Updated: Portland lands on travel magazine’s ‘greenest cities’ list

We like to keep folks updated through this space — or through Business Editor Matt Wickenheiser’s blog, depending on the subject matter — when Portland or the people therein get national kudos.

And, well, those kudos and “Top Whatever” lists published by national and international magazines have been recognizing Portland a lot lately. Forbes, Men’s Health, Draft Magazine and Outside are a sampling of the publications touting some aspect of Maine’s largest city recently.

One of the magazines that keeps coming back for more is Travel + Leisure, which in 2010 called Portland’s farmers’ market one of the country’s best, then just a few months ago celebrated 555 restaurant as one of the nation’s top brunch spots.

www.travelandleisure.com

Now, Travel + Leisure, in a neck-and-neck race with Forbes to see who can get more Maine mentions published this year, is back naming Portland the seventh “greenest city” in the country.

No. 1 on the list is the other Portland, in Oregon. Flanking Portland, Maine, in the Travel + Leisure rankings are Seattle at No. 6 and San Diego at No. 8.

Here’s the blurb that corresponds to the Portland, Maine, listing in the greenest cities feature:

Between the farm-to-table restaurantshomegrown microbrews, and all that lobster, you can literally taste the great outdoors here. A few popular restaurants, such as Miyake or 20 Milk Street at the Regency Hotel, even have their own farms. Voters preferred Portland in the summer over any other city in the survey — the ideal time to fish, enjoy the parks, or stroll the Old Port area.

Update: 4/4/2012

Two days after this post first went up — and as news of the listing began circulating to a wider audience — Mayor Michael Brennan issued a statement about the latest plaudits:

It’s nice to see the city get this well-deserved national attention. From our farmers markets to miles of trails, the city has embraced policies that make it easier for our residents and businesses to live safe, healthy lives in a clean and supportive environment. This green quality of life doesn’t just make Portland a great place to live and work, but attracts new people and businesses looking for a community that shares their values.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.