The Resurgence Of Maine's Grittiest City

"The twin cities of south central Maine, linked by several bridges across the Androscoggin River, might not be everybody's idea of a tourist destination. Not even the locals see them that way."

"There is no typical high season, for instance. 'High season is whenever Bates College is having an event that might bring outsiders into town, such as graduation,' said Jan Barrett, a Lewiston native who runs the Ware Street Inn. Even in summer, when several special events are held, the communities rarely are listed in any travelers' guide."

"The cities still battle a debilitating stereotype as tough, tired, unsophisticated, old mill towns. For more than a century, they produced textiles, shoes, and bricks in large factories powered by a river that became so polluted some locals quipped that it was 'too thick to paddle and too thin to plow."

"Lewiston (population 36,000) and Auburn (23,000) are the second - and fifth - largest cities in Maine. But to many people, for many years, they seemed more like a big black hole. A Portland newspaper once called Lewiston ''a cultural desert."

"Today there are signs of change and many people are trying to make the communities artsier, hipper, and more attractive to visitors."