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The Greater Portland Transportation District
provides public bus transportation ($1.25 for riders under age 65
and $.60 for riders age 65 and better), but service is a bit
limited. While it is possible to live in Portland
without a car, particularly in the downtown area - which could be
expensive - a car is probably needed. The
637-bed Maine Medical Center is a Level One Trauma Center and a
teaching hospital. It is the largest hospital in the state
and was recently named by U.S. News and World Report as
one of the top hospitals in the U.S. for heart care and
orthopedics. It has been rated the fourth safest hospital in
the U.S., and the nursing staff was recently rated in the top
3% in the world for nursing excellence. Maine Medical
has also been chosen as a model program for its multidisciplinary
approach to prostate cancer care, and it recently underwent a
major expansion that improved the emergency center.
Mercy Hospital, the state's fourth-largest hospital, is also in
Portland and is building a new campus in several phases. On
average, Portland has 203 sunny days per year. The July high
is a delightful 78 degrees, and the January low is a frosty 13
degrees. Humidity averages 70%. The
city receives 40 inches of rain and 72 inches of snow per
year. Autumns are simply breathtaking. Retirement
in Portland has some drawbacks. The city has lost a
bit of population (2%) within the last ten years, and although
residents say they feel quite safe, the crime rate is above the
national average. Winters are long, and January is
especially dark and cold and seems to last for three
months. Parts of the city are hilly, and many of
the brick sidewalks heave in the cold and snow, so walkways can be difficult to navigate (in general, sturdy
shoes are beneficial in Portland). Ethnic diversity is an
unexplored concept. Taxes are high. Old Port can get a little rowdy during
weekend evenings. Tourists descend every summer and fall (on their
way to leaf peeping) but are afraid of Maine winters and leave
quickly once the tree leaves have fallen off. So,
ayuh, you can get here from there, and retirees in search of a
healthy, charming, New England seaport will want to make the
trip.
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Maine Real Estate
Active Adult Communities in Portland Maine
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