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Old 03-27-2010, 02:54 PM
 
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Hi -- we are a young family with kids (ages 5 and 3), moving to Maine due to husband's job relocation to Kennebunk. I'll be a stay-at-home mom for the first time and will be anxious to quickly make friends and integrate into a community. I'll also be looking for regular things to do as an adult (e.g., restaurants; explore cool towns) , and with my kids (whether it's hit a playground or attend a class with my young one).

We've narrowed down the towns to Scarborugh, York and Kennebunk, and understand that the schools are all very good. My question is more about community: do these towns have a sense of community? Besides the beaches, what are the plusses and minuses to each town? Do York and Kennebunk offer much signs of life in the off-season? Does Scarborough have a "community-feel" given it's so spread out? And of course, any thoughts on the schools are welcome, too! THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!
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Old 03-27-2010, 11:51 PM
 
Location: Maryland's 6th District.
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It all depends on what you mean by a sense of community. York and Kennebunk could get pretty boring real quick and in MY opinion both areas offer very little in the way of 'adult things to do' unless you like over-priced antique shops and tons of tourist. Really, there is not much more than that unless you want to count watching the grass grow. Real slow, laid back, no frills-and-we-like-it-that-way kind of life style. Most people who live in both areas are well-off financially, generally older folk, and just want some piece and quiet.

Both areas can be described as 'money', or at the very least; not poor. And while there are many year-round residents, there are also many people who are part-time residents; people who spend the winters in a nice, warm southern state then spend the cool summers in Maine.

Scarborough would be the best place, although if you chose Scarborough, I am curious as to why you passed up Saco or South Portland? Anyways, Scarborough will offer way more things to do for you, your husband, and little ones.

Kennebunk and York are pretty much 'dead' during the off-season, but then again, the only thing that makes them 'alive' is the sheer amount of tourist passing through and the antique shops opening up.

Scarborough is probably not as 'spread out' as you might be thinking.

I don't know anything about the schools around here other then the colleges.
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Old 03-28-2010, 10:31 AM
 
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I agree with the previous poster. A dear friend of mine who spent 8 years in Kennebunk having chosen it for the schools but realized there really was not a great deal of community there. Yes, the schools are good and the beaches are not but really once tourist season goes the area rolls up. In Kennebunk they recently built a strip mall and had a nice grocery store and other things and now that strip malls looks like a ghost town...not enough business to keep em going.

I think in Scarborough you will have enough things to keep you busy also you will be close enough to South Portland and Portland. There are alot of kid friendly things in Portland (new kid play places, etc). Though the Fiddlehead Center has a location in Scarborough and they offer a nice assortment of classes for kids and adults.
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Old 03-28-2010, 07:57 PM
 
19,954 posts, read 29,990,395 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackgirlinmaine View Post
I agree with the previous poster. A dear friend of mine who spent 8 years in Kennebunk having chosen it for the schools but realized there really was not a great deal of community there. Yes, the schools are good and the beaches are not but really once tourist season goes the area rolls up. In Kennebunk they recently built a strip mall and had a nice grocery store and other things and now that strip malls looks like a ghost town...not enough business to keep em going.

I think in Scarborough you will have enough things to keep you busy also you will be close enough to South Portland and Portland. There are alot of kid friendly things in Portland (new kid play places, etc). Though the Fiddlehead Center has a location in Scarborough and they offer a nice assortment of classes for kids and adults.
that strip mall had the only "stopnshop" supermarket in the state-they did close- however, rumor has it-hannaford is going to move into the same location



i agree with the previous posters, scraborough will give you a more year round feel
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