- I relocated from the Bay Area in California to Portland, Maine, for a residency two years ago.
- I’ve fallen in love with New England’s changing seasons and the many things to do in each one.
- I’m really glad I moved to Portland and have found so many fun things to do there as a young adult.
In 2023, I relocated from the Bay Area in California to Portland, Maine, for a residency.
I’d never visited Maine before and was excited for the opportunity to live in a new place in my 20s. Although I only intended to stay there for the duration of my program, I’ve since found myself enthralled with life in New England and am not sure I’ll leave.
Portland has stolen my heart, and there are a few reasons I can’t imagine being happier anywhere else.
Portland’s food scene has taken my breath away
Every guide I read before moving to Portland highlighted its impressive food and beverage scene. Once I arrived, I found the options were so much better and more diverse than I expected.
Beyond fresh seafood, the city has tons of unique treats (like potato doughnuts at Holy Donut), plus locally brewed beers, kombucha, and coffee.
Lobster is really popular in New England, so I had high expectations trying it for the first time — and I was not disappointed. It was delicious dipped in butter and paired with corn on the cob and potatoes.
Plus, the midsize city has a fairly diverse culinary scene featuring Japanese, Latin American, Chinese, and Cajun restaurants, just to name a few.
All four seasons give me something new to look forward to
In California, many of the seasons can blur together and are fairly mild. Here, I like seeing and feeling them change.
Summers in Maine are peak tourism season, filled with sunshine, fresh seafood, and outdoor activities. When I first moved, I was surprised just how quickly summer progressed into fall.
The city went from being bustling and full of tourists to being quieter and chillier. Many shops downtown close after the season ends, only to open up once it begins again.
Fortunately, fall also welcomes the beautiful — but fleeting — leaf-peeping season.
When the foliage peaks here, some of my favorite activities are taking long drives on the highway and sailing on Casco Bay to view the brightly colored leaves.
Fall weekends can be spent apple picking and enjoying fresh cider doughnuts at local farms a mere 30-minute drive from downtown.
Plus, living in the land of Stephen King (the famous horror writer was born in Portland) makes Halloween even spookier.
Come winter, temperatures drop quickly. Fortunately, fun outdoor activities help me appreciate the cold.
I enjoy cross-country skiing with friends here — we even found a trail where you can sip beer and lounge by a fire once you get to the top.
Portland also has a few ponds that freeze over, so I can ice skate almost every evening after work in the winter.
Then, the warm spring weather comes with revitalizing activities.
Early spring is sugaring season in New England, where it’s easy to visit nearby farms to watch live demos on how to tap maple trees and sample different flavors of syrup.
Later in the season, I go kayaking on local rivers and in Casco Bay. One of my most memorable trips was kayaking to Fort Gorges, a former military fort only accessible by boat.
The city of Portland also organizes art walks in the spring, where thousands gather to enjoy the museums and galleries in town that are temporarily open for free admission.
Overall, I’ve found Portland is a surprisingly great city for young people like me
Although New England can have a reputation for catering to older residents, my time in Portland as a young adult in my 20s has been unexpectedly eventful.
The many barcades and breweries, the nightlife in Old Port, the live music on the waterfront, and the proximity to a plethora of outdoor activities make the city anything but boring.
It’s been great to live in such a walkable city, but if I made the move again, I’d bring a car so I could more easily explore the rest of New England.
However, it’s OK if I don’t go too far for now. Portland has everything I want in a city, and there’s still so much more I’m looking forward to seeing inside of it.
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