Once you have mastered the ropes of being a graduate student, you are ready to focus on your day-to-day needs. The greater Orono area is like many other university towns in a predominantly rural setting \u2013 housing is plentiful, restaurants can be found, and cultural events do go on, but it takes some time, luck, and investigation to discover the best of these. Those of you coming from outside Maine or the United States may experience some culture shock, but it\u2019s good for you. Those of you from big cities may experience lack-of-culture shock. But with a little bit of help you should be able to find enough to keep you occupied during those few moments you free yourself from your studies.<\/p>\n
If you are just looking for a quick introduction to the area, here is a little “Welcome to Orono” Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are two options for graduate students who wish to live on campus. Stodder Hall is a co-educational residence hall with both single and double rooms for graduate students and non-traditional undergraduate students. Stodder houses the Graduate Center, which provides computers, printers, and a resource room for all graduate students. A choice of meal plans for use in any of the dining commons on campus is part of the residence package for Stodder residents.<\/p>\n The other facility, University Park, caters to students, staff and faculty with family members. This housing option does not require any meal plan, as the apartments have kitchens. To obtain information on housing in either Stodder or University Park, contact Housing Services<\/a> at 581-4580.<\/p>\n Most graduate students live in the Orono \/ Old Town region, although many prefer the city of Bangor or the small nearby towns of Veazie and Milford. Graduate students with families will often find cheap houses in any of the small communities that surround this region. As with any university town, the competition for cheap apartments or houses in good locations is fierce. There are a number of places you can begin your search for a place to live. The Commuter\/Non-traditional Student Program<\/a> maintains a list of available off-campus housing.<\/p>\n You may also find housing notices on the bulletin boards in the union and the library.<\/p>\n If you already have a FirstClass <\/em>account, roommate posting and apartment listings can be found in the \u201cStudent Resources\u201d folder on your desktop (then to \u201cHousing\u201d then \u201cRoommates and Apartments\u201d). This is by far the best place to look for current listings, especially for rentals.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget there is also Craigslist<\/a>. Go to housing and click on either apt\/housing, rooms\/shared or sublet\/temporary. It is recommended that you narrow down your searches by using keywords like your desired location eg: Orono, Old Town, Veazie and\/or Bangor.<\/p>\n Finally, the Bangor Daily News classifieds Bangor Daily News classifieds<\/a>, The Weekly (a Bangor-area paper distributed free of charge), and the Penobscot Times<\/a> are other sources of potential leads.<\/p>\n Here are some general tips regarding your search for housing:<\/p>\n For the weekend visitor, there are a number of motels and hotels in the area. The <\/strong>Black Bear Inn <\/strong>(866-7120) is located nearby to the campus. The Lucerne Inn <\/strong>(843-5123) offers a nice old world experience a bit farther away across the river. There are also many other hotels and motels surrounding the Bangor Mall (exit 187 [formerly exit 49]). For big weekends, especially graduation weekend, make reservations exceptionally early. The University also rents out rooms in dorms for a very reasonable rate, but this service is based on availability.<\/p>\n Below we list many options, but we would especially recommend Ichiban <\/strong>(Japanese) and The Fiddlehead Restaurant<\/strong> for fine dining. If you need New York pizza in Maine, you will drive to Finelli\u2019s <\/strong>in Ellsworth.<\/p>\n Here is a list of places you may want to try:<\/p>\n Angelo\u2019s Pizza <\/em>499 Hammond St Bangor (942-5553)<\/p>\n Bagel Central <\/em>33 Central St Bangor (947-1654)<\/p>\n Bangor<\/em> Wine & Cheese <\/em>84 Hammond St Bangor (942-3336)<\/p>\n Caf\u00e9 Nouveau <\/em>84 Hammond St Bangor (942-3336)<\/p>\n Dysart\u2019s Truck Stop Cold Brook Rd Hermon (942-4878)<\/em><\/p>\n Frank\u2019s Bake Shop <\/em>199 State St Bangor (947-4594)<\/p>\n Geaghan\u2019s Restaurant and Pub <\/em>570 Maine Street Bangor (945-3730)<\/p>\n Harvest Moon Deli <\/em>18 Mill Street Orono (866-3354)<\/p>\n Margarita\u2019s <\/em>15 Mill St Orono (866-4863)<\/p>\n Mason’s Brewing Company\u00a0<\/em>15 Hardy St, Brewer, ME 04412 (989-6300)<\/p>\n Market Caf\u00e9 <\/em>827 Stillwater Ave Old Town (827-3663)<\/p>\n Orono House of Pizza <\/em>154 Park St Orono (866-5505)<\/p>\n Pepino\u2019s <\/em>570 Stillwater Ave Bangor (947-1233)<\/p>\n Paddy Murphy\u2019s <\/em>26 Maine Street