Portland Ranks as Top Travel Destination in 2014

Hong Kong, Tokyo, Great Barrier Reef and Portland, Maine?!

Portland has been noted in publications as a hub for art, culture, beer and food. Now we can add Business Insider to the list of publications giving Maine some literacy love. Business Insider has listed Portland as one of the top places to visit in 2014! Not bad for a city with less than 70,000 citizens!

Business Insider wrote:

'America's other Portland has been gaining a reputation as a funky low-key destination that prizes quality food and cutting-edge art.

More and more talented chefs have been flocking to the coastal New England city, opening upscale restaurants like Fore Street and Petite Jacqueline. But there's also  great casual fare, like tacos, burgers, and cupcakes from food trucks, and of course tons of lobster. 

Meanwhile, the city's art scene is thriving. That's to be expected, since it's home to dozens of edgy galleries and artist collaboratives, the Maine College of Art, and the Portland Museum of Art, located in the heart of the Arts District. Visit in the beginning of the month to experience a First Friday Art Walk, when artists display their works on the streets and musicians and performance artists entertain the crowds.

Visitors will have no shortage of hotel options, as the city is expecting to open 500 new rooms in the next two years. Until then, stay in a quaint inn like the Pomegranate Inn, which features fireplaces in the rooms and cool art exhibits that change regularly.