Help: life in Caribou? (houses, neighborhoods, place to live)

[smeir32]

Hi everyone,
I have to write a research paper on what life is like in Caribou, and give a 20 minute presentation on the town. Can anyone give me some perspective on what its like to live there and what are fun things to do during the year? Thanks!

[maineguy8888]

I live there, and can help. What grade is it for? That will help me to answer.
It's a small town. It is in a farming area, with lots of woods around.

[smeir32]

a 3000-level American Landscape (geography) course at UConn. My professor wants us to convey what it is like to be a citizen of the town. I've been reading the forums and some of them make the town sound desolate, but from all the research I've been doing that doesn't seem to be the case. What are the places that people tend to go to enjoy and relax? Any area cultural treasures? Any information about the town, economy, what its like to live there, or any little quirky tidbits about the town would be greatly appreciated!!

[maineguy8888]

How in the world did you land on Caribou? Lol

[smeir32]

Our professor had us throw darts at a US Map and I came up right outside of the town.

[maineguy8888]

That's funny.
Let me see, where to start? Caribou is small, a little over 8,000 people. The last urban renewal type project was done 40 years ago...part of the downtown was torn down and replaced by a big bank/office/retail complex. A new, funky traffic pattern was also put in for that part of town (with some one-ways, etc). This was a big change for the locals, and some of them are still upset about it........not kidding. I'm sure it took some getting used to but now it kind of sets the town apart (it's not a cookie-cutter look).
The two biggest challenges today seem to be the economy (Caribou's boom time ended 30 or 40 years ago), as well as drugs. While the community has organized and put anti-drug efforts in place, there is still a big problem, like in most places.
One thing I've noticed is that unlike most towns, Caribou has no real "blighted" neighborhoods or slummy areas of town. It just hasn't happened here, for whatever reason. There is one abandoned factory on the edge of town, and nobody seems to know what's going to become of it. But overall the town seems kind of like "old Maine", and kind of quaint. There is no sprawl, again unlike most towns.
There is a strong connection to nature/natural resources, whether it's farming, forestry, the snowmobile/tourism industry, etc.
While it's kind of a "redneck-y" area in some ways, there is also quite a good deal of cultural stuff. Examples: a natrual history museum (the Nylander), a good historical museum, CPAC (Caribou Performing Arts Center), Echoes magazine (highlighting Maine/rural culture), a dance academy and a choral group.
The local native American tribe has a presence; they own a chunk of land and some houses. They also have a big event center which holds various events related to the tribe.
Goughan's Farm is a really popular place......they sell various crops year round, and have pick-your-own berries, petting zoo, merry go round, ice cream, flowers, a corn maze, Christmas trees, etc. They open in 2 weeks with Maine Maple Sunday.
The retail sector has been hurt by the opening of a mall and Super Wal Mart in the next town over 20 years ago, but Caribou has become more "shops-oriented".
It's definitely not desolate, just the opposite. It's the most resilient place I've ever seen. By all rights it SHOULD be a mess; ever since the Great Depression onward it's been one thing after another. But you would never really know it, if you drove around. It's quite a nice place to live.
More to come if you'd like!

[bwap_bonk]

Originally Posted by smeir32

Our professor had us throw darts at a US Map and I came up right outside of the town.

This is a great excuse to go on a road trip.

I drove though there once, not too much going on...

[smeir32]

Hey Maineguy,

Thanks so much for all of your help!!! what did you mean by Caribou being shops-oriented? Lots of mom& pop shops? Any large chain stores?

I really appreciate the help!!!

[maineguy8888]

Exactly........there are a dozen or so "Mom and Pop" type specialty shops. The only chain stores are Dollar Tree, Family Dollar (kind of a mini-Wal Mart), and Rite Aid. If someone wants Wal Mart or the mall (which has a Sears, KMart and JC Penney), they have to go to the next town over.
Caribou is a service center for the area, with lots of offices, such as Department of Motor Vehicles, social service agencies, court stuff, and the state Department of Human Services. It also has a new recreation center, which was quite controversial when the town voters approved it at the polls. It cost around $5 million, which was quite a lot for a town of this size, which isn't a wealthy town. But it's now paid off and is very popular (for the whole area, not just Caribou). I think Caribou has a reputation as a family-friendly place and the rec center is an example why.

[hughbay]

Man I love Caribou. Last time I was there around 2006 I thought I remembered seeing a Woolworth's Department Store - which was kind of weird because I'm pretty sure that chain shut down completely in the mid 90s.

That should tell you something right there...