Portland, ME

Moved here eight years ago OP. Great town but odd, polarizing people. Very very oppressively political. Not one person with a sense of humor. I love the area but if I’m being honest, I hate the people. The whole restaurant scene they push is a common marketing ploy by small cities.

Unfortunately, the worse thing is that Portland is a dumping ground of meth addicts. They literally arrive by the day on buses from New York, California. Massachusetts, Georgia et al. Maine has such a massive and generous welfare system and Mainers are so tolerant of it that it’s just accepted. And these poor addicts make life here miserable . The city government is very provincial, small town-like. But then you have a majority of Massachusetts transplants who’ve turned the city into a snobby. Haves-and -Have-Not dreary place. We’re considering leaving for another town within the next couple of years.

mwah mwah

P.S. - There is one tiny gay bar in town but it’s only popular with younger trans types. There are lots of trannies in Portland. The local equality organization caters only to them (of course) and there are “Trans pride” flags all over town. It makes all the classist white “woke” types feel super edgy.

You could buy this nice ca.1901 house in a Western Promenade enclave of similar houses and have money left from $1M to buy a sofa.

It's a very nice house, actually, including the views with bits of an industral waterfront. I would get rid of the pool and that wallpaper.

I would want to stay in mid-Winter, and stare out to sea like the French Lieutenant’s Woman

What show was that OP?

Thanks R1. I’m not the OP but I’ve been curious abou Maine since I love cold snowy climates.

Addicts ruin everything.

I've only visited and it is architecturally very nice. Maine people tend to be a bit on the dour side is my understanding. I have some good friends from the area and it takes a while for them to warm up to new people.

I visited for a day, and it seemed like such a lovely small city that the thought of moving there crossed my mind. Pretty town, sweeping views of the coast and islands, miles of coast to stroll along.

But then I realized that I'd be letting myself in for a Maine winter, and drove off.

The city has been inundated by thousands of African "refugees" that it was in no way prepared for, bankrupting the social welfare system and creating big homeless and drug addiction problems. At the same time, rich Bostonites and New Yorkers are coming in and turning the place into a Yuppified, urbanized nightmare and housing prices are now astronomical. Government is hopelessly provincial and incompetent, local culture is basically now gone, and locals, sadly, are fleeing to obscure places in the north and inland.

My partner and I visited a few years ago on our way to Acadia National Park. It was record setting heat, at least 100 degrees, so doing anything outside was unbearable. I’d like to go back.

The next day at Acadia National Park it was 55 degrees and drizzle. Still beautiful though.