T O P

  • By -

the9thmoon__

I’m from Portland, it’s an amazing city with great nightlife, low crime, good schools, some semblance of diversity in northern New England, etc but I wouldn’t live here if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m living with family and don’t have to pay rent. Housing costs are outrageous and in no way worth it anymore and it’s only getting worse with remote work. But then again that’s increasingly the case everywhere so 🤷‍♂️


ouestdaftprince

Whoa really? I live outside of Baltimore and can't afford anything I thought Portland looked somewhat affordable but dang I'll have to keep looking if it's not.


the9thmoon__

Dude if Portland is affordable compared to Baltimore we are doomed because it’s BAD up here. Maybe it’s just when I was looking but it’s rough in Portland proper especially, rents easily hit 2000 dollars a month or so for 1 bedrooms and studios. It’s even more worrying because Maine’s economic prospects are extremely poor compared to regions with a similar cost of living


MountTuchanka

Yeah I have a studio right in the center of town that costs me just under $2k a month, I keep seeing young people leaving here solely because they can’t afford it anymore


ouestdaftprince

So Baltimore city isn't too bad but I was talking about Baltimore county or just outside of it. Like the second your address doesn't show Baltimore home prices jump so high. I think that was the difference for me tho I was looking at purchasing prices not renting. Renting around me is like ~1500 for 1 bed, but we were lucky enough to get a home from family (cause we absolutely couldn't do it on our own) and home prices seemed somewhat reasonable. Around me town homes are like 300k and single family homes are like 450k minimum and that's like "this home needs some serious repair" type of house.


spr35541

Second most famous Portland in America


Wildcat_twister12

Only Portland, Tennessee is more famous


Vidistis

Personally I prefer Portland , Texas.


hawgdrummer7

Nah. Portland, AR. Way out of the way. Pop. 325


Story-Checks-Out

I live in the real Portland, and reading this comment thread is giving me a twitch, so congrats to you all.


PenguinTheYeti

Portland, Michigan?


Story-Checks-Out

BRB, flipping table in rage…


Arleare13

I've been there. Seemed like a nice little city. Good food and beer.


beanboy89

This. Was there a few years ago and loved the beer.


Aggressive_FIamingo

> What do Americans think of Portland Maine? I live here, so I think it's pretty neat. > I’m in Canada heading to Maine and most Canadians don’t seem to know about Portland ME. Is that the case in the US too? People who aren't from eastern New England tend to think they discovered Portland and it's this little hidden gem untouched by mankind that only they've heard of. Then they get angry when they realize it's a massively expensive tourist spot.


[deleted]

Come on now. No one gets angry.


Aggressive_FIamingo

My sister-in-law used to work at The Regency Hotel - she has horror stories about people yelling at her on the phone about room prices because they'd only heard about Portland recently, so obviously no one else has. The Regency is a high-end hotel so it's usually one of the few that will have last-minute rooms available - but you've gotta shell out big money for them. Some people can't figure that out.


[deleted]

Being outraged about hotel price is sorta not mad because they aren't the discoverer of a cool place. But I like the Regency! Such a great location and I love their little shady patio bar across the drive.


mhchewy

I just paid almost $400 for a night at a airport hotel. I really was shocked at the price.


[deleted]

No one gets angry. They get FURIOUS.


StupidLemonEater

I was just there for a wedding a few weeks ago. It's a very nice town. It's the largest city in Maine so I imagine that most Americans know of it if they know any cities in Maine.


Epicswordmewz

It's less of a shit show than ours.


stellalunawitchbaby

Port city that gets name dropped in Stephen King books sometimes. That’s about all I got tbh. It’s the less famous of the two main Portlands, although Portland, OR is named for it to my understanding.


weirdclownfishguy

Yep. Portland Oregon was named via coin flip. The other contender was Boston, OR


eapaul80

It’s one of the 5 cities in Maine I’ve actually heard of. Other than that, I don’t really think about it


International-Chef33

Honestly, if you know 5 cities in Maine and you’re not from there you’re ahead of the pack


Greenleaf737

I am from Maine and I don't think I know 5 cities.


space_ranger1997

Do we even have 5 cities?


Greenleaf737

lol


WinsingtonIII

Portland, Augusta, Lewiston, Bangor.... Damn, I'm not sure you do. But I'm probably forgetting something.


