Portland ME vs Portsmouth NH

Looking for input on both cities in terms of general vibes, job market, climbing, trailrunning & hiking (anything close outside for after work? Are climbing gyms good? Good trails for running? etc) and just overall awesomeness :)

I should preface: I've lived in Denver for 10 years and am thinking about moving back home to be closer to the fam (I think I might be the only person wanting to LEAVE Denver?! Ha!) I grew up in New England and have driven through both places many times but haven't spent much time specifically in either. But the idea of being close to the water AND also being close to mtns/trails is becoming more and more tempting. I also like the idea of living in what feels like a real town---not just stripmalls along the highway ;-)

Any thoughts? Input? THANKS!

2 great and similar towns bout the same crag distances so the questions r more r u renting or buying? r u commuting or going to work local? ( if u don't have to work just move to Spain) Portlands rad but the property and income tax r jacked and if u r commuting to mass or even visiting on a regular basis the turn pike tolls r crazy nh does have tolls too mass has some cool coastal towns too, Newburyport Plymouth Boston etc but not the same vibe

I live in Portland so I'm biased... I love it here, I rent and it isn't cheap but I also can't imagine that it's more expensive than Denver.

If you are more into sport climbing and bouldering, Portsmouth is significantly closer to pawtuckaway and rumney, if trad and adventure climbing is your thing then conway, acadia, baxter and the plethora of hidden gems in maine/nh are equidistant (maybe a little closer to portland).

I don't think portsmouth compares to portland as far as bars, restaurants etc. goes. For its size Portland does awesome on that front. If you don't care about that then I bet portsmouth is significantly cheaper.

All in all I don't think portland is THAT expensive, you could pay a lot lot more and if you don't live on the peninsula you can still do quite well.

I vote portland, i moved here three years ago (from ohio not denver so take that into account) and have been extremely happy with both the city and the climbing. The climbing community in portland is phenomenal :).

Both cities are pretty expensive "living wise" whether buying or renting. Both have a bustling food and bar scene. Beer nod goes to Portland. It also has a great music scene - clubs / venues of all sizes that get most national touring acts. If you're working from home or in NH you have no state income tax - which is probably a 5% plus wage increase as Maine has a very high state income tax (which you pay if you live in NH and work in ME also).

Really can't go wrong with either!

Not on your list but, consider Burlington Vermont. Close to the White Mountains, the Adirondacks and Rumney. Plenty of local climbing including lots of afterwork cragging near town. Great mountain biking and running trails, as well as a giant lake right in town with beaches and a bike path around the lake. No strip malls, plenty to do in town, awesome restaurants.

As for Portland VS Portsmouth like others have said if you like sport climbing and bouldering Portsmouth is the clear choice. If you like adventure climbing and spending time at the ocean pick Portland.

Portland is a much cooler town for nightlife, and its gym options are way, way better. Two great new gyms opened within the past year or so. From Portsmouth your choices are a 35 min drive to Newburyport for a great bouldering, poor rope climbing gym, or an old dilapidated gym in Dover, or the 50 min drive north to Salt Pump.

Portsmouth has much better climbing options within an hour. Pawtuckaway has excellent bouldering, pretty good crack and face climbs, and great trails for you to run. Also pretty close by is Stonehouse Pond, a hidden gem of a crag in a beautiful setting that also has trails. Within an hour of Portland you have decent bouldering at Bradbury Mountain and that's pretty much it. Portsmouth is closer to Rumney and Cannon, but Portland is closer to Shagg, an amazing sport crag (at least for 5.12 and up).

Both places are a dream compared to the shit show going on in Denver right now.
Obviously not as much climbing but if you drive a little you'll experience much less for crowds.

Both great small towns with about as good of food as anywhere in the country (Portland especially).

I prefer the nightlife in Portland but Portsmouth may have a slight edge for climbing as the access to 93 is easier. 1hour45 to Rumney, North Conway, and Kanc crags....and Farley for that matter.

For localized climbing not a lot, maybe locals know some secret crags.

Maine hands down... Shagg Crag is amazeballs.

As Rich mentioned, Portland has 2 brand new gyms in the area that just opened in the past year or two. Evo is in Portland, and Salt Pump is one exit south of Portland in Scarborough. Slightly different vibes at each but both are solid and worth checking out.

Also as others have said, the food scene is vibrant in both cities although I think Portland has the edge there.

Thanks for the responses! I will definitely need to ponder---sounds like both would be great places but pros/cons with either. I will also look at Burlington VT ;) I've lived all over in MA and RI growing up (Boston, Hopkinton, Worcester, Warwick) but just don't know much about the cities further north, so this info is super helpful!!

I would be renting....I looked around at rentals in Portland the other day and it seemed somewhat comparable to Denver (slightly more but prices here are skyrocketing anyways.) Have to check on Portsmouth. I don't have a job lined up yet (have worked in government for 10 years but might want a total overhaul in that dept too ;-) So that could factor into things. As far as climbing, I'm getting to the point where I'm mostly just sport climbing (convenience factor) so in terms of that Portsmouth might be better---although in the yucky winter months the gyms in Portland sound much better. And I don't ice climb, ha. Much to ponder still!

