I miss the old gritty Portland.

I agree. Don’t get why you’re being downvoted to hell

Portland is much more accessible to visitors compared to Bangor, which seems like a never ending ride heading north to reach.

Interesting point. The loss of the tourists (and shoppers) from New Brunswick then the death of Great Northern meant two of the avenues into Bangor pretty much dried up.

Traffic… in bangor?

Better than it’s ever been IMO, that’s if you don’t care about have a mall.

The thing that ruined high school athletics, it is the parents. I saw it start to happen when my kids were entering little league.

Somehow the fathers made that all about them.

Haven’t read the article. But AAU has ruined high school basketball.

Yeah my grandparents help coordinate a lot of everything. If you like moxie, you should definitely go

Funny, I can remember people making very similar comments 30 years ago and my father laughing at the time because he’d heard it all before. Actually, Bangor has been on the “decline” since about 1880. Since the lumber industry went bust, we have been a commercial center for people who just don’t have that much disposable income. I think things are better, but change is slow and erratic. But, do we want to turn into Portland? Insane housing prices, uncontrolled urban sprawl, a lot of pretentious nonsense and mobs of tourists. There is a lot I love about Portland but they’ve got their problems.

I am from Bangor and I love the little city. Unfortunately for me, I found better work in Southern Maine, so I moved away. It’s a great place, it just needs more and better job opportunities.

I mean, Downtown Bangor is currently in the process of gentrification. I'm happy that businesses are coming back, but instead of building affordable housing, they're focusing on deluxe apartments.

You would spend more time going through TSA, boarding, waiting for your luggage than you would driving.

High school should be more about local “fun” competition. Leave ultra-competitive to clubs, aau, etc.

Wicked brew is definitely a great coffee hangout! Good food too

Corbin aka caitlyn Gforce aka Gina.

Both are stand up people and i am pretty sure caitlyn has a wedding business.

I feel like your first few sentences about it being isolated are not as positive as you seem to think. A city that is hard to get to, not near things and doesn't want outsiders is not one that is going to grow.

Seriously. This place is expensive enough already and I can’t move out of the school district for another 6 years.

Is it the ONLY east coast beach you’ve ever been to?

It’s all been downhill since Stacy’s Country Jamboree went off the air.

Yes I know that was in Brewer, just give me this because you know it’s true!

I think the pressure is in different areas. Kids are either in travel leagues, which are way more intense, or they're focusing on other things (music lessons, etc). It seems like the trend now is the specialize in something that might get you a scholarship. Which makes sense, given the cost of higher education.

Old Borchard Beach

The traffic near the mall is horrible

Bangor will always suck until the dinosaurs that run the town are gone. I've lived there most of my life, and owned a business there. I moved, reluctantly, because i just couldnt stand it anymore. They (city govt) generally dont like fresh ideas, they are extremely bureaucratic, and prefer bangor stay stuck in the 1970s. Instead of trying to keep umaine grads in the area, we run them out of town. I'd bet my life on bangor not seeing any major improvements, or major influx of younger people (under 40), over the next 25 years. In 2048 it'll be exactly the same.

What about AAU?