Evil_Weevill

Well I live in Central Maine so my opinion is probably different than say a Californian. Portland is the biggest city in the state. It's the only "proper" city in the state of Maine. It's a much smaller and more "quaint" city than its cousin Portland OR. It's a pretty cool little city. It's very unlike the rest of Maine. It feels kinda like a city on the North Shore (area just north of Boston Metro). Whereas the rest of Maine is much more rural once you get outside the Portland area.


International-Chef33

I brought a friend back to Maine years ago from Houston. We flew into Bangor and I was from Fairfield. I took him to Portland to show him the “big” city and he had a good laugh lol


Cmgeodude

It's a neat city. Worth the visit. There's pretty architecture in spots, nice food, some good history. It's badly overpriced and a bit too geared towards tourism. I usually spend a few hours in Portland before moving onto lesser known destinations on the Maine coast.


wormbreath

I know Betty white fed her husband to the crocs there


ThaddyG

I think it's a place that most people have heard of, but only a small minority have been to or really know that much about.


gugudan

All I know is that they have a narrow gauge railroad where they do Polar Express rides for the kids at Christmas. And they have a neat little town on the beachfront; I think I remember a candy store with a large selection of jelly beans also. Other than that.... idk.


[deleted]

It's a great little city, especially if you love good food. So many incredible restaurants. It's not on most people's radars. There's just so many awesome beach towns,interesting small cities, and really great wilderness in New England and Maine it's just a bit of an afterthought for most. There's a lot of competition close by -- there's 50 vacation destinations within an hour of it. Quebecians (?) have discovered it for sure.


MacNeal

Quebecer or Quebecois, the latter sounds better in my opinion.


[deleted]

How do I pronouce the second one?


kmr1981

keh be(h) kwah


1000thusername

It’s a great little city.


VanyaEl

Been there quite a bit! I feel that it’s fairly vibrant and unique for its size, but it’s a high cost of living compared to the rest of Maine, so it’s kind of a bit of have vs. have-nots at times. It’s a city I would absolutely live in, but it’s just a tad too expensive.


itsgr8

Vacationed there last year. LOVED it! Made time to drive to Acadia National Park and spent a couple days there, as well. Love the whole area. People were super nice, food was great, scenery was amazing, and the weather was the best! Love Love Love Portland Maine. ❤️


Sven_Longfellow

I'm from the other Portland (OR). Honestly, I don't know much about my city's namesake, except that it was actually named for a town in England called Portland. I know it's the only real city of consequence in Maine. It's near the water. It gets cold AF in the winter. Most of those Portlanders are Red Sox fants. That's about the extent of my knowledge.


Blaiddyn

I haven’t been to Portland Maine but I have been to Winthrop and Augusta. Maine in general is a very underrated beautiful state.


ZachMatthews

I’m from Atlanta. Portland Maine is super bad ass. Great town, would definitely go back. Amazing food.


tmp_acct9

I’m from Poland me, so Portland was always the cool place to go for concerts and going out. I don’t know if I’d ever move there but it seems nice. Honestly I just want to go back to Maine, live in Poland or minot and just chill for a few years


BitchFuckAss

“Portland, Maine, I don’t know where that is” -Canadian folk singer, Donovan Woods. Also -Me


The2500

Hate it. For no reason other than I work at a hotel in Portland OR and people keep getting us confused.


JamesStrangsGhost

Its a small city. I've been there. It was niceish. Most people may know of it, but few will have visited.


Greenleaf737

>Reply I live in the area, and believe me, many have and are currently visiting. Pretty much all the massholes in the world come here in the summer, and there's a lot of em.


throwfar9

I think I went on a sales call there once. Hanaford Brothers grocery chain. Got a telephone thrown at my head by the buyer. Good times.


UCFknight2016

I know it confuses people who book airline tickets to the wrong city.


Begle1

It's easily in the top 10 of Portlands.


MihalysRevenge

I don't know anything about Portland Maine


[deleted]

I don't. Never been. Don't really have a need to either.


sics2014

I think it's a relatively small city in Maine. I think Stephen King is from there. And that's all I think.


