Western Region Maine
Bridgton
Norway
Farmington
Rumford
Bridgton Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital, with a rich history dating back to its founding 1917. In 2002 a new beautiful state-of-the-art hospital was built to better address the needs of the community. The Hospital features all private patient rooms, family birthing suites, inpatient and outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology services and full array of diagnostic services. The Emergency Dept. is open 24 hours, 7 days per week. Bridgton Hospital is an affiliate of the Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston, Maine with access to a breadth of subspecialty services. The hospital serves a population of 17,396 which swells to over 35,000 in the summer months.
Bridgton is located 35 miles west of Portland, on Rte.302. The area is an outdoor recreation paradise featuring the state’s third largest ski area, Shawnee Peak, numerous lakes, ponds, and rivers for boating, swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking. Private and public schools in the area have an excellent academic record and offer a variety of extra-curricular and athletic activities. Your children will thrive in a safe, interesting and school environment. You have multiple housing options; Live on the water. Live on the side of the mountain. Choose one of the lovely old colonials in town. Select a new contemporary or golf course condominium. There is a wide variety to choose from.
Choosing Bridgton, Maine to establish your practice, live and raise your family will offer you top notch colleagues, time with family, and a wholesome and healthy environment. Back to Top
You’ll know you’ve hit Main Street, Norway, when you sense that you have entered a Norman Rockwell painting. Norway is one of those classic New England towns that is brimming with history and charm, and decorated with culture! The Matolcsy Art Center, right on Main Street, is where the Western Maine Art Group hosts several art exhibits each year. The Norway Sidewalk Art Festival in July sees nearly 100 artists from northern New England exhibit their work to the public. Year round galleries offer the wares of local artisans and others in historic buildings with indescribable character. Unique downtown shops offer everything from hardware to men’s wear (literally from overalls to formal wear), and furniture to personal care goods.
Maine’s oldest newspaper, the Advertiser-Democrat, is located downtown, as is the Historical Society, which provides fascinating documentation of Norway’s more than 200 year old history—from the shipbuilders’ use of its Norway pines, to the fire that swept through the town at the end of the last century.
The local education system is outstanding, with eight different elementary schools scattered across nearby communities, plus a middle school and Oxford Hills High School.
Property in Norway and the surrounding towns is plentiful, and it comes in a variety of forms. Thompson and Norway Lakes are located within town limits. Many other smaller lakes and ponds are just minutes from downtown. There are beautiful neighborhoods with Federal and Colonial style homes. Or perhaps you desire some prime acreage to build the home of your dreams.
Other local features of interest include the Oxford Plains Speedway (where BankNorth sponsors an annual 250 mile race each year), the McLaughlin Garden and Horticultural Center, plus two local theatres and two golf courses. The annual Oxford County Fair in the autumn draws big crowds, and each winter, the SnowFest on Norway Lake is the site of fascinating ice drag races.
The Oxford Hills region is an area of unlimited beauty, with natural resources including pristine lakes, ponds, rivers and mountains. This area is surrounded by the finest Nordic and alpine ski areas, hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, hiking and biking paths. Superb hunting and fishing abound in the Lakes and Mountains region. These hills harbor many active gemstone quarries, too – so the area is known as “the Gemstone Capital of Maine”. Imagine the fine quality of life you and your family could enjoy residing in these beautiful surroundings, and yet being so near to all the conveniences of the city! Back to Top
Farmington is nestled in the foothills of Maine’s western mountains. Here, you can enjoy a convenient and attractive community that is home to 7,000 people, and a branch of the University of Maine which widely recognized for excellence in training teachers of elementary education. This charming community offers concerts, lectures, first-run movies, bookstores, and a number of great restaurants, all within easy reach!
Schools in and around Farmington are consistently ranked high in state rankings. This strong system offers six elementary schools, a middle school and a high school, plus a vocational school, too. There is also a fantastic adult education program in place for those interested in furthering their education, or picking up a new skill or hobby.
The arts are alive in this magnificent community! Many local residents are visual and performing artists, writers or craftspeople who contribute to the cultural and economic life of the region through their work in schools, small businesses, the University of Maine at Farmington, and their home studios. Student groups such as Mt. Blue Voices and Franklin County Fiddlers, and numerous adult bands (of such variety that they include Franco-American folk music, contra-dance music, old-time country, and classic rock ‘n’ roll) perform at nursing homes and for various community functions. People of all ages exhibit fantastic artwork in area businesses, at Farmington’s Art in the Park, and the Franklin County Fair.
You’ll find many fun-filled ways to spend your leisure time. You are just minutes from spectacular Sugarloaf Ski Resort, and the challenging Sugarloaf Golf Course. The Rangley Lakes region offer Skiing in the winter at Saddleback Mountain. Or, you might enjoy other winter activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing. In the warmer seasons, you can enjoy hiking or biking or backpacking on many nearby trails, or perhaps camping, fishing or hunting. Rangley Lakes area also offers all types of boating, from canoeing and kayaking to sailing, Other activities available in the area include white water rafting, and rock climbing.
Property in Farmington is plentiful, and it comes in a variety of forms. You could purchase undeveloped land near a brook or meadow and build your dream home. Or, buy an existing home downtown, where the action is. The price of town or country homes is very reasonable in this area. You’ll enjoy life in Maine, a state consistently rated as one of the best places to raise a family in the US. Back to Top
Rumford, Maine, is located in western Maine nestled in picturesque mountains, just half an hour from Maine’s border with New Hampshire (where shopping is available with no sales tax). The International Paper Company has long been the largest employer in the area. You’ll find many fun-filled ways to spend your leisure time in this area; it’s a nature lover’s paradise! In less than an hour you can be at Sunday River Ski Resort, Maine’s premier ski area, where you will find unsurpassed downhill and cross country skiing and snowboarding. You may also enjoy other winter activities such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice fishing in and around the Rumford area.
Rumford is home to the Black Mountain Ski Area, which has hosted national and world cup events. There is an annual Moontide Carnival during the last week of June that closes off the downtown streets of Rumford located on the Island Business District. The Moontide Water Festival is held every 4th of July, which features the largest fireworks display in the state of Maine. On average 45,000 to 50,000 attend this spectacular event.
Pristine lakes and streams abound in this area! In the warmer seasons, you can go hiking or biking or backpacking on many nearby trails, or perhaps camping, fishing or hunting, plus golf, rock climbing and much, much more. Maine also offers all types of boating, from canoeing and kayaking to sailing and whitewater rafting. If you prefer something a little more tame, try antiquing, bird watching, nature photography or go shopping on “The Island” located between the Androscoggin River and a canal. Here you will find restaurants and gift shops.
If you feel the need for speed you’ll want to make sure and attend the SCCA Maine Forest Pro Rally, which takes place at the end of July. The Pro Rally features real cars on real roads going really fast! Competitors travel to this event from all around the world.
Maine’s educational system is undeniably one of the best in the nation. You’ll get to decide where your child starts their education by choosing between 3 different elementary schools. Older children will receive and excellent education at the middle school and high school. The highly acclaimed Gould Academy is a private school located in nearby Bethel.
There will be an exciting range of residential and lifestyle choices in this community. You can choose to live in a classic colonial or Victorian style home in town, or in one of the several small villages in the surrounding area. Did you know that the huge state of Maine – although nearly half the land mass of New England – is still 89% forest? You can take advantage of Maine’s openness by acquiring some of the uncharted acreage found all around this area where affordable real estate is plentiful, and lakefront living is an easy option. Imagine designing the perfect home for you and your family to enjoy! It may sound like a fantasy, but it could be reality if you decide to settle in western Maine. Back to Top
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