Old Orchard Beach is a very old oceanside town. First settled in 1653, it has beautiful Victorian cottages and old buildings. It is built on the site of an old abandoned apple orchard known as the Rogers homestead. It is also home to the seaside amusement park known as Palace Playland, which is one of the older vintage amusement parks in New England boasting features like hand-carved carousels and a brand new super-large Ferris Wheel. Another feature is a pier, first built in 1898, that stretches out into the water and that has a nightclub at the end.
Old Orchard Beach always draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to its seven miles of white beaches. The boardwalk is the center of LGBTQ action in the peak month including a lot of “snowbirds” from Canada, gay bikers and people from all over the world.
Most of the homes and condos in the area are also located quite near the beach. The downtown has many newer developments. Many of the condos are nicely designed clapboard New England style dwellings that fit in nicely with some of the more expensive older vintage homes in the area.
Old Orchard is an ideal place to retire and it is very near other resort towns including Arundel, Dayton and Cape Elizabeth. It is also near the gay nightlife in larger urban centers such as Saco, Scarborough and Portland.
The average price listing for a home on MLS as of September 11, 2011 I $280,988 for a single home, $339,200 for a multi-family home and $239,617 for a condo. As is typical of most beach towns the most expensive properties are on the beach with a view of the ocean. There are also cottages for sale here as well as many time share opportunities.
The area is well known for being adjacent to two fun miniature golf courses including the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf course just off the beach and the Westerly Winds Golf Course and Sports Park in nearby Westbrook.
As you go inland towards the hills that are home to the rushing waters for the Kennebec River and Dead River you will find lots of opportunities to go windfall rafting or white water rafting. There are also Waterfall hikes, rock climbing and paintball parks nearby. If you are athletic or love to camp you will love living in Old Orchard Beach.
This is one of those wonderful places to live where it is just fine to be openly gay or lesbian. There are also many gay Old Orchard Beach realtors who can help you find the property that is perfect for your lifestyle situation.
This fun placed to live also holds many wonderful events in all seasons including the Frozen 4 Miler Race for charity in January, a big Easter Egg Hunt in March, a beerfest in May, a sand sculpture contest in July , Beach Olympics in August, a motorcycle show on the pier in September and horse drawn hay wagon rides in December. For more information about the attractions in this fabulous town go to www.olderorchardbeachmaine.com.
