Visitor's Guide 2015

Out on the TOWN Whether you’re checking out the live music scene, or dancing the night away on a neon-lit club floor, Portland’s nightlife combines the energy and accessibility of the big city with the congeniality of a small-town community. Photo: Chris Lawrence, Wharf Street, Portland

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with a more urban feel, a variety of music and art venues, and gallery openings. At the Dogfish Bar & Grille, the live music is mostly acoustic blues and jazz, and the atmosphere is casual and laid-back; art lines the walls and old records and record- players invite visitors to wax nostalgic. Local 188, or “local” as it is affectionately referred to by the …well, locals, epitomizes the rare character of this city’s nightlife: there is small-town community here but the décor, the food, the liveliness, hints at big-city life, at a worldliness that is unmis- takably urban yet authentically Portland’s. In the peak summer months don’t miss the Thursday evening Alive at Five free concert series in Monument Square where you can enjoy popular bands as the summer sun wanes. Use the grid on the opposite page as well as the Free Outdoor events listed on page 52 to help you choose the right entertainment for your night out on the town.

variety of fine ales, all brewed on site, while people-watching from a cozy booth. For live music any night of the week, and fresh off-the-boat “pub style” seafood, visit Andy’s Old Port Pub. Dockside, Portland Lobster Company also offers nightly live music; grab a cold one at their outdoor tented bar and enjoy some of the best views in town while the night fills with foot-tapping sounds. If a quieter evening is what you’re after, the Top of the East at the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel offers spectacular views of Portland in a romantic atmosphere. Plop down in a comfy armchair and enjoy a cocktail while seated by a floor-to-ceiling glass window, the lights of the city in full- view. Another great spot to sip in comfort is MJ’s Wine Bar where you can also enjoy live jazz every Thursday and Sunday night. A short stroll from the Westin takes visitors to the Uptown scene—artsy bars

Along the lively streets of the Old Port you'll find waterfront bars, such as the Irish pub and restaurant Ri Ra, where visitors can enjoy a beer while observing lobstermen surveying their catches. The Arts District, affectionately referred to as “Uptown” by locals, offers a myriad of venues in which to discover a local band or attend a themed party. Uptown Portland is undeniably a more artsy part of town, whereas the Old Port is plain entertain- ment and energy. Uptown Portland mingles dance clubs with artist talks, community events, film screenings, and theater events; the Old Port invites visitors to drink, dance, and bring in the summer, the weekend, or a vacation. Near Exchange Street, the Old Port’s main thoroughfare, experience beer gardens and microbreweries with an old-world feel such as Bull Feeney’s, with its turn-of-the- century Irish pub décor, and Gritty McDuff’s where you can choose from a

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