Gorham, Maine.. (Portland, Hope: low crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[countmeout84]

we are moving here.. i heard someone mention fort hill farms.. im assuming thats just what locals call it. can you tell me what the neighborhood is like around here? what is gorham itself like and what are some of the more quieter areas?? thanks in advanced

[WhoFanMe]

Fort Hill Farms is a sub-division located off of Route 114 (a.k.a. Fort Hill Road). It consists of the following streets: Valley View Drive, Settler's Way, Pioneer Circle, Apple Lane and Riverbend Road. There are currently 2 homes listed on the MLS on Valley View Drive. It is one of Gorham's oldest sub-divisions, the homes were built in the mid 1980s. In addition to myself, you'll find Elston lives in Gorham and is quite happy here.

[countmeout84]

Originally Posted by WhoFanMe

Fort Hill Farms is a sub-division located off of Route 114 (a.k.a. Fort Hill Road). It consists of the following streets: Valley View Drive, Settler's Way, Pioneer Circle, Apple Lane and Riverbend Road. There are currently 2 homes listed on the MLS on Valley View Drive. It is one of Gorham's oldest sub-divisions, the homes were built in the mid 1980s. In addition to myself, you'll find Elston lives in Gorham and is quite happy here.

Is it a nice neighborhood to live??

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by countmeout84

Is it a nice neighborhood to live??

Hopefully, elston will see this thread and answer any questions you have. You may want to search for his posts to learn more about Gorham.. oh and welcome!

[elston]

I just saw this post about Gorham. We moved here from California last April and couldnt be happier--we love it here. We live off Ft. Hill Road (114) just as you leave the village of Gorham....a bit past the University campus. It is a state route but in my view it is a country road.....where you might head if you wanted to take a scenic drive....nice houses, farms, fields, wood lots, deer and turkeys...so you get country within 5 mins and you can go into "town" (Gorham) just as quickly. In Gorham you have a supermarket a couple of fast foods resturants...a good Pizza place...a hardware, drug store a couple of banks....and assorted retail establishments including a real barber shop as opposed to a salon....(there are several of those) and a great coffee shop.."The Gorham Grind". To get to the Maine Mall is about a 15 minute drive and about the same to go to Cabella's Sporting Goods.

Gorham is a college town and we were delighted to find that there is a good concert series (College of Music and college Drama productions) There are other facilities (ice arena) that we havent accessed but seem to have programs. The campus is pretty. Gorham has a lot of nice older victorian and residential neighborhoods.....and then is ringed with some really nice developments with newer homes.

We have found Gorham to be a very diverse community--new comers, old timers....welcoming.....friendly. It continues to delight us. We are a retired couple so have no direct knowledge of schools....but we hear they are considered excellent. I have been impressed with how well mannered and behaved the local kids seem to be. (I have been reading about what a royal pain the fraternity kids in two off campus houses are after drinking too much on week ends and disrespecting their neighbors....but that isnt locals and it is limited to the street the frat houses are on).

If you are coming from an urban area......this is small town ..... with low crime..... and friendly people.

I would be glad to help if you have other questions that I can answer....I am sorta a home body so I dont know all the neighborhoods....but maybe able to answer direct questions.

[futurecruiser]

Agree with Elston. Not that I want a stampede of people moving to Gorham, but we love it here. We love the location, and like elston have found the people friendly and welcoming and the kids amazing. We moved from southern NH and it's totally different culture here ..... when you go into stores/businesses the people are nice and friendly, the teenagers who work in the stores are friendly and don't just 'grunt' at you....it really took some getting used to :-)

The best way to get a feel for an area is to visit yourself and drive around.

[WhoFanMe]

Originally Posted by countmeout84

Is it a nice neighborhood to live??

Due to Fair Housing Laws, I can't comment on that. Elston has done a good job above with his impressions. Gorham, as a bedroom community of Portland has some older neighborhoods near the High School and Middle School and some newer sub-divisions near Fort Hill Farms. As somebody who lives in the Little Falls area with an almost 2 year old daughter, we are very excited about the new K-5 school to be built off of Sebago Lake Road in 2011.

[WhoFanMe]

Originally Posted by futurecruiser

Agree with Elston. Not that I want a stampede of people moving to Gorham, but we love it here. We love the location, and like elston have found the people friendly and welcoming and the kids amazing. We moved from southern NH and it's totally different culture here ..... when you go into stores/businesses the people are nice and friendly, the teenagers who work in the stores are friendly and don't just 'grunt' at you....it really took some getting used to :-)

The best way to get a feel for an area is to visit yourself and drive around.

Hi future, it's nice to see somebody else from Gorham here!

[lrfox]

I agree with most everyone in this thread so far. In my opinion, all of Gorham fits the description of a quieter area. There is some suburban-esque strip commerce along Main St (rts 202/4) and the little downtown area has a little buzz about it during the day, but the vast majority of the town is quiet, rural, and friendly.

In fact, I find it hard to say anything negative about Gorham to anyone looking for a safe, quiet little town to live in. navigating the four corner intersection in the center of town can be annoying at times, but that's about it. I had a friend who lived in the neighborhood you mention and I would say that yes, it is a nice place to live... I saw nothing out of the ordinary about it.

[countmeout84]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful info!

if anyone has any other comments about gorham, feel free to reply!