22 Things You Should Know Before Moving to Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine: it’s cold, it’s quiet, and it’s easy to fall in love with. This friendly, low-key city, with an impeccably low crime rate, is the perfect destination for raising kids or pursuing your artistic passion in peace.
1. It’s Bangor, not Bang-er.
People from Bangor are generally a friendly sort, but that goes right out the window when you mispronounce the name of their city. If you squint a bit, you might think this local video stars Joel McHale and Jason Sudeikis.
2.Stephen King lives there.
It’s no surprise that Bram Stoker Award-winner Stephen King chooses the dark, wintry depths of Maine as his home base (except when he’s at his other home in Florida). With so much peace and quiet in Bangor, it’s hard not to get creative.
3. Where a batmobile is public transportation.
Funded and inspired by Bangor’s most notable resident (see #2), The BAT Community Connector offers an alternative way to get to local points of interest, like schools and shopping centers.
4. It’s hip to be square!
If you’re a bagel, that is! Bangor’s Bagel Central offers delicious home-baked bagels in a unique square-ish shape. Blueberry is the local fruit, so be sure to try their soft and crusty blueberry bagel!
5. Who needs Times Square?
The year 2005 marked the beginning of a very important tradition for downtown Bangor. Every New Year’s Eve, a local attorney drops a lighted ball from a pub rooftop. What started as a few spectators and a beach ball is now a large gathering and a giant yoga ball wrapped in string lights. Musical performances, food vendors, a spirited countdown, and the quintessential ball drop now draw more than a thousand people to this yearly celebration.
6. Eat all kinds of lobster.
You won’t find it cheaper or more delicious anywhere else. You can even grab a lobster roll at the local McDonalds!
>7. Drink Sea Dog.
Given the abundance of blueberries in Maine, it’s no surprise that local brewery Sea Dog is known for their wild blueberry beer. Will lobster-flavored beer be their next big thing? Only time can tell…
8. The 24/7 Denny’s will become your second home.
Let’s be real, Bangor isn’t much of a late night town, but rest assured: you can still order Moons Over My Hammy all day and all night.
9. The Curious Incident of the Colonel in the Night-Time
In 2003, the Colonel Sanders statue in rivaling Brewer vanished in the night by way of two 17-year-old Bangor high school students. Advice for future colonel heists: don’t publish pictures partying with the colonel for local police to find.
10. The Penobscot River is pretty as a postcard.
Bangor isn’t located on the Atlantic Ocean, but you can reach it by boat via the Penobscot River. Make friends with a local boat owner quickly, because 4th of July fireworks are best viewed from the water.
11. Is it Hollywood? Is it Vegas? No… It’s Bangor, Maine.
The Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway Bangor is known as the premier entertainment destination for all those who call Bangor home. It has Vegas-style table games and slots, as well a the Waterfront Concert Series, which features top names in entertainment like Bob Dylan and Van Halen.
12. Just breathe.
The American Lung Association named Bangor one of the cleanest cities in its annual State of the Air Report.
13. In Bangor, you can take credit for things you didn’t do.
What’s the deal with this Paul Bunyan statue? Legend has it he’s really from Michigan, or Minnesota, or French Canada… but definitely not Bangor.
14. Just ask your neighbor about the Ice Storm of ’98
The winter weather in Bangor is no joke, and neither is losing power when it’s -15 degrees outside. Be prepared to face the elements!
15. Relish in summer.
After a long hard winter, make summers count. Take advantage of each sunny day at the Beth Pancoe Municipal Aquatic Center.
16. Fly Internationally without leaving your zip code.
Getting out of town is easy from the Bangor International Airport.
17. Catch some culture.
Equity actors fly from NYC to perform with Bangor’s Penobscot Theater Company, which is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cultural events in town. The city hosts a number of music festivals, an Oktoberfest, and various events celebrating local farmers, artisans, and more.
18. Ain’t no Brits gonna hold us down!
During the War of 1812, the British took over Bangor for 30 hours. That time was spent looting homes and shops, as well as drinking heavily. Pretty soon, the British military was so drunk their military leaders decided to withdraw in fear their stumbling soldiers wouldn’t be able to hold the town.
19. The library is worth ogling.
What started as seven books in a footlocker back in 1830 has blossomed into a stunning structure with over 500,000 titles. It consistently records among the highest circulation rates in the US.
20. Brownies. You’re welcome.
Back in 1905, the first recipe for chocolate brownies was published in the Boston Daily Globe. These delicious baked goods were called Bangor Brownies.
21. The #1 spot for engagement photos
It’s called Cascade Park, and it’s a great place to relax on a weekend afternoon. Not a bad place to propose to someone either.
22. Henry David Thoreau would hang here.
Back in 1864, in his book The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau described the city as, “Like a star at the edge of the night, still hewing the forests of which it is built, already overflowing with the luxuries and refinements of Europe, and sending its vessels to Spain, to England, to the West Indies for its groceries”
Ready to call blueberry-loving, brownie-spawning Bangor, Maine home? Explore the possibilities and find a new home in Bangor on Estately.com.
