Portland Bayside

[TC_zoid]

Portland needs to fix or significantly help it's homeless and street drug problems with inventive housing and drug addiction programs. Did you read the NY Times hit job article on Portland from 2 weeks ago? I seriously thought that the two young cub reporters were thinking that they were discovering a gem of a story to advance their careers (am assuming that) and had confused Portland, ME with Portland, OR. The article tone and depth reports that Portland, ME (and not just Bayside) is a horrible, dangerous place to live or visit. The entire city? The article implies that. Buy it then cancel the subscription (but it's still a great source of objective news so I'm continuing mine, though this time they kind of F'd up). If you love Portland, it will make you incensed and feeling betrayed. These reporters are not seasoned reporters, and I think that they simply picked the Preble Resource Center block area as a focus, then took a few pictures of nearby alleys to show how horrible the city is. Two blocks away at The Armature a few furnished apartments are at $8,000 a month, and the food and drink scene down below is thriving. Walk two blocks north and it's a disaster? Since many who read the NY Times have not been to Portland recently, this now means that this "reporting" is the de facto truth now, or with them. Of course there are pockets. Every city has them. The city council and mayor are failing the city a bit, yes, but ask for help with creative sociologists and architects like Redfern and Kaplan Thompson. The latter is almost done with a fantastic creative and fun renewal neighborhood in downtown Lewiston.

The link...

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/health/meth-maine-fentanyl.html