Questions about Caribou Maine (Bangor, Brunswick: apartments, rentals, how much)

[GinaBeana87]

Hi this is my first post and i am hoping that you all will be able to give me some good information about the Caribou area. My fiancee may be relocated from his job to Caribou and we really dont know what to expect there. We are both from Ohio and have lived here our whole lives. We are getting married in June and he will most likely be relocated in August sometime. We live in Columbus right now but grew up in a small town. We are excited of the idea of getting out of the city because even though we are both young we are home-bodies and from what i have read Caribou isnt big city. Anyway, any info about the area and what it has to offer would be appreciated. Also as a side note i am still in college and i am looking into transferring to University of Maine Presque Isle, any thoughts on the school or the social work program? Thanks so much!

[Coaster]

Be prepared for culture shock. If you've lived in Ohio your whole life, I guarantee Caribou and Aroostook County will be outside your experience. Develop an appreciation for snow, add a second pair of eyes to watch for moose on the roads, and prepare to meet some of the nicest people in the world.

Physically, that part of The County has a very Midwestern feel -- flat to rolling countryside, lots of farmland, tractors on the highways. The brief summers can get hot, although not Ohio hot. There are LOTS of outdoor activities -- skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, mountain biking, etc. Caribou has a movie theater and a wide variety of civic and social organizations. Plan on joining a couple, just to get to know people and preserve your sanity in the winter.

The nearest big city on the US side of the border is Bangor, two hours south of Caribou. And Bangor is big only by Maine standards. In Ohio it would be considered a small city or large town. It has a mall and shops and restaurants. (BTW, if you like German food, there's a place just across the border from Limestone that's incredible. Can't remember the name. Ask around after you get up there.)

[chaosX5]

Hi Gina! I, too am looking to move to Maine but it sounds like you'll make it there before me This forum is a great source of info, so if you have the time, use the search feature and read through the old threads. There is a wealth of information there, I have found most of what I've needed by doing that. BTW, this is one of the nicest forums you'll ever run across...........

Good luck moving to Maine!!!!

[GinaBeana87]

Thanks so much, after I posted i noticed the whole search feature thing! I am really excited and I am thinking instead of living in Caribou we might just stay in Presque Isle while i am still in school that way it wont be a total change. Does anyone know of good websites that list apartment rentals and what not? Thanks again, Gina

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Coaster

It has a mall and shops and restaurants. (BTW, if you like German food, there's a place just across the border from Limestone that's incredible. Can't remember the name. Ask around after you get up there.)

Karl's. It is on the Gillespie Road between Limestone and Grand Falls. Cross the border in Limestone, take the first left (it is in a bad location right at the bottom of a right hand curve and small hill on the road leaving the border crossing, I usually just about blew by it even after driving that route hundreds of times) then down a few miles on the right hand side of the road tucked into the trees. GREAT FOOD!!

Actually there is very little in correlation between the Columbus area and the Caribou area. Caribou is around 6000 in population now, and hovering about the same all the time. Presque Isle is a bit larger and growing ever so slowly. It is MUCH, MUCH colder in the Caribou/PI area than Columbus, and the Summers can/will reach the high 90's. Today it was 88 in Caribou already, and while that is very unusual for this early, it can and does happen. Winters WILL reach -35, usually several times; they can reach 10+ degrees colder some years. 100" of snow is average for that area. Biting flies can be very bad (black flies are nasty little buggers that I think Jesus himself would grow weary of), much worse than Ohio.

Now that the scary stuff is out of the way . It is much prettier in the Caribou area. Don't let the lazy appearance of the Aroostook river fool you, it is a big and very powerful river. Even after living within 1/4 mile of the Aroostook River for close to 20 years it always amazed me how much "push" that river had, even in low water situations. When it is running at flood stage every Spring it is a powerful sight, knowing that it is 15 or more feet higher than it runs in the Summer months. People can be very friendly there and I still talk every day to friends in Caribou and Presque Isle. Moose can be a hazard on the roadways, so the poster that said to keep your eyes open for them at all times is to be taken VERY seriously. Think of a cow on stilts and you can quickly picture why you really, really don't want to hit one. They are a sight to behold when they duck into the woods and look like they just vanish into thin air. 1000-1200+ pounds and just - poof - gone, through the trees.

