artist moving to Brewer/Bangor area. (Portland, Orono: fit in, real estate, 2013)

[vzul]

I've been in Northern Va for too long. The traffic and pressure are killing me! In September I will be moving to Brewer with my 13 year old daughter. I'm a working artist, and will be in need of a small, inexpensive studio. Preferably I will find one in the downtown area, so I can fit into the community more readily. My primary questions are
1. what is the student/teacher ratio in Brewer Community School?
2. How much can I expect to pay for a small studio space downtown?

[bangorme]

Here's a good website that covers your school questions: Brewer School Department Public School District - Brewer, Maine

[vzul]

Wow, that's an excellent resource . Thank you !

[EmK999]

Hi vzul,

Have you had the chance to visit Brewer and Bangor yet? Is there any chance you’ll be able to? I know you’re sick of the hustle and bustle of NoVA, but Brewer and Bangor are a whole ‘nother world! :-)

You mentioned that your daughter is 13 and asked about BCS…

I know very little about BCS except that the outside of the building looks like a prison for kids and they bulldozed a recently renovated community track to build it. However, I’ve heard that the inside is very well done and has all the latest technology, but I don’t have any first-hand knowledge of this.

What I do know quite a lot about is Brewer High School, which is about a mile down the road from BCS and where she would spend 9 – 12th grade, unless you intend to pay tuition to Bangor High School or to John Bapst Memorial High School.
Here’s the thing: Brewer High School is a terrible school. Absolutely terrible. The school does not prepare kids for the rigors of college, or for the realities of adulthood. Educational standards have fallen considerably over the past 10-15 years and the administration seems determined to continue this downward slide. Kids aren’t expected to perform at a reasonable level, the bar is just lowered. This is happening for a few different reasons: some individual teachers have simply given up because the kids don’t arrive in their classrooms with the basis of knowledge that they were previously expected to have in order to deal with that class’ material, some teachers have unintentionally lowered standards by trying to engage students in ways that are more appropriate for lower grade levels, some are bullied by the administration, and some are still trying, but getting nowhere because of the toxic atmosphere created (the principal is a bible-thumper from SC that berates the teachers and thinks he can ignore state law). All of this adds up to a dysfunctional institution that provides a sub-par education and high school experience.

If you have any wiggle room in whether or not you live within Brewer city limits, I’d exercise it! If you live in one of the surrounding towns (the so-called “feeder towns”: Eddington, Dedham, Holden, Orrington, Clifton, Aurora, Glenburn) you’ll have school choice. This means that, because those towns don’t have their own high schools, your child has the option to attend Brewer HS, Bangor HS, or Bapst without having to pay tuition. Considering how terrible Brewer’s high school is, this is incredibly valuable! Bangor HS (public) and Bapst (private—tuition is charged for residents of Bangor) are both “Blue Ribbon” schools where your child will receive an excellent education and be well-prepared for college/life in general. Most of the feeder towns provide bus transportation to Bapst, but weirdly, not all the way to Bangor HS which is just 2 miles farther along the same road. The commute would be well worth it for the opportunities Bangor provides, depending on your child’s interests. If there’s a particular area of comparison between the two schools that you’re interested in, please ask and I’ll do my best to answer! Bottom line: if I had the choice of sending kids to Brewer HS or Bangor HS or Bapst, the only choice would be between Bangor and Bapst—Brewer would be immediately eliminated.

As for studio space in downtown Brewer…there really isn’t a “downtown” in Brewer the way most people think of it. Brewer has a road with a long strip of shopping (Wilson Street) and there is a 0.25 mile (you read that right—a quarter mile) stretch of Main Street that probably used to be considered Brewer’s downtown; city hall is there, the library used to be there but has moved down the street, there’s a credit union there, and there used to be a few shops and might still be in the few remaining buildings that businesses cycle in and out of. But, there’s really not a walkable area of shops like it sounds like you’re thinking of. The closest thing would be a strip mall—possibly Twin City Plaza—if there’s an available space that you could afford (I have no idea of commercial rents in this area).

