Top Neighborhoods
Lewiston isn't the city your grandparents warned you about anymore. The old mill town has fractured into distinct neighborhoods, each with its own personality, price point, and set of trade-offs. Choosing the right one isn't about finding the "best" area—it's about finding the one that won't make you regret your life choices six months in.
Quick Compare: Top Neighborhoods in Lewiston
| Neighborhood | Vibe | Rent Range | Best For | Walk Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown | Urban, gritty, energetic | $950-$1,400 | Young professionals, artists | ~85 |
| Bates-Montello | Historic, walkable, tight-knit | $850-$1,200 | Families, hospital workers | ~78 |
| Lake Auburn | Suburban, outdoorsy, quiet | $1,100-$1,600 | Dog owners, runners, commuters | ~45 |
| Falmouth-Forest Ave | Student-heavy, affordable, loud | $700-$1,000 | Students, budget renters | ~68 |
| Webb Mills | Rural, isolated, cheap | $650-$900 | Remote workers, privacy seekers | ~30 |
Downtown
Overview: The heart of Lewiston's revival, centered around the Androscoggin River and the old mill buildings. Think Kennedy Park's steep trails and the renovated Bates Mill complex—gritty history meets modern apartments.
The Numbers:
- 🏠 Rent: $950 - $1,400/mo (1BR) | $1,300 - $1,800/mo (2BR)
- 🏡 Buy: Median home $280k - $350k
- 🚗 Commute: 5 min to Bates Mill | 15 min to Auburn
- 🚶 Walk Score: ~85 (Walker's Paradise)
Local Intel: If you live north of Lincoln Street, you can walk to everything—Brewed Awakenings for coffee, DaVinci's for Italian, and the riverwalk for evening strolls. Parking is a nightmare on weekends when the bars are packed. The area around the old textile mills can feel sketchy after midnight, but violent crime is rare; it's mostly property incidents near the bars.
Who Thrives Here: Remote workers who want to grab lunch at Fuel without driving, and people who don't mind hearing their neighbors through thin walls.
Pros & Cons:
- ✅ Walk Score of 85 means you can ditch your car for most errands
- ✅ Best restaurant scene in the city—DaVinci's, Fishbones, and the new craft breweries
- ❌ Noise from weekend bar traffic and emergency vehicles on Lisbon Street
- ❌ Older building stock means drafty windows and quirky plumbing
Schools: Lewiston Public Schools (mixed ratings). Longley Elementary is improving, but test scores lag state averages.
The Verdict: Move here if you want urban energy and walkability. Avoid it if you need quiet, off-street parking, or have young kids who need yard space.
Bates-Montello
Overview: Tree-lined streets, preserved Victorian homes, and the shadow of Bates College. This is where doctors from Central Maine Medical Center walk to work and families picnic at the college's quad.
The Numbers:
- 🏠 Rent: $850 - $1,200/mo (1BR) | $1,200 - $1,600/mo (2BR)
- 🏡 Buy: Median home $300k - $380k
- 🚗 Commute: 8 min to CMMC | 10 min to downtown
- 🚶 Walk Score: ~78 (Very Walkable)
Local Intel: The streets around Bates College (like Russell Street and Mountain Avenue) are the most desirable—quiet, well-lit, and filled with academic families. Montello has more apartment density but still feels residential. Avoid the pockets east of Sabattus Street where student housing gets rowdy on football weekends.
Who Thrives Here: Hospital workers who want to bike to CMMC, and families who value walkable streets over square footage.
Pros & Cons:
- ✅ Safe for kids to walk/bike to Bates or the public library
- ✅ Beautiful architecture and mature trees; feels like a real neighborhood
- ❌ Student parties can get loud near campus housing
- ❌ Limited grocery options—Pride's Deli is great, but you'll drive to Shaw's for big trips
Schools: Lewiston Public Schools. Bates Elementary is well-regarded; Lewiston High is average.
The Verdict: Perfect for professionals who want a quiet, established neighborhood. Not ideal if you need modern amenities or hate shoveling snow from old sidewalks.
Lake Auburn
Overview: The "suburban" pocket of Lewiston, wrapping around Lake Auburn's shoreline. Think walking trails, dog parks, and sprawling single-family homes. The Auburn Mall sits on the edge.
