Young Biddeford
Attracting and retaining young people and young entrepreneurs is of high importance in Maine (considered the “oldest state,” according to the Maine State Planning Office). Lately in downtown Biddeford, there are signs that young entrepreneurs and youth are finding more opportunities to keep them in Maine.
Heart of Biddeford’s RiverJam Festival last year had a focus on drawing college students to Biddeford. We featured one of Maine’s most up-and-coming young artists: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. While UNE students joined the fun downtown, the event showed we have plenty of work ahead of us to successfully draw students from a broader region.
Often, the best networking occurs from within any particular demographic group. The DiriGo-Getters started up recently under the leadership of several young local go-getters: Ashely Potvin, Luke Nielson, Ryan Fecteau and Matt Dubois. It’s great to see young professionals, including lots of UNE med students, getting involved with this group!
There are several recently-opened businesses that are owned and operated by local young adults. Bottom of the River Sound, a new full-service recording studio in the North Dam Mill, is run by Brandon Lamontagne, Derek Wilkinson, and Nick Bilotta, all under 30. Saco natives, they travelled or lived elsewhere for a while, but in the end missed life in Maine. Derek says, “There’s more opportunity here.” They record young and upcoming bands in their beautifully furnished studio.
Down the hallway from the recording studio is HUD Gaming Lounge. Owned by 19 year old Gabe Letourneau, this venue is not only run by a young adult, it also especially serves a younger clientele. Gabe says, “I’ve been playing games all my life, and more than just playing games I’ve been interested in the effects it has on people, their community and their relationships.” HUD’s Facebook page describes this extravagantly furnished location as, “A new type of gaming experience designed to Make Gamers Social featuring X-box Ones, PS4’s, high end gaming PCs, and a game library.” Showing true “Gen-Y” values, Gabe wants to “give people a space to come and gather, to build a community where people are human, and not hidden from the world.”
In addition to appealing to young entrepreneurs, downtown Biddeford is cultivating more businesses that appeal to those under 35 years of age. The new Banded Horn Brewing Company and Elements: Books Coffee Beer are both attracting UNE’s Seniors and Graduate students, as well as beer fans from around the region.
Recently, Dispatch Magazine did a feature on downtown Biddeford. They quoted the hipster site Gawker.com, which called Biddeford the “Williamsburg of Portland.” As a magazine targeted to Generation Y, they featured aspects that are of interest to a younger population, such as Biddeford’s variety of cool restaurants and coffee shops, the art walk, Engine, mill housing, and “affordable living close to Portland.” Looks like the goings on in downtown Biddeford shed a more positive light on Maine’s future, attracting and retaining the young entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow.