Scarborough's Coastal Communities and Neighborhoods
The coastline of Scarborough extends in a general northeasterly direction from the Town of Old Orchard across the Scarborough River Estuary to Scarborough Beach and from Higgins Beach to the Cape Elizabeth Town Line. The Scarborough River empties into the northern end of Saco Bay about 17 miles by sea from the City of Portland. The Town's shoreline can be divided into six coastal regions and/or neighborhoods including Pine Point, Scarborough Harbor, Prouts Neck, Scarborough Beach, the Graveyard and Higgins Beach. Some of the most attractive Scarborough neighborhoods are along Saco Bay, which, is fringed by a largely uninterrupted sand beach that extends approximately 7.5 miles from the Saco River to Scarborough Harbor at the mouth of the Scarborough River.
Pine Point & Pillsbury Shores
Pine Point can be thought of as including Pillsbury Shores and the East Grand Beach Business District. Pine Point Beach was originally developed as a summer cottage community. Almost all of the buildings in Pine Point are on a long narrow strip of land between the ocean and the marsh. The area has seen a fair amount of conversion of seasonal cottages to year-round homes. Most potential building sites are used and very limited increase in density is anticipated, although buildings are expected to be enlarged, increased in height, and renovated as property values increase. Most of the East Grand Avenue Business District is in residential use now and buildings are being renovated to reflect the desirability of the waterfront area for living.
Prouts Neck & Ferry Beach
Prouts Neck includes Ferry Beach as well as the Prouts Neck rocky promontory. Prouts Neck is a higher-income, year-round and second home community. It is a fairly secluded with considerable privacy. It also contains a yacht club, several parks, a museum devoted to Winslow Homer, the BlackPoint Inn, and the Prouts Neck Country Club.
Higgins Beach & the Graveyard
The segment of rocky coastline that separates sandy Scarborough Beach from Higgins Beach is called the Graveyard because of the tricky maneuvering required to navigate the waters of this area. This area is mostly made up of large-lots and exclusive homes. Piper Shores, a retirement community on 140 acres, was built in the 1990's adjacent to Higgins Beach Community. Higgins Beach extends to the northeast beyond the Graveyard to the Spurwink River and is intensively developed with small lots. Historically, the beautiful turn of the century cottages here were built for seasonal use however since the public sewer was extended to the area most have been converted to year-round use.