Moving to Sanford, but have some questions (Biddeford, Berwick: sales, apartment complexes)

[cactus03]

Hi,
I have got a new job in sanford and have to move in the next 2 weeks. I am totally new to the area and I was reading this forum and read some bad things about the sanford area and so now I am confused. I really want to hear from someone who knows the sanford area as to how the area really is. I also am looking for apartment complexes over there and if anybody can guide me which are good ones, it would be great. If you can tell me what areas to avoid in sanford, it would be really nice..

[Abbymoulton]

Originally Posted by cactus03

Hi,
I have got a new job in sanford and have to move in the next 2 weeks. I am totally new to the area and I was reading this forum and read some bad things about the sanford area and so now I am confused. I really want to hear from someone who knows the sanford area as to how the area really is. I also am looking for apartment complexes over there and if anybody can guide me which are good ones, it would be great. If you can tell me what areas to avoid in sanford, it would be really nice..

Try to stay out of the middle of town. Best to live in a surrounding town. Sanford is an old factory town and they are trying to improve but it slow going.

[Red Square]

Originally Posted by Abbymoulton

Try to stay out of the middle of town. Best to live in a surrounding town. Sanford is an old factory town and they are trying to improve but it slow going.

What are the nicer surrounding towns?

[elston]

Alfred always looked pretty to me as I drove thru on my way from NH to Biddeford. I never had any reason to stop but it looked like a pretty small town. If I remember correctly there was a farm stand near there with a Moxie motif and lots of tomatoes growing in large orange buckets along the road side.

On the other side of Sanford there was a road called Bonnie Begg Rd. (or something lke that....I had relatives who lived in an old farm house in there and it was a pretty farming community, with some very nice large upscale homes. The name came from the original Scottish settlers who came over to escape the British and the puppet government after the war of 1745. (Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!)

[bignhfamily]

I'm sure I will hear an earful about this but.....

If you are going to live that far south in Maine, why not just move to Rochester NH or surrounding area. Both Rochester, NH and Sanford, ME are about the same size and fairly similar in demographics. Rents are about the same.
The benefit of NH is jobs are plentiful in the seacoast area and there is no income tax or sales tax.

[elston]

Originally Posted by bignhfamily

I'm sure I will hear an earful about this but.....

If you are going to live that far south in Maine, why not just move to Rochester NH or surrounding area. Both Rochester, NH and Sanford, ME are about the same size and fairly similar in demographics. Rents are about the same.
The benefit of NH is jobs are plentiful in the seacoast area and there is no income tax or sales tax.

The original poster said they already had employment in Sanford; that was the reason they were moving, not the other way around.

All the way up the NH Maine border isn't it is pretty much the same, Fryeburg is really much like the corresponding NH town and so forth all the way up to the road from Berlin north to the road to Rangely Lakes. It really isnt a North < > South issue as far as I can tell. NH and Maine are both extra-ordinary states with much to recommend them both.
Now maybe I will hear an earful about that too. LOL

[Melonghunter]

Originally Posted by Red Square

What are the nicer surrounding towns?

A lfred,Springvale....No. Berwick....

[Melonghunter]

Originally Posted by elston

The original poster said they already had employment in Sanford; that was the reason they were moving, not the other way around.

All the way up the NH Maine border isn't it is pretty much the same, Fryeburg is really much like the corresponding NH town and so forth all the way up to the road from Berlin north to the road to Rangely Lakes. It really isnt a North < > South issue as far as I can tell. NH and Maine are both extra-ordinary states with much to recommend them both.
Now maybe I will hear an earful about that too. LOL

There isn't much up north even near Ranngly ,other than the typical tourist stuff.That is a VERY long border without a lot on it.........

[MRVphotog]

Alfred is a real nice small town and real close to Sanford. You do get what you pay for as housing is more expensive in Alfred. There was a proposal about 5 years ago to build a huge casino in Sanford by the Maine tribes.

t was very contentious issue within Sanford and actually the whole state. It was voted down. There were signs for and against the casino all over southern Maine. The seacoast tourist towns fought it as it would take alot of the area's seasonal employees.

[cactus03]

Thank you guys for all ur replies.. Well, I moved to Sanford yesterday and am looking for places to live now...I havent seen much of Sanford yet. Just saw the Main St, on which my job is...But from what I saw, I am guessing that main st, is one of the prominent streets there..Are there any other places in Sanford where I should be looking for good housing? I am planning to rent for now...

Thank you guys for helping me out...I also looked at a couple of places in Biddeford but have not liked any so far...Still looking..