Any more input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Nick Votto wrote:Both places are a dream compared to the shit show going on in Denver right now.

Agreed!!! It is becoming a total junkshow here, eek.

Kirsten KDog wrote: As far as climbing, I'm getting to the point where I'm mostly just sport climbing (convenience factor) so in terms of that Portsmouth might be better

I think Portland would be better for sport climbing... Shagg, Wild River, Rumney (2.25 hr). Portsmouth would be better for bouldering.

Morgan Patterson wrote:Maine hands down... Shagg Crag is amazeballs.

Seconding Portland even if Portsmouth is closer to Rumney. The variety and low key scene of North Conway area sport beats rumney sport IMO. Get the guidebook though - there's a lot missing from MP.

Morgan Patterson wrote: I think Portland would be better for sport climbing... Shagg, Wild River, Rumney (2.25 hr). Portsmouth would be better for bouldering.

Cool. Yeah I think the difference in drive time from either place is +/- 30 minutes or so. So not a huge deal.

I just looked it up---Shagg Crag DOES look famazing!

MattH wrote: Seconding Portland even if Portsmouth is closer to Rumney. The variety and low key scene of North Conway area sport beats rumney sport IMO. Get the guidebook though - there's a lot missing from MP.

+1

In terms of living in Portland - any 'prime' areas or neighborhoods? Any places to avoid? Would ideally like to be in a neighborhood with some parks or running trails nearby.

Thanks!

Both are great towns however both are limited in terms of employment options unless you work in food services. I would suggest leaving both open while looking for work.

I live in Portsmouth, and I think Portland is the best city on the East Coast.

The winter is long up here, the gym scene is important - and Portsmouth doesn't have one. Driving from Portsmouth up to Salt Pump is a long drive, and you pay $8 in tolls each time. I go to the gym in Newburyport, it's fine, but it's a good 30-40min from Portsmouth. $4 in tolls to get down there.

As soon as you cross the MA/NH border you enter a different world. Very different up here than the MA, RI scene. Much more relaxed vibe, you'll love it. I've also found that Portsmouth and Portland are both significantly colder than Boston. The winters can be harsh, so be ready for that.. But as long as you ski or ice climb, you'll have enough to get you through.

Portsmouth is a small tourist town, Portland is a city. Portland has plenty of tourism, but it also has neigborhoods where the tourism can be avoided. I've found that a lot of the food scene in Portsmouth is touristy, but it's starting to change. Kittery, ME has some great options as well. I've also found that there aren't a lot of young people in Portsmouth, it seems to be dominated by families and wealthy empty nester types.

Both towns are about the same distance from North Conway. There's a lifetimes worth of trad, sport, and ice climbing within 2hrs of Portland or Portsmouth. The White Mountains also have the best backcountry skiing on the East Coast for whatever that's worth. The spring skiing in the Presidentials is pretty tough to beat.

Rumney and Cannon are a bit farther from Portland, but they're not that close to Portsmouth either...

While the outdoor options in NH/ME aren't as world class as some of the places out West, they're pretty damn good, and you'll be living in a beautiful town on the ocean with all of the history of Northern New England. Tough to beat.

If ice climbing is something you're in to, an argument can be made that the White Mountains are one of the best ice climbing venues in the country

Portsmouth has become very desirable and expensive. I think you would have an easier time finding affordable housing in Portland. Bigger city= more options.

The only other thing to consider would be taxes.. If you're working in NH and live in NH you pay no state taxes. (I still haven't figured out how the state functions.). If you live or work in Maine, you have to pay Maine state taxes, even if you live in NH.

I don't know anything about the Portland trail running scene, but there are good places close to Portsmouth - Stratham Hill and Mt Agamenticus both have solid trail running (and XC skiing).

The hiking in the Whites is amazing... equidistant from Portland and Portsmouth.

My vote: Portland!

I'll put in another strong recommendation to consider Burlington VT. It has better sport climbing access than the other two, with pretty good local climbing at Bolton and a pretty easy drive to Rumney. It also has better ski access, if that is a thing you care about. Access to trails, parks, hiking, etc is good. Great mountain views from town. It isn't on the ocean, but Lake Champlain is awesome, and is right there in front of town. Nice culture in town, lots to do. Nice new climbing gym.

Burlington has far better skiing access than Portland/Portsmouth.... But I would argue that the climbing around North Conway is much better than the climbing around Burlington.

ChrisN wrote:Burlington has far better skiing access than Portland/Portsmouth.... But I would argue that the climbing around North Conway is much better than the climbing around Burlington.

True, but not quite the right comparison to make. North Conway is great for ice and trad, but the OP said sport climbing...so that means lots of time at Rumney. Burlington is a similar distance to Rumney as Portsmouth, but has the advantage of having convenient local cragging also.

Also, I would say that if you want trad/ice the Dacks trump North Conway (points again to Burlington).