MDI: Year-Round Magic
Keeping MDI postcard-ready takes a lot of work in the off-season. Erica Brooks, of the Swan Agency at Portside Real Estate Group, shares how the locals pitch in (and where they go for happy hour afterward).
Photos by Hannah Hoggatt
Realtor Erica Brooks is in a unique position. Having lived and worked full-time on Mount Desert Island for over two decades, she understands the complex dynamics at play between residents and visitors in a region renowned for its remote unspoiled beauty, and at the same time dependent on seasonal tourism. “We really do enjoy two very different versions of our town,” she says. “One is the bustling summers, when the weather is incredible and we get to share this gorgeous place with family, friends, and people from all over the world. Then there’s the winter. Lots of places close, things quiet down, and the locals breathe a little deeper. An amazing community comes out in the off-season.”
It’s a community for which “tight knit” hardly does justice, and, to hear Erica tell it, one thriving with art galleries, great food, unique shopping, a respect for the natural environment, and an engrained sense of civic pride.
This past April, The Criterion Theatre re-opened with the support of the Harper House Music Foundation and has quickly become a cultural hub for all of MDI, hosting live music, dance, comedy, and classic film screenings. “Something interesting is always showing at the Criterion,” Erica says, “and afterwards you can grab an ice cream at Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium. There’s a line out the door after most shows.” For even more live music, the Bar Harbor Music Festival is in its sixtieth year and runs through October.
For something tasty, Erica recommends locally-owned Bar Harbor Beer Works for happy hour on the deck overlooking the Village Green. “With over 40 craft beers on draft there is something for everyone and their collection of Phish memorabilia is fun to check out too,” she says. Or, for a real insider experience, tucked upstairs at Galyn’s is The Galley Lounge. The bar is dark hand-crafted mahogany, and the cozy, shadowy vibe is perfect for a cocktail and leisurely bite on a rainy afternoon. (Their happy hour is also killer.)
Even as a local, Erica is not above a bit of shopping in Bar Harbor’s commercial center. “It’s fun to be a tourist in your own town,” she says, and she’s partial to A Little Mad on Rodick Street. “The building is pink and kind of funky, and they’ve got a real eclectic mix of stuff.” She also recommends Hidden Barn Books (behind Reel Pizza). The bookstore is a converted barn (hence the name), and the loft has been repurposed into a multi-use space for hosting readings, author talks, board-game nights, meetings, free wi-fi access, and an ongoing puzzle swap.
More than anything, though, “It’s the people,” Erica says, that most define the community. “There’s a desire to protect the loveliness of the place,” she says. A few years ago, when a storm destroyed much of the Bar Harbor Shore Path—“one of my favorite scenic walks any time of year, and the perfect place to watch the moonrise in August,” says Erica—a series of homeowners and local businesses all chipped in to have the path repaired.
The year-rounders get involved on MDI. “Many of the seasonal shop owners serve on local boards and city councils,” Erica says. “A lot of them joke that we need the off-season to get things done. It’s when we all take a little breather and get back to basics as far as our home lives and town issues.”
On the current docket is a project called the Ripples Hill Neighborhood, a housing community created by the non-profit Island Housing Trust. The goal of the development is to provide affordable, consistent housing for the local workforce—i.e. trades people and other median-income families who likely could not otherwise afford to live on the island where they work.
For some, living in a place as special as MDI means wanting to squirrel the location away, fence it off, keep it hidden away for local use only. For others, the instinct is to share that special place, to understand that the gifts of their hometown are for everyone to enjoy. The latter type is overwhelmingly prevalent on MDI. “Sure, there’s a lot of traffic in the summer, and no parking, and it’s harder to get a table,” Erica says, “but on the flip side, our town is bustling. And we all want a business model that works, that allows us to stay here, raise our families here, and have good schools to send our kids to. Like a lot of places that rely on tourism, it’s just a matter of managing growth.”
YORK & CAPE NEDDICK: A Storied Gateway
Don't spend all your time on the boardwalk. Haven Homes + Lifestyle's Ali Goodwin dishes on the many neighborhoods and distinct moods of York and Cape Neddick.
