Comfortable and welcoming Portland is located in the Northeastern United States, in Maine. The city often tops various surveys and polls in popular magazines. For example, it was listed as one of the best cities in the U.S. for hipsters, and its residents were named among the nicest people in the United States by Travel & Leisure magazine. Portland is full of interesting sights, unique cultural sites, and impressive architecture. While exploring the city, be sure to pay attention to lighthouses, which have long been symbols of Portland. The oldest of them is located at Cape Elizabeth. The city is also famous for its culinary masterpieces. Most of the good restaurants are located in the Arts District and the Old Port. When in Portland, take a stroll along historic Baxter Boulevard, visit the Portland Art Museum, and take in the wonderful views by Casco Bay.
3 things to do in Portland, Maine:
- Take pictures of obscure bright red street phones.
- Eat crab and lobster, traditional delicacies of the North Atlantic coast of the United States and hardly the main source of Maine’s prosperity. You’ll find lobster on the menu at nearly every other deli. Even McDonald’s, which starts selling McLobsters in season.
- Take a cruise on Casco Bay to see the seals.
A little history
Portland’s location has largely determined the city’s ethnic makeup. More than one-fifth of Portland’s population is still made up of exuberant Irish heads. In addition to Gaeltacht natives, natives of England, Italy, France, and Germany live in the city. As early as the 17th century, the British established a colony here on the site of an Indian settlement, and for a time the city was called Falmouth. The colony was destroyed several times by the same Indians, but at the end of the 18th century Portland was finally settled on the map, and in the early 19th century, it even became the capital of the state (later it was taken over by Augusta). Nevertheless, the city remained (and still is) the largest seaport and, consequently, the center of commerce: 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 one-third of the city’s residents virtually lost their homes.