Portland Undercover : How to Visit New England's Hippest City Without Looking Like A Tourist [Paperback]

Chris Barry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Maine's newest guidebook is an irreverant but straight-shooting guide to Portland, Maine, and the Casco Bay area. Author/reporter Chris Barry, an ex-Coast Guardsman and lobster fisherman, pulls no punches in directing vacationers through his favorite haunts. Although this travel guide boasts a traditional format with maps, walking tours, and listings of nearly 100 eateries, local accommodations, and ships (no chains), Barry offers some quirky extras. Barry's guide is published by the Casco Bay Weekly, which for more than a decade has been Portland's best read alternative newspaper.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Barry works undercover and his mother complains he can't keep a job. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard, then labored on a lobster boat for two years out of Matinicus, a remote Maine island. He's tended bar, sold health food, written advertising copy and worked as a newspaper reporter. Now he writes poetry about drunken sailors. He lives in Portland with photographer Shoshannah White and their dog, Mable.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Maine Publishing Corporation (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970030304
• ISBN-13: 978-0970030306
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,312,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential!!, October 2, 2000

By 

M & M (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portland Undercover : How to Visit New England's Hippest City Without Looking Like A Tourist (Paperback)

We just got back from a mini-vacation to Portland and it was one of the most enjoyable trips we've had. A lot of that is thanks to Mr. Barry's handy guide. We've been to Portland previously, but had not seen or experienced it the way we did this time. We would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is going to the area for the first time or even, like us, has been to the area before. We both probably still looked like tourists, but I bet that we experienced many things not normally experienced by other tourists, unless they had purchased this guide.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars we love tourists, October 2, 2000

By 

"bearinatree" (Portland, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portland Undercover : How to Visit New England's Hippest City Without Looking Like A Tourist (Paperback)

This book is a little silly. We are told to tip the waitstaff well since they really could be artists (as opposed to a mother trying to support her child?) If you can get past the hype about the city, and it is a great city, the book is well organized and offers solid suggestions for exploring the town. There is a section on the history of the town describing Indian raids and the destruction of the city twice by fire. The final rebuilding in the 1860's and 70's accounts for it's consistent architectural style.

Restaurants by category, wine bars, biker bars, coffee houses, dance spots, theatre, where to hear live music - this book tells all. It is exhaustive enough to provide plenty of suggestions but not overwhelming in it's coverage.

As far as looking like a tourist, don't worry about it. We love tourists, and I picked up a copy myself.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to find hidden secrets in Portland, July 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Portland Undercover : How to Visit New England's Hippest City Without Looking Like A Tourist (Paperback)

I actually live in Portland - but I still love this book, and I often turn to it when I'm looking for somewhere new to eat or something new to see. It gives an insiders look into all the different restaurants, bars, beaches, and shopping experiences that you could want. Though a couple of the restaurants he lists are now closed - this book can stand the tests of time. Portland is full of tourists in the summer, so don't worry about sticking out. Just get this book to make sure that you don't miss out on any of the great things the city has to offer.