Guide to Portland, Maine: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The best things to do in Portland, ME: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
“When we return to Portland, we will be meek as sheep, but only we will never have to return to Portland,” – which of the lovers of Bulat Okudzhava’s work does not know these lines ?! Meanwhile, few of these fans know what kind of Portland they are talking about. In fact, there are two cities in the USA with this name: one is Portland on the west coast, in the state of Maine, and the second is directly on the opposite side of the North American continent, at the same latitude, but in Oregon. And none of them have anything to do with the song.
According to toppharmacyschools, the only link that exists today between Portland, Maine and piracy is the name of the local hockey team, the Portland Pirates.
But it was the people of Portland in Maine who in 2013 ranked 4th in the country as the most pleasant people according to Travel & Leisure magazine. And in general, the city constantly occupies a leading position in polls and studies of various magazines. 9th place in the list of “Best US cities for hipsters” in 2013 from the same “Travel and Leisure”; #1 in America’s Tastiest Small Towns in 2009 by Bon Appetit; in the same year – the first place from Forbes among the “Best American Cities to Live in”. No wonder: after all, the standard of living in Portland is one of the highest in the United States. And according to Men’s Health magazine, Portland ranks ninth in the United States in terms of education.
How to get to Portland
Portland has an international airport, although direct flights from Russia do not yet fly here. There is also a large passenger port where ferries run, for example, from Yarmouth, Canada.
Find cheap flights to Portland, ME
3 things to do in Portland, Maine:
- Take pictures of strange bright red street phones.
- From the belly to eat crabs and lobsters – traditional delicacies of the North Atlantic coast of the United States and perhaps the main source of wealth for the state of Maine. You will find lobsters on the menu of almost every second cafe. Even at McDonald’s, where they start selling McLobsters during the season.
- Take a cruise in Casco Bay to see the seals.
A bit of history
The location of Portland largely determined the national composition of the city. More than one-fifth of the population of Portland and still make up violent Irish heads. In addition to the Gaelic people, natives of England, Italy, France and Germany live in the city. Back in the 17th century, the British founded a colony here on the site of an Indian settlement, and for some time the city was named Falmouth. The same Indians destroyed the colony several times, but at the end of the 18th century, Portland finally settled on the map, and at the beginning of the 19th century it even became the state capital (later Augusta took over this status from him). Nevertheless, the city remained (and continues to remain) the largest seaport and, accordingly, the center of trade: the water in Portland Bay does not freeze even in winter.
On Independence Day in 1866, a huge fire broke out in Portland, in which a third of the inhabitants of the city actually lost their homes.
Popular hotels in Portland (ME)
Attractions and attractions in Portland (ME)
Despite the dire aftermath of the Great Fire, Portland has a few historic buildings that you should definitely check out. One of the impressive old buildings of the city is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1869 on Cumberland Avenue. It is a Neo-Gothic building with a sharp tower about 60 m high, which for a very long time was the tallest structure in the city. Another fine example of Renaissance architecture in the style of the Second Empire is the granite building of the old customs house (1872).
The Victoria Mansion (also known as the Morse-Libby Mansion), a fine example of the architecture of rich 19th-century US residential buildings, looks very interesting. Now the mansion is a museum. And in the building of the late 18th century, built on Congress Street, there is the house-museum of H.W. Longfellow – the great writer spent his childhood here. In addition, Portland has the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, the International Museum of Cryptozoology, a small museum of African culture, and the South Harbor Planetarium.
Newer landmarks include the 17-story Franklin Towers, completed in 1969. At 62 meters tall, this grim building on the corner of Franklin Street is the tallest building in Portland. Another interesting building is officially named 447 Congress Street, but unofficially everyone calls it the Time and Temperature Building: this is the inscription that flaunts above the main entrance. This house in the form of a 12-story rectangular tower was built in 1924, and in 1964 a scoreboard with data corresponding to the name appeared on its top. Later, the board was removed, but the residents of the city were so unhappy with this that in 1999 it reappeared on the building.
Lighthouses are a special feature of Portland and the surrounding areas. The coastline in these places is extremely indented, and many lighthouses were required. Be sure to look at least at the most important old lighthouse of the city at Cape Elizabeth, on the territory of Fort Williams.
The city constantly occupies a leading position in surveys and studies of various magazines. For example, first place among “America’s Tastiest Small Towns” and first place among “America’s Best Cities to Live in”.
The Portland Art Museum was founded in 1882 and is located in the area of the city, which is called the Arts District – “The Arts District”. This is the area around Congress Street, the part of it that is closer to the West End. The museum’s collection includes more than 17,000 objects of decorative, applied and fine art from the 18th century to the present day. The basis and core of the collection is a collection of works by Maine artists. In addition to this largest museum, the Arts District is home to many other galleries, theatres, museums and schools. These include the State Museum of History and Public Life, the State Children’s Museum, the non-profit SPACE Modern Gallery, and the 1911 Merrill Auditorium, which features a large Kotzczmar memorial organ.
On the first Friday of every month from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the Arts District hosts an open day with free entry to all cultural venues.
For walking in the city, the long historic Baxter Boulevard around Back Cove, Deering Oaks Park with a pond, tennis courts and playgrounds, the east and west boardwalks, Lincoln Park, opened in 1866. Forest Avenue leads to the Baxter Nature Reserve Woods, where on an area of 130 thousand square meters. m growing untouched forests. Adjacent to the reserve is the historic Evergreen Cemetery. It will also be pleasant to walk along Park Street, where the townhouses of the first half of the 19th century remained standing. This green and shady street resembles the streets of good old England.
The best submarine sandwiches are believed to be available at the Amato chain of Italian establishments.
Speaking of Portland, one cannot fail to mention the local cuisine. The city has won the title of the culinary capital of the state, the coast and almost the country many times. A huge number of establishments are concentrated in the Arts District and the Old Port, but, generally speaking, you can eat delicious food here virtually anywhere. The city is considered the birthplace of the “Italian sandwich” – this is the local name for a submarine sandwich, which is made in a long baguette. The city hosts many food and drink festivals – in particular, the national, Greek, Italian, vegetarian and vegan, the Maine Brewers Festival and so on. And on Mondays and Wednesdays, Monument Square (Saturday in summer and Sunday in winter in Dearing Oaks Park) hosts a year-round farmer’s market, one of the top ten in the country.