Portland ME or Burlington VT

[Briskies]

If you had the choice where would you rather live?

 

[deadheadskier]

Lived in Burlington for 4 years, Portland for 2.5. Burlington is far superior for skiing in terms of access and snow quality.

That said, I enjoyed living in Portland more.

 

[AdironRider]

I think Portland is the better city in terms of overall quality of living (cheaper, better people, more options for activities in all venues). Plus, they technically have access to the longest season in the east, but overall skiing quality is better in Burlington.

I voted Portland.

 

[mthebby]

I haven't spent much time in either place, but I think I'd be happier in Burlington. Better skiing, better nightlife, a great college town, plus its proximity to Montreal (Portland's closer to Boston, but I'm tired of Boston). Besides, not having much use for the burning sand & stinging cold water of the ocean, I'll take mountains and Lake Champlain any day.

 

[snowmonster]

Portland - It has the best of both worlds -- proximity to the ocean and good mountains. Great restaurants, minor league baseball and hockey and good people. Plus, you can't get Moxie and red hots in VT!

 

[jerryg]

Sailing the Maine coast in the summer and an easy drive to the mountains. I voted Portland, but I'm biased.

 

[riverc0il]

I don't see how you could say Portland has proximity to mountains. Loaf is 2.5 hours away, Back almost 3 hours, and even the River is 1.5 hours at the closest big mountain. Just under two to Pinkham. Not much better than Boston for proximity to major mountains and with Boston you have pretty much all of New England except Jay and Loaf/Back reachable in close to 3 hours.

Also a damn long haul on all back roads to anything in Vermont if you want variety from a small selection of mountains within 2.5 hours from Portland. Burlington flat out OWNS for skiing in this comparison with many of the Northeast's best mountains within one hour. And for the stretch, only 2.5 to Mount Wash. Don't forget about Whiteface and the Dacks across the pond. No ocean but one honking big lake. Burlington may not have minor league teams but it has something even better with top notch D1 college teams.

Now I am not saying Burlington is better. There are many negatives to Burlington such as cost of living, traffic, congestion, some might say the University is a negative, distance from Boston, not much else up there except Burlington and the mountains, etc. I could eventually see myself living back on the coast, perhaps even Portland, a long time down the road. But for mountains, skiing, and the like, Burlington wins hands down. Better overall location? Toss up, IMO, so I am not voting. At this point in my life, I would take Burlington.

 

[AdironRider]

A lake is not the ocean, and Whiteface and the Dacks are a solid 1.5 - 2 hours away as well from Burlington, unless you get lucky and time the ferry right on the button, even then its a trek.

I dont think anyone is arguing that Portland has access to better skiing, I know I admitted that. But its the whole package deal. Ive spent about equal time in both places (my best friends all went to UVM, and I spent a summer there - my girl grew up in Standish - bout 20 miles outside Portland), and Portland has by far the best atmosphere, overall culture, dining options. I dont many Mainers are bypassing the Whites to get to the Greens either, outside of skiing the Whites have em beat hands down.

Burlington has one mindset, that of the ideological college student, and outside of hockey, their college teams are just so-so. Did I mention a lake is not the ocean?

Its a tough question, because the two cities are really quite different. Some people prefer Burlington, some Portland.

 

[riverc0il]

Now I am not saying Burlington is better. There are many negatives to Burlington ........

No argument from me, AR. And I only added WF and the Dacks as an added benefit. As in... not only is B within an hour of the best skiing in New England, it is closer to WF and the Dacks than Portland is to the Loaf, Back, and higher peaks of the whites. Having lived right on the coast of MA, I fully understand a lake is not the ocean... it is the only thing I miss besides friends being up here.

 

[AdironRider]

Tell me about it, Ive been at least 1000 miles away from an ocean for years now.

 

[Newpylong]

I voted Portland. Besides being fairly close to some good areas there aint sh!t to do in Burlington and there are too many hippies, hah.

 

[jerryg]

I voted Portland. Besides being fairly close to some good areas there aint sh!t to do in Burlington and there are too many hippies, hah.

LOL, I was thinking about making the hippie comment, but kind of glad someone beat me to it.

 

[deadheadskier]

and there are too many hippies, hah.

LOL, I was thinking about making the hippie comment, but kind of glad someone beat me to it.

:uzi:

:lol:

 

[ski_resort_observer]

No mountain views from Portland but nice mountain views of both the Dacks and the Greens from Burlington. When I lived in Maine I liked driving to Pinelands Farm just for a view of Mt Washington. It's not far from Portland but it's not Portland. Lots of similarities. Both have alot a great reasons to live there. Nice day today, spent most of it along the Burlington waterfront. Lake Champlain sure is purty, looks can be deceiving tho......Two Lights, Portland Headlight, Eastern Promonade and the Old Port are fun places to go to.

 

[jerryg]

There are indeed mountain views from Portland. The White are visible from the Western Prom, where I grew up. Yes, a long ways off, but one can see Mount Washington on a clear day.

 

[aveski2000]

You can also see Mt. Washington from the Eastern Prom.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

IMHO, the mountains views from Portand do not come close to the mountain views from Burlington, barely seeing Mt Washington on a clear day from the west or east end high points of Portland non-withstanding. You do also have a view of Mt Washington from Franklin Towers but that doesn't count either. :wink:

I really like Portland. I always looked forward to going into town, for Burlington, not as much. Maybe being closer to Portland when I lived in Maine, Burlington is further away from the MRV, had something to do with it. As mentioned, more to do, it's a bigger city. Loved taking the kids and their friends to a Sea Dogs or Pirates games.

 

[jerryg]

IMHO, the mountains views from Portand do not come close to the mountain views from Burlington, barely seeing Mt Washington on a clear day from the west or east end high points of Portland non-withstanding. You do also have a view of Mt Washington from Franklin Towers but that doesn't count either. :wink:

I really like Portland. I always looked forward to going into town, for Burlington, not as much. Maybe being closer to Portland when I lived in Maine, Burlington is further away from the MRV, had something to do with it. As mentioned, more to do, it's a bigger city. Loved taking the kids and their friends to a Sea Dogs or Pirates games.

I don't disagree, the views to the north are NOT why people live there and it would be sad if they were, but being able to drive out to Two Lights, Portland Head Light, or any number of place, and to be able to sit on the rocks and look out over the Atlantic with a strong gale crashing waves on the rocks below, can't be matched.

And then there's the seafood...

 

[mattchuck2]

I voted Burlington. I went to school in Maine, and LOVE Sugarloaf, but I'd much rather live in Burlington. Stowe, Smugglers, easily accessible BC, nice college town, cool people, I just feel it would be a better fit for me.

Although I never was big on the ocean (especially the cold water ocean in Maine).

 

[deadheadskier]

I voted Burlington. nice college town

I think the fact that Burlington is so dominated by college people is what made me like living in Portland better at least at my age now.

I lived in Burlington from 21 through 23 and absolutely loved it. I moved back there when I was 29 for a year and a half. I thought I would love it just the same. While it was great to be close to the mountains I love most, the music scene was still fantastic, beautiful lake etc, etc, I didn't like it nearly as much. I just felt 'old'. The cost of living also had gone WAY up in that 6 year period.

Moved to Portland after Burlington and just found the city to be a bit more diverse and 'adult' and I liked it better.

To each their own though.