<p>My Daughter number two is in love with Bates. The college itself sounds wonderful but I keep hearing bad things about Lewiston. Can anyone shed any light on this? Do students feel safe on campus? In town? Parents, do you worry about the crime rate/safety of your Bates students?</p>
<p>Ah, Lewiston, a source of many Bates' students complaints. I personally don't think its as bad as everyone says. On campus is definetly a safe area. I tend to be pretty paranoid but I don't mind walking around campus late at night by myself. In fact, I think I would rather walk around here late at night then in my own neighborhood at home. If you are not comfortable, there are many safe rides and safe walks that you can use to escort you around campus. </p>
<p>Off campus areas pose some problems. The immediate area surrounding Bates feels pretty safe to me, especially because a lot of the houses are being rented out by seniors. However, past that can be a little bit uncomfortable. Yesterday, a friend and i walked a mile off campus to volunteer at a soup kitchen, and I'll admit that I did feel a bit uncomfortable. However, there are enough people with cars and the shuttles that you don't really have to walk unless you want to. I feel safe at a lot of the other off-campus areas such as Shaws, Auburn mall, the movie theater etc, but I'm just not a big fan of strolling the streets of Lewiston. Some of my friends are though, so I guess it's whatever you are comfortable with.
In general, I don't think Lewiston is a big enough reason not to apply or attend, if you like all of the other characteristics. You can complete avoid it if you like, or you can get involved with the many community service programs Bates has to make it a better place.</p>
<p>My daughter is a junior at Bates. When she, too, "fell in love with Bates," my only worry was whether she would be safe and happy in Lewiston. So far, so good. She has had no problems with the community, tho of course she doesn't walk downtown! The town is definitely on the upswing- two nice new restaurants have opened recently- and I just don't think it's a factor in most Batesie's lives. There are increasing efforts by the College to involve the community in Bates and vice-versa, exemplified by the new Harward Center for Community Partnerships, as I believe it's called. My daughter has done some work with local soup kitchens, and teaches skiing (when there's snow!) to disabled teens at the local slopes, no problems. Freeport and Portland are easy to get to (she doesn't have a car, but many of her friends do), and that's where they head for shopping and dinners out most of the time. Really, Lewiston is not at all the issue I thought it would be. My daughter loves Bates. It's been a near-perfect match for her talents, interests, and abilities, and I highly recommend it.</p>
<p>It's not so much that the community is dangerous at all, there's just a large disparity between the people who go to bates and those who live around it. If you like volunteering, Lewiston is the place to be. Most uncomfortable feelings are unwarranted - theyre just unconscious reactions</p>
<p>Everyone has his or her own threshhold for worry about safety and crime. My S was at Bates this fall as a visiting student due to Katrina. We live about 45 minutes away in a very upscale community in Maine. I had absolutely no qualms about him being there and we are very familiar with Lewiston. It is not a destination city, that's for sure ;). So the issue is more how much there is to do, rather than safety, imo. The area immediately adjacent to the campus is residential and not an issue of comfort or safety at all. There are buses on the weekends to take kids to the mall (minimal, but covers all their needs). </p>
<p>Maine as a state always ranks as #1 (or near to it) safest state in the nation.
Of course, anything can happen anywhere at any time. But I don't think you need to be concerned.</p>
<p>My S had a fantastic experience at Bates - a welcoming community from the President and Deans to the faculty to the students. I can't say enough good about the place.</p>
<p>educated - I can't tell where youre from..but Lewiston is like many smallish east coast industrial /mill towns / small cities..one difference is that gentrification has been slow coming to Lewiston..which makes it seem rougher than Brunswick (Bowdoin) or Waterville (Colby) but maybe a more interesting and diverse community.......in terms of safety it's not like the Bronx...more like Providence, or New Haven but smaller. .....not dangerous...but you can't be stupid either.</p>
<p>I'm from Maine, and...
Lewiston is known as the "armpit" of Maine. It is the least desirable city in the state, and probably the most dangerous. This said, no city in Maine is truly dangerous. And the Bates campus is completely safe. I doubt anyone from outside of Maine would find Lewiston very offensive, but if you are from a completely rural town, it might be different from what you are used to.</p>