Portland, ME Intel

**ötzi** · 10-24-2020, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Ottoclave

Boston to Cannon is 80 miles and Portland to Sunday River is 64 miles. I suppose it depends on your starting point.

Um. No. Well you're right Sunday River is about 80 miles from Portland but I said Sugarloaf. Boston is about 140 miles from Cannon, and Sugarloaf is about 140 miles from Portland, but it's a slower drive than Boston-Cannon.

**Ottime** · 10-24-2020, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by bennymac

as a kid Old Orchard Beach (super touristy beach front amusement park area) was a lot of fun - maybe it’s tacky and trashy now. Maybe it was trashy back then too but we loved it.

Freeport (outlet store town) was a fun place to go despite not having any money to buy anything. I could fondle the North Face and Patagonia gear and pretend to myself that I was in the market.

It was tacky and trashy then. At least my then in the 80s. But a load of fun to go to.

We’ve considered Portland as the option if we ever moved back East. As pointed out, good surfing for the east coast. 2.5 hours to ski seems not to bad for a surfer. Decent food scene and great beer in the area. Pretty city. Would likely end up buying a small boat if we lived in the area. As pointed out, great water. Always wanted to explore more near shore shoes and islands for breaks. We found a few great cobbled points near Cape Porpoise and Timber as a kid.

**gravitylover** · 10-24-2020, 03:45 PM

There's pretty good surfing further south around York and Kittery that people travel for but I don't think of Maine as a surf state, probably because the water is so fucking cold 10 months a year.

**ötzi** · 10-24-2020, 04:24 PM

It used to be cold all year but last few years there's been a lot of 70+ degree water even way up the coast. Pretty sure lobsters aren't big fans of that.

**Mazderati** · 10-24-2020, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

edit: To throw a curveball in the discussion, we sold our place outside DC but needed to keep a MD connection for various reasons. I came down from Westport a few days ago for a doctor thing so I'm writing from our rental condo in Baltimore right now that's pretty amazing and costs probably a third what the same place would cost in Boston. Baltimore gets a bad rap but this whole South Baltimore/Federal Hill/Inner Harbor/Fells Point/ Harbor East/Locust Point/Canton area, which is a big area (well it's multiple areas all next to each other) and all right on the water, is all very cool and upbeat and mostly quite safe.

Looked into Baltimore a while back. Been there a few times and had good experiences. I like Philly for some of the same reasons in that it gets slept on and still has some grit. Unfortunately, I think both those are out.

Originally Posted by Benny Profane

Saratoga, hands down.

Originally Posted by gravitylover

Toga has so much going for it, you're right. Easy access to outdoor things and pretty much the only town in the region that's not a cultural void. Good food, good music scene, cool car museum and car scene and the money that comes with the horsey set. Too bad the bike shop in town sucks but there are a few good ones not too far away and the riding is great.

Need to visit. Same for the rest of the area geographically east of Syracuse and north of 90.

Originally Posted by frosted flakes

Like a surprising number of people in this thread, I also grew up in Cape Elizabeth. As a kid, all of my friends couldn’t wait to leave Maine because it seemed like there was nothing to do, but now a lot of them have moved back. Turns out it was actually a great place to grow up. Portland and Burlington are my two favorite cities now. If you could move the Wasatch (and my in-laws I guess) to Maine/Vermont, we’d move in an instant.

Right on. Lots of praise for Burlington.

Originally Posted by Self Jupiter

OP— Salem MA might be another place to put on your list to look at.

Have some family that lives down the street from the Common. It's a cool place.

**Ottime** · 10-24-2020, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by gravitylover

There's pretty good surfing further south around York and Kittery that people travel for but I don't think of Maine as a surf state, probably because the water is so fucking cold 10 months a year.

I’d rather surf in Maine than most places south of Rhode Island. Surf is more consistent in other places, but the breaks are not as varied. You need to know the islands and shadows to score north of York County, but there are some gems. I like the variety of sand and rock bottom breaks. And points breaks you can read about on the Internet.

I spent over a decade surfing from Salisbury to Small Point and know that coastline well. When there is surf, there are options. And if it is big enough it can take any wind direction.

Water is usually nice by July and I’ve board shorted it on hot summer days. Warmest water is late August and September. New Years till April can be brutal. But wetsuits are bomber these days.

**ötzi** · 10-25-2020, 11:26 AM

I've read the best surfing in Maine is in the winter. Fuck that.

