I recently visited Portland, Maine, for the first time and toured three luxury apartment buildings . I toured one-bedroom apartments at The Armature, The Casco, and Nightingale apartment complexes. The apartments had luxury amenities that made me want to leave my home in New York City.
Ever since I was a teenager, I idolized Carrie Bradshaw's New York City apartment and worked hard to eventually be able to call this city home. In many ways, I've made that dream a reality — I'm a working writer and have lived in a classic brownstone in Brooklyn, New York, for three years. But I often wonder if other cities can compete with New York in terms of price, especially since I live with two roommates and would love to eventually live on my own.
On a recent trip to Portland, Maine, which has often been ranked as one of the best places in the country to live , I decided to check out a few one-bedroom apartments to compare what I could get at different price points. As a native New Englander, I've considered moving to Portland multiple times in the past thanks to its thriving food scene and scenic streets. While I'm not quite ready to make the leap yet, it was nevertheless enlightening to see how apartments in Portland compare to what I have in New York City.
All of the apartments I toured were in luxury buildings, with amenities like conference rooms, gyms, recreational areas, and even one that had a swimming pool — things that I could only fantasize about while living in New York City. According to Apartments.com , the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in Portland in August 2024 is around $1,695 a month.
While this is still 10% higher than the national average of $1,536 a month, New York City one-bedrooms run for a staggering $3,801 a month, the site reported. The apartments I toured were all higher than the average cost in Portland but still lower than the average cost of one-bedroom apartments in New York, which made me question whether Portland could be a better option. Here's how all three apartments compared in terms of price, location, and amenities.
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