Sticking up for Bangor... (Portland, Orono: house, theater, university)

[MacMaine]

Wow... I wouldn't judge a state by its forum... and this forum especially does not so much represent the Mainers that I have met since moving to the Bangor area.

It does however represent past topics on the forum where an out-of-stater wants to know what it is like here and they get a bunch of the same negative and combative or unhelpful answers that don't enlighten anyone or answer the original question.

Many of the people I have met are transients themselves working at the hospital or the university. They are intelligent, cultured and down to earth. I have found the people here more authentic than in Massachusetts... more humble than in NH... and at a much slower pace of life than anything I've experienced.

The people who I have met that are born and raised here seem to have a been born with a low ceiling over their head for what can be accomplished because after all "Maine is a depressed economy". But out-of-staters that come in with a fresh perspective do quite well here... the ones I have met.

It is a city that is up and coming but some of the locals here don't know it!

They had great concerts on the waterfront over the summer for the first time. Artwalks that were started 3 years ago and take place a bunch of times a year are a wonderful way to see the shops and people of this unpretentious city with up and coming charm... the river is being restored and will have huge changes over the next 10 years. Bangor will blossom into a better version of what it already is... a recreational city with lovely trail systems and quaint affordable shops and restaurants and a navigable tidal river. It has the best Children's museum north of Boston (I've been to them all)... I love the downtown theater and how the children's museum works out a Parent's Night Out coordinating with the times of that downtown theater across the street... so my husband and I can go watch a play and have dinner... go into the local shops... stroll the waterfront and our child has the best time in the museum and it's all on foot!

Personally... I don't like all the hunting... it is much different than southern NH and Massachusetts. But there are areas that don't allow hunting which is where I would have chosen to move if doing it again. Right now I have to wear orange and put orange on my kids and my dog anytime we walk out our front door during hunting season. My neighbor shot a baby dear in his backyard right out his kitchen window and we live ten minutes from downtown Bangor... not the sticks at all... on an upscale road.

We will be moving to Portland, Maine within a year... which I am excited about. Being from the NH and MA area... Portland is closer to all that I miss... is bigger... and is an affordable coastal city... which is what I want to experience.

But what I will miss most is the people of this area... Bangor to Orono to Old Town to Brewer is more of what I got to know. This place grows on resistant out-of-staters! And does not seem to be reflected in this forum so much!!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Maine is bigger than the other five New England states combined. Asking what Maine is like is similar to asking what Burlington, VT and Point Judith, RI are like. I'm sure you are glad you found an artsy niche in Bangor. You might be nervous if you bought my house and discovered that my neighbor shoots skeet from his back deck. (Skeets are not an endangered species like snipes.) People go where they are comfortable. I'm sure MacMaine will be much more comfortable in Portland. When you get down there, please don't campaign against what they call "sprawl" up here. We don't call it sprawl. We call it economic recovery.

[MacMaine]

Well... I originally wrote the response to the post asking what Bangor is like... but when I went to comment I saw that it was closed out and would not let me. So I just posted it to a new thread.

I don't know what either a skeet or a snipe is But you are right... I would not feel comfortable with my neighbor shooting them off the back deck

[bangorme]

Cape Elizabeth is to the other extreme. You can't even fire a firearm there, except at the gun club which they have been trying to close for 20 years.

[Submariner]

We really like being near Bangor.

With these summer concerts going on, I think it will take a few years to iron out the kinks and figure out how they want to do them.

I walked in the Veteran's Day parade, it is amazing to see the huge crowd that draws.

Not many cities have a Forest / Bog boardwalk

[MacMaine]

I love the bog walk! So unique and peaceful. And I also love the Kenduskeag Trail walking it right from the downtown.

They really need a playground on the waterfront. It would bring families to the downtown on a daily basis. It probably won't be long though. There are so many nice playgrounds around... it's only natural they have one in the downtown.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

My apologies. It seems that so far I owe readers here one monitor, two keyboards and a shattered coffee mug due to my post above about skeet. I'll try to be more circumspect in the future.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

My apologies. It seems that so far I owe readers here one monitor, two keyboards and a shattered coffee mug due to my post above about skeet. I'll try to be more circumspect in the future.

At least the skeet are not on the endangered species list yet, unlike the rare clay pigeon.

[brava4]

MacMaine... I appreciate your thoughtful post. Thanks.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by AustinB

At least the skeet are not on the endangered species list yet, unlike the rare clay pigeon.

Fortunately, I had SWALLOWED my drink of beer before reading this post! We already had to replace one keyboard this week, that is enough (not mine.. K spilled lemonade on his and it was not the water that got it, but the heavy glass breaking connections on the solid state board or something like that...)