Moving to Bar Harbor 2016 (Bangor, Augusta: for sale, find a job, schools) - Maine (ME) - City-Data Forum

chadevans35 · 06-25-2015, 11:01 PM

So I'm finally getting to full fill a life dream of moving to Maine. My wife and I have chosen the Bar Harbor area as the place we are most interested in. I have four young children ages 5 to 11. Is this a good area for them? Any advice on things that I should look at that I might not be considering. I have wanted to move to Maine for as long as I can remember and I am really excited. Any advice? Thanks.

AustinB · 06-26-2015, 03:46 AM

Bar Harbor is really nice. The schools are good.The area is beautiful. Are you to be working at the Lab?

chadevans35 · 06-26-2015, 10:14 PM

I finish my degree in December in computer science. I am going to find something when it gets closer. The plan is for Bar Harbor but if that doesn't work then we are thinking Bangor.

AustinB · 06-27-2015, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadevans35

I finish my degree in December in computer science. I am going to find something when it gets closer. The plan is for Bar Harbor but if that doesn't work then we are thinking Bangor.

Good luck to you!

K-Luv · 06-27-2015, 11:42 PM

I just got back from spending a week in Bar Harbor. I also lived in Maine not too long ago, but am originally from elsewhere.

Bar Harbor is really nice, but it is also a tourist destination including cruise ships. Depending on where you live, this could either not be an issue or it could be total pits. MDI represents a little bit of everything found in Maine from the "real Mainer" to the transplant to the Volvo driver to the extremely wealthy. Personally, I would check out Ellsworth unless you can afford coastal property or perhaps Bangor/Brewer.

It is definitely a good area for kids, sure, but that also depends on what they are into. I can tell you from my own life history that if my parents relocated me to Bar Harbor at 5 years of age or even 11 I would have been stoked at first but probably would have hated it in the long run. There are a lot of threads on here with parents thinking it is a good idea to relocate with their children to Maine and all I think of is unless the kids really love nature and outdoor activities that do not involve concrete they may not agree.

Northern Maine Land Man · 06-28-2015, 05:36 AM

There is a computer store in Ellsworth for sale. They are far more than a gadget store. The owner did data base management for police forces in NH and is an expert. Talk to a Maine based bank like Machias Savings or Bangor Savings. Banks from outside Maine don't understand Maine or seasonal businesses. Year round businesses in the Ellsworth area have strong seasonal components.

chadevans35 · 06-28-2015, 11:14 PM

Thank you all for your wonderful insight. Luckily for me my kids love the outdoors and going hikes and things like that. I will for sure check these areas out. This is beyond helpful. My goal is to move in 11 months. This will be after this school year and allow me a little more time to save for this move so we can take a nice little vacation on our way there. This has been a lifelong dream for me and I am truly excited about it finally happening next year.

Brodels · 07-04-2015, 04:59 PM

Agreed with K-Luv - there are plusses and minuses to living in a tourist area. You'll need to deal with all that goes along with that in the summer, and you'll live in a pretty quiet town during the winter. It's certainly a nice place to live. Your studies will position you well for a job, but since the "other Maine" does not have a high population density and is not particularly prosperous economically, you may need to go wherever you can find a job. There won't be many in your field in Bar Harbor unless you work at Jax or something like that. Bangor will have more possibilities. It is relatively close to the coast, Acadia, the woods, etc. and has lots of services. Waterville, Augusta, and the Midcoast (I'm thinking Rockland, Camden, Lockport) could also be options. Good luck!

chadevans35 · 07-04-2015, 08:46 PM

Thank you for the insight. I am not sure why I settled initially on the Bar Harbor area so I really open to any place and I figure the best people to ask are those that live there. I truly believe any place in Maine will be fine with us. Every picture I have seen is absolutely beautiful so all areas are open to us.

jeremywolf81 · 07-06-2015, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K-Luv

There are a lot of threads on here with parents thinking it is a good idea to relocate with their children to Maine and all I think of is unless the kids really love nature and outdoor activities that do not involve concrete they may not agree.

THANK YOU! I'm glad someone is finally bringing that up because I think of the same thing every time I see a we're moving to Maine with our kids thread. Every kid I knew growing up whose family had moved here and most of the ones I meet now doing some substitute teaching and such are miserable being in Maine. The whole "great place to raise kids" thing is a lie, in my opinion.