Bangor (945-6800)<\/p>\n Pat\u2019s Pizza <\/em>11 Mill St Orono (866-2111)<\/p>\n Sea Dog Brewery <\/em>26 Front St Bangor (947-8004)<\/p>\n Spanky\u2019s Pizza <\/em>4 Walter Ct Bangor (941-8626)<\/p>\n Taste of India <\/em>68 Main St Bangor (945-6865)<\/p>\n Thai Orchid <\/em>28 Mill St Bangor (866-4200<\/p>\n Tri-City Pizza <\/em>422 Center St Bangor (942-2933)<\/p>\n Woodman\u2019s Bar & Grill <\/em>31 Main St Orono (866-4040)<\/p>\n If good BBQ is your thing, a short drive to Monson (Route 15 towards Greenville and Moosehead Lake) is worth the trip for the best BBBQ this side of the Rio Grande (the extra B is for BYOB). Hardly new to the barbecue community, owners Mike and Kim have recently opened Spring Creek BBQ<\/strong>, which is bound to emerge as a Maine State landmark. Although originally from Maine, Mike is a Texas-trained and Kansas City approved smoker; he even uses Maine wood in the smoker. The hours may vary, but you can count on them being open summers from Thursday through Sunday, 8am \u2013 8pm, or until the food runs out.<\/p>\n Here we take a quick moment to offer you a couple of things that give you a local experience. We offer these without additional explanation and suggest you not miss a one: Dysart\u2019s Truck Stop<\/strong>, Pat\u2019s Pizza<\/strong>, Harvest Moon Deli, The Store Ampersand<\/strong>, and The Nest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Hannaford Supermarket and Pharmacy Bell\u2019s Orono IGA<\/a><\/p>\n 6 Stillwater Avenue Don\u2019t miss these additional options when shopping for food:<\/p>\n The Steam Plant Parking lot across from campus on College Ave. hosts the Orono Farmers\u2019 Market <\/strong>on Saturday mornings (8-12) and Tuesday afternoons (3-5:30) during the summer. Winter markets are held in downtown Orono (location varies), check Facebook<\/a>, Snakeroot Farm<\/a> and local newspapers for postings. Many local organic farms sell their goods here.<\/p>\n The Natural Living Center <\/strong>on Stillwater Ave in Bangor (near Home Depot) features organic and health foods.<\/p>\n The Store Ampersand <\/strong>is a great place to pick up baked goods, coffee (by the cup or by the pound), some healthy food, wine, and fancy random beers.<\/p>\n There are at least four self-service laundries frequented by 91福利 sorts. The large and clean Gold Star Cleaners (<\/strong>480 Stillwater Ave; 827-3349) is located on Stillwater Ave next to Spotlight Cinemas and IGA.\u00a0 There\u2019s also Bangor Dry Cleaning and Laundry <\/strong>(36 Springer Dr; 942-6157\u200e) adjacent Shaw\u2019s on Springer Drive in Bangor. And the cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me<\/em>, the Garden Island Laundry <\/strong>on Stillwater Ave in Old Town is clean, large, and offers as an added convenience\u2026a tanning salon.<\/p>\n The Richard R. and Anne A. Collins Center for the Arts (CCA) <\/strong>hosts a variety of shows from around the world throughout the year, and is a true gem. With your MaineCard you get two free tickets that can be used for a selection of shows that aren\u2019t sold out. Student-rate tickets are sold the day of the show at the CCA box office.\u00a0Be sure to look for\u00a0upcoming events at the CCA<\/a>!\u00a0The School of Performing Arts offers music, theater and dance performances as well. The Hudson Museum<\/strong>, which celebrates Native American culture, is housed within the CCA.<\/p>\n The Page Farm and Home Museum<\/a> <\/strong>is located on campus near the MCA and is worth a visit. Occasionally Page Farm hosts lectures, and at the very least can be a small haven if you need to get away from your desk.<\/p>\n The Versant Power Astronomy Center<\/a><\/strong> hosts multiple shows, geared towards different audiences during the year. Call 581-1341 for more information and a show schedule.<\/p>\n The University of Maine Museum of Art <\/strong>(UMMA)<\/a>, located at 40 Harlow St in Bangor, is definitely worth a night on the town and is free to students with their MaineCard. Call 561-3350 for more information.<\/p>\n The Campus Activities Board<\/a> puts on tons of free events during the school year, including movies, karaoke, game nights, and fun things during finals. Look for fliers in the union!<\/p>\n A list of student clubs and organizations can be found at the Undergraduate Student Organizations Database<\/a> and the Graduate Student Organizations Database<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Graduate Student Government<\/a> publishes a monthly newsletter outlining socials, workshops, and announcements. Additionally, sign up to receive Office for Diversity and Inclusion sponsored programs and events<\/a>!<\/p>\n For Contra Dance, check out the Keith Anderson Community House at 19 Bennoch Road in Orono. Old Town, Orono, and Bangor have many bars. In Old Town, check out Kanu<\/strong>. In Orono, there\u2019s the Orono Brewing Company, Marsh Island Brewing, Black Bear Microbrewery, <\/strong>Margarita\u2019s<\/strong>, Pat\u2019s, <\/strong>and Woodman\u2019s Bar & Grill.