If you’re looking for a true downtown, Bangor has one! It has made major strides in the last few years and is undergoing something of a revitalization. I’d start looking for properties in that area (the tail end of Main Street, part of Hammond Street, Central Street, Exchange Street, W. Market Square, Broad Street, Hancock Street). Zoom in on an online map of Bangor where these streets are and you’ll see your target area for studios, although I would avoid a location with the only entrance on Merchants Plaza or Water Street if you’re planning to work much after dark because of its proximity to the city bus station. Bangor has had some substance abuse issues over the past few years that would make this a place to avoid—not in the same way you would a place like Newark, just be safe about it.

With a child about to spend at least the next 5 years (assuming she’s headed into 8th grade) in junior high/high schools, my two cents is that you’d be best off living in Bangor, Veazie (feeder town to Bangor, so same deal with Bangor HS & Bapst as Brewer feeders have, plus you’d have the option of Orono HS), Eddington, Orrington, Holden, or Glenburn. Veazie might be great if you decide to open a studio in Orono, since Orono would be a great town to give anything art-related a chance, with its audience of college professors and students, but is more expensive where real estate is concerned.
Hope that helps!

ETA: Have you thought at all about Portland? Great city with a lot less hustle than NoVA, but a lot more to offer than the Bangor area.

[bangorme]

Well, there is SOME accurate stuff here. Brewer doesn't have a downtown that you'd want a sell art in, if that is your intent. Bangor would be much better. The school system in Brewer is not terrible, but actually pretty good (middle of the pack). Bangor's is probably the best in the area, but property taxes in Bangor are very high. You might want to consider Belfast. It's artsy and has a small town feel with many of the amenities.

[EmK999]

Originally Posted by bangorme

Well, there is SOME accurate stuff here. Brewer doesn't have a downtown that you'd want a sell art in, if that is your intent. Bangor would be much better. The school system in Brewer is not terrible, but actually pretty good (middle of the pack). Bangor's is probably the best in the area, but property taxes in Bangor are very high. You might want to consider Belfast. It's artsy and has a small town feel with many of the amenities.

Obviously we disagree on Brewer HS, but unless you've recently been a student at that school, been a teacher at that school, or taught graduates of that school, you're assessment is simply your opinion based on very passive knowledge of the school and absolutely no knowledge of the issues I outlined for the OP. I don't blame you if you're not aware of the issues, but it's certainly not inaccurate for me to point them out. Believe me, I have no stake in making Brewer look bad, I just happen to know quite a bit about Brewer HS and wanted the OP to hear honest feedback that goes beyond vague "it's pretty good"/"doesn't have a good reputation" that reigns in these threads. Bangor and Bapst are infinitely better and Brewer is not "actually pretty good". That's actually pretty hilarious

Also, you're wrong on the property taxes. For FY 2013, Brewer's mill rate was $20.92 while Bangor's was $20.80. So, Bangor actually has lower property taxes, contrary to conventional wisdom. Although, I would call them comparable.

[bangorme]

See: Maine High School Districts | Best High Schools | US News

[EmK999]

Yep, based strictly on one magazine's sorting of the data from two types of tests, Brewer ranks near the Maine average on each criteria. If that's your only measurement of whether a school is providing a quality education or not, that's pretty sad. Surely you don't need to be in education to understand why that's a faulty method of evaluation.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by EmK999

Yep, based strictly on one magazine's sorting of the data from two types of tests, Brewer ranks near the Maine average on each criteria. If that's your only measurement of whether a school is providing a quality education or not, that's pretty sad. Surely you don't need to be in education to understand why that's a faulty method of evaluation.

Why do I hear an ax grinding in the background?

[EmK999]

Because you're a nutter?

ETA: You clearly don't know anything more about Brewer HS than what is publicly available (again, that's passive knowledge) about the school and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that--just don't assert that someone else is wrong when they obviously know more of the story and offer that to someone seeking information.

You don't have to reply to every post. Try just answering the ones you know a little something about. ;-)