Portland, Maine Landed In Coastal Living’s Top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns Of 2016

Coastal Living was on a mission to find the Happiest Seaside Towns in America for 2016, and Portland, Maine made the top 10.

I'm not completely sure what these rankings are based on but they looked at factors such as local hangouts, cool events, and best souvenirs. They also recommend a place to stay for each location. Portland comes in at number 9 in the rankings.

Here's what Coastal Living has to say about Portland, Maine:

Nurturing its historic working waterfront right alongside a hip, high-tech, and creative economy, this port city on Casco Bay hums with art, culture, and an internationally known culinary scene. The compact downtown is filled with historic brick and stone architecture, and crossed with cobblestone streets, making it picturesque in all seasons. Plus, of course, there’s instant access to the freshest lobster going.

They highlighted Lincoln's as the 'ultimate insider hangout.' I'm no insider so I have not been, but with $5 drinks (get it? LINCOLN'S! HA!) you might find me there soon. Apparently it is quite difficult to find the entrance as they have no signage and don't advertise.

The 'cool event' Coastal Living spotlighted is Merry Madness, which is a wine guzzling, Holiday shopping party. I could get into that.

I find this to be a strange indicator of a happy seaside town, but apparently the best souvenir in Portland, Maine is a Sea Bag. They're handmade custom tote bags made from sails and I must say, they are awesome.

So there you go, Portland, Maine ranks in the top 10 of Coastal Living's Happiest Seaside Towns In America for 2016.