When you think of Maine, what city comes to mind? It’s probably the city of Portland (Maine, not Oregon, just to be clear). And don’t get me wrong, we visited Portland and found it to be a really cool city with an awesome vibe and amaaaazing food (I’m not exaggerating when I say I had the best pizza of my life in Portland). But my heart is in Bangor — the other city in Maine. I’m a tad biased, considering I only spent one day in Portland and 30 days in Bangor. BUT REGARDLESS, I think Bangor is a severely underrated city in Maine, and here’s why:
It’s a short drive to plenty of scenic towns and forests
Located in Penobscot County, Bangor is considered east-central Maine. So while it’s technically not a “coastal city,” it’s only an hour from charming and quiet coastal towns like Camden* and Rockport.
(*For my friends from the northeast: Camden, Maine, is a very, very, very different place than Camden, New Jersey. During our trip, I turned my nose up at going to Camden out of sheer habit — I grew up outside of Philly. But trust me, these two towns share a name and nothing else.)
If you’re an adventurer or outdoor enthusiast, then you’ll be delighted to know that Bangor is only an hour from Acadia National Park. For those who are unfamiliar, Acadia features rocky beaches, gorgeous lakes, and plenty of hiking trails. The most notable trail is Cadillac Trail, which leads visitors to the top of Cadillac Mountain where they can view the first sunrise in the continental U.S.
With Bangor being an hour’s drive to Acadia National Park, that means it’s also only an hour away from the charming coastal town of Bar Harbor. This small village features a number of adorable boutiques and restaurants serving up Maine staples like lobster, clam chowdaaa, and mussels. Plus, being a popular tourist destination, Bar Harbor has plenty of activities to check out, including boat rides and whale-watching tours.
If you want to go the opposite direction of Acadia and the lengthy Maine coastline, no problemo — Bangor is less than a two-hour drive from Moosehead Lake. In fact, you can get from Bangor to Greenville (the main town in the Moosehead Lake region) in about 90 minutes. And the time in the car will go by in a flash as the drive takes you on scenic backroads and through remote New England towns.
Once you arrive, there’s plenty to do in Moosehead Lake — from hiking to boating to kayaking to camping. Being so close to Bangor, it’s easy to spend a weekend or two in the region, which many New Englanders tend to do during the summer months. Plus, you may even see a moose — especially if you head over to Kokadjo, where locals claim there are more moose than people.
So let’s recap: If you’re in Bangor, that means you’re two hours or less from Portland, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Camden, and Moosehead Lake. For remote workers who turn into weekend warriors the moment the clock strikes 5 PM on Friday, Bangor is a great place to call home while you explore everything Maine has to offer.
It’s the ideal size
Bangor isn’t too big, nor is it too small…it’s juuuuuuust right. There’s about 30,000 people living in Bangor, making it half the size of Portland and 1/20th the size of Boston. I found that it was easy to get around Bangor, the traffic was always manageable, and it had a pleasant downtown area with a few bars, restaurants, and breweries within walking distance. For me (someone who enjoys a weekend in New York City here and there but can’t handle big crowds) that made Bangor just the right size.
It has a casino and a killer concert venue
As far as nightlife goes, Bangor has plenty of options. Aside from bars and restaurants in its downtown area, the city is home to Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway, which has slot machines and table games like poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps. Plus, the casino is open daily until midnight — which means there’s plenty of time to pop in and try your luck.
During Maine’s warmer months, Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor is the place to be. The recently renovated music venue sits right on the Penobscot River and hosts artists like Luke Combs, Santana, Sting, Jason Aldean, Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews Band, Aerosmith, and Pitbull. Being an outside venue, concert season starts in May and wraps up in October. If you’re living or staying in the downtown Bangor area or even across the river in the residential area of Brewer, it’s an easy walk or Uber ride to the amphitheater.
Bangor City Forest — the perfect place for walking, biking, and trail running
Bangor City Forest offers over 680 acres of fun for those who love the outdoors. With more than nine miles of running, hiking, and biking trails, the area is popular among locals and tourists alike. When we stayed in Bangor, we enjoyed evening strolls through the forest after work. The woodland is quiet, and while you’re only a short distance from the road, the thick forest makes you feel as if you’re deep in the wilderness — which was just the escape we needed after eight hours of spreadsheets and Zoom calls. The thick forest is also home to abundant wildlife. Snowshoe hairs, owls, eagles, squirrels, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, porcupines, skunks, foxes, raccoons bobcats, moose, and black bears have all been spotted at Bangor City Forest.
If you’re visiting between Memorial Day and early October, be sure to check out the Orono Bog Boardwalk. Managed by volunteers and students and faculty from the University of Maine, the boardwalk takes visitors on a one-mile loop through diverse plants and vegetation.
Just be warned: If you’re visiting Bangor City Forest in the spring or summer, the bugs can be brutal. Be sure to bring plenty of bug spray or wear long clothing.
Visiting Bangor in the winter? No worries — the trails transform into cross-country skiing and snowshoeing pathways during the snowy months.
Bangor Bonus: The Paul Bunyan statue
While we’re not totally sure how accurate this statement is, legend has it that Bangor is the birthplace of the renowned lumberjack Paul Bunyan. And to honor his legacy, the city has a 31-foot statue of him downtown that weighs over 3,900 pounds. While we may never know if Bunyan was actually born in Bangor (Akeley, Minnesota, also claims to be his birthplace), those visiting Bangor can still check out the mighty statue and grab a photo with the man, the myth, the legend.
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How did we end up in Bangor? Honestly, we were aiming for Portland, but we couldn’t find somewhere to rent in our budget. So we expanded our search and started reading about Bangor, where short-term rentals were much more affordable. Baddabing, baddaboom, we were in Bangor.
Are there downsides to Bangor? Of course — no city is perfect. To name a few: The town tends to shut down around 9 PM, and the downtown area could use some sprucing up. But in my perspective, people visiting the great state of Maine should drive the extra two hours north and spend a few days in this historic city. I did, and honestly, it has been one of my favorite places I’ve visited so far.
The Traveling Worker 
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