Renting a house in Eastport?

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by slimlilly

Hello everyone,

I've been reading your stories and got a wonderful glimpse into your lives. I got more and more curious about Eastport, Calais as well as the Midcoast. I hope you can answer some of my questions even if they seem old....
We ( my husband, son and I) are thinking about moving to Maine next summer. I am very intrigued by your lifestyle. It seems as though everything you do is done with a purpose. I miss the sense of community which you seem to have. Ever since I came to the US from Germany 7 years ago I've been looking and longing for 'real neighbors'. I haven't found them yet....
Anyway, I am really excited about the possibility of moving to Maine.
We would like to buy a house on the coast and Eastport seems right.
Our only concerns are the traffic in the winter, nearby doctors and the distance to grocery stores. Employment is not an issue for us.
Also, are there many young families in Eastport? Our son is one year old and we are in our late twenties and early thirties. We love the outdoors, especially the water. We love to have dinner and a cup of tea and great conversations. But we also need to get our shopping fix once in a while.
You all seem very happy and contend with your lifes. Do you think we can be just as successful?
Any info will help. I'd love to hear from you.

It seems to me that there is a good mix of young and old in Eastport. The only reason why we don't move now, is our only daughter is a college commuter.

I would make sure you have a job lined up before moving even if it's something you can do from home.

[retiredtinbender]

Slimlily, I have to tell you, Eastport is a small town and no hospital or pharmacy. If that is a priority of any sort you may want to think about Calais or Bangor. Calais has a small (by city standards) hospital, doctors, and a few pharmacies. Bangor is a lot larger with still a down home flavor and it has two large hospitals, phamacies, and a mall. That's where we all go to do the major shopping. Eastport is good if you have none too many worries. We have a medical center with two (?) doctors I think and a dentist. Roads are well plowed in the winter (despite popular opinion at times) and good fire and ambulance.

Sorry for this, but I get worried when folks start looking to move here and haven't even visited first. Must be the father and grandfather in me. I don't want to burst any bubbles but don't want unhappy people either. We've lost quite a few folks right after the first snow storm and they have to "winter over. LOL. We are isolated and you have to like that sort of lifestyle. Check us out. The 4th is a good time but also the winter just to see what happens when the tourists and snowbirds (no offense) leave.

[toadling81]

Originally Posted by slimlilly

Hello everyone,

I've been reading your stories and got a wonderful glimpse into your lives. I got more and more curious about Eastport, Calais as well as the Midcoast. I hope you can answer some of my questions even if they seem old....
We ( my husband, son and I) are thinking about moving to Maine next summer. I am very intrigued by your lifestyle. It seems as though everything you do is done with a purpose. I miss the sense of community which you seem to have. Ever since I came to the US from Germany 7 years ago I've been looking and longing for 'real neighbors'. I haven't found them yet....
Anyway, I am really excited about the possibility of moving to Maine.
We would like to buy a house on the coast and Eastport seems right.
Our only concerns are the traffic in the winter, nearby doctors and the distance to grocery stores. Employment is not an issue for us.
Also, are there many young families in Eastport? Our son is one year old and we are in our late twenties and early thirties. We love the outdoors, especially the water. We love to have dinner and a cup of tea and great conversations. But we also need to get our shopping fix once in a while.
You all seem very happy and contend with your lifes. Do you think we can be just as successful?
Any info will help. I'd love to hear from you.

Hi there! I grew up in Eastport but have lived in various places in the US, most recently from New Mexico, where we moved from last fall. The fact that employment is not an issue for you is a HUGE plus, because it can be very difficult to find a job near Eastport without commuting a distance. You mention that you moved from Germany; the winters there would not be too different from what we have here, though of course there's nothing like a Nor'Easter in winter and Eastport is an island, which makes for different weather. They take good care of the roads in winter, though if there is a big storm that lasts for a day or two, sometimes they wait to plow until it's closer to over (no one goes out in that weather anyway!). Traffic is not a problem in Eastport, except on the Fourth of July. Sometimes on a busy summer weekend you can wait minutes and minutes for just one car to go by on the main drag, Water St. No issues there.
Eastport has more people 'from away' than other towns in this area, so it is much more culturally diverse and has a great artist community and theatre. There are families young and old here, and as more and more people move to the island to raise their families, there are better options for the kids.
There is one small grocery store in town, other than that you would have to drive to Calais (35 or so minutes) to go to a slightly bigger grocery store and a small, poorly stocked WalMart. To go for any real shopping, you would have to drive to Ellsworth (2 hours away) or Bangor (2 1/2 hours), where they have a mall, and outlet stores for clothing etc. You'd have to drive there anyway to buy clothing and such, as there is nothing like that near Eastport.
So if you are keen on a shopping fix or need accessibility to that, you might find yourself a bit too far from civilization in Eastport. In that case you could consider a coastal town a bit further south, such as Gouldsboro, Sullivan, or Milbridge, where you would be a 30 minute drive from all you would need, but still far away enough to live rurally and surrounded in beauty.
I think you should visit Eastport for a good stay before deciding. It is a bit out of the way from things, and there is only one gas station, etc. etc. It is a very small town, but perfect for those who don't care for the 'outside' world of fast food and stores and the fact that most banks, post offices, and similar places are closed by 4pm.
I grew up in Eastport and hated the isolation, and left as soon as I hit 18. After living in the big city, I longed for the isolation again, and moved back to the area with a hubby and new baby in tow (he is also one year old!). Now, we find that we are still too isolated to be happy, and are moving a bit closer to the Ellsworth area so that we can have easier access to shopping, big grocery stores, day care, and other things we consider 'must-haves', being a new and growing family in search of a balance between opportunity and respite. Everyone's needs are different, which is why you must try before you buy!! Eastport may be just what you are looking for...you just have to turn that 'may be' into an 'is'!

[Elcarim]

Great post, T!