Page 8 of Best Independent Living in Maine

Maintain your independence in retirement at The McLellan, a purposely built 62+ community that offers independent living. Featuring 19 beautifully furnished and secure accommodations, the community ensures residents are comfortable and safe. Housekeeping and laundry services are also taken care of, ensuring residents enjoy a hassle-free lifestyle.

With a variety of engaging activities and enriching programs, residents are encouraged to make new friends and gain meaningful experiences. One delicious and well-balanced meal is also provided daily, easing the burdens of meal preparation for a delightful dining experience. Scheduled transportation is also available for convenience and safety. This pet-friendly community has a library, a sauna and jacuzzi, a patio game room, a fitness center, a library, parking garage, and a well-maintained garden, creating the ideal setting where residents can thrive in their golden years.

Ashton Gardens Gracious Retirement Living is an independent living community in the North Deering neighborhood of Portland, Maine, on Ocean Avenue about 1.8 miles from the city center. It sits in a quiet residential part of Portland, in a mid-rise building where residents keep their own apartments and take part in community life at whatever pace suits them. Staff are on site around the clock, which gives residents and their families a steady point of contact at any hour. The community is part of the Gracious Retirement Living group.

Apartments come as studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans, with sizes running from roughly 355 square feet at the compact end up to about 1,085 square feet for the largest two-bedroom layouts. That spread gives couples and single residents real room to choose based on how much space they want to keep up with. Pets are welcome, which matters to a lot of people weighing a move out of a longtime home.

Daily life here leans social. The community runs recreational activities, exercise programs, and a calendar of organized events and excursions, including museum visits and day trips around the Portland area. Housekeeping is handled by the community, and transportation services help residents get to appointments and errands. Meals are provided, and the common areas are set up for residents to gather, visit with family, or spend time with neighbors.

One practical note about the setting: the neighborhood scores 11 out of 100 for walkability, so this is a car-dependent location where most errands mean a drive rather than a walk. The community’s transportation services help fill that gap for residents who no longer drive, and the location is still close enough to central Portland that visiting family can get there easily. For someone who wants a residential setting with quiet streets and green space rather than a downtown address, that trade can work well, and the transportation and activity calendar carry much of the load of getting out into the city.