Portland, Maine

Yes. Life's Good Here

Come Visit!

The 7th Best Beer Town

Connect

www.hutchinsweed.com

Join: Create your profile >

Peter Weed

I help tell good stories with words and pictures.

Job Writer, editor, story fixer / Hutchins Weed Communications

Lives In Portland

I help organizations (mostly non-profits) tell their stories in print, on-line and in-person. That means producing magazines and websites, executing (if that's the right word) social media, etc. It's pretty simple, we capture, create and share interesting stories that matter. In another life, I also write for MovieMaker Magazine, an LA (not Lewiston/Auburn) film magazine with Maine roots via publisher Tim Rhys. Assignments have taken me from the beaches of Aruba to the mountains of Serbia – in January, in a helicopter.

I have left Portland and washed up back on its shore a number of times. The reasons are simple. I like the city. I like the people. And I like where the city seems headed. This time, I am pretty sure I am back to stay.

That said, here's hoping that gentrification doesn't bulldoze the grittier side of the city into the bay. (Baltimore's Inner Harbor is hardly a compelling model for our waterfront.) Also, can we please retire the word "foodie" from the local lexicon?

Why did you choose Portland? My family's WASP roots run deep in Maine, and the coast has also held pride of place for me. While enjoying undergrad and grad school in Missouri, the big muddy rivers didn't really cut it, and California seemed a bit rootless to me – despite the surreal experience of covering wine and crime for a small daily in Napa. On the other hand, Portland has a real sense of its history, and of course there's Casco Bay, which seals the deal.

Who are Portlanders you admire and why? The men and women who had the vision and spine to secure Portland's grand open spaces: the Eastern and Western proms, Deering Oaks. . . .

What do you like to do with out-of-towners? A trip on Casco Bay lines. Seeing Portland from the water is the key to understanding the city.

Where's your "happy place" on the peninsula? Ruskis on a snowy night. There's still a hint of old Portland here – the good, the bad and the unsettling.

What's the most surprising thing about this city? That restaurants are full on a cold Wednesday night in February.

What's your favorite indulgence and where do you find it? Two dozen Damariscotta oysters from Harbor Fish.

What's the most under-appreciated place or thing in town? Carlson & Turner Antiquarian Books, a welcome oasis off the hipster trail. Found a nice set of Addison's Complete Works there.