Relocating to Bangor-ish (Orono, Brewer, Old Town: rental car, sale, apartments)

[bananamana]

Hello all! I was recently admitted into the University of Maine's Grad School and will be moving out in August. I'm living in Japan right now so I can't take a trip into my new home until I return to the US. I have some questions about the general area before I make a lot of big decisions.

1) Car--Being that I've lived in Japan for the past 2 years, I don't have one nor have I used one frequently for about 7 years. I lived in a similar sized city without a car for 5 years before moving to Japan, but I think it was an anomally. How traversable is Orono/Bangor without a vehicle? How late do the busses run? Is there public transportation out of the area, and is there someplace I could rent a car if I needed one badly?

2) Housing--The website for off-campus housing lists a bunch of small towns/suburbs/neighborhoods(?) and doesn't explan exactly what I'm looking at. Orono is a pretty small town and I would assume most students live in Bangor but I don't have any idea. Where would you recommend housing? What's the average monthly cost?

3) Work--I'm currently seeking out an assistantship at the university but if that falls through I will need to find something else. I speak Spanish and Japanese (poorly on the second one). Are there a lot of jobs? Where are they located when looking from the university or student housing?

4) Lifestyle--What's living there like? Bars? Shopping? Cinemas? I guess entertainment is the meat of my question.

I'm really excited to be moving to Maine; my family has been going there for years and I've always loved the area. Thanks for any help you can give.

[RHB]

We do have a bus line -BAT. I'm not sure of the hours, I'm sure the schedule should be on line. I know some people who do well with it, but I guess it demends on where you live and where you want to go.

There are a lot of students in Old Town also. Bangor Daily News is on line, and should beable to give you an idea as to what is available and the costs for apartments.

Jobs are tight here, as is just about everywhere. I doubt you could find something with your language skills, unless it was with in the education systems.

We do have bars, shopping and movies. There are also a number of community activities, a number of them free or low costs.

Sorry I'm not more help, I work in Bangor, but live beyond the BAT line, and once I get home, I don't want to leave my little piece of heaven to go to the movies, bars or shopping.

Congratulations on getting accepted to the grad program.

[Newdaawn]

My first suggestion would be to contact the student Housing Office at the University for suggestions and help. The BAT (local bus) (Bangor area Transportation) runs 6 days a week with most routes every half hour and on the hour on Saturdays. I believe the last run of the day is around 6 p m. although that may differ for the run to Orono and the University. There are rental cars at Bangor International Airport and some other places on a smaller scale ie - Bangor Rent A Car in Veazie. Veazie is a small town adjacent to Orono.
Good luck on your search - Hope you have good finds in housing etc.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

1) Car--Being that I've lived in Japan for the past 2 years, I don't have one nor have I used one frequently for about 7 years.

Depending on your major, you will likely be in Orono for 12 to 18 months. Unless you are a true Spartan you'll need a car. It is just plain dangerous to walk the roads in winter.

2) Housing--The website for off-campus housing lists a bunch of small towns/suburbs/neighborhoods(?)

There are on-campus efficiency apartments for married and unmarried students. My son lived in one with three other students.

3) Work--I'm currently seeking out an assistantship at the university but if that falls through I will need to find something else.

Spanish won't help much. The job market is limited for somebody without a flexible schedule. As mentioned above, the student housing office should be your best resource for both housing and jobs.

[hennybenny]

Most of what previous posters have said is true. I personally don't think you need to have a car, although it is helpful. There is a grocery store and a coupkle bars within an easy walk from campus. If you will not have a car, I would suggest trying to obtian on campus housing, or an apartment within walking distance in Orono (there are actually many apartments in Orono, lots of the old houses have been converted to provide off-campus housing for students). The bus is available for the occaisional trips into Bangor to go to the mall, or to a movie, but like someone said, it doesn't run real late and I wouldn't want to rely on it to get to and from an apartment in Bangor or Brewer, personally.
The jobs here are slim pickin's, but you may find a niche opportunity, like language tutoring. My sister-in-law was a Japanese student at U Maine and had a job as a translator for a local psychiatric hospital. If you look into things like that, you may find enough to keep you going.
Lifestyle wise, I can tell you that the Bangor/Orono area is a wonderful, fabulous place to live. U Maine is a great school with a comfortable campus. I did my grad work there and was very happy with it.
Pro tip- if you don't get an assistantship, try to find a job on campus, if your schedule allows. Even if it's just as a secretary or a janitor or something. UMaine employees get free tuition up to six credits a semester, even grad classes.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by bananamana

Hello all! I was recently admitted into the University of Maine's Grad School and will be moving out in August. I'm living in Japan right now so I can't take a trip into my new home until I return to the US. I have some questions about the general area before I make a lot of big decisions.

1) Car--Being that I've lived in Japan for the past 2 years, I don't have one nor have I used one frequently for about 7 years. I lived in a similar sized city without a car for 5 years before moving to Japan, but I think it was an anomally. How traversable is Orono/Bangor without a vehicle? How late do the busses run? Is there public transportation out of the area, and is there someplace I could rent a car if I needed one badly?

2) Housing--The website for off-campus housing lists a bunch of small towns/suburbs/neighborhoods(?) and doesn't explan exactly what I'm looking at. Orono is a pretty small town and I would assume most students live in Bangor but I don't have any idea. Where would you recommend housing? What's the average monthly cost?

3) Work--I'm currently seeking out an assistantship at the university but if that falls through I will need to find something else. I speak Spanish and Japanese (poorly on the second one). Are there a lot of jobs? Where are they located when looking from the university or student housing?

4) Lifestyle--What's living there like? Bars? Shopping? Cinemas? I guess entertainment is the meat of my question.

I'm really excited to be moving to Maine; my family has been going there for years and I've always loved the area. Thanks for any help you can give.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be without a car, but there are many who do live without one just fine.

Here is a schedule (note there is a route specific to UMO):

The official website for the City of Bangor, Maine

Work: How Maine Gets to Work | JobsInME.com

UMO has a cinema, and there's another one in Orono called Spotlight Cinemas. There are two more in nearby Bangor as well. There are also many nightspots in Bangor. Bangor also offers headliner concerts with the Waterfront Concert Series.

Waterfront Concerts | Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tickets On Sale Friday @ 12PM | Tickets also available at Mark's Music

As for the rest, UMO admissions office should be able to guide you in the right direction.

Good luck.

[imjustthere]

Finding a job won't be a problem in Orono, it just won't pay very well. There are numerous work-study opportunities on campus especially in the dining halls. There are also a couple of call centers in town that a lot of students find work at including a Bank of America Call center and Nexxlinx (formerly known as microdyne) Both offices are usually always hiring. In fact... upon a quick review of the Nexxlinx web site, it looks like they are hiring Spanish speaking tech support associates. Typically bilingual specialists are paid pretty well as it is a valuable skill to have. Good luck... Here's the job listing!

https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=996391&t=1

[hennybenny]

^^Umaine has a cinema???

[Newdaawn]

Get a bike for around campus travel and trips to Orono center. You can ride the bike for 3 seasons here and this winter we had VERY little snow and I see people out on them all the time. I'm sure you will make friends and some of them will have cars to take you to social events etc. Try it without the car at first.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by hennybenny

^^Umaine has a cinema???

Thursday night movies!


Collins Center for the Arts | University of Maine Orono | 1-800-622-TIXX