Portland, Maine in the Top Ten | 100 Healthiest Cities for Women
The idea of “Healthy Maine Living”, gains more and more notice every day.
Women’s Health Magazine recently ranked our little city of Portland, Maine 10th out of 100, for the healthiest cities in the US for women to live.
Let’s take a brief look at how these cities are chosen and why Portland is such a great place to live.
Maine Living and Women
In their fifth annual survey, Women’s Health Magazine, in conjunction with Men’s Health Magazine, listed Portland, Maine as the 10th Healthiest City to live in for women in the U.S.
The survey focuses on “optimal living” experience, which encompasses both physical and mental health. The criteria for the rankings are based on 41 different factors including data from cancer statistics, local costs of living and nutrition.
“If you call one of the top 10 best places home, chances are you’re already physically and mentally fit. But if you reside in one closer to the bottom 10, you may need a little help”, says author Catlin Carlson.
Portland may have just barely made the good list, but hey…we still made it!
The Top 10 Healthiest US Cities for Women
- San Francisco, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Jose, CA
- Boise City, ID
- Burlington, VT
- Minneapolis, MN
- Seattle, WA
- Austin, TX
- St. Paul, MN
- Portland, ME !
What About Happy Living?
Now, seeing how I’m a guy and I’m writing this article, I probably should have very little say in why women are healthier and happier as a result of living in the Portland Maine area.
But, I do consider myself, what you might call, a typical Portlander and have a fairly good idea as to what makes both men and women Portlanders tick- especially when it comes to some of the things about this great little city that make people enjoy living here.
And let’s not forget, happiness is very much a key factor in living a healthy life. It’s been proven in study after study that if you’re happier, there’s a very good chance you are healthier.
So I decided to look at it through the lens of what a typical Portlander might see. In this case, that typical Portlander is me!
(please don’t hesitate to send me your thoughts on Portland as well-would love to hear them!).
Top 3 reasons to Love Portland | Maine Living at its Best
So, here are some of my humble opinions on some of the things I find so great about living in Portland. Keep in mind here, there’s only so many hours in the day and so many fantastic aspects about Portland. I’m probably going to miss a bunch…so please go easy on your author. Much thanks!
1. Incredible Dining
Portland has been listed in countless surveys across the country for having some of the best eating possibilities and densest population of restaurants in the US.
All I know is that if you live in the Portland area, and like dining out, there’s never any reason to go hungry!
A few of the local eateries my wife and I absolutely love to frequent in the Portland area include great restaurants such as Vignola/Cinque Terre, The Grill Room and The Front Room, JP’s Bistro, Sea Grass Bistro, Yosaku, Duck Fat and Local 188.
That food at each of these eateries is incredible, and I can’t remember having a bad meal or experience at any one of them.
Because I am far from being a food critic, any description I give you here about the food options for each would be insufficient. Let me just say that I highly recommend checking each of them out at least once. In addition, there are just far too many other great ones in Portland to list here. We haven’t even come close to mentioning them all, here. The possibilities are almost endless!
2. Scenery, Culture and Art
Portland is an incredibly old, yet modern and diverse, city. I think this plays a key part in the Maine Living experience. There’s really a little of something for everyone who lives here.
The people are great- some of the nicest I’ve ever come across. It reminds me a lot like a smaller version of Seattle, minus the rain!
There are so many beautiful sites to see, too. Portland’s Casco Bay is packed with so many islands that it might be impossible to see them all in any reasonable amount of time. Local ferries, shuttle services and boat tours are a great way to start exploring them.
Can’t forget Portland’s famous 1st Friday Art Walk either!
Every first Friday of the month dozens (if not hundreds) of local artisans, craftspeople and students from Maine College of Art open their studios for people to peruse their works and have a chance to expand their artistic knowledge.
The city basically converts itself into what could be called a great big artistic open house. Many studios offer free wine and snacks to their visitors also. This is a really fun experience, trust me! A must try. It’s some of the Maine living experience at its finest.
3. Portland | Beverage Mecca
So, this one I’ll admit does stem from my own personal weaknesses and pastimes.
But I still think the vast majority of Porltanders would agree with me here…Portland is filled with some of the best options you can imagine when it comes to local Craft Beer, micro-brews, brew pubs and coffee houses. If you’re the thirsty type like me, you’ll never have to want.
Craft Beer & Local Brewers
Local brew houses and beer oasis such as Sebago Brewing Company, Gritty McDuffs, Nosh and Shipyard Brewing Company barely scratch the surface when it comes to the myriad options for great local beer and niche brewpub dining experiences Portland has to offer.
If you can’t decide where to start, a great place to begin your “hoppy” adventures would be to attend the annual Superbowl of local brewers- otherwise known as the Portland Brew Festival. Here you’ll have a chance to literally get a diverse taste of what some of the best Portland brewers have to offer.
Coffee
If you’ve read some of my other blogs you already know that I love coffee houses. They are my home away from home (and sometimes my office away from the office). If you love coffee, Portland is the place to be.
I recommend checking out local landmarks such as Bard Coffee, Arabica and Crema. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a huge fan of Starbucks (sorry local coffee guys!) but I absolutely love spending a great deal of my weekly coffee visit time at these three shops.
The coffee at all three is phenomenal, and the atmospheres and socializing opportunities are almost as good.
Wrapping it Up
Ok, if you’re here and have made it to the end of this long article, thanks for putting up with my long winded sales pitch on fun and healthy Maine living- I know I probably ventured waaaay more into the fun and happiness aspects of Portland than “direct” health related sources, but like we mentioned before…
A happy life is a healthy life, so Enjoy!
