Biddeford? Brunswick? (Portland, Lewiston, Saco: real estate, how much, homes)

[drB1975]

Thinking about moving to Maine. Some possible job opportunities in Biddeford and Brunswick. I've heard Biddeford has been hurting economically and Brunswick is/will be due to the closing of the Navy base. How true is this? Thanks.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Quite true. All of the squadrons are gone from Brunswick. Maine is stuck in the same economic decline endured by much of our nation. That said, there are what I call "pockets of prosperity" where creative people willing to work are doing just fine. Your own opportunity depends on what you do and how adaptable you are.

[HandT]

Aesthetically, Brunswick is much more appealing. Biddeford certainly has greater access to Boston (Amtrak runs from Saco right next door). Brunswick has a vibrant college scene (Bowdoin).

[elston]

Biddeford is an old milltown that was once a vibrant working class immigrant community.....and then the mills closed down and it fell on hard times....Main Street stores were closed and it hit rock bottom!

There is a college in Biddeford and beyond it a charming sea side community "Biddeford Pool". Biddeford sits across the river from Saco...the way many mill towns reflect one another....one being the source of the revenue....the mills and the workers and the other being a bit more gentile and the homes of the mill owners and wealthier members of the communities.

Biddeford has lots of potential....great old brick storefronts, huge empty mills waiting to be converted to offices, studios galleries etc. The down town is filled with charming sites....a bit down at the heels but charming.....When I go into Saco and Biddeford I see lots of evidence of a renewal....of buildings being restored and re-opened....this is being done with a sense of history and not the bull dozer style of urban renewal that devestated so many New England towns.

I am particularly fond of Saco....but the two are linked familially, historically and financially. Biddeford is by far the larger of the two communities. They are ideally situated, loaded with resources and beginning to stir and develop. I am very optimistic that they will become vibrant economic and artistic centers for Maine.

[lojac99]

Biddeford's ocean neighborhoods blow Brunswick's out of the water. Not even a fair comparison. I get a real kick out of people like K-Luv on here who call it a dump - it probably is home to some of the most expensive/pristine real estate in all of Maine.

You can get to Boston city limits from Biddeford in less than an hour and a half, in normal traffic. Good access via 95 and the choo-choo train.

As far as "hurting economically," that is bad information, as it is the commercial and medical hub of York County. Its proximity to both Portland, Portsmouth and Boston help assure that. Brunswick, on the other hand, while home to a decent college and attracts tourists, is farther away from the activity in southern maine and would have less overall opportunity. While Brunswick's downtown is more asthetically pleasing, remember Biddeford is over 30 square miles. If you're going to judge a community by just the downtown, you're not looking close enough. Location, Location, Location.

[FreeAmerica]

I grew up in Biddeford and still have family living there. Every time I visit I'm amazed at how much it has grown/changed. Especially around the 5 points area. I haven't lived there in many, many years but I would agree with the above post that Biddeford's close proximity to other areas make it appealing.

there are certainly some "depressed" areas in Biddeford but the town is most certainly not a dump.

[Maineah]

Unlike some people on here I actually live three miles from Brunswick and can tell you there have been no noticeable negative changes in any businesses since the squadrons have left BNAS. There is already an avaition manufacturer, Kestrel Avaition, making plans to move onto the base now. They will hire more than three hundred skilled workers. Several other businesses have been looking in to locating at the former BNAS fascility. They started work just today laying 30 miles of new railroad track linking Brunswick to Portland and the Downeaster Amtrak train route. The link will be complete in 2012 and will link Brunswick to Boston and beyond. They expect ridership to increase by 36,000 with the addition of stops in Freeport and Brunswick. Several new restaurants and pubs have opened in Brunswick just this spring and many more are planned for the railroad stations and surrounding areas. Anyone who thinks the closing of BNAS has had a big impact on Brunswick does not know this area and are giving you false information. As has been pointed out in other posts Biddeford Pool is not Biddeford. They have different zipcodes. Try telling someone from South Freeport there is no difference between South Freeport and Freeport!! Same idea. Biddeford proper is pretty run down...Biddeford Pool is full of beautiful, expensive homes. Five points is just another strip Mall.

[lojac99]

Biddeford proper is not Biddeford Pool? You could have fooled me.. Last time I checked, Biddeford was settled in 1616, and the town boundaries have been set for over 300 years... Biddeford has 3 zip codes.. Does that mean it is 3 cities? Portland has 11.. Is that 11 cities?

Also, can you honestly say the train will save Brunswick? Divide ridership of 36,000 by 365 days a year... 2 trips a day.. That comes out to a *whopping* 49 riders per trip.. Sure glad my federal taxes are subsidizing that!

"Biddeford proper" is pretty big - not as big as Brunswick's, but decent sized. To say it is "pretty run down" is a huge generalization, and a very ignorant statement. Its not the first ignorant post I've seen here about Biddeford, but considering the elitist Mid-Coast source, I'm not surprised.

Please provide real, empirical evidence that (a) BNAS closure will not affect the Mid-Coast economy (beyond one company moving in) and (b) the Downeaster extension will be more than just a waste of taxpayer dollars.

[elston]

It shouldn't be a debate between Biddeford or Brunswick....Maine is blessed with many fine communities and different folks end up being boosters for different towns and different regions...That I happen to like the Biddeford area...doesnt take away from Brunswick or Freeport or Lewiston or Rockport....different strokes for different folks.

I am sure that if I spent time in Brunswick.....I could be a booster too.....but I am drawn to Biddeford/Saco....I have a sense of these towns.....and I really like them.....and see a great future for them.

We should never have to tear down someone else's town inorder to promote another. Maine is filled with wonderful communities....all of which add to the fabric of Maine.

[Maineah]

[quote=lojac99;15306045]Biddeford proper is not Biddeford Pool? You could have fooled me.. Last time I checked, Biddeford was settled in 1616, and the town boundaries have been set for over 300 years... Biddeford has 3 zip codes.. Does that mean it is 3 cities? Portland has 11.. Is that 11 cities?

Also, can you honestly say the train will save Brunswick? Divide ridership of 36,000 by 365 days a year... 2 trips a day.. That comes out to a *whopping* 49 riders per trip.. Sure glad my federal taxes are subsidizing that!

"Biddeford proper" is pretty big - not as big as Brunswick's, but decent sized. To say it is "pretty run down" is a huge generalization, and a very ignorant statement. Its not the first ignorant post I've seen here about Biddeford, but considering the elitist Mid-Coast source, I'm not surprised.

Please provide real, empirical evidence that (a) BNAS closure will not affect the Mid-Coast economy (beyond one company moving in) and (b) the Downeaster extension will be more than just a waste of taxpayer dollars.[/QUOTE]I guess you're the only one with clairvoyance on here. Facts speak for themselves. Businesses NOT closing would not be taken as anecdotal evidence of an areas collapse. New businesses starting up are empiricle evidence of growth. Infrastructure improvements and the predictions of new use should not be rejected out of hand by someone without first hand knowlege of the system. The ridership would naturally follow the rise and fall of tourist traffic in the area. The predictions that Brunswick would turn into a ghost town with the closing of BNAS have not held true.
Biddeford DOES have a rundown mill area in the heart of town though there have been attempts to clean up the area in recent years. Saco leads the way with this effort. You yourself have posted in other threads about the "transient problem" in Biddeford. Observation of empty old mill buildings is not ignorance. Ignorance is combining the elite section of the area, Biddeford Pool, with the old mill area of Biddeford's down town in an effort to boost the overall appeal of Biddeford. Who's being an elitist now?