The Numbers:
- 🏠 Rent: $1,100 - $1,600/mo (1BR) | $1,500 - $2,000/mo (2BR)
- 🏡 Buy: Median home $350k - $450k
- 🚗 Commute: 12 min to downtown | 18 min to Augusta
- 🚶 Walk Score: ~45 (Car-dependent)
Local Intel: The lakefront properties on Lakeview Drive command premium prices but offer unbeatable sunrise views. Traffic bottlenecks on Route 196 during rush hour, but it's still faster than most suburbs. The Auburn Mall area is a crime hotspot for car break-ins—don't leave anything visible in your vehicle.
Who Thrives Here: Dog owners who want off-leash access at the Lake Auburn Dog Park, and commuters who need quick highway access to I-95.
Pros & Cons:
- ✅ Lake Auburn offers fishing, kayaking, and winter ice skating within minutes
- ✅ More space for your money—yards are actual yards here
- ❌ Car-dependent; you'll drive for coffee, groceries, and nightlife
- ❌ Winter lake effect means heavier snowfall than downtown
Schools: Auburn School District (better rated than Lewiston). Lake Auburn Elementary is solid.
The Verdict: Best for families who want suburban comforts without leaving the city limits. Skip it if you want walkable nightlife or hate driving in snow.
Falmouth-Forest Ave
Overview: The student corridor running from Bates College toward the airport. Dense rental housing, budget-friendly everything, and the constant hum of campus life.
The Numbers:
- 🏠 Rent: $700 - $1,000/mo (1BR) | $950 - $1,300/mo (2BR)
- 🏡 Buy: Median home $250k - $320k
- 🚗 Commute: 8 min to Bates | 15 min to downtown
- 🚶 Walk Score: ~68 (Somewhat Walkable)
Local Intel: Forest Avenue is the main drag—Brewed Awakenings has a location here, and the Forest Avenue Grocery is a tiny corner store for emergencies. The area east of College Street gets rougher; stick to the blocks closer to campus. Street parking is competitive during the school year.
Who Thrives Here: Students, recent grads, and anyone prioritizing rent under $800 over everything else.
Pros & Cons:
- ✅ Lowest rents in Lewiston—studio apartments start around $650
- ✅ Easy walk to Bates campus amenities (library, gym, events)
- ❌ Noise from parties and student traffic, especially Thursday-Saturday
- ❌ Older housing stock with minimal maintenance; landlords can be slow to respond
Schools: Lewiston Public Schools. This area is more student housing than families.
The Verdict: Move here to save money and tolerate chaos. Avoid it if you need quiet, stability, or have kids.
Webb Mills
Overview: The rural fringe where Lewiston bleeds into Greene and Turner. Small Cape Cod homes, mobile home parks, and acres of woods. You'll hear more birds than traffic.
The Numbers:
- 🏠 Rent: $650 - $900/mo (1BR) | $850 - $1,200/mo (2BR)
- 🏡 Buy: Median home $220k - $280k
- 🚗 Commute: 20 min to downtown | 25 min to Augusta
- 🚶 Walk Score: ~30 (Car-essential)
Local Intel: The Webb Road area has the Webb Mills Pond for fishing, but you'll need a car for everything else. Crime is virtually nonexistent, but you're 15+ minutes from a real grocery store. The trade-off is space and silence. The road to Turner (Route 117) gets icy in winter and isn't always plowed quickly.
Who Thrives Here: Remote workers with home offices, retirees who want peace, and anyone who values privacy over convenience.
Pros & Cons:
- ✅ Extremely low crime and traffic; feels like living in the countryside
- ✅ You can buy a house here for what a downtown apartment costs
- ❌ Total car dependency—no Uber, no delivery, no walkable anything
- ❌ Emergency services take longer to reach you; keep that in mind with kids
Schools: Mixed—part falls under Lewiston, part under regional districts. Not a strong selling point.
The Verdict: Ideal for introverts who work from home and want land. Terrible for social butterflies or anyone who needs regular access to city amenities.
Final Advice
For young professionals who want to build a social life without driving everywhere, Downtown is the clear winner—just budget for noise and parking hassles. Families who need safety and walkability should target Bates-Montello, where you can still walk to the library and CMMC. If you're a hospital worker, that same neighborhood cuts your commute to under 10 minutes. Remote workers who need cheap rent and silence will find their sweet spot in Webb Mills, but only if you're okay with a 20-minute drive for milk.
Traffic patterns are predictable: Lisbon Street and Route 196 clog between 4:30-5:30pm on weekdays, while the Auburn Mall area gridlocks on Saturday afternoons. The counterintuitive pick? Lake Auburn—it's pricier than Bates-Montello, but you get a real yard and lake access, which matters when Maine winters last six months.