Great article about Augusta (Portland, Biddeford: apartments, crime rate, Home Depot)

[citychik]

I don't know when this was written, but it seems fairly recent:

https://downeast.com/our-towns/augusta-maine/

I'm in Maine now. Here for about a week to look at apartments all up and down midcoast. I was just Googling around and re-discovered this article which I read a few weeks ago. When I first read it back then, I thought downtown Augusta sounded cool - and like it could be a possibility for me, but then I kept finding so much negativity being expressed about the city on various threads here that I changed my mind. But rereading them, it seems that some people just hate the city solely because the state government offices are there and not really anything to do with the city's amenities, features, lifestyle, etc. - they just hate the government.

So, what do you Mainers think about that article and the reality of what the city is like to live in? According to city-data, the crime rate there is lower than it used to be, so they must be doing something right. Plwase chime in, especially if you live there now. Also, what streets besides Water Street would be considered "downtown" if I look on a map?

[yaeger07]

I've never been to Augusta but have seen similar negativity. I noticed Biddeford is also on that list and I've heard a lot of bad things about living there, too (something about tree streets?).

[Mark S.]

I'm not a "city" person, but Augusta isn't that bad. There are definitely some areas in town I'd avoid living in, but all in all, it's not a bad place. If I were working in Augusta, I'd probably choose to live someplace like Hallowell or Gardiner, but that's simply because I prefer smaller towns.

As Maine cities go, I like Augusta better than Portland. It's prettier and has a very walkable downtown area.

[mainebrokerman]

I’ve lived in Augusta 3 different times in my life
Like most places it’s what you make of it

I was in Augusta this evening - my lady and I went to cushnoc pizza
( cushnoc was the name before Augusta)

Pizzas are made in a wood fired brick oven and it has tables overlooking the Kennebec river
Down on the old Main Street best pizza I ever had

My son went all the way up the Augusta public school system - and now he’s a pharmacist
I had no complaints


Augusta like so many Maine towns were mill towns ... lots of hardworking immigrants or French
Canadians... these mills are now closed/ razed or repurposed.

[roadrat]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

I’ve lived in Augusta 3 different times in my life
Like most places it’s what you make of it

I was in Augusta this evening - my lady and I went to cushnoc pizza
( cushnoc was the name before Augusta)

Pizzas are made in a wood fired brick oven and it has tables overlooking the Kennebec river
Down on the old Main Street best pizza I ever had

My son went all the way up the Augusta public school system - and now he’s a pharmacist
I had no complaints


Augusta like so many Maine towns were mill towns ... lots of hardworking immigrants or French
Canadians... these mills are now closed/ razed or repurposed.

Literally, Cushnoc brewery is the only thing going for downtown Augusta. You could film an episode of the walking dead down there, it looks completely abandoned.

Cushnoc's Pizza is amazing thought.

[BaltimoreBruiser]

Originally Posted by roadrat

Literally, Cushnoc brewery is the only thing going for downtown Augusta. You could film an episode of the walking dead down there, it looks completely abandoned.

Cushnoc's Pizza is amazing thought.

It definitely looked like a dump every time I've been through. Which is disappointing as a state capital. What was unusual is that it wasn't just one or two areas. Even the surrounding residential areas that we toured looked run down and a quintessential poster-child of what I picture when I think of the opiod crisis. I have to assume that the state workers commute in from nicer areas?

[citychik]

Originally Posted by roadrat

You could film an episode of the walking dead down there, it looks completely abandoned.

Originally Posted by BaltimoreBruiser

It definitely looked like a dump every time I've been through.

Are you folks talking about recently, in 2020? Or a few years ago?

And did you both read the article? I'd love to hear from people who live or work there currently, to compare their experiences with the article. Can you clarify your comments with regard to time frame, please?

[roadrat]

Originally Posted by citychik

Are you folks talking about recently, in 2020? Or a few years ago?

And did you both read the article? I'd love to hear from people who live or work there currently, to compare their experiences with the article. Can you clarify your comments with regard to time frame, please?

The article and pictures are a bit deceiving, some are not of the actual downtown, others like the very first one are taken at an angle and at a distance, look closer and you'll see that most of those downtown shop windows are empty.

[BaltimoreBruiser]

Originally Posted by citychik

Are you folks talking about recently, in 2020? Or a few years ago?

And did you both read the article? I'd love to hear from people who live or work there currently, to compare their experiences with the article. Can you clarify your comments with regard to time frame, please?

The last time I've been through was last year (Fall 2019). We usually stay a night in the city while we do a Maine road trip. Maybe calling it a "dump" is a big exaggerated, but that context is compared to all of the other cities and towns we visit in Maine. The downtown was nowhere near "revitalized", although I definitely hope that it is able to come alive over the next decade. All that said, i'd still pick Augusta over most places NOT in Maine.

As a visitor and not a resident, my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. These are just my observations.

[mainebrokerman]

Just about all Main Street struggling
Parking has always been an issue
Augusta has two huge shopping centers didn’t have years ago
From Walmart to Home Depot to target to Dick’s sporting goods to Ruby Tuesday all these national chains are in Augusta and many more and they’ve depleted the independent stores and restaurants
Combine that with more and more people are doing online shopping

It takes quite a dreamer and somebody with some money to open a business on Main Street today