Anyone else headed to MAINE?

Myquest55

Myquest55

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Happily in MAINE
It is our plan, to relocate to the Portland area of Maine in about 2 years. Would love to hear from anyone who has retired there or anyone who also is considering cooler climes.

Lets chat and share information!
 

Yes, beach sounds good but I'm pretty sure most of the Maine coast is pretty rocky. There are some sandy spots but it is just so beautiful anyway! My husband and I have decided we CANNOT put up with the SE heat and humidity much longer. Summer is worse than winter - we hole up in the house with the A/C/ running day and night. This won't do! We lived in New England several times in our lives together and cannot wait to go back! Come on along - we'll have some friends to hang with!
 

Alright! I'll come! :)

Guess I should have said "coast" -- it's the sea I love really more than the actual beach. I do love sand, have never seen a northern rocky coast, but it's the sea I love.
 
I've heard the Portland area is a great place to retire. My only hesitation would be the weather in winter. I'm trying to get away from cold and snow. Other than that, it's a great area. Plenty to see and do in and around Portland. The coast of Maine is such a lovely area.
 
Myquest55 said:
Yes, beach sounds good but I'm pretty sure most of the Maine coast is pretty rocky. There are some sandy spots but it is just so beautiful anyway! My husband and I have decided we CANNOT put up with the SE heat and humidity much longer. Summer is worse than winter - we hole up in the house with the A/C/ running day and night. This won't do! We lived in New England several times in our lives together and cannot wait to go back! Come on along - we'll have some friends to hang with!
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Indeed, not too many sandy beaches once you get up towards Portland. Ogunquit is lovely of course. Great beach there and not too far from Portland.
 
hi myquest, I married a Mainiac (from Maine) and we lived in Maine for 24yrs. it is the most beautiful state I ve ever seen. you got the ocean, mountains , parks etc,, but its very expensive to live there and that is why when we retired , we moved to Tenn. the cost of living is so affordable here...Been here almost 3 yrs now.. its beautiful county here and we love it.. no wicked bad snow storms. but the only down fall is the seafood, not much seafood here in Tn and no ocean views. and I miss that..alot!...... And yes nice beaches but you can't go in the water in Maine ..its too dang cold! lol or if you dare, Portland has a Polar Plunge in the mid winter.. my hubby niece did it a few times.

Portland is a nice town but be prepared in the summer. all the vacationers come to Maine at that time, we called them flatlanders..lol.. you may as well just go on a vacation out of state in the summer. only 3 mo. of summer I may add. I would suggest also Camden or Rockland and Bar Harbor also,, but again all the towns are tourist traps in the summer.. if your able to snow ski or drive a snowmobile, or like ice fishing that would be an advantage for you ,,the winters are long and if you enjoy the outdoors that Is something to do in those Loooong winter months.. oh and get a nice wood stove, good way to save on your heating bill for those long winters too..

Well like you said you have lived in New England so you know all the good and the bad.. im happy for you both that you are able to choose Portland ,Maine.. lots of things to do and lots to see,,

Dh still has relatives in Maine (Biddeford) so we will no doubt be back for short vacations ..and besides ,,there are no Lobsters in Tn..!!! LOL...
 
I fell in love with Maine a few years ago when we spent a few weeks there, but I don't think it's somewhere I'd want to live year-round (I HATE cold winters). We're looking to relocate to North Carolina in three years maybe, after we spend a couple more years traveling around the US in the summertime (I HATE Florida May through September).
 
Maine is a beautiful state and the Portland area is very nice and south enough not to have to hunker down for the winter, but you will need flannel jammies :cold: There are plenty of sandy beaches close enough to drive to for the day or longer.
 
Everyone keeps saying things about the winter but I miss the snow so much! The summer heat and humidity here is killing us. Thanks for the heads up about summer in coastal Maine. There WERE 3 large cruise ships in when we visited in Oct.

TinyTn - not sure where you are in TN but I don't find that the costs are that much cheaper in Tennessee. I went grocery shopping in Portland and the food prices are LOWER than the Publix here. TN Sales tax is 9-3/4 on everything and even though there is no income tax - you get what you pay for, services aren't that great. We were also told, when we moved in, that education is NOT a priority in TN and that is certainly true! (My neighbor doesn't even know where Maine is.) I have also found that the southerners are friendly but they don't want to be your friends. They keep a tight group of family and friends they grew up with. We felt more welcomed in Rhode Island than any where else and the people we met in the Portland area went out of their way to help us last Oct. One man I called about Parkinsons support, told me he was no longer the contact for that group but he talked to me about it at length then called me back TWICE with more information. I have joined several needlework/knitting groups in SE Tennessee but the members are mostly those from out of state. We just don't seem to fit in here.

...and on that note, we're looking to network a little before we make the move. After moving to places for work and not knowing a soul, would be nice to have friends in place BEFORE we go this time!
 
I'm happy to answer questions about Maine and have lived in several locations for a very long time. I currently live in Midcoast Maine in the Camden/Rockland/Rockport area. I'm getting ready to retire and am considering whether to stay put or consider places like East TN.

