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Dismal-Ad3992 t1_j88yx2x wrote

Hi all! I'm a 31yo F planning to stay in Maine for October & November. My main goal is to enjoy the fall foliage & the outdoors, and hopefully not break the bank (max budget ideally $2100/month). I would like to live within an hour of hikes or parks or other outdoor attractions. I would also like to be within an hour of a more urban area so I can check out, say, karaoke or live music in the evening. What Maine neighborhoods would you recommend? Greatly appreciate any insights you might have!

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Guygan t1_j890bn1 wrote

> within an hour of a more urban area

So, that's basically Portland. It's the only "urban" area for that sort of thing. But in national terms, it's basically a big town.

> like to be within an hour

Draw a circle around Portland and then narrow down some areas based on parks and "outdoor attractions" that seem good to you. Then start Googling.

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Dismal-Ad3992 t1_j891qzh wrote

Fair advice on the Google radius!

I would love any suggestions on good parks/hikes. My ideal location would be one where I could easily do a trail run or at least a long walk during my lunch break (so something within 15-20 minutes), and then drive no more than an hour and a half on the weekend to a broader variety of trails or parks.

I've also found that karaoke, trivia, live music, etc does not necessarily mean a big town. I currently live in a 2k population town about 40m outside Denver, and they have their own rotation of karaoke nights & live music that are moistly sufficient for me (I supplement by driving into Denver on occasion). But it's hard to know which little towns have these things without actually having lived near/in them. I'm hoping there are towns other than Portland that offer what I'm describing & that the kind folks of reddit can help me identify them!

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Aggressive_FIamingo t1_j89fdfb wrote

> I've also found that karaoke, trivia, live music, etc does not necessarily mean a big town. I currently live in a 2k population town about 40m outside Denver, and they have their own rotation of karaoke nights & live music that are moistly sufficient for me

The Denver metro area has a population almost double the entire state of Maine. Obviously smaller towns are going to have more amenities there because there are more people in the surrounding areas.

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Guygan t1_j89zg0e wrote

> there are more people in the surrounding areas.

Also more young people. Small Maine towns are full of older, provincial folks who definitely don’t do karaoke.

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Guygan t1_j8923so wrote

> it's hard to know which little towns have these things without actually having lived near/in them

I'm willing to bet nearly none of them. That's why I suggested using Portland as your center.

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Tony-Flags t1_j8dx559 wrote

I went to karoake in Searsmont this past Friday night at Threshers Brewery. They actually had a good crowd in there. They do it once a week.

Also, the Newcastle Public House does karaoke once a week. Those are the only ones I know of in the Midcoast region.

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kelizarod t1_jaa1c9b wrote

If you want to enjoy foliage, you'll want to arrive a little earlier. Peak foliage in Maine is typically the tail end of September/beginning of October. Trees are bare by November.

The Rockland area might be a good fit for what you're looking for depending on how flexible your definition of "urban" is (population ~7k). You've got Camden Hills State Park right there for some incredible hiking, plenty of coastline to explore, and a decent live music/entertainment scene as far as small-town Maine goes. You're about an hour and a half from Portland and two hours from Acadia, so day trips in either direction are totally feasible.

As with literally everywhere else in the state, we're definitely in the midst of a housing crisis in the Midcoast. You've got a healthy budget, but just keep that in mind when you're looking for housing.

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StarWarder t1_j9fnymq wrote

One thing you might consider is where you’ll live. Maine has a sort of rental crisis right now. Hard to find affordable apartments

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embolia6 t1_j9zg6vv wrote

Is that $2100 just housing budget? Or total monthly expenses?

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Dismal-Ad3992 t1_ja0b6t8 wrote

Just monthly housing budget, ideally including utilities

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