Maine Quality > Living Here
Living Here
Local Resources
You don’t have to go far to enjoy the many recreational resources around FirstPark. From the world famous Belgrade lakes located a short 10 minutes from downtown Waterville, to the challenging and breathtaking whitewater of the upper Kennebec to world class public golf courses literally in our own back yard, we have an abundance of recreational attractions.
Sports Enthusiasts
Maine has a true 4-season recreational calendar and most of the opportunities are located within an hour's drive or better still, right in our own back yard. Our Central Maine location gives us convenient access to Maine's many recreational bounties.
• Sugarloaf, USA and Sunday River offer the best alpine and cross-country skiing in New England and both resorts are only an hour's drive from Central Maine.
• The ITS snowmobile trail system can be reached within virtually 5 miles of any location in Central Maine. The Skowhegan to Jackman stretch provides the most extensive snowmobile terrain anywhere in the east and many riders make Canada their destination on these well-groomed trails.
• The North Atlantic Blues Festival and Lobster Festival in Rockland both attract famous entertainers, Windjammer Days in Boothbay Harbor are a must see event in June, and the Old Port Festival in Portland boasts entertainment, food and festivities for all to enjoy.
• The Appalachian Trail, which originates at Springer Mountain in Georgia and ends at Mt Katahdin in Maine, offers exceptional hiking for outdoor enthusiasts.
• Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, the second most visited park in the nation, offers hiking trails, challenging mountain climbing, camping, spectacular views, ocean kayaking, and ferry access to Nova Scotia and St Johnsbury in Canada.
• Salmon fishing, Bass fishing, hunting, boating, wave running and other fun water sports are available in the immediate area.
• Camping is available at all Maine State Parks and many private campgrounds exist throughout the state.
Youth Activities
The Central Maine region far exceeds the standards of children's entertainment and youth facilities. Parks, libraries with story times, discovery museums, day camps, after-school programs and child-inspired facilities make their home in the area.
• The Alfond Youth Center in Waterville gained national attention when Colin Powell declared: "The biggest... the best... the most successful... never seen before... is in Waterville, Maine!" The Youth Center evolved when the community joined the YMCA with the Boys & Girls Club under one 56,000 square-foot roof. Philanthropist, Harold Alfond, paid 3-1 for every dollar the community raised, to $10 million for the construction of our nation's most cutting-edge youth facility.
• State-of-the-art dance, ballet and karate studios flank the arts & crafts center and hi-tech cinematography lab at the Youth Center.
• Waterville has a new, fully equipped municipal pool. In addition, the newly revamped adjoining playground is top-notch. No expense was spared for this ultra-modern playground system.
• The Lakewood Young Performers Camp offers children 6-13 years old the opportunity to grow creatively in a professional theater setting. Campers are instructed in acting, improvisation, movement, stage make-up, costuming, set construction, voice, dance and auditioning. In addition to learning theater craft, the program is designed to teach children the importance of working together as a team, with emphasis on group activities that build skills in communicating, decision-making, coping and physical mobility. Every camper performs in costume and make-up before a set and an audience.
• Hardy Girls. Hardy Girls Healthy Women (HGHW) is a nonprofit organization located in Waterville, ME that is dedicated to the health and well being of girls and women. Its website is at www.hghw.org. HGHW is striving to create a world where women experience equality, independence, and safety in their everyday lives.
• The Order of Rainbow for Girls. Rainbow teaches a girl the importance of being a good citizen and to reinforce the differences between right and wrong. Rainbow is dedicated to helping young women develop leadership, positive character strengths, and other important life skills.
• The Order of DeMolay for Boys is the world's largest fraternity for young men 13 to 21. DeMolay provides young men with a place to have fun, experience fellowship and learn and practice leadership skills. It creates an environment for young men conducive to growing, maturing and developing into caring and contributing members of society.
• Movie theatres, miniature golf, bowling alleys, roller rinks and old-fashioned soda fountains throughout the area keep the young and young at heart entertained.
Theater, Arts & Antiques
Maine is more than just the Great Outdoors! There is also an impressive array of cultural attractions and activities await discovery.
• The Colby College Museum of Art, with its 9,000-square-foot Lunder Wing, contains 13 individual galleries making the museum the largest in the state and one of the best in New England.
• The L.C. Bates Museum features galleries full of exhibits on natural history in a remarkably preserved and stoic building.
• Lakewood Theater, the State Theater of Maine and oldest continuous summer theater in the US, presents high quality entertainment and stage education at a unique and beautiful site that is particularly Maine.
• The Theater at Monmouth, designated in 1975 by the Maine Legislature as the Shakespearean Theater of Maine, is widely known for its dedication to professional productions of the world's greatest plays in rotating repertory. Performances are held in beautiful Cumston Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings since 1976.
• The Waterville Opera House is one of the premier theaters in the state, boasting a large seating capacity, excellent acoustics, an unusually elegant interior, and state of the art equipment.
• The International Film Festival takes place at the eclectic Railroad Square Cinema (known for its independent, cultural films throughout the year). The Festival is a weeklong collection of award-winning and cult-classic international films.
• Popular sidewalk art shows and festivals reflect a local and statewide proliferation of art and art enthusiasts. Unique galleries and curio shops pepper the region.
• For antique enthusiasts, the nearby town of Hallowell is the oldest original antique town in Maine, with rows of antique shops, galleries, and eclectic cafés along the Kennebec River.
• The Portland flower show, Bangor and Skowhegan state fairs, the Common Ground Country Fair, Good Will-Hinckley Festival of Trees, and the many festivals and sites of the Maine coast keep residents and visitors alike busy all year long.
Civic Organizations
For those of you who are civic-minded, there is an abundance of organizations within the local area to stay connected with the community. Among them are:
• Lodges of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons and Appended Bodies Including Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Order of the Eastern Star, and Ancient Arabic Order of the Mystic Shrine
• Lions Club
• Rotary International
• Toastmasters
• Kiwanis Club
Useful Links
State of Maine
Labor Market Information Services
Dept of Economic and Community Development
Hospitals
Airports
Central Maine Regional Airport in Norridgewock
College/University
Kennebec Valley Community College
Local Development Organizations
Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce
Real Estate
Coldwell Banker Plourde Real Estate
Century 21 - Surette Real Estate
Affiliated Realty/Perkins Leasing & Management
Banking & Finance
Tourism
Auto Dealers
