I am moving to Portland , Maine

(Aw, I so wanted to be nea r you, sultan of lov e)

i am sure that hanle y will make it much more lively!

Portland is an okay town - lots of old New England charm, lots of snow, lots of mud in the spring and blackflies in the summer - but all in all, better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

- Plentiful, inexpensive public parking in the city center.
- There are two decent record stores, one where I found a copy of the X-Ray Spex album for CHEEP. Made me happy.
- Only two hours to Boston, IIRC. Or maybe I just drive too fast.

i keep thinking about moving to portland, maine

not now

maybe in 4 years.

omg i love maine so much

i wonder if i will be bored. if so, i will just keep getting more dogs. i'll have a yard for them to play in. we'll go on walks down to the ocean and i'll throw their toy into the ocean.

dogs like that.

puppies.

i will have a larger apartment with a large kitchen and and it will be a quarter of my rent in new york so i will be able to afford nice pots and pans and hang them from the wall because they are fancy

if ur worried abt getting bored dont move there

portland is like, hip, by maine standards! shows come through. there's at least one good record store, a used book store... last time i was there i got free food from food not bombs punx.

its a nice place and all - u can eat all the lobsters you want

sometimes i miss being bored
i dont have enough time

someone in my family just told me she's moving there. i'm a bit envious

I want to move to charleston, sc

no wait

i'm sure it's crazy snowy and cold in ME full time year round but i would get into hibernating i think

where can one get San Francisco's climate without San Francisco rent?

NH and ME sound awesome, but I think the snow/cold would kill me.

i love the snow and cold

It was 45 degrees outside this morning and I had a hard time getting out of bed.

cold can be invigorating, more so than the heat

where can one get San Francisco's climate without San Francisco rent?

GILROY

also CHICO

SLO?

snow and cold can fuckin' eat me

I want it to be warm and occasionally subject to hurricanes

i don't think i can stay in new york much longer.

I keep thinking that about DC like every week

...for the past four years

Portland isn't that much colder than NY in the winter. And the summers are better. But you'll be bored.

i think i would be bored. but aren't you supposed to be boring when you are a grownup? i can't act like a grown up here.

the lowest recorded temperature in NYC is -4, the highest 102. the lowest recorded temperature in Portland, ME is -39, the highest 103.

Ne'er been there, but someone whom I trust had high praise for it. Actually, more than one person did...

Suffice it to say that it is on my list of "god, I should move here places.

Yes gabbneb Portland is colder, good work. My point is that someone who walks around NYC all winter will not have that much difficulty adjusting to the temperature difference on their walk to the car.

I should come up with a "move plan" so that I can have a process to follow when I finally snap. Also, cash on hand.

I should come up with a "move plan" so that I can have a process to follow when I finally snap.

drafted one the other day. let's see if i can follow it.

where YOU goin?

asheville.

hippie

aw fuck, is asheville overrun by hippies?

overall theme: get the hell outta NYC.

where can one get San Francisco's climate without San Francisco rent?

pittsburgh has a sorta SF ambience (looks-wise) -- but not its climate or the people. make of that what you will.

portland is great. sure, it's relatively small, but that's part of why people move there: it's not a big city. i live in an even smaller city two hours north, and believe me, portland's got plenty going on. my recommendations are as follows:

geno's. an institution. a rock and punk club par excellence.
the space gallery, for all your indie rock needs.
bubba's sulky lounge is fun for dancing.
the big easy is good for local music, in the funk/jam/bar band realms.
local 188, also for indie.
strange maine for weirdness both local and regional, and for generalized wonderfulness. check out time lag records on the second floor.
enterprise records = yes yes yes.
bull moose is ok.
the station gets touring metal and hip hop a lot.
granny's burritos just closed two weeks ago, which sucks because they had a great open mic nite and even better food.
end your nights at amigo's, if you're out drinking.
uncle billy's resto-bar has only been open a few months, but i like it.
supposedly the skinny is reopening, but they've been working on it for a very long time now, and we're all still waiting.
the white heart lounge is hip, but not too hip, and also features lots of great local bands.

speaking of local bands! some of my favorites from portland include satellite lot, mink wilde and the gentleman callers, phantom buffalo, covered in bees, confusatron, the rattlesnakes, fire on fire/cerberus shoal, the chickadees, the hot tarts, cult maze, sontiago, hiss and chambers, a bunch more i'm forgetting.

i love portland. hopefully you'll love it too.

i wouldn't mind spending some time in bar harbor this summer. i should budget some time and $$$ for that.