Photos by Jenny Bravo
“I think the reason that people visit York, or buy second homes here, or retire here has a lot to do with nostalgia,” says Ali Goodwin of Haven Homes + Lifestyle. “A lot of families vacation here for generations, and York has been able to remain a sort of time capsule in many ways.” She would know. Ali was born in, raised in, and still lives in town. There were lengthy detours to Europe and South America thrown in there, but she’s always drawn back to the southern Maine coast. “As a teen, I spent four summers waiting tables at The Goldenrod, working with some of the original owners and cutting my teeth in the hospitality industry,” Ali says, “and now I just ate there last night with my own family, so I understand traditions.”
In many ways, York is the gateway to Maine. “It’s the start of the beaches,” Ali says, “those beautiful, rocky Maine beaches that everyone has always fallen in love with. That all starts in York.” During its Gilded Age heyday, York was a summer colony for the well-to-do of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. To accommodate visitors, a trolly was constructed that ran straight from the train station in Kittery to Short Sands Beach and the surrounding boardwalk with its opera houses and grand hotels. “A lot of those places have burned down over the years,” Ali says, “but there’s still a lot of old-world charm that speaks to a bygone era. There’s architecture and history here that shouldn’t be outshined by the Skee-Ball arcades.
She returns to this theme frequently: that York is much more than the beaches and taffy shops that made it famous. “The boardwalk is exciting,” Ali says, “but it isn’t for everyone, which is why it’s great that the town has so many different parts. If you want a quieter time, maybe a beautiful walk alongside big Victorian homes in a quaint quintessential Maine village, then you go to York Harbor, which the Olde York Historical Society has done a tremendous job of preserving. If you want to be active and outdoorsy, you head to Cape Neddick. For theater, we’re right by Ogunquit. And for year-round amenities, Portsmouth is twenty minutes.”
Mark Twain spent frequent summers in York and is rumored to have said—with regards to York’s multiple municipalities, each of them singular, each with their own character—that you can’t throw a stick in York without hitting five postmasters. “It’s still true,” Ali says, “we still have five post offices because there are so many zip codes.” And many zip codes, she points out, mean not only a variety of moods and activities, but also a variety of price points for potential homeowners.
Ali has worked and traveled all over the world, but York will always be her hometown, and she its resident aficionado. “The Nevada Hotel just reopened and it’s an amazing remodel,” she mentions as a current point of interest. “And, Walkers, for restaurants that’s my top, top. Owned by two locals. Great bar, cocktails, and their pumpkin fries are so good.” She also dashes off the Cape Neddick Lobster Pound, the Wiggly Bridge, and Nubble Lighthouse as perennial favorites.
For some of her deeper cut recommendations you may need to be crafty about parking. “I really enjoy a sunset walk at the Harbor Beach,” Ali says, “but you need a local resident parking pass. You don’t need a local resident pass to go there, though.” The view from the top of Mount Agamenticus is another of her insider musts. “They just did a huge overhaul on all the trails,” she says. “So many wonderful improvements. It’s a great place to hike, bike, picnic, and take in the view of the ocean.” After a lifetime in York, witnessing all that has changed and all that has stayed the same, Ali can’t help but let her own nostalgia slip into her recollections of the town. “It used to be just a dirt road,” she says of Agamenticus. “You’d drive up, climb the fire tower, drink beers and, you know, be a teenager. Now, it’s practically a state park. They really have done an amazing job.”
THE KENNEBUNKS: Built on Community
In the Kennebunk region, small businesses run the show. Mother-daughter duo Heidi Maynard and Croey Tracy of Pack Maynard Real Estate share some of the gems.
Photos by Liz Daly
The Kennebunk Chamber of Commerce Facebook page reads: Three Towns, One Community. “That slogan sums it up perfectly,” says Heidi Maynard, who, along with her daughter Corey Tracy, co-owns and operates Pack Maynard & Associates Real Estate. “We’ve got Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel. All three towns are in one school district,” she says.