To answer the question about sandy beaches, there are beautiful sandy beaches (Crescent Beach State Park for one) within 10 minutes of downtown Portland by driving across the bridge to South Portland and Scarborough.
 
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Ah BlueBreezes, happy to make your acquaintance. If you lived closer to Portland, I would suggest a trade :) DH came home with the number of days until he can retire so we're counting down. (Its over 800, so will be awhile) We are looking forward to better medical support for Parkinsons and more things that we like to do. I am tired of the suburban life and we are so dependent on our car. We are working with a great Realtor who keeps us informed, plus property alerts on the real estate websites. South Portland is our focus with an eye on ulitmately ending up at Ocean View (CCRC) in Falmouth.

East Tennessee is okay. We have been held hostage by the weather this summer. Heat and humidity have been at an all time high - it is hard to breathe sometimes. Happy to answer any questions about our area - just send me a private message.
 
Thanks for the nice welcome, Myquest55. I moved away from the hub-bub of the Portland area, but I highly recommend South Portland.

Although I'd like to get away from winter, I find other people's comments (like yours) about wanting to retire here make me look at this state with new eyes. Maybe all I need is to get away a couple times during the winter to get a break for the years when winters are longer. Some years we have mild snowfall, and it's definitely less here on the coast.
 
Spent my early 20s as a camp counselor in beautiful Maine. Portland is a great city! The winter is a little chilly, but I think you'll love the area.
 
Thanks Ember - welcome to the forum groups! The more we learn about Portland ME, the more anxious we are to get there! Temps have been in the 90s here since the end of May and no end in sight. I could use some good crisp autumn air plus some cider and donuts from Clyde's Mill in Old Mystic, CT. (I know, NOT Maine but I would seriously drive down there just for those). Still looking for some forum members in the Portland area. Anyone??
 
One of the things I think you'll appreciate about the Portland area (and there are many) is the proximity to New Hampshire's White Mountains. You'll be only 60-90 minutes from North Conway, NH and all it has to offer.
 
I'd recommend instead of driving several hours to CT for cider and donuts to instead explore many of the very fine places in Maine where you can enjoy the same. Less traffic and you'd get to know other parts of your to-be adopted state. We do cider and donuts pretty well up here.
 
Of course we plan to explore our new state! It is just that we have vivid memories of that one place and friends still in that area. I have been getting the "Portland" magazine and they had a thick summer issue with all the fairs and events all over the state and autumn should be just as busy. So much to do!!! There are things like that around here but going out in 90+ degree weather and standing around in humidity just isn't appealing (the standing nor the humidity). We'll figure it out - just need to get there!
 
Hello Myquest. I just joined the group this evening and noticed your post regarding Maine. I'm writing this from the family cottage in western Maine. We've been enjoying the spring and fall season here since back in the late 90's. The closest communities of any size, from here, are Bridgton and N. Conway, NH. In fact we were in Bridgton earlier this week to pick up some groceries and stop at the local Renys department store. I guess we're about 40-45 minutes from Portland and sometimes pass through the outskirts on our way to the cottage.

I have to agree with you regarding the heat. We spent our winters in the Punta Gorda, FL area for many years, but never considered living there year 'round, especially since all of our family are in the New England states. It did make for pleasant winters though!

We'll be taking in the Cumberland County Fair next week, which is just northwest of Portland. Not the biggest of fairs but one that we always enjoy.
 
DaveA said:
Hello Myquest. I just joined the group this evening and noticed your post regarding Maine. I'm writing this from the family cottage in western Maine. We've been enjoying the spring and fall season here since back in the late 90's. The closest communities of any size, from here, are Bridgton and N. Conway, NH. In fact we were in Bridgton earlier this week to pick up some groceries and stop at the local Renys department store. I guess we're about 40-45 minutes from Portland and sometimes pass through the outskirts on our way to the cottage.

I have to agree with you regarding the heat. We spent our winters in the Punta Gorda, FL area for many years, but never considered living there year 'round, especially since all of our family are in the New England states. It did make for pleasant winters though!

We'll be taking in the Cumberland County Fair next week, which is just northwest of Portland. Not the biggest of fairs but one that we always enjoy.
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Are you familiar with Denmark, Maine?
 
DaveA said:
I have an active library card from the Denmark Library. Does that count as "familiar"? :D We are in Brownfield, a town adjacent to Denmark and do use the library when we are here at the cottage.
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I've never been but my brother and his friend bought a home and some outbuildings in Denmark many years ago and refurbished them. Don't know how often he visits.
 
I happened to make a call to Navy Federal Credit Union's Mortgage center today. After getting the information I needed I went on to ask the agent about future mortgage options, considering that we are close to retirement and plan to relocate. After determining that our primary residence is in Tennessee, the agent conversationally asked where we were planning to move to. I said, "Oh, we're going to Maine." There was silence then a chuckle. He said, "Really? Me too!" Turns out he is a little older than we are and in about 18 months, is planning to move to Rangeley - near the lake and west of Portland. I'm telling you - New England is the place to be! :D
 

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