what is good to eat around here

1) Colucci's Hilltop Market - Portland, ME (2 Miles)
Must Eats: Real Italian
2) Marcy's Diner - Portland, ME (2 Miles)
Must Eats: Home Fries, Chili Cheese Omelet
3) Becky's - Portland, ME (2 Miles)
Must Eats: Fruit Bowl, Muffin, Haddock Chowder, Peanut Butter & Bacon Sandwich, Pot Roast Supper, Hot Turkey Plate, Whoopie Pie Cake, Titanic Omelet, Blueberry Pancakes
4) Duckfat - Portland, ME (2 Miles)
Must Eats: Belgian Fries, Meatloaf Panini, Orange-Scented Churros, Beignets, Homemade Soda
5) Porthole - Portland, ME (2 Miles)
Must Eats: Corned Beef Hash, Blueberry Pancakes, Lobster Benedict
6) Standard Baking Company - Portland, ME (2 Miles)
Must Eats: Morning Bun, Pain au Levain
7) Smiling Hill Farm - Westbrook, ME (3 Miles)
Must Eats: Peach Melba Ice Cream, Mocha Chip Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Sauce
8) Portland Pie Co. - Scarborough, ME (5 Miles)
Must Eats: Chamberlain Pizza, Red Claws Pizza, Three Cheese
9) Harmon's Lunch - Falmouth, ME (5 Miles)
Must Eats: Cheeseburger, French Fries

where's that from?

and is it weird that there's only one lobster thing on there?

You can get lobster most anywhere up here. Find I don't eat it as much as I used to.

You could try Susan's Fish & Chips - in the summer they often have lobster on a stick; lobster tails lightly battered and deep friend like a corn dog.

Also, there is a decent Thai place called Veranda Thai. Really fresh ingredients, nice staff.

You here today? Just visiting?

Hey, I just had dinner last night with a friend who lives in Portland, ME. I could e-mail her, but I think she's on the road.

where's that from?

roadfood.com, the Jane & Michael Stern website.

<3 Portland.

i'm going on saturday and staying overnight!

just for shits / gigs. i wanna eat some lobster, see some lighthouses, drink some beer or something. get out of the city for a coupla days. what's some local food or drink i could eat or take back?

Looks like a good weekend to come. 70s during the day, 50s at night. Perfect.

http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/vcsinc/Site_Assets/MWTS/BFTP/images/Search_Heros/SH_H2657_BrownBread.jpg

i keep clicking buy now AND NOTHINGS HAPPENING

We have a whole bunch of local breweries who bottle their stuff - my favorite is probably Gritty McDuff's. Where are you coming from? Don't want to recommend things super perishable if you are coming from afar.

Not B&M! Though you can sometimes smell the beans cooking if you're on the east end.

And feel free to drop me a note - my username (no spaces though) at that Y! place.

i was in portland

my recommendation is, get a lobster roll somewhere, or an italian, and some cape cod chips, and beer, and just eat it

lobster rolls ftw. also eat some whole belly fried clams.

And don't go to DiMillo's floating tourist trap.

Lobster rolls/fried clams/etc def what I'm looking for. Recommended spots?

I have a reason to believe we all will be received in Portland.

what's some local food or drink i could eat or take back?

MOXIE

Lobster rolls/fried clams/etc def what I'm looking for. Recommended spots?

If you want to stay downtown or on the harbor, Portland Lobster Company is pretty good. Or, if you want to venture off the peninsula into the rest of town, Susan's Fish & Chips is usually better. Looks like a total dive but the food's the thing.

The Lobster Shack down by Two Lights state park used to be amazing but I haven't been there in about 5 years.

omg i am planning on going to all 3 haha

i mean, i already was!

Then you should be all set! If you need a fish break, you can get the "Mother & Child Reunion" sandwich at the Great Lost Bear; it's a fried chicken breast with a fried egg on top.

Two Lights is definitely worth it, although it's been about 5 or 6 years for me too.

And if you want to throw money at a fine dining experience see if you can get into Fore Street. Pricey but worth it.

THREE DOLLAR DEWEYS!

whats that

Great cheap bar with rock solid sandwiches in the old port.

lobster rolls ftw. also eat some whole belly fried clams.

― not everything is a campfire (ian), Thursday, August 19, 2010 6:14 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

i saw these on the LOL food network

hey nice city yo

i was pretty impressed/charmed

lots of cool stuff to do and eat

nice buildings

not that i had low expectations or anything but it was way cooler than i'd imagined!

Glad you liked! So where'd you go to eat?

- 2 lights lobster shack
- portland lobster co
- beers at a place with a latin name and big outdoor terrasse?
- coffee by design
- some baked goods from place under fore st resto
- j's oyster shack

i do good?

You did well. FYI, Novare Res is the beer place.

J's benefitted from the smoking ban more than any restaurant in Portland - my friends and I used to refer to it as J's Ashtray.

funny i was reading an article posted on the wall there about the smoking ban and the owner was claiming they'd go out of business!

it has a great '80s vibe to it imo.