Of the three, Kennebunkport is likely the most seasonal, owing in no small part to the significant draw of its beaches. “You’ve got Goose Rocks Beach and Cape Porpoise,” Corey says, “and Dock Square is where you really find the heart of the town.” Meanwhile, Kennebunk and Arundel are more year-round. “We see a lot of young families moving in, people who work remotely, plus people that grew up here and are now coming back,” Corey says. As a result, downtown Kennebunk offers several full-time amenities. “That’s where you’ll find the library, the restaurants, the shops,” says Heidi. “They’ve also got a community ice rink and pickleball.”
Both Heidi and Corey, however, are quick to qualify these broad categorizations. “Obviously, people live full-time and part-time in all three towns,” Corey says.“My mom [Heidi], for example, has lived year-round in Kennebunkport for 45 years,” she says. “I am a resident of Arundel with my family but have lived in all three towns over the years.” This instinct to push back, to challenge longstanding assumptions about the region, and to guide potential visitors and buyers toward a more holistic understanding of the place—to help them see how all three towns maintain individual identities while also feeding and informing and supporting one another—is at the core of their work.
“A lot of attention from the outside world goes to the affluent areas,” Heidi says. “But the people who live here come from all walks of life. The backbone of our community, really, is our small businesses.”
The vast majority of those small businesses are locally owned and operated. “And the number of women-owned businesses in town is truly phenomenal,” Heidi says. In 2023, Kennebunk native Laura McCullough opened La La Luna, a women’s boutique focused on a chic, tightly curated clothing selection that blends modern fashion with coastal aesthetics. Laura is also the face behind Dannah, Dannah for Men, and Destination Needlepoint. This past May, Frances Elle opened by Sarah Morris on Ocean Avenue, specializing in luxury resale of handbags and apparel from iconic houses like Chanel, Hermès, and Yves Saint Laurent to name a few. And if you’re looking to dress your home as well as yourself, Mélange has all the requisite treasures for a minor refresh or full-blown remodel. “Paula has bought from around the world to fill this store with rugs, pottery, lights, decor, and more,” Corey says. A true pleasure to explore.
“All of our favorite restaurants are also owned by locals,” Heidi says. Hurricane Restaurant, now in its 33rd year, sits on the bank of the Kennebunk River and features an award-winning wine list in addition to their water views and from-scratch kitchen. For rustic Italian—think handmade pastas and a seafood-forward menu that swaps the Mediterranean for the Atlantic—check out Wandby Landing, or for classic wood-fired barbecue, hit up Smoke BBQ for all things meat. It’s some of the best barbecue in the state. If it’s lighter fare you’re after, perhaps post-workout at Quest Fitness (“We love our trainer, Kennebunk local Amy Therrien,” Corey says. “She’s the best!”), swing by KBK Protein Place, opened in July 2023 by Vanessa McCarthy and her husband Marty, for one of their distinctive protein shakes (flavors include Dole Whip, Cadbury Egg, and fried ice cream, but Heidi and Corey swear by the coffee Oreo and the protein ball dupe, respectively). And lastly, owner Lani Dietz’s wine shop Maine & Vine has an almost overwhelming selection Kennebunk native Lani really knows her wine, and she is always happy to guide you to a delicious bottle for your next dinner party or picnic.
“The year-round residents who run these small businesses work so hard,” Corey says, “they really do create the soul of the town, and they give so much back.” Giving back is somewhat of an ethos in the Kennebunks. Pack Maynard is a sponsor of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust’s annual Summer Celebration fundraiser, a garden-style party with hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided by Nonantum Resort, live music, and an art auction. This year, the party will be held at bucolic Blackrock Farm. “KCT has preserved over 3,000 acres in the town of Kennebunkport,” Heidi says. “We really believe in conservation. I mean, we live here too, and it’s very important to us that land is conserved. Along with KCT, we also want to give huge shout outs and thanks to the Kennebunk Land Trust and the Arundel Conservation Trust. They are the masters of preserving our natural beauty.” ▪