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are looking for live music around town, it\u2019s out there. The Black Bear Microbrewery & Woodman\u2019s Bar and Grill hosts live music regularly throughout the week. During the summer, the Orono Public Library hosts lots of events, such as Summer Concerts on the Green<\/a>.<\/p>\n During the fall and spring semester, the Bear Brew Pub hosts live music regularly throughout the week.\u00a0 The Whig and Courier<\/strong>, The Waterfront Tavern<\/strong>, the<\/strong> Seadog<\/strong>, and Caf\u00e9 Nouveau <\/strong>are all located in Bangor and host live music. There is a Summer Concerts in the<\/em> Park <\/em>series at the Old Town Riverfront Park, in the park in Orono by the bridge, and also in Bangor at the waterfront.<\/p>\n Bangor hosts the Bangor State Fair <\/strong>in late July and the American Folk Festival <\/strong>in late August. There are also a number of small Bluegrass festivals tucked away in small towns throughout Maine. If you are willing to drive to Rockland, you can choose from the Lobster Festival <\/strong>in early July, the North Atlantic Blues Festival <\/strong>in late July, or the North Atlantic Folk Festival <\/strong>in August. A can\u2019t miss is the Common Ground Country Fair <\/strong>held in Unity in late September. The fair is supported by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, MOFGA, and emphasizes sustainable agriculturally based rural communities. The fair is a blast and features organic foods, a wide variety of crafts, and many performances. The Piscataquis Heritage Festival <\/strong>hosts the Annual Maine State Barbecue Championship in Dover at the end of September \u2013 bring your chili boots.<\/p>\n There are two cinemas in the area: Hoyts Bangor Mall Cinemas 10 <\/strong>at the Bangor Mall and Spotlight Cinemas <\/strong>in Orono both offer mainstream releases. If you are a fan of indie films, challenging content, and diversity, checkout the\u00a0Railroad Square Cinema<\/a> <\/strong>in Waterville.<\/p>\n The Grand Auditorium<\/a> <\/strong>in Ellsworth also frequently offers foreign films and others not carried by the more mainstream theaters.<\/p>\n Reel Pizza Cinerama <\/strong>in Bar Harbor regularly offers indies and foreign films in addition to mainstream releases, and also features the option to dine on gourmet pizza during the show. Call 288-3811 for their information line.<\/p>\n There are also many showings on campus.\u00a0 For example, (MPAC) Maine Peace Action Committee holds a film series to promote peace. Visit their website for a list of the film series.<\/p>\n In Maine the lack of professional sports allows collegiate and high school level sports to enjoy the spotlight. It will be necessary to drive to Portland or Boston to see a pro team play, but don\u2019t worry if your car won\u2019t make it because the 91福利 sports teams are very competitive. One of the largest draws around during the winter is the men\u2019s hockey team, there is also women\u2019s hockey team too that draws smaller crowds but should not be missed. Don\u2019t forget to check out both men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball as well.<\/p>\n All students can attend all sporting events at the university for free as long as you\u2019ve paid your fees for the semester. Be sure to get to Alfond early enough for games against big rivals or you won\u2019t get in. Also check out other Division 1 football and baseball games. Local game coverage and Boston\u2019s professional action can be heard on the Sports Zone, WZON AM 620.<\/p>\n 91福利 Campus Recreation<\/a> is the primary facilitator for on-campus fitness, sport, and recreational offerings.\u00a0Links to the hours and membership fees (if applicable) of the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, MaineBound Adventure Center, Mahaney Dome, Wallace Pool, and Alfond Arena are listed online. The Student Recreation and Fitness Center is a new 83,000+ sq. ft. facility that all students are being charged a fee to use.\u00a0 We recommend you take advantage of this and use this impressive facility. Various aerobics classes are offered, including aquacize classes, and the Fitness Center is well equipped with free weights, nautilus-style machines, and aerobic equipment. Early morning and during dinnertime are the best times to avoid the largest crowds. Racquetball courts and volleyball courts are available, but may require reservations.<\/p>\n There are various club, intramural, and tournament-style teams forming throughout the year, as well as events you can compete in as an individual. For more information, see the Campus Recreation web site or stop by their office in the Memorial Gym.