Leslie Bridgers

Portland

Features Editor at The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram

Native Connecticutian, Bowdoinite, Woodfords Cornerer, editor of @MaineToday, features editor for @PressHerald

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Articles

We know about Tesla, but what are Mainers saying with their Subarus?

12 hours ago | yahoo.com | Leslie Bridgers

Apr. 24—There a lot of ways you can divide our state into "two Maines." North and south. Coastal and inland. Subaru drivers and pickup truck owners. In reality, the Toyota RAV4 was the most popular non-pickup in the state among 2024 new vehicle registrations, according to automotive information services company Edmunds. But maybe more significant than statistics are our perceptions of what Mainers drive — and what those vehicles say about them.
We know about Tesla, but what are Mainers saying with their Subarus?

13 hours ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

There a lot of ways you can divide our state into “two Maines.” North and south. Coastal and inland. Subaru drivers and pickup truck owners. In reality, the Toyota RAV4 was the most popular non-pickup in the state among 2024 new vehicle registrations, according to automotive information services company Edmunds. But maybe more significant than statistics are our perceptions of what Mainers drive — and what those vehicles say about them.
German beer garden opening in Skowhegan

1 day ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

A German-inspired beer garden and restaurant serving craft beer and locally sourced food is slated to open this spring in downtown Skowhegan. The Biergarten, a 125-seat venue, will be located in the Spinning Mill, a mixed-use development at 7 Island Ave., which also includes a 21-room boutique hotel and 41 apartments. The Biergarten space, on track to open in early June, features indoor and outdoor patio seating and also a performance stage.
Tern Coffee and Tea coming to Brunswick

1 day ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

A Jefferson couple aims to open a shop selling coffee, tea and coffee-brewing equipment in Brunswick this spring. Heidi Townsend said she and her husband, Chris, expect to launch Tern Coffee and Tea in early May at 140A Maine St., formerly home to Vinylhaven. The Townsends have been running Tern Coffee Roasters since 2023 out of their home in Jefferson. Chris Townsend also operates Coastal Coffee Tech, a repair service for coffee equipment and roasting machines.
Soakology to close after 20 years on Congress Street

1 day ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

Foot spa and tea lounge Soakology will close in May after two decades on business at 511 Congress St.The business announced recently on social media and its website that its last day will be May 11. “This decision has not come lightly, and we appreciate your kind words to our staff over the next few weeks,” the post reads in part.
Feeling angry? A new rage room in Topsham is ready for you

3 days ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

What are you angry about? Egg prices? Tariffs? Tipping for counter service? “The White Lotus” finale? There’s no question people are worked up about all sorts of things these days, and while some are channeling their anger by gathering in protest or posting on social media, a new Topsham business is offering another option with all the visceral benefits and none of the virtue signaling: breaking stuff.
Another weed shop opened on Forest Ave. This is how they all survive.

1 week ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

Not long ago, it seemed like every time a new business opened in a previously vacant Portland building, it would be followed by the same groan: “Another restaurant?” Now, replace “restaurant” with “weed shop.” While I never questioned the need for additional dining options, the most geriatric of my geriatric millennial tendencies come through when talking about what we children of the late 1900s call “pot.” I’ve found myself joined in a chorus with my Gen X and Boomer brethren, repeating the...
I won a membership to Portland’s only bottle club. Here’s what it’s like

1 week ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

It was about 6 p.m. on a Thursday, and on the second floor of a brick building at the corner of Oak and Free streets, two couples sat on leather couches drinking old-fashioneds. By the picture windows, three co-workers from Diversified Communications, across the street, enjoyed smoky mezcal margaritas, while