**Ottime** · 10-25-2020, 07:09 PM

Naw. September to Nee Years is usually the best. Tropical and Nor’Easters provide the best swells. Nor’Easters can be especially wonderful when they form of Hatteras, run up the coast just off shore and pass by. South swell super clean and then on shores start and as they pass and turn offshore again thick powerful NE swell shows.

More swell after New Years but conditions can be much stormier and local. And it is at its coldest.

I winter surfed a lot in Rockaway, but it was way warmer down there. But you get snow in your back yard so there are other fun things to do come January.

**Peruvian** · 10-26-2020, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by cat in january

Ayuh our gov liked to brag he was Trump before Trump was Trump

**jackstraw** · 10-26-2020, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by ötzi

I've read the best surfing in Maine is in the winter. Fuck that.

It's not summer!

**Benny Profane** · 11-18-2020, 05:56 PM

Bunch of commies run the town. Boulder with lobster.

https://jacobinmag.com/2020/11/portl...-2020-election

**ötzi** · 11-18-2020, 06:02 PM

As much as Portland has joined the Boulder/Burlington/Asheville hippy/commie circuit, I happen to know a former Mayor, Ed Suslovic, who basically got voted out because he was too much of a communist even for them. So there are limits.

Chilly up theyah this evenin I'd reckon.

**stealurface831** · 11-18-2020, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

As much as Portland has joined the Boulder/Burlington/Asheville hippy/commie circuit, I happen to know a former Mayor, Ed Suslovic, who basically got voted out because he was too much of a communist even for them. So there are limits.

Chilly up theyah this evenin I'd reckon.

man, asheville is on some different shit.

**ötzi** · 11-18-2020, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by stealurface831

man, asheville is on some different shit.

Not very different than the places that are like it, though. In the West, what else, Eugene? Santa Fe? Not sure.

**schuss** · 11-18-2020, 06:15 PM

Well, all the locals and people that actually make Portland cool have been priced out, so most of those votes are pretty unsurprising.

**stealurface831** · 11-18-2020, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

Not very different than the places that are like it, though. In the West, what else, Eugene? Santa Fe? Not sure.

Asheville has far surpassed Portland, ME in terms of weirdness. All of those cities, really. Of the chicks walking down the street at any given time, literally half may be dudes. It is WEIRD and not just like quirky or granola weird. People like to take their clothes off. It kinda has some elements of a nola vibe.

**Mazderati** · 11-18-2020, 07:10 PM

So a $15 minimum wage, a ban on police use of facial recognition software, local Green New Deal measures, and rent control. The minimum wage bump and ban on facial recognition software seem like winners. Two parts of the Green measures seem reasonable but the third part about fossil fuels tracking could be a dead end. I don't see rent control working and would have favored the STR restriction. Mixed bag if you ask me (no one did) but I wouldn't call it all bad.

**ötzi** · 11-18-2020, 07:15 PM

Maz if you're serious about Portland I'm almost positive I can get you a tour from the former Mayor. He loves that place and knows it inside out. i guarantee you'd have fun. He's a good guy. Maybe a little intense. But a good guy.

**Mazderati** · 11-18-2020, 07:28 PM

That sounds like a lot of fun. May take you up in a few months and hopefully you could join. Still considering a few other places but it's looking more like Portland or Boston.

**ticketchecker** · 11-18-2020, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by ötzi

Maz if you're serious about Portland I'm almost positive I can get you a tour from the former Mayor. He loves that place and knows it inside out. i guarantee you'd have fun. He's a good guy. Maybe a little intense. But a good guy.

Strimling?

**ötzi** · 11-18-2020, 07:39 PM

Suslovic.

Wait, I just learned he was only "Ceremonial Mayor" wtf does that mean? I feel robbed.

**Mazderati** · 11-18-2020, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by ticketchecker

Strimling?

You might be one of the only people on this board who currently lives in Portland. What's your take on the new referendums?

**Ottime** · 11-18-2020, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by Mazderati

That sounds like a lot of fun. May take you up in a few months and hopefully you could join. Still considering a few other places but it's looking more like Portland or Boston.

If you’ve got work in Portland I’d take in Amherst beat over Boston. Visit Boston for big city shit every now and again. Portland is way closer to nature. Short drive out rod the city to ocean, country or hills. Surf and marshes. Not too far to ski. Way less traffic. Way fewer Massholes, even in summer.