Towns around Bar Harbor ?'s (Bangor, Ellsworth: how much, construction jobs, construction)

[slpgirl]

Hi,
I recently posted about relocating to Bar Harbor Maine, and wishing to rennovate an older house...

I was encouraged to try areas around Bar Harbor, these areas that I have found; Elsworth, Franklin, Howland, Cherryfield, Amherst, etc. (Many are popping up on a 20 mile radius search for property in Bar Harbor) Does anyone know anything about these areas? What are they like? & How are the school systems? Any information would be great.

In addition my fiance, is a construction manager and has owned his own construction company for many years now. However he is looking to get out of this and begin something somewhat different... Does anyone have any idea what employment opportunities are like for someone with a background in construction/manual labor/remodeling/ and mechanic experience is like in the areas surrounding Bar Harbor, or in Bar Harbor.


THANKS!!! I appreciate it!

[Acadianlion]

You need to come to Maine and put your "boots on the ground". It is true that Cherryfield is 20 miles from Bangor. But it is really NOT that close to Bar Harbor at all. Bar Harbor is on Mt. Desert Island, and the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. When you do a computer search the search results will not tell you how far it is to drive by roads to whatever the origin of the search is. Cherryfield (for example), is two hours from Bar Harbor, and in the summer, it can be three hours.

Towns "near" Bar Harbor include the towns that are physically located on Mt. Desert Island. Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Tremont, Mt. Desert are names that you should check for towns "near" Bar Harbor.

Just across the causeway, about half an hour away, is Trenton. Trenton is just a short ten miles from Ellsworth, which is the largest city in the area. Franklin is east of Ellsworth about fifteen miles.

In almost all cases these small towns (Small? Well, 800 to 1500 residents), have an elementary school and a very small town center. Jobs that are available in the trades will be scattered all over the place and vary greatly.

Once again, it is very important for you to understand that Maine is a state of primarily very small towns. The one overriding fact that you need to visualize is that Maine has a TOTAL population of 1.2 million people scattered over an area that is larger than all six other New England states COMBINED. The majority of the population lives in the southwestern corner of the state.

Bar Harbor is a small town in Hancock County, and Hancock County is pretty much the end of the large population centers along the coast. Ellsworth is the economic center of the entire area, and only the City of Bangor, with its population of around 35,000 people is larger in the area and it is 30 miles and an hour or more from Ellsworth.

Come here and explore. That's your first step. Don't rely on the computer to tell you what is here, because the distances over two lane roads are much, much further than any mapping program can tell you. Twenty miles in Maine can be much further than twenty miles in almost any other place you can imagine.

Incidentally, I think that fall is the BEST time to come and visit downeast Maine. From now until after Thanksgiving the roads will be easy to travel on, and there will be plenty of places to stay and things to see without tripping over huge hoards of tourists from New Jersey.

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by slpgirl

Hi,
I recently posted about relocating to Bar Harbor Maine, and wishing to rennovate an older house...

I was encouraged to try areas around Bar Harbor, these areas that I have found; Elsworth, Franklin, Howland, Cherryfield, Amherst, etc. (Many are popping up on a 20 mile radius search for property in Bar Harbor) Does anyone know anything about these areas? What are they like? & How are the school systems? Any information would be great.

In addition my fiance, is a construction manager and has owned his own construction company for many years now. However he is looking to get out of this and begin something somewhat different... Does anyone have any idea what employment opportunities are like for someone with a background in construction/manual labor/remodeling/ and mechanic experience is like in the areas surrounding Bar Harbor, or in Bar Harbor.


THANKS!!! I appreciate it!

Construction jobs- your husband is looking at about $10 per hour as a laborer. Self employed as a carpenter, it's tough. There are a million of them out there looking for work. Unless you're well known around town for your work, it's not happening. I don't mean to appear as a naysayer either, but unless you capture one of the seasonal residents, the work is going to the local guy that already has the reputation. Sorry.

[AlisonL]

Just a little fyi, Howland is Not near Bar Harbor.

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by Fort Lauderdale mermaid

Construction jobs- your husband is looking at about $10 per hour as a laborer. Self employed as a carpenter, it's tough. There are a million of them out there looking for work. Unless you're well known around town for your work, it's not happening. I don't mean to appear as a naysayer either, but unless you capture one of the seasonal residents, the work is going to the local guy that already has the reputation. Sorry.

There's NO construction worker in Maine making $10 an hour!! Furthermore, a decent carpenter, especially a finish carpenter, is very hard to retain. I've been waiting 5 months for a particular carpenter, and for his quality, it's worth the wait. He's not stringing me along, that's how much work he's got out ahead of his company---a company in good old Washington County, where the rumor is business is difficult to get started. Well, he's in his 5th year now, and has a crew of 6 under him. And believe me honey, neither he nor anyone on his crew is making $10 an hour!!

[mollysmiles]

NOW, to get ON topic, Acadianlion has some great points slpgirl. Not only do the map programs sometimes mislead, but a GPS also will take the distance "as the crow flies" depending on the setting! I don't know where you are, your location isn't listed, but if there's anyway you could come for a visit, this is the time of year!! Autumn is incredible in Maine! Good luck!

[dmyankee]

"Don't rely on the computer to tell you what is here, because the distances over two lane roads are much, much further than any mapping program can tell you. Twenty miles in Maine can be much further than twenty miles in almost any other place you can imagine."

Especially during tourist season or heavy weather! Very deceiving.

[island mermaid]

Sorry Molly, I've only been down here for just over a year and was born and raised there. I've also been an owner of a rather well known construction company in Mid-Coast Maine. Part of her question was 'is there any work in the construction field for manual labor/ remodel/ mechanic" etc. I was simply relaying to her that working as a laborer in ANY field isn't paying much more than $10 an hour to start. I know. I haven't been away that long. I'll stand by what I say all day long. I know the construction business in Maine. You refer to waiting for your carpenter for 5 months now, good for you and your loyalty to your preferred carpenter. Why don't you just hire the new guy in town?

[mollysmiles]

Frankly? there is no "new guy in town"! lol....seriously, we don't have a lot of growth here in Calais! I know a lot of people in construction. My BIL in Bangor owns his own corporation, and has for a long time now. I can only tell you what he's doing and what is happening HERE....in Washington County, where I live. I don't know anyone working construction making only $10 an hour.

this isn't a personal attack mermaid, I just don't agree with you.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by dmyankee

"Don't rely on the computer to tell you what is here, because the distances over two lane roads are much, much further than any mapping program can tell you. Twenty miles in Maine can be much further than twenty miles in almost any other place you can imagine."

Especially during tourist season or heavy weather! Very deceiving.

There is another deception- In some cases a road may be marked as "paved" in the Gazetteer but only a mile or two on each end is paved. On the map it appears to be the best route, and technically is the shortest, but it can take much longer than you expect if it is severely rutted/bumpy, or during mud season.

Sometimes it can be a toss-up as to which road will get from here to there in the least amount of time- most direct and unpaved or roundabout and paved.

I ran into this several times, one of them was between Palermo and Waldoboro.