Thinking about moving to Maine

[RyiMo]

PORTLAND!! Everything you need is in PORTALND haha. It is diverse! There is culture! Of course drugs in all that too but nothing like NJ! You children would definately appreciate that choice over Gorham or any other hick town! I am a 24 year old in Portland born and raised. My cousin own a house in Gorham and family in Westbrook....they come to Portland everyday! Falmouth is more expensive than Portland...Fairfeild you will rip you hair out! N. Yarmouth is a beautiful place to live. Old Town very cheap but nothing up there! South Portland is where the Maine Mall..The only real mall in Maine. Alot going on in that area. I was thinking about living there. there is SMCC in south portland also...and husson. USM is in Portland and have many friends there. They love it! Alot of famous people live in Maine so that has to say something. Your kids safety and education is golden in Maine. There is still excitement here...in Southern Maine. I think if you didn't move around Portland your kids would hate it. Also the winters here you wouldnt want to live in the country! Alot of places in Maine is extremely expensive but it all depends on where and what you are looking for. In the country I could get a plave for half the price i pay in Portland but i would make up for it traveling to portland everyday. There is alot of job op here! depending on what you do for a living!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by RyiMo

... Old Town very cheap but nothing up there! ...

That depends on what you are looking for.

... South Portland is where the Maine Mall..The only real mall in Maine.

Is a mall important to you?

... Also the winters here you wouldnt want to live in the country!

Why?

I see no logic in this statement.

... Alot of places in Maine is extremely expensive but it all depends on where and what you are looking for. In the country I could get a plave for half the price i pay in Portland but i would make up for it traveling to portland everyday. There is alot of job op here! depending on what you do for a living!

The expensive areas ARE Portland [and along the coast]. Over all a very minor percentage of Maine really.

[Okie native]

I live in Okla. and have wanted to move to Maine as well. I of course would want to rent first...how expensive would a 3-4 bedroom house in Bangor cost me? Is this area pretty safe family town?

[Jellybean50]

WOW - I read this thread - beginning to end... had to save it and come back to it over 4 days, i got a stiff neck LOL... lots of stuff going on...

As someone who will hopefully be moving to your beautiful state in 2011 - I appreciate all the info, both good and bad. Living in NJ (known as the armpit of America), you can imagine that i could give PLENTY of good and bad about my state. (I fricken hate it here!!)

I do worry about heating costs - but hope to avoid the horrors of it being toooo high by having a very small home (just me and my dog). And i do worry about other costs - but i now pay over $4,000/yr in property taxes, over $1,300/yr in car insurance on a 2003 Toyota Tunda pickup, and over $800/yr homeowners insurance.

I think i'll fare better on my retirement pension in Maine.

[LookingatMaine]

You are exactly the person I would like to hear from. We are considering moving to the Gorham area after this school year but I am very concerned because our daughter will be a senior next year and our son a freshman. Our daughter plays volleyball, softball, participates in forensics and is very social but my concern is how will the other students treat her. Especially coming in on a senior year, do you feel it will be difficult to make friends and are the students accepting of other students moving in (especially at this late time in their life). Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[WhoFanMe]

This thread has been dormant for nearly two years, so I don't know if anybody else will reply, but I live in Gorham, so I will. My experience with the schools is mostly at the other end (I have a daughter in Kindergarten), but I imagine in any community that your daughter moves to, she will be challenged in her "one and done" year. I do a little bit of volunteer work in the high school with freshmen and they seem to be good kids, supportive of each other, but I don't know the dynamics of day to day life there. I think your son will be fine.

[leolabeth]

Just responding to an aged post. Think you're dead right. California native here, too, trapped in Maine, but plotting an escape within a year.

[Happy in Maine]

I was raised in Monmouth County NJ..we are moving to Maine..many summers spent there, as my mother is from Maine..you can find work if u want to..coastal maine is a bit pricey. We r moving to poland..schools are important to your family...Gorham is good..Most districts are..concentrate on your housing needs, budget, work..Bangor is lovely as well as Brewer..more opportunities in Bangor then in smaller towns..more bang for your buck. We r retired and will be in a community. Portland is nice but more $$$ than Bangor. Good decision great place to live...