So long as UMO isn’t targeted for significant disinvestment (like a chain of events that ends in USM Gorham as the state’s flagship), I give Bangor a shot at a thriving future. They just have to properly utilize their proximity and aim to retain graduates in a way that they haven’t since…the 1950s? A shrinking pool of low-budget, long-distance shoppers isn’t even close to a recipe for maintaining the status quo if the university withers.

While not a perfect comparison, I’d point to Macomb, Illinois, as a cautionary tale that’s currently unfolding. It has a smaller regional population base than Bangor, but it’s almost as isolated. It’s at the center of the Quad Cities, Peoria, and Springfield, each about 90 minutes away, and there’s only one slightly larger town in over three hours to its west. The state’s decision to shrink WIU’s budget was the equivalent of stating that they shouldn’t even be a blip on the map, and has already cost the area a third of its non-student population in the span of about six years. Needless to say, they’re still in free fall, with no end in sight, particularly if the free fall triggers a further reduction in WIU’s budget, which would likely be focused on their graduate schools, which have remained relatively unscathed so far.

I have Autism and I think you're retarded bub. Your whole argument is pretty retarded. You don't need to be a damn keyboard warrior there bub.

I got exactly what you were trying to say. It could be more vibrant of a city for Mainers, while being far enough away to keep out major tourism and gentrification.

I downtown Farmington on Broadway across from Renys there's a store called The Sensei Side. Next to that there used to be this great little "antique" shop that had all kinds of curios. I don't see it on Google Maps, so they may not have survived. But, there's Farmington Thrift Store which is also cool. While you're there, have a craft beer at Tucks Tavern.

Yeah that second sentence is weird, it's set up like it should be contrasting a negative with a positive, but then they're just both negatives, haha.

No how about jobs that actually pay worth a damn? How about some tech companies here that drove innovation and solutions for other business and government incentives to move here. Great bars, cigar lounges, and restaurants that's certainly not going to pay the bills. You have a couple of indoor areas for families, and none of them were good. Urban air is ok but super packed most of the time. Or how about affordable housing. Living

When I say they're catering to to college kids that's what I mean is low paying jobs that have little to no chance of providing for a family. Outdoor parks now filled with homeless even the Riverwalk. I'm not saying there's not opportunity for it to be good. It's just mismanaged. Yoga studios, used book stores and coffee shops are ok but no ones paying a 1000-2700 a month rent for a 2br on salaries from any one of those places.

Bangor also suffering from a dramatic shortage of things like optometrists dentists and enough basic services to provide. Yes you can Google them and say but look there's all these places that do that. However, most of then don't have enough doctors to keep up or just none at all.

I'm not sure the answer but attempting a gentrification without a solid infrastructure to bring in new jobs or provide affordable housing to people isn't cutting it. So they'll rely on their rural people who don't have anything in their towns and their college kids during the winter and hope enough tourists and snowbirds want to come back in the summer

Unfortunately we have been trending towards elitism and clout as the main force behind who get to play these days. Poor kids are getting left out and the rich keep setting the standards and rules for who gets to play and get seen. The Roman circus is hard at work.

That's really awesome insight. All of it accurate and lines up with my experience out here. I currently work in NYC on a tugboat and from all my history classes and shipping classes they all said that if Halifax had been focused on before NYC then it would have been what NYC is today.

I however, have much lower ambitions for a Portland container terminal. I wouldn't even aim for competing for ultra large carriers. I'd be happy to just take some trucks off the road and focus on domestic trade or even take some smaller ships coming from Halifax.

I went to a conference as a rep for a congresswoman years ago. Here’s what I remember: the trajectory for trains heading west - avoiding hills - makes a big difference in shipping. Halifax NS, Norfolk VA, and NYC-NJ are the three best natural east coast sites for depth and have the best paths west. NYC is the absolute best but the real estate on shore is too expensive plus labor… so Norfolk and Halifax were battling it out. This was about accommodating a new wave of huge ships… and Portland wasn’t close. There also were surprisingly few permanent jobs given the vast amount of activity. This information is 25 years old… but at the time that was the consensus.

I have been to the West numerous times but the last time I checked Bangor is located on the East Coast. A 4 hour ride from Boston and you can be in Manhattan, Vermont or New Hampshire. Unlike out West you have many interesting options.

Not sure, but I’d guess if they do exist they won’t be so open about it now! They operated in a legal grey area because Maine prostitution laws were narrowly written and only covered PIV sex for a while.

Downtown Bangor was on the decline from the 70s when strip malls started opening until the late 90s when some of the seedier establishments were closed.

We actually had Yamaha (something). It was a bagger and on the quiet side compared. I’m no biker and nor do i want to be one. So before people pass judgment as they always do, maybe they should get the full knowledge of who I am. But people can’t do that, they prefer to go off half cocked bitching. We rode down, grabbed fries and left,,,we didn’t act like douches. We typically rode all back roads up through northern Maine. Found out of the way places to eat and went back home. People hear motorcycle and they jump to conclusions. In the 80’s it was really bad, motorcycles everywhere, we got drunk, didn’t have a bike until our 50’s. Big fights all the time.

The cryptozoology museum is moving from Portland to Bangor, surely that will bring the masses

lol. Good point.

Folks, this is Bangor, Bangor Maine. Having lived in central Maine with a gazillion other young back-to-the-landers, in the 70's and 80's we all knew there was absolutely no reason to ever go to Bangor. Just spend the extra 20 minutes and go on t the coast.

You say it had multiple, so I assume there is only one now…

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Hate to break it to you, but the casino is not thriving. It has an extremely low occupancy rate and is one of Penn Nationals worst performing casinos.

Yay for concerts - personally Im happy to go home and visit family and maybe catch a good concert. Bangor concerts were started by a woman-beating drug dealer, but like a true American I'll go ahead and look right past that.

Breweries don't make a town fresh. Chalky IPAs from bangor maine America aren't boosting the population. Every small city has multiple breweries - making an ipa is about as hard as tying your shoes or putting on pants. Or breathing. Easy money, especially in a shit town with nothing to do other than talking about the POTENTIAL OF BANGOR like it's 1830.

Bangor sucks out loud.

oh and there is a couple of stores in the downtown farmington area!! only one i had the opportunity to go into was the sensei side and i think they sold some bones but they definitely sold a lot of crystals, i didnt get to go into sandy river relics but they say they have oddities, and theres some antique shops!!!

A few years back, I saw a bunch of posts about people being really racist there.

theres maine's odd and unusal show thats having its second show this september, and they post about the vendors on their facebook! we went to the first one and loved it, there were some shops for out of state as well!!

You ran a business and moved in a town that doesn’t like “fresh ideas” yet has a thriving casino, big concert venue, and multiple craft breweries. I’m sure Bangor was the problem.

Accurate!

Can’t bear to ever since La Casa was torn down. 😪🍈🤗🍈😪

Between dat crystal, da heron, and da yayo it’s bad. I mean superbad n not in a funny way. Sad really.