Another of Maine’s Quality Places: The Miss Portland Diner November 6
Chalk up another win for Maine’s “quality places” - in this case, a new city neighborhood and a historic diner. Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz has a story today about the re-opening of the Miss Portland Diner, in the city’s redeveloping Bayside neighborhood. Owner Tom Manning, a Portland native who has worked in New York City as an executive at Newsweek for over 30 years, decided to move back to his home state in order to preserve a piece of local history:
“Look at the Portland Observatory,” he said. “When I was a kid, you could never go up there — with all the broken stairs and stuff. I’ve always had a good feeling about how (the city) saved that thing and brought it back. And I kind of felt this might be a little similar. I knew the city was looking for someone to step up.”
Even before its official grand opening, the restored Diner is becoming a neighborhood focal point. It’s the city’s hope that the Diner will be an economic development tool as well, by generating more interest and investment in Bayside.