What’s the Real Reason Stephen King Chose to Live in Bangor, Maine?

A lot of people know that author Stephen King is originally from Maine, but why did he choose to  live in the state where he spent most of his youth?  And why, specifically, did he choose to live in Bangor?  Why not live in the more metropolitan (and closer to other states) City of Portland?  Why not a mansion on the coast?

Well, according to a BDN article, the answer is fairly complex.

According to an essay written for a Bangor Historical Society event in 1983, there were many reasons.

He, and wife Tabitha, were attracted to the many Victorian homes on West Broadway Street and the fact there was a grade school in walking distance for their children.

In reference to the question of "why not somewhere warmer?", he says the freezing temperatures can improve someone morally and it widens a person's prospective.

I love his outlook!

According to Wikipedia, the horror author was born in Portland in September of 1947.  When King was only a few years old, his parents split up.  This left his mother to raise the kids on her own.  When King was 11, the family moved to Durham, Maine.  He attended Durham Elementary and Lisbon Falls High School.  After graduating high school, he attended the University of Maine at Orono.

After graduated from college, Stephen King worked as a teacher.  With teacher pay being what it is, he supplemented his income by selling short stories.  After the short stories came the novels.  The rest is history!

If you are a fan of King's work, or Maine in general, read the essay in its entirety HERE