I am in Deweys right now.

drink up! and get the sweet potato fries.

Lovin it

Headed there today and never been. What should I do/see/eat/buy if I only got one day?

Go to Strange Maine!

I second the Great Lost Bear.

I enjoyed riding the mail boat all damn afternoon.

Gelato Fiasco

Susan's Fish & Chips

Do you have a car? Cape Elizabeth, eat at Lobster Shack!

Yep got a car. How's parking?

Thanks!

Food is good. My wife wants to try a crab/lobster shack. I want books, records , clothes, etc .

Mail boat sounds good. Cold?

Portland has a ridiculous concentration of great record stores. Just a few blocks from Strange Maine is Enterprise Records.

Street parking isn't too bad, and there's a parking garage down in the Old Port, near the water.

Cape Elizabeth/Lobster Shack will give you an A++ Maine coast experience, excellent lobster, and low tourist inundation.

Parking is not bad at all, you'll have no problem and it will be cheap if not free.

Lobster Shack closed!

But we in Lost Bear, thank you!

Is there a good walking neighborhood? Could include shopping but doesnt have to.

Mail boat sounds good. Cold?

Yeah, probably! It was chilly when I went, in July.

Consider doing dinner at Hot Suppa. I've been there twice in the past two weeks and it's just fantastic (if tiny)

(It's on Congress about three blocks down from Maine Medical Center, near a Rite-Aid)

Ok we will! My wife really wants seafood tho. We like Portland!

What's a good coffee?

Dunno about coffee. Hot Suppa is basically the only soul food restaurant in Portland. If you want seafood, esp. fried seafood, go out Forest Ave to Susan's (which is BYOB).

Coffee By Design was my preferred cup when I lived there.

Should we see waterfront before it gets dark? We basically walked up and down Congress all afternoon.

Where to eat: Demillo's. It's just so Maine, you walk by lobster tanks on the way to your table in this converted floating houseboat, where you overlook water and boats and lighthouses off in the distance. Be sure to get a window seat (they have outdoor seating too in the warmer months) for the best ambiance. Oh, and the food is great too, not just the seafood but the other dishes as well.

Where is a good place to stay in Portland? Airbnb not yielding much

got a couple days in portland coming up, do the recommendations on this thread still hold?

staying in a goofy hotel on fore st, i'm not planning on renting a car but i could be convinced

Hot Suppa always and forever. My favorite Bloody Marys on the planet.

The Oxbow Tasting Room is awesome: http://oxbowbeer.com/tasting-rooms/portland-blending-bottling/

Ate at Fore Street last spring and it was excellent. Love Portland.

The downtown comics/retro toy shop is a hoot to wander thru. Coast City Comics I think it's called. Got a nice Captain Hairlock piratey skull tshirt last time

I need summer vacation already

this is all excellent, adding to my google sheet of stuff to do, thank you

shouts to portland hunt and alpine club for good cocktails and vinland for being a restaurant that only uses ingredients from maine.

Next weekend (Veterans Day), I'm supposed to fly to L.A. for a brief vacation ... but the wildfires have me reconsidering this and examining other options. (Love, peace, and safety to our Cali ilxors, some of whom I'd hoped to meet this year!)

Portland, Maine is another possibility because these annual trips are intended to be to states I've never been to before.

So, those of you who have been to Portland or live there now: what do you think of the place? what do you love most? what would recommend to a visitor with a jones for seafood, CDs, and breathtaking, picturesque vistas?

GELATO FIASCO!

We vacationed there a few years ago and one thing that struck me was how quick and easy it was to figure out how to get around. Very small town feel. (checks wiki) OK, that's because it is a small town. Ferrying out to Peaks Island was fun, the botanical gardens up in Boothbay were nice. I'd like to go back.

I could've rode the mail boat all day long.

In fact, I think I did!

i haven't been to portland but acadia national park is incredible

bar harbor has great seafood

we go up to portland at least once a year and hang out for a weekend. the food scene is completely insane for a city of its size--there are excellent restaurants all over the place serving all sorts of cuisine. peaks island is fun to explore on foot and the eastern promenade has all your beautiful harbor views (keep in mind portland is pretty enclosed by the rest of the coast and other islands so you'd have to head out of the city for desolate new england ocean views).

bull moose, the flagship record store of maine and new hampshire, is still kicking and there is a location right in downtown portland. if you want to get a beer you must go to novare res, which is genuinely one of the best bars in the world.

Consider Ogunquit as a Portland alternative. Portland is great but Ogunquit gives a big hit of coastal Maine and has great walks along rocky coastline, great seafood, etc.

Going to the Pride parade tommorrow

I’ve flown in and out of Portland many times, but haven’t spent enough time in the city. We immediately drive 3 hours northwest into the woods