UMPI (University of Maine - Presque Isle) is a very good school and has some very good instructors for their size. Getting in usually isn't too much of a problem, and they will take into consideration other extenuating factors if grades in other places are not top notch. They really will give somebody a chance other schools might not, but that doesn't take away from the quality of their programs. My Brother took dual majors of Social Work and Psychology there, and was accepted into every Grad school he applied to for his Masters and Doctorate programs. As a full disclosure as well, while I didn't finish my degrees there, my Mother does work there and has for a LONG time now. It may flavor my thoughts a bit toward the campus, but the results of placements in Graduate schools should speak for itself when you look up the figures for the Campus as a whole. Side note, everybody calles it by it's abbreviation UMPI and not the whole name. Pronounced: UmmPee, (we won't get into what they call UMFK in Fort Kent )

Rentals can be hit or miss on websites. Best bet is to subscribe to one of the weekly papers in either Presque Isle (The Star Herald), or Caribou (The Aroostook Republican). They are both owned by the same parent company and carry a lot of the same ads for apartments usually.

[bangorme]

Everything said so far is right on. I wouldn't consider renting in Caribou (except for an appartment). When I left a year ago the housing market was stable, and in my opinion, isn't really effected by national trends. I easily sold my house (btw the property I sold there would be worth 10 times the amount here in Virginia).

The thing you have to keep in mind is that the winters are long there (+- 6 months), but you will love the summers.

[GinaBeana87]

Thanks again for all your help. I know it wont be like Columbus but i do think it sounds amazing. We wont know for sure whether or not he will be transferred there until June 1st but at least now we know what we are getting into. You all have been extremely helpful!

[maineguy8888]

Hi Gina,
I'm originally from PI, now in Caribou. Lived all over the northeast, (and went to college just over the line from Ohio in NW Pa!).
A few things: The moose thing is 100% right. Just slow down at night. Develop a "feel" for where they might be. (My Dad hit one two weeks ago, and didn't even get a bruise! Pretty danged good for an old fart, huh?? LOL)
Winter is NOT 6 months! I always wonder why people have to make it worse than it actually is, haha!. November is a hit or miss month...it can be in the 60s, or it can be 20 degrees. Usually get a dusting of snow in November............ True winter is Dec. through March. And let me tell you, NOBODY can appreciate and enjoy spring like the people of Northern Maine!! haha! (The Aroostook River runs right through Caribou.............I get to see it change every day..........I live two blocks away...........it really is a special river!)
Outdoors stuff is a big deal here, as has been said. I can't even begin to describe the outdoors here. Suffice to say we have a connection with nature, the farms, woods, etc. that you will not find anywhere else. It's in our BONES, and can't be ignored... But................I can say that it is soooooo beautiful. Surreal at times. It's one of the two things that brought me and my wife back, when it was time to "settle down".
The other thing is COMMUNITY. Old-fashioned community. Friendly, safe, etc. etc. etc. Like nowhere else.
Just a minor correction: Caribou has over 8,000 people--not 6,000, and seems to have reversed its population decline.....the recent growth of Loring Commerce Center (10 miles away) is part of that. It has just a few fewer folks than Presque Isle. Caribou is (in this ex-Presque Isler's opinion) a much nicer town. Something weird and unfortunate has been happening to PI over the last 10 years. Not sure what, but it's going downhilll. For example, there are at least 4 areas in PI that can be considered slummy. No such places in Caribou. And Caribou has retained a quintessential small-town feel (although it is technically a city). Especially its downtown. Caribou's new Recreation and Wellness Center is OUTSTANDING. As is the Performing Arts Center, the city ski trails, parks, hospital, library, etc. etc. And only TWO traffic lights, hehe!! (compared to Presque Isle's 10 or so......)
Switching to the area:
You may not know this, but Fredericton, New Brunswick is about two and a half hours away. It's the capital of the province, and has about 60,000 people in the metro area. We use their airport. It's a great city.
Also, Edmonston New Brunswick is just across the river from Madawaska, Maine..........about 45 minutes north of Caribou. The population of those two combined is about 25,000. Nice area--that area is VERY French. C'est bon!!
GOOD LUCK with moving, etc!!! Holler if you need any other questions answered.

[Maineah]

She moved to Alaska

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by Maineah

She moved to Alaska

Seriously?