A look at Belfast's historic downtown, public market, and working waterfront
A community that believes in civic engagement, improvisation, and celebration
When people care about their community, they are invested in what happens to it. That means civic engagement, protests, and efforts to protect and improve their town at every scale. It also means that people enjoy being around their neighbors and are happy to attend community events like concerts, movie nights, and performances. Belfast really embodies that small town charm that makes a person feel like part of an extended family.
Belfast is very well put together and a great example of a community that actively defines itself through creative initiatives.
In Belfast, improvisation together with the restoring and preserving of historic roots is producing big returns. It demonstrates the successful combination of honoring a town's values and culture while at the same time empowering community members to shape its future. A great working waterfront and a historic downtown with thriving Main Street nodes are some of the features worth highlighting.
A beautiful historic town with a lot to offer
Belfast's downtown is brimming with impressive historic architecture and charming local businesses with engaging storefronts. The classic architecture speaks to the town's history and shapes its unique character. From the warm colors of the brick facades to the details on the signage and the creative sidewalk furniture, a walk around Belfast is a joy for the eyes.
Specialty businesses
However, there is also room for improvement in downtown. Like with many small towns, Belfast's main street is way too wide. This makes the downtown area feel like a place for cars rather than a place for people and community activity. The sidewalks are narrow strips behind parked cars that force people to squeeze past each other and cling to the walls.
You can sense that the priority here is traffic throughput rather than the pedestrian experience. That isn't what a good town center should be. The priority in the heart of town should be social life and business activity, both of which require space that in many towns like Belfast has been given over to traffic and parking.
The good news is that this is beginning to change in Belfast. Through improvisation and Lighter Quicker Cheaper interventions, Belfast businesses and pedestrians are taking back the streets from cars. Dining sheds and public seating areas are carving out more and more space for diners, walkers, and shoppers by expanding into the areas that used to be dedicated to parking.
Since they've already started down this road, narrowing lanes, expanding sidewalks, and transforming wide paved areas into squares could be a great move for Belfast in line with its pedestrian-friendly values.
A Main Street beginning to change 2023-2025
Great amenities made with love
Much of Belfast's charm comes from its wonderful amenities, especially its public seating. Creative seating areas like painted lounge chairs and community swings add character to the town's public spaces. Sculptures and local art give them personality and highlight the talent in town, fostering a sense of pride.
Like any great community there are eccentric characters and humor throughout
The great amenities make it feel welcoming to spend time outside, attracting people who are as unique and interesting as the setting, and who give Belfast a memorable richness. Humor and eccentricity add color to Belfast's streets and unique encounters lead to once-in-a-lifetime conversations.
A memento from a town character who dwelled in the 1960's era with a PBS program he directed.
A privately owned public market
Belfast's indoor market is a great place to find all kinds of goods, from fresh local produce to prepared meals and artisan crafts. There's even a game room with activities like ping pong, foosball and cornhole. It's part market, part community center, and a place where everyone flocks to on Saturdays to meet people, buy high quality products, and just hang out.
Vendors come from over 50 communities in Maine
People Connecting
A Lively Waterfront
Belfast has a lovely waterfront that attracts visitors with its eateries, parks, and breweries. There is great potential for the waterfront to become a fantastic public place but it is largely underdeveloped because of how much space the parking lots in the area take up. It is yet another example of car infrastructure detracting from social and community infrastructure.
An Authentic Working Waterfront
While most of the waterfront here is part of a major working boat repair yard, it is all accessible. You can explore this area and see what the boats and workers are up to as they go about their business. This gives Belfast authenticity and a glimpse into its culture and history.
Takeaway
Belfast is a community with terrific assets and devoted residents dedicated to keeping the community alive and thriving. It is one of the best small towns in the United States, creating a foundation for its future defined by local creativity and improvisation while simultaneously preserving its history and culture. It is always a pleasure to visit and take part in Belfast's goings on, enjoy its great amenities, and explore its treasures. We look forward to going back soon.
We are looking at a variety of other waterfront towns for future posts: Camden, MN; Portland, OR; Kennebunkport, MN; Ogunquik, MN; Wolfeboro, NH; Portsmouth, NH; Newport, RI; and Mystic, CT. Let us know if you have any recommendations!
Further reading:
Fred Kent
Fred Kent
Fred Kent
Who We Are
We are part of a growing group of community activists who have spent over 50 years building a "Placemaking Movement" globally that is now in over 30 countries around the world.
The birth of the "Placemaking Movement" - Earth Day in April 1970
