Monhegan Island

Monhegan Island conjures up so many images that even Mainers who've never been there instantly nod and say "Ah" when you say you're going to the island. They might be thinking of a Jamie Wyeth painting, or a piece by one of the many famous artists who worked or still work on Monhegan. They might be remembering the dispute that lobsterman had over territories with the folks from Friendship. Or they might have heard about the excellent birding that can be done there, and only there, because of its prime spot offshore -- close but not too close.

That might sum up the tenor of the island community. It's close enough so that a year-round population has managed to survive and persevere for at least 100 years. About 75 people live there

year-round. The islanders aren't isolated; they know what's going on, their kids go away to college, they have electricity and telephone lines. But it's not so close that anyone can just decide to live there. It's about 12 miles offshore and winter nights are long and windy. Like many of Maine's island communities, Monhegan struggles to find a balance between the need to attract tourism and the desire to have some privacy.

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