Where should we live? (Portland, Lewiston: for sale, houses, employment)

[hartbeatty]

We need your help! My husband will be taking a job in Augusta in January and we are at odds on where we should live. I want to live in the Brunswick area (my boys and I visited not that long ago and LOVED it!). My husband is concened of the commuting time to and from Augusta. Our boys (ages 10, 10 & 11) play lacrosse, soccer and football and I think the Brunswick area has more to offer in those areas. Since my husband will retire in 3+ years, I think we should settle in Brunswick and he can find work there afterwards. Obviously, we are concerned about the school systems as well. If anyone can offer any assistance regarding schools and sports for three active boys in both towns, or anyplace in between, we would both really appreciate it! Also, is there a commter bus that would get him to Augusta? Thanks!

[Maineah]

There is no commuter bus to Augusta except perhaps Greyhound or Concord Trailways.
I doubt he would want to spend the money to ride a bus all the time anyway. Public transportation is almost non-existent in Maine.
Be aware that Brunswick is about to become somewhat depressed in the next several years as the Brunswick Naval Air Base is scheduled for closure.
The town will survive though there are a great number of civilian businesses who depend on the base for their livlihood. These folks are all going to be looking for other employment soon so your hubby may have some stiff competition for any job in Brunswick.

[island mermaid]

Depending where in Augusta your hubby will be working, you can expect approx a 30 minute commute up the highway from Brunswick to Augusta.

As Maineah said, there is no public trans. A daily bus route if available would be more trouble than it's worth in my opinion.

Brunswick is a wonderful town with terrific schools and great rec programs. You will find many youth leagues offering lacrosse, soccer and football. The town of Brunswick is a very central location within a 30 minute commute to both Lewiston and Portland as well. I believe there will be more affordable housing there once the base closes. Employment within the town will be difficult, but always has been. If given a choice regarding which town to live in, my recommendation would most definitely be Brunswick. There are no bad neighborhoods in Brunswick, there are those within Augusta. Augusta is a small city, Brunswick is a nice town with a very friendly appeal.

Just my 2 cents. Best of luck to you!

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by hartbeatty

My husband is concened of the commuting time to and from Augusta.

Brunswick to Augusta is about a half hour up 295. There is no regular commuter bus or railway.

Originally Posted by hartbeatty

Our boys (ages 10, 10 & 11) play lacrosse, soccer and football and I think the Brunswick area has more to offer in those areas.

Absolutely. I think it was Sports Illustrated that ranked Brunswick as the #1 spot for kids sports in the nation. There is lacrosse, soccer, football, basketball, and baseball offered through various city and school programs.

Originally Posted by hartbeatty

Since my husband will retire in 3+ years, I think we should settle in Brunswick and he can find work there afterwards.

That might be a bit trickier, depending on what you do. With BNAS closing in a few years, the local economy is going to take a hit. The town won't die or anything like that. In fact, several other businesses and schools are already slotted to move in when the base closes, and the town is courting more. But there will definitely be a transition period once the base closes.

The good news for those wanting to move here is that there are a lot of houses for sale right now, and it is a buyer's market.

Once the base is gone, the biggest employers in Brunswick will probably be Bath Iron Works, local schools, and the two hospitals. The best source I've found for job announcements in Maine is jobsinme.com.

Originally Posted by hartbeatty

Obviously, we are concerned about the school systems as well. If anyone can offer any assistance regarding schools and sports for three active boys in both towns, or anyplace in between, we would both really appreciate it!

Brunswick public schools are great. There are several elementary schools, one junior high, and one brand new high school. There are a couple of Montessori schools, and St. John's has a school for K-8.

Topsham, which is just right across the river, also has good schools. The residential neighborhoods in Topsham are really nice, but I don't like the downtown area as much as B'wick's. The two towns are right next to each other though. You could easily live in one and shop in the other. We do all the time.

Bath is about 10 minutes from Brunswick. A very working class town with a neat downtown area. You can get a lot more house for your money in Bath, but I've heard mixed things about the local school system. Never experienced it firsthand myself, but locals sometimes have less than nice things to say about Bath schools.

Freeport is about 10-15 minutes south of Brunswick. Again, nice residential areas, good schools, but the downtown area is very touristy. In the summer season, you won't want to drive downtown. Just park and walk.

Gardiner and Hallowell are both bedroom communities for Augusta. Hallowell is five minutes or less from Augusta. Gardiner is about 15. Both really nice little communities on the river. I confess I know nothing about the schools though.

Bowdoinham is a very rural community between Topsham and Augusta. Very quiet and nice, but there's not much there. You'd probably end up driving to Topsham or Augusta for most of your shopping. They do have one community school. I know high schools kids go to Mt. Ararat in Topsham. I'm not sure about junior high.

[mainebrokerman]

i can say firsthand, the augusta school system has been good for my son, he is still in high school and has gone up all the way thru, we've had many sports programs to choose from, my son played lacrosse last yr.
thiers a brand new cony high school, with high honor, honor and general classes.
i've been impressed with the teachers thru the grades.

[mainerwoman]

Augusta is a great community for a family. My oldest has played multiple sports through the rec and my 3 yr old will start her first season of soccer this month. The rec offers a fine football program. Augusta has a brand new beautiful YMCA, and a good school system. My oldest attends St. Michaels, the Catholic school, which is pre-k-8. St. Michaels is a absolutely wonderful school. Many of the area top high school seniors are products of St. Michaels. There is also Stepping Stones, a Montessori school in the area. On both sides of Augusta are nice homes for sale. The economy in Augusta is progressing nicely, probably due to the large amount of retail opportunities. i know some people frown on the chain or box stores but it is so nice to be able to shop in my own city. Augusta has a brand new park, the Bicentenial Park, with water access for swimming. There is the new Rail Trail, which goes from Gardiner to Augusta. The Rail Trail is perfect for biking or skating for kids. There is the State Museum and Lithgow Library, which has many fine programs for children. Although there are a couple of neighborhoods that I would prefer not to live in, I'm sure that Brunswick has them too. It is impossible that every person in Brunswick is perfect and lovely. I really like living in Augusta. I think it is a friendly safe place to live with my children.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by mainerwoman

Augusta is a great community for a family. My oldest has played multiple sports through the rec and my 3 yr old will start her first season of soccer this month. The rec offers a fine football program. Augusta has a brand new beautiful YMCA, and a good school system. My oldest attends St. Michaels, the Catholic school, which is pre-k-8. St. Michaels is a absolutely wonderful school. Many of the area top high school seniors are products of St. Michaels. There is also Stepping Stones, a Montessori school in the area. On both sides of Augusta are nice homes for sale. The economy in Augusta is progressing nicely, probably due to the large amount of retail opportunities. i know some people frown on the chain or box stores but it is so nice to be able to shop in my own city. Augusta has a brand new park, the Bicentenial Park, with water access for swimming. There is the new Rail Trail, which goes from Gardiner to Augusta. The Rail Trail is perfect for biking or skating for kids. There is the State Museum and Lithgow Library, which has many fine programs for children. Although there are a couple of neighborhoods that I would prefer not to live in, I'm sure that Brunswick has them too. It is impossible that every person in Brunswick is perfect and lovely. I really like living in Augusta. I think it is a friendly safe place to live with my children.

mainer ..good post and having lived in augusta, i agree, augusta and many towns take much criticism, usually from those , who never lived there