Teleworking from Eastport, Maine Livability in Action

Wanted and Welcome Telecommuters

Beautiful very remote Eastport Maine has a vibrant arts community a symphony a theatre affordable housing walkability water views and more What the small city needs and wants is more people

From Google Maps Eastport, Maine (marked in the map by a small red arrow), is a two-hour drive from Bangor, Maine, and four-hours from Portland. Campobello Island, which is in Canada, is a short boat ride away. In 2003, when Lora Whelan moved to , 1,600 people lived in the remote, easternmost community in the United States — a 12-square-mile city near the Canadian border. A decade later, the population count had dropped to 1,300, with more than 60 percent of the residents age 55 or older. Whelan, the publisher of the local newspaper, well understood that for Eastport to thrive and survive, the community needed more people. Knowing that several of the city's residents telework for national and global companies, she wondered, "What if Eastport could attract more telecommuters?" Edward French/The Quoddy Tides Water Street in downtown Eastport features shops, restaurants, a waterfront park and the local library. After convincing the Eastport City Council to make telecommuter recruitment a municipal initiative, Whelan created a survey for 20 local teleworkers, who formed an ad hoc telecommuting committee. What, she asked them, made Eastport so appealing? "I was getting a constant refrain," Whelan recalls. "The cultural events — Eastport has an arts center, museum, symphony, theatre — affordable housing, walkability, generous volunteerism, friendliness and a school system with low student: teacher ratios." The Eastport telecommuter recruitment website — — launched in September 2016, and inquiries soon came from as far away as Alaska. Photo by Melissa Stanton A waterfront park along Water Street includes seating and a Little Free Library book giveaway display. That Eastport is two hours from a major airport and shopping mall, and much of the drive is along narrow side roads, is not considered a detriment by the city's residents. Colie Brice, a teleworking IT consultant, moved to Eastport with his wife and their grade-school age son in 2012 after hearing about the city from a friend. One visit convinced the couple to buy a house: "20 times less expensive than it would be in New Jersey," he says about their home state at the time. "We've lived in some really cool places, but I’ve found the experience here unparalleled," says Brice. "The community is eclectic and creative. We got out of the New York metropolitan area and right away our blood pressure came down dramatically." Despite his joy, Brice is quick with a warning: "If you need to be near a big chain restaurant, you will be disappointed!" Photo by Melissa Stanton Looking southward, Sea Street veers to the left, Water Street to the right.

More About Rural Communities and the Internet

“Teleworkers Welcome (and Wanted)” This article is an excerpt from the "Work, Volunteerism and Opportunity" chapter of the AARP book . Download or order your free copy. Reporting by Sally Abrahms Page published September 2017

You May Also Like

Subscribe to the free, award-winning
Eastport, Maine, is a member of the

AARP org Livable

Enter a topic, name, place, etc. See past issues:

Our Free Publications

See the complete list at

Follow Us

Facebook: Twitter:

Contact Us

Email AARP Livable Communities at .

Ask about the AARP Livability Index by completing this .

AARP Members: For questions about your benefits, AARP The Magazine or the AARP Bulletin, visit the page or call 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277). Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.