The Logo for the Third Annual Jane’s Walk ME Hosted by Maine Preservation.
Jeff Levvine, Levine Planning Strategies. Teaches Planning Part-time at MIT and Formerly Director of the Planning Office for the City of Portland, Spoke About Zoning Laws at the February First Annual Housing Summit, in Portland.
The third annual statewide Jane’s Walk ME is scheduled for Friday, May 4th, 2024. The all day event is inspired by Jane Jacob’s, an activist and journalist.
The Walks are free and led by volunteers. You don’t need to register – just show up and enjoy1 Three Portland Walks are described below:
The first is “Wandering Woodfords” a 90-minute Walk led by Jeff Levine, who is former Director of Portland’s Planning Department, and now teaches planning part-time at MIT, Cambridge, and has his own consulting business. The Woodfords Walk begins at 10:00 am and the starting point is at the entrance of Baxter Woods at Jones and Hartley Streets.
The ending location is at Big Sky Bakery, 536 Deering Avenue. Woodfords Corner is a neighbothood that mixes history and modernity according to the Walk description. One of the long-standing original regional hubs from its days as the location of Deering City Hall, Woodford Corners continues to thrive and revive by mixing historic homes, cafes, shops, restaurants and a new bookstore as one of the busiest junctiures just off the peninsula..
A second Portland tour is “Historic Perspectives of Park Street,” led by Victoria Mansion Executive Director Timonthy Brosnihan, The one hour tour starts at 2:00 pm. The meeting location is at Lafayette Square Apartments, 638 Congress Street (corner of Park and Congress Streets) and ends at the Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, on the west end of Portland.
The tour is an exploration of Park Street,, a well preserved time capsule that offers a glimpse into 19th century Portland. The casual stroll will highlight some of the people who helped create this fashionable residential enclaove. This blogger took this tour last year and highly recommends that you do the same this year!
A third Portland Walk is of the USM/Oakdale Neighborhood and is led by Nancy Ellenberger. It’s a 90 minute Walk that starts at 9:30 am. It’s a Walk of a neighborhood as it was a century before construction of I-295 occured in the 1960s It begins and ends at the Glickman Family Library, 314 Forest Avenue. Handouts will be available.
Jacobs, for whom the annual Walk’s are named, is the author of the classic book published in 1961 – “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.” It is still in print in paperback and can be purchased at Longfellow Books, Portland, for $19. plus tax..(1916-2006)
For more information on this free, volunteer led event, please visit www.Janeswalkme.org. For more information on this event, please visit posts herein dated May 6, 2023 and April 15, 2024.