<\/p>\n There is a well maintained trail system in the University Forest for biking, hiking, jogging, and cross-country skiing. Trail maps are available online<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are other trail systems throughout the area, including the Bangor City Forest<\/a>, Brown Woods and Essex Woods Trails in Bangor, and the Orono Bog Boardwalk<\/a>. In addition, you can go for a walk in the Fay Hyland Botanical Garden<\/a> or in the Roger Clapp Greenhouse and Littlefield Garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n MaineBound <\/em>Outdoor Adventure Center is located in the big barn by the Memorial Union and rents out an array of outdoor gear for personal use, including kayaks, tents, snowshoes, and skis (be sure to get the student rates).\u00a0 Additionally MaineBound <\/em>houses an interior climbing wall (and free gear to borrow) and offers a variety of instructional classes and trips for all skill levels.<\/p>\n You can attend public skate at the Alfond Arena<\/a> and go ice skating with some friends!<\/p>\n For those who enjoy off-campus fitness facilities, there is a YMCA in Old Town and a YMCA and YWCA in Bangor. They are both reasonably priced and offer a range of programs. A little known and conveniently unadvertised fact is that the Bangor YMCA (and maybe the other two) offers a subsidized membership fee to qualifying applicants with modest incomes (i.e. grad students on stipends).<\/p>\n 91福利 is conveniently located just over an hour from Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, one of the most popular parks in the nation. One benefit of residing in the area is the ability to enjoy the park in every season. The park features over forty miles of carriage roads that are fabulous for hiking, biking, and crosscountry skiing. The well maintained hiking trails allow access to the highest points on the Eastern seaboard. Maps and information <\/a>can be obtained at the Park Service Visitors Center.<\/p>\n There are a number of downhill skiing resorts, including Sunday River and Sugarloaf, within a few hours drive of Orono for the snow bunnies. MaineBound <\/em>offers discount student passes in the fall for those who frequent the slopes. Mud Pond and Alfond Arena are sites used for ice skating. Cross-country skiing or snowshoeing on trail systems previously mentioned is a great way to enjoy a Maine winter (and you might as well because it is long). The Orono Land Trust (https:\/\/oronolandtrust.org\/)\u00a0 <\/a>and 91福利 Recreation maintain and groom their trails all winter for cross country skiing use! If you are more interested in a slower speed for your winter sports, look into outdoor ice skating and ice fishing. The Maine and New Hampshire skating and ice report is published here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Canoeing and kayaking are extremely popular in Maine, with the endless supply of freshwater lakes, rivers, and the coastline. The Stillwater River, Mud Pond, Pushaw Lake, Sunkhaze Meadow National Wildlife Refuge and Hirundo Wildlife Refuge are all enjoyable paddles with close proximity to campus. If you don’t have your own gear, that’s okay! The Maine Bound Adventure Center<\/a> offers rentals of canoes, kayaks, camping equipment, and they have a climbing wall! Be sure not to miss the Kenduskeag Stream Race held every spring. The fishing and paddling opportunities are virtually endless so just ask around or explore \u2013 we don\u2019t want to give all our secrets away. (The same goes for the swimming holes.) If you are in a pickle, we will say there are some great hikes on the Maine Trailfinder<\/a>.<\/p>\n The area surrounding the university offers a good deal of rock climbing. The town of Clifton, across the river and down Route 9, has several crags that have climbs for every skill level, including Eagle\u2019s Bluff Practice Wall\u2013 a good place to set up a top rope if you are a beginner. Acadia National Park has several spots, including the South Wall of the Precipice and Otter Cliffs, and Baxter State Park has some climbing. Don\u2019t limit yourself to the well-known areas \u2013 get yourself a DeLorme Maine Atlas & Gazetteer (the best $20 investment you can make) and go somewhere. Don\u2019t leave Maine without exploring the Downeast coast (anywhere east of Ellsworth including Canada), Aroostook \u2013 \u201cThe County\u201d, Gulf Hagas, and the western Maine Mountains.\u00a0 Also, be sure to check out the Maine Tourism website<\/a> for other road trip ideas.<\/p>\nHousing<\/h2>\n
On-Campus Options<\/h3>\n
Off-Campus Living \u2013 how to find it and where to live<\/h3>\n
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Options for Out-of-Town Visitors<\/h3>\n
Dining<\/h2>\n
A Real Experience (or a favorite that we thought we should mention)<\/h3>\n
How about Breakfast?<\/h3>\n
Food Shopping<\/h2>\n
\n500 Stillwater Avenue
\nOld Town\u00a0ME\u00a004468\u00a0 (207) 827-2700<\/p>\n
\n91福利 04473\u00a0\u00a0 (207) 827-0354<\/p>\nLaundry<\/h2>\n
Entertainment<\/h2>\n
On Campus<\/h3>\n
Music and Nightlife<\/h3>\n
Festivals<\/h3>\n
Movies<\/h3>\n
Sports<\/h3>\n
Recreation \u2013 On Campus\/Local<\/h3>\n
Recreation \u2013 Off Campus<\/h3>\n