{"id":1356,"date":"2009-04-03T21:20:42","date_gmt":"2009-04-04T01:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.2beerguys.com\/blog\/?p=1356"},"modified":"2009-04-03T21:20:42","modified_gmt":"2009-04-04T01:20:42","slug":"portland-named-americas-most-livable-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/2009\/04\/03\/portland-named-americas-most-livable-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Portland Named America’s Most livable City"},"content":{"rendered":"

PORTLAND, MAINE NAMED \u00e2\u20ac\u0153AMERICA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S MOST LIVABLE CITY\u00e2\u20ac\u009d BY FORBES.COM,<\/strong><\/p>\n

CITY\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S GRITTY MCDUFF\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BREWING COMPANY SALUTED IN FEATURE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Portland, ME \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Forbes.com has released its 2009 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Most Livable Cities\u00e2\u20ac\u009d list, and Portland, ME has earned the top slot. The list was compiled by assigning points to cities around the country with populations in excess of 500,000 (the Portland metropolitan area has 513,000), based on such factors as leisure index and crime data from Sperling\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Best Places, cost of living and five-year income growth per household, and yearly unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n

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Portland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s easygoing quality of life is praised in the April 1 feature (http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/co2tr3). Forbes.com writer Zack O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Malley Greenburg singles out the small-batch ales and ambiance offered at Gritty McDuff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brewing Company (www.grittys.com) as one highlight contributing to Portland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s laid-back atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The beer at Gritty McDuff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s might be enough to lure people to Portland, ME,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he writes. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Established in 1988, the downtown pub offers a smattering of small-batch ales brewed on the premises in addition to usual tavern treats. From the patio, customers can enjoy a pint along cobblestone streets or retire to the copper-topped bar for a second round.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Gritty McDuff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recently released its newest craft brew, 21 IPA, in celebration of the brew pub\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 21st year of brewing award-winning British-style ales in Portland. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re proud of our city, and have loved life in Portland for decades now,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d noted Gritty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Publican Richard Pfeffer. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are so many solid reasons why people choose to settle in and around Portland. The quality of life here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the change of seasons, the mix of people, the variety of entertainment offerings \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are, in my mind, unmatched.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

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Since its founding in 1988, Gritty McDuff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Maine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first brew pub since Prohibition \u00e2\u20ac\u201c has brewed creative, quality beers that have earned awards ranging from repeat First Place wins at the annual Real Ale Festival in Chicago, to Gritty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most recent award: a Silver Medal at the prestigious Great British Beer Festival for Gritty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cask-conditioned version of its popular 21 IPA. Gritty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brew Pubs continue to rack up titles in statewide polls, as well, including \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Best Brew Pub,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Best Maine Microbrew,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Best Bar.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Characterized by The Boston Globe as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a legend among New England brew pubs,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Gritty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s has been named an Editor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick by Cond\u00c3\u00a9 Nast Traveler\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Concierge.com. Mobil Travel Guide also recommends Gritty McDuff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s to travelers: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Although this seat-yourself brew pub offers handcrafted beer that is famous throughout New England, beer lovers aren’t the only ones welcome here. Many families frequent this casual spot for its great pub menu.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

In addition to Gritty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, other food, beverage and hospitality businesses in and around Portland are major draws to locals and travelers alike, and have been earning national accolades in their own right. Among them is nearby Cinque Terre restaurant (www.cinqueterremaine.com), which serves fresh, seasonal produce from its own Grand View Farm, and recently was named to the Epicurious list of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Top 10 Farm-to-Table Restaurants in the U.S.A.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Cinque Terre and Executive Chef\/Co-Owner Lee Skawinski have attracted attention from such outlets as Gourmet, USA TODAY, and The Washington Post.<\/p>\n

In neighboring Scarborough, ME, The Black Point Inn (www.blackpointinn.com), which attracts guests as much for its scenic cocktail social hours and cuisine as for its lodging, was named last year to National Geographic Traveler\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s inaugural \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Stay List\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; the list featured properties around the world that best represent an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153authentic sense of place.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

And in Freeport, ME, a 20-minute drive from Portland, Maine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own Cold River Vodka (www.coldrivervodka.com) \u00e2\u20ac\u201c named \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Best American Vodka\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by spirits expert F. Paul Pacult \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is earning a steady stream of national and international awards and reviews. The super-premium, triple-distilled, gluten-free vodka \u00e2\u20ac\u201c made from Maine potatoes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c was named earlier this year to Wine Enthusiast\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s prestigious list of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Top 50 Spirits\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (earning a near-perfect score in the process), and earned a double gold at the 2008 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco.
\n
\nAmerica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Most Livable Cities – 4\/1\/09<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Portland, Maine
\n2. Bethesda, MD
\n3. Des Moines, IA
\n4. Stamford, CT
\n5. Tulsa, Oklahoma
\n6. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
\n7. Cambridge, MA
\n8. Baltimore, MD
\n9. Worcester, MA
\n10. Pittsburgh, PA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PORTLAND, MAINE NAMED \u00e2\u20ac\u0153AMERICA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S MOST LIVABLE CITY\u00e2\u20ac\u009d BY FORBES.COM, CITY\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S GRITTY MCDUFF\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BREWING COMPANY SALUTED IN FEATURE Portland, ME \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Forbes.com has released its 2009 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Most Livable Cities\u00e2\u20ac\u009d list, and Portland, ME has earned the top slot. The list was compiled by assigning points to cities around the country with populations in excess of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[286],"tags":[285,487,507],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Grittys4.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1356"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1361,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356\/revisions\/1361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2beerguys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}