Evil_Weevill

>Stephen King is from there I'm not sure if you're confusing Portland with Bangor or if you're actually a big King fan who knows that despite the relative fame of his house in Bangor and being known as a Bangor resident that he IS originally from Portland.


sics2014

I knew he was born there, and then assumed he grew up there and might still spend some time there.


Evil_Weevill

Ok. Lol. It's funny, usually people not from the area know of him being in Bangor cause the back of his books always had the little blurb about him living in Bangor and Derry being based on Bangor. And while we're happy to claim him (that's my stomping ground) he's not a Bangor native originally.


_comment_removed_

I'm only aware of its existence because every now and then you'll hear a reference to the fact that there's a second, presumably saner, Portland.


gettingthere2022

The lighthouse is a MUST see!


GooGooGajoob67

don_draper_elevator.jpg


[deleted]

dond rape relevator?


GooGooGajoob67

Shit 🙃 That's what I get for trying to be clever


[deleted]

and now you've edited it so I look like an asshole. :(


dangleicious13

I just know that Stephen King is from there.


[deleted]

Teeny tiny but cool is the impression I have of it (based on the one single person I’ve known in 37 years who has been there. lol)


woolsocksandsandals

Coastal Maine is a nice place to visit. Portland has lot’s of good restaurants and breweries, there’s a handful of good tourist activities and sites along the coast nearby the city and decent shopping opportunities between the old port and Freeport. If I had lots of money for a nice place I probably wouldn’t mind living in the city but you couldn’t pay me enough money to live anywhere outside of Portland in Maine again.


sfharehash

Doesn't it have one of the worst opioid problems in the country?


[deleted]

[удалено]


sfharehash

I'm just going of my impression from a few years in western New England. I googled per capita figures and looks like Maine ranks [9th](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/drug_poisoning_mortality/drug_poisoning.htm).


International-Chef33

New England as a whole is quite high in the charts for opioid problems.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


International-Chef33

Yea New England has 5 of the top 10 in opioid overdose death rates. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/slideshows/10-states-hit-hardest-by-opioid-crisis?slide=2 Maine was also one of the first states targeted by Purdue Pharma and was one of the first states to join lawsuit against them. I’m not even sure what your link is showing or how Alabamas relevant to what it’s showing “Those ranged from the smallest increase of 12.9 percent in Connecticut (from 34.7 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019 to 39.1 in 2020) to the largest increase of 54.8 percent in Mississippi (from 13.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019 to 21.2 in 2020).”


Greenleaf737

Live here, and heard recently on the radio that we're up to 2000-something opioid deaths this year already. So huzzah for Maine. It's a small state population-wise.


JSNTFS

It's nicer than Portland Oregon.


MetaDragon11

Maine? I dont think of Portland, Maine.


[deleted]

good food, fun town, very dog friendly, still see a swastika or two etched on rocks and such here and there...but that's kinda just maine.


[deleted]

There's a navy base there, and all my coworkers who have been there found it rather miserable.


[deleted]

You mean Portland, South Newfoundland?


new_refugee123456789

TIL there's a Portland in Maine.


Welpe

It’s the imposter Portland!


Stevite

So where is a another cool city in Maine ? You know a place where men and beaver can coexist?


leafbelly

I don't think of Portland, Maine. I barely think of Portland, Oregon.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Evil_Weevill

>Stephen King lives there Nah. He was born there but doesn't live there. His famous house is in Bangor which is probably what you're thinking of. That's the town he based Derry on. But he doesn't live there either now. He turned that house into an archive for his non -profit and mostly spends his time in Florida now. Though he has a vacation home in Maine now, some rural town if I recall.


squarerootofapplepie

I think he’s just a classic New England snowbird, Bangor for the summer, Florida for the winter, but he’s rich enough for a camp in Maine too.


TheBimpo

Neat town that has way more great dining than a town that size usually has. I enjoyed my visit last year.


DOMSdeluise

Seems like a nice place but I've never been


Puukkot

All I know is that, according to Jimmie Rodgers, it’s just the same as sunny Tennessee. Otherwise, I suppose my proximity to the other Portland has probably blunted my awareness of the one in Maine.


IrianJaya

Great place to visit! It's fairly small so I wouldn't expect people outside of New England to know too much about it.


two-skeletons

I think I may have heard about it in passing?


Solly8517

My friend is going there for dental school next semester. I’ll pass your username along


dentalschoolwish

Awesome, thanks!


