In April I took a short visit to Portland, Maine. I’d never been to Maine, but had heard all kinds of wonderful things about it. I have family there and was looking forward to visiting them (for the first time in almost six years) and to seeing what the quaint little town was like.
Portland is the largest city in Maine, but that’s not saying much–its population is roughly 66,000 people. It’s also ridiculously easy and fast to get to from Boston; it’s about 2 hours by train or bus.
Tourism is huge in Portland and it’s easy to see why: it’s totally walkable; there are a lot of great little cafes, restaurants, and local shops; and it’s the cutest.
I was totally smitten with it within minutes of seeing it. I could imagine spending summers there, popping in and out of shops, taking a boat out on the water, exploring the coastline and the lighthouses. Fall is probably equally as lovely with all the gorgeous colors. I’m sure that winter (while harsh) is so romantic under a blanket of snow, and you can duck into cafes for warm beverages. And of course, spring, when I was there.. things just starting to bloom, the sky is a gorgeous blue, the days get a bit warmer.
I was already beginning to wonder: what kind of job could I find here? Could I find an affordable apartment oozing charm in the West End (which is smattered with old Victorian-style mansions converted into homes/apartments)? In the end, I’m not sure Portland is large enough to fill this city girl’s needs, but jesus, is it adorable.
While I didn’t get to spend as much time there as I’d have liked (isn’t this the case for everywhere though, honestly?), there are still a ton of things to do in Portland: visit my Uncle Karl at his cafe, Whip’s Right Time Cafe (in the Time and Temperature building); go to the beach; take a stroll around Old Port and check out all the shops; sit on one of the piers and watch the boats (or the shirtless men working on the boats).
Great post! Thanks for sharing. Years ago, we did a road trip to Portland for New Year’s Eve/First Night – and a little skiing at Sunday River. We LOVED Portland, but haven’t been back in over 10 years. This makes me want to go and visit this summer.
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That sounds like a lot of fun! How was New Year’s there? What did they drop at midnight?
Megan
You would “so” love living in Portland. We have a niece and also nephew that both live there and love it…..We also love Maine and would look to retire there in a few years. We visit twice a year in the Boothbay area and enjoy our time spent walking along the rocky coast line and checking out the lobster boats. Anytime you need a place to land, we have a spare room…..just saying!
Janet, what do they do there? That was my biggest concern–most of the jobs seemed to surround tourism season and fishing.
And I might be taking you up on that spare bedroom! :)
Lovely post, brought back great memories of a summer spent in Maine with Camp America many moons ago!
Thank you! Glad I could bring back some happy memories for you. :)
Having grown up just outside Portland, Oregon I’ve always wondered what Portland, Maine is like. I have to clarify which Portland I’m from so often that I just assumed they were of similar size… but nope! I had no idea it was such a cute little place. Now I want to check it out even more so. Thanks for sharing with us.
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I haven’t been to your Portland yet, but I heard such wonderful things about it. Everyone I know who’s visited falls in love with it. In fact, a few of my friends moved there from Austin because they loved it so much. (I’ve heard it’s a lot like Austin, but with better weather.)