Lisbon falls area question...

[phloors]

Originally Posted by doozer

Hello everyone,

I have found mixed opinions about the Lisbon Falls/Lisbon area. I am trying to get a feel for whT it may be like. We are looking for a house to rent and will be working near Portland. Obviously the cheapest rents are in Biddeford, but so far the things I read about that area have not been good. I have found a couple of houses for rent in the Lisbon Falls area that are on the cheaper end. But of course that makes me question why? We are a family with 2 elementary school girls, want a decent place to live. How does the Lsbon area compare to Biddeford and other areas around? And would it be a hassle to commute to the Maine Mall area of Portland from there. Especially in the winter?

Thanks

My daughter works in Yarmouth. She found it more cost effective to buy a house than rent. Problem was house prices in the Portland area (she currently lives in Portland) are more than she can afford.

She started to find houses in the Lisbon area very affordable so we looked at a few and eventually found one in Lisbon Falls (she ruled out Lisbon). We, too, had reservations about the area, but so far they have been unfounded. After my daughter was done looking at the house she just bought we were standing on the sidewalk when a young mother (definitely not white trash) walked by. I asked her about the area and she definitely had no issues with it.

The people (neighbors, town workers and store employees) have been very helpful and friendly. Lisbon Falls has developed nice walking/bike trails and parks. It has local shopping and banking and is extremely handy to 295 (7-8 minutes). Yes, the Maine Mall and Augusta (that shopping area is amazing) are 45 minutes away, but the Topsham Fair Mall (Best Buy, Target, etc) is 8-9 minutes away and Cooks Corner in Brunswick (SuperWalmart, Lowes, etc) is 15 minutes away. Since we are originally from the Portland area (I now live in Harpswell), she probably will not frequent Lewiston.

The main artery (196) is a good commuter road and there is public water & sewer. With rent and housing costs being out of control along the coast, this town, with it's older houses just begging to be renovated (and many, many are being or have been) may be the next community to feel the influx of young professionals unable to afford to live elsewhere. At this point in time I would not hesitate to recommend Lisbon Falls.

[drrknrl]

[quote=MRVphotog;1571209]<SNIP>

It's more than 40 min to the Maine Mall tho ...the fastest way is to get on I95/I295 is to drive to Freeport and that takes nearly 30 min, tough road and your not on the highway yet. Once you get on the highway it's another 30 min to the mall.

For 3 years I drove from Cumberland to Lewiston thru Lisbon Falls twice a week. In the winter it can be a bear that's why I used a 4wd pickup.

<SNIP>quote]

I drove from Lisbon Center to the Maine Mall area 5 days a week for 6 years. It's about 38 miles and takes 35-46 minutes on average. Yes, you can take Rt. 125 from Lisbon Falls to Freeport, then snag I-295 for the rest of the trip, but it's actually faster to take Rt. 196 to Topsham, then snag I-295 to get to the Mall area. On Rt. 125 speeds range from 35 MPH coming out of Lisbon Falls, then increase to 45-50 1.5 miles out of town, but drop down to 40 MPH at the Freeport town line for the remaining 5-6 miles to I-295. The speed limit in Freeport is strictly enforced.

[RMoore007]

I was in the Lisbon Falls area a few months ago visiting an old friend and his wife. Both were born there and still live in that area. They took me all over their town showing me their old family homes and first schools. They had met and were friends in grade school there and met up again only a few years ago. Both in their early 60's now. He went to high school near there with Steven King too.

Here are just a couple pictures I took while driving through town.

The man in the window is an icon and local fixture. I believe it's "Frank The Moxie Man."



My friend grew up in town here.



I think she said she went to school here.



Driving around town and saw this store.



I have always liked that area. I would live there. Under the right circumstances. With the right opportunity.

[woolwiTch]

This is an old thread, but I can't help commenting, especially after seeing RMoore007's pictures.

I grew up in Lisbon Falls, have lived in big cities and am now back in Maine, though not now living in Lisbon Falls. The top picture is of Frank Anicetti, who owns that store on the corner of Route 196 and Main Street. He is the originator of Moxie Days, which has become a popular event in Lisbon Falls and draws people from all over the country----much to my astonishment.

The red building was originally Lisbon Falls High School. In the 60s and 70s (maybe later for all I know), it was the "grammar school" for 6th and 7th grade.

The bottom picture, John's, has been there on Main Street for decades. Way back when there was a wonderful bakery right by it.

Lisbon Falls was a boom town when the textile mills were going well. There was a movie theater on Main Street, a Five and Dime, Rosenberg's Department Store, Roberts Drugs and fountain, a bar, restaurants, even a ballpark for the very successful semi-pro Worumbo Indians. Then JP Stevens moved to the south and everything fell apart. The 60s and 70s were especially bad years for the town.

In recent years, things have slowly improved. There is an active beautification group in town that plants a lot of flowers in public areas. The old Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church on Main Street has been turned into a fantastic art glass studio and store. At the top of Maple Street there is a weaving studio. The Sausage Kitchen moved to Main Street last year, next to the fire station. Its owner, Maurice Bonneau, makes over a dozen different kinds of delicious sausages, cures his own ham and bacon, makes the French-Canadian delicacy cretons, and stocks many Maine-made condiments and foods. This year, Doctor Mike's Madness Cafe opened on Main Street. It's a straight-out-of-the-50s style diner and is doing great business, I've heard.

Phloors makes a lot of good points about the town. There is a lot of good housing stock and, for those who are interested in renovations, many wonderful old houses. It's conveniently located for local and nearby shopping and commuting.

Having grown up there, still having friends there and visiting often, I can say it's not a bad or dangerous place. People are normal, working people. Like any town, it does have its bad elements, but there aren't loads of them. Local sports are very popular and you will see many locals turn out at baseball, football and basketball games.

I have never, ever, heard of Lisbon Falls being called "dirty Lew." It makes no sense, anyway, since "Lew" would be Lewiston, right? I do think Lisbon Falls is nicer than Lisbon, but Lisbon's no hellhole either.

I think the biggest downside to Lisbon Falls is the school system. Ever since the 60s, the townspeople have resisted spending any money on the schools. In the 70s the high school was so overcrowded it ran triple sessions and the school day for individual students was so short and accommodations so bad that the school lost its state accreditation. This year it's on probation because of deferred maintenance issues and the townspeople voted down a bond to do the work, so it will likely lose its accreditation again this fall. I'm not sure how the elementary and middle schools are, but I would want to send my kids elsewhere for high school.

There isn't a lot going on right in town, which might be a concern for some. No movie theater, a tiny library, very limited dining (Doctor Mike's, a pretty bad chinese place, Lisbon House of Pizza, Railroad Cafe, Sam's, McDonald's and another cafe type place near the high school, and that's about it in Lisbon Falls, though Lisbon has Graziano's) and the only other entertainment venue I can think of is Good Times Lanes. I do love candlepin bowling, but this has only 8 lanes, as I recall, and it's so small it doesn't have room for anything else other than a few video games. I hope that things continue to improve so that there are more opportunities for local entertainment, especially for kids and young adults.

[woolwiTch]

I just noticed I misunderstood island mermaid's post. She was referring to Lewiston as "dirty Lew," not Lisbon. I TOLD you the schools weren't so great!

[mainebrokerman]

durham isnt far from lisbon falls, neither is topsham, both are nice towns

there are some very nice neighborhoods, in the lisbon area

you can also check out poland and new gloucester areas

[mwcameron]

Does anyone know about the movie theatre on Main Street? I think at one time it was the Bijou but later became the MET. Any pictures would be very helpful.