the run-down house are not criminals, or really anything more than nice, poor people who can't afford to fix up their house (that they likely own). Then there are also low-income apartment complexes that are fabulous-clean and community-oriented and basically free of criminal element. In fact, i would say that most housing complexes that i have seen fall into that catergory- likely because they are often small (less than 100 units, but more often les than 40), and in areas that are rural (this is just speaking to the ones I have been to, which are largely in the coastal/central regions). Then there are the apartment complexes that hold a more desolate and criminal atmosphere. I know by other standards, this still isn't a ghetto, but by Maine standards it's pretty darn close.
And then you get into the areas of towns that are run down and have many run-down, cheap apartments in a small area, and they do seem very ghetto-ish. Violence, poverty, drama, bling, drugs.. all pretty much accepted daily activities. And, again by Maine standards, I would call that a slum...

Not sure exactly how to explain a Maine ghetto... but I know it when I see it....

[Elcarim]

I know how to identity the ghetto, having lived in the Houston area all my life. When we spent the day in Portland in March, we did our usual routine, took the "scenic route" nearly everywhere (that's Brad & Tammy trying our da**dest to read a freakin' map) and ended up in some less than favorable parts of town. The very worst we saw did not come close to Houston's ghettos - the places you wouldn't be caught alone in daylight or dark.

I'm sure there are less desirable parts of ANY town you choose, but I'm also sure that I'd rather live in the ghettos of Maine than most any neighborhood in Houston.

Happy hunting!

[stephenw]

Maine's low income areas sound nothing like Atlanta's. In Atlanta's you know you're in a "low income area" (slums and ghettos) because you instinctually start to drive faster - this being because you down want to get robbed.

I think I'll like Maine.

[Zymer]

I'm sure there are less desirable parts of ANY town you choose, but I'm also sure that I'd rather live in the ghettos of Maine than most any neighborhood in Houston.


Some parts of Houston are pretty nice- especially the outlying areas that used to be seperate towns but have been annexed by the city.

I haven't seen much of downtown Houston, but what I did see wasn't even close to what I think of as 'ghetto' (certain parts of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan in Boston).

I've heard that Lewiston, Skowhegan and Millinocket aren't that great compared to other areas in ME, but I haven't been to them to see for myself. I do know that 20 minutes driving around Houlton was enough to convince me that I didn't want to live *there*.

[Elcarim]

No, not all areas of Houston look like the ghetto areas, but the majority of areas in Houston are not safe. We've had friends and family mugged and carjacked in the most undesirable and in the most upscale neighborhoods surrounding Houston. A friend of ours was pumping gas in the middle of the day 2 years ago. He had a knife put to his throat and handed over everything in his pockets and even his wedding ring. Of course, no-one saw anything! He was two blocks from his home in The Woodlands, one of the most affluent areas in Houston.

One big problem in Houston is that you can stand in front of the most beautiful building in downtown and have to step over 3 homeless drunks on the curb to do it. Then, you can walk two blocks over and round the corner, and you are suddenly in ghetto-town. What's really sad is that Historic Heights district (where I used to love to shop) is now surrounded by ghetto neighborhoods. I don't even go down there anymore. It really stinks that no-where is immune these days.

[Zymer]

Same thing in Boston.

One big problem in Houston is that you can stand in front of the most beautiful building in downtown and have to step over 3 homeless drunks on the curb to do it.

I used to have a job where pretty near all I did was drive around all night dragging the bums out out of the bank's ATM lobbies.

[MRVphotog]

Knox St area in Lewiston is pretty bad but they are working hard on renovating the city. The Lisbon St area a few blocks from Knox St has been rehabed....new bank, new commercial area, tech company and Andover College are some of the new tenants.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Miss NY

Are there any ghettos in Maine i.e. Housing Projects and things like that?

I am curious as to why you are asking.

There are no housing projects like you would find in most metropolitan areas that are specifically aimed towards section 8 or low income families.

There are, however, section 8 places available in random places.

I live in Portland, in what I like to call the ghetto, but compared to elsewhere I have lived or visited it is basically just your run of the mill neighborhood. Yes, there are drug dealers on my block and a twenty something white trash contigent who yell and scream at each other all day and night, so that's why I call it the ghetto.

Here's something to consider; there are at least to "housing projects" that I know of in Portland that on one side (or floor?) offer high-end luxury apartments and then on the other side offer section 8. That says alot about the city and I garaunty that you will not find that anywhere else.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by msina

There's no place like home, I can't wait to see my best buddy . We leave here on the 30th.

We're right behind you. We are both working half days on the 7th to head up a bit sonner!