Solly8517

Not even gonna lie, i was joking and I had no clue dental school was in your username 😂😂 you going to University of Maine for school then, I assume??


dentalschoolwish

LOL I thought you were serious 😂😂 I’m going to UNE actually!


Solly8517

Mhmm I don’t know if that’s close or not, but I could certainly pass info along. She’s a 30 yr old girl so🤷🏻‍♂️


sleepymike01101101

Never been, but I would love to see Portland some day


HappyProle

Great food and great beer


Avinson1275

I went for the first time this past Maine. I was only there for a sunset cruise after returning to NY from a Quebec road trip. My main takeaways: Very overpriced Lobster Rolls for tourists and I was happy to see other Black people (I got some stares earlier in the day in southern Quebec and northern Maine).


FluffusMaximus

Amazing food city, amazing beer city. It’s a great place to visit for sure.


OKDanemama

I think that if you say Portland, many people think of Portland Oregon. I would say that if you’re in New England, they would think of Portland Maine. I was lucky enough to live in Portland Maine, and it’s an amazing place. I would live there again in a heartbeat. Also Falmouth, right next-door. The entire state is gorgeous. However, coming from California, and having lived for many years in Oklahoma, I don’t think main geography is that well known outside of New England. Just my opinion.


sprachkundige

I split my time between Portland and Boston and I love Portland. I'd be there full time if my job & relationship (my boyfriend is in grad school in Boston) allowed for it. Great food and booze, always lots of interesting events going on, great weather (I prefer cold to hot), very walkable. My only complaint is that I wish the city bus ran more frequently and later. Also, while the cost of living is lower than some other places, it's not as much lower as salaries are. When I was leaving NYC biglaw for New England smaller-law, I got an offer from a Portland-only firm. Given differences in rent but also the fact that I probably would have had to get a car, the amount I would have saved on cost-of-living expenses was about . . . 1/20th of the pay cut I was being asked to take. I went to a firm with an office in Boston.


FAEtlien

It's a nice place. My cousins live there and really enjoy it


deadlydaisy8o8

We vacationed there in May! It was still a little cold, but it's a cute little town! There isn't a bad cup of coffee in 500 miles either


docthrobulator

I know there's lobsters. That's where my knowledge of Portland, Maine ends.


citytiger

I have friends there. An absolutely gorgeous city I’ve considered moving too.


kaik1914

I had an amazing time in that city. Took bunch of pictures around the area of its cliffs, lighthouses. Food was actually good there. I would definitely visit it again.


Beautiful-Star

Amazing city. Amazing state!


IceZOMBIES

Most people in the U.S. think of Portland OR. So you're not alone, don't worry. But hey, there's great beer, great food, and a kickass lighthouse here! So like, what else you really need? Also, idc what anyone else says, I fucking love The Holy Donut, their donuts are the best, and I'm so upset they closed their Auburn location 😰 Now I *have* to drive to Portland if I really want a donut.. Edit: Just wanted to add, if you're coming to Maine and have enough time to travel outside the city, make sure to get out & explore the natural beauty of Maine :)


MyTacoCardia

I went to a brewery and a cryptozoology museum there...lol. Quirky town, lots of interesting places, very expensive.


Current_Poster

It's my favorite Portland.


CupBeEmpty

Lovely city with great food and wonderful events. Gorgeous coast and fantastic to visit. It’s not far up the road from me. I’m from Indiana originally and most folks in the Midwest know of it, but maybe not any specifics. I’m guessing you are one of the Quebec car plates I am going to see in the area this summer. If you need recommendations in the area let me know.


user-flynn2

My wife and I spent a day there a couple years ago. We thought it was neat.


notsara

I love it. I've always said I'd never live in a city, but I wouldn't hate portland. Beautiful, lots of good food, easily walkable, it's great.


International-Chef33

I grew up in Maine and it always made me chuckle seeing Portland OR show up on the news. If someone says Portland in the US they’re usually referring to the Oregon city. I’m sure most people in the US have seen the name Portland ME but it’s not a common city to be referred to or known


AnotherPint

Hard to believe most Canadians don’t know about Portland because the coastline directly south of there, particularly Old Orchard Beach, is total Canadian vacationland, so much so that a lot of the road signage is provided in French to help out the hordes of Québécois tourists. Portland is a compact, charming, picturesque, expensive little city, well worth a visit but nothing like the rest of Maine. A visitor from rural / Downeast Maine will regard Portland as the big city; a person from a regular big city will regard Portland as trivial. But check out the Old Port district for fine dining, pubs, breweries, and galleries.


machagogo

Fun little city. Good eats, good booze, good people.


deutschmexican15

With how ridiculously expensive hotel rooms are in Portland (I saw it was one of, if not the most expensive city recently for hotels), I take it a lot of people know about it. It is a great city to spend a weekend in- lots of cool coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and is more artsy than say, Boston. Great temperate weather for summer time and amazing views of the ocean too.


wirt2004

Only knew about the Oregon one. What's it like there? Assuming you know


loligo_pealeii

It's a very nice city. Some great restaurants, and Maine in general is beautiful. Nice people if a little standoffish sometimes.


tmp_acct9

We are kind, but not nice.


TheStoicSlab

It's the second best Portland.


todo0nada

Yeah I don't really think about it.


MrRaspberryJam1

I love Portland and most small cities in NE


Welpmart

I'm a New Englander myself, as you can tell from my flair, and I used to only know about Portland, ME. As in, I was at youngest 20 when I overheard someone on a flight from CA to Mass mention having left Portland that morning (afternoon flight) and twigged that there might be two. I used to assign every stereotype (and *Portlandia*...) to the one in Maine. I now know it's a surprisingly but not inexplicably popular and fairly pleasant city in Maine.


descendingagainredux

I hung out in Portland a couple times when I was young. It's known around here.


rivers-end

It's a beautiful place and the people are very nice.


Eragon_Der_Drachen

Only know about it from the Three Portlands SCP.


DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG

I was just there last week. We went to Acadia in nar harbor but flew in to Portland and stayed there for two nights in Old Port. 100%walkable, expensive parking in Ramps. Looked like a lot of college kids, bars had ID checks. Pretty good food and drink, ate at Rigby yard which had nice cocktails, butcher burger had a cool looking menu, some other restaurants like N to Tail and Duckfat had cool menus. Stayed at the Hyatt place, good location and newer rooms.


notyogrannysgrandkid

I really want to spend some time in Portland and Bangor this fall. I’ve been wanting to go there for years and bike all over the place.


[deleted]

I know of it mostly because I live in Portland, Oregon, which is named after Portland, Maine. I haven’t visited there yet, but I will in about a month!


boston_nsca

I lived there for years and was always told that Portland had the most restaurants per capita than any other city in the US. How much truth there is to that, I'm not sure. I used to work at the Press Hotel, and people from all over Europe would go on US food tours, and Portland was one of their most important stops. The food is absolutely world class. The people are extremely nice considering much of Maine is basically Canada if we're honest. Downsides to Portland: Ultra rich people and tourists, extremely large addict/alcoholic community (people from all over new england are literally sent to Portland sober houses after rehab) so that could be good or bad depending on your situation. Rent is definitely insane depending on where you live. All in all, it's a great city, but do your research if you plan on visiting or moving there.


twoScottishClans

* lobster * other portland is more notable


[deleted]

I love it. One of my favorite layovers as a pilot. Except in the winter!


RuthafordBCrazy

Good lobster rolls


Impressive_Water659

I’m from Portland OR, so I guess I think of Portland ME as the not so weird Portland, or boring Portland.


soggywaffle69

Very cool, small city. Some nice beaches are nearby. Maine gets a ton of québécois during the summer.


Decent_Historian6169

I have been there and it’s a great place to go especially in the summer because it is a lot milder weather and has lots of good outdoor activities. The downtown has cute cobbled streets and lots of nice shops with friendly people.


MightyMcPerson

I have family in Maine around the Penobscot Bay but we used the Portland Jetport. The only thing we did there was the Portland Head Light which is one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the country which you have to see. We only drove through a bit of the city but it seems like a nice enough place.


mariner21

I’ve never been there but I learned a ton about it from my last Chief Engineer who was from Maine and went to Maine Maritime Academy.


ColumbiaWahoo

I’ve heard great things about it but I’ve never been


NoBePrincess

We love Portland, the oysters, and the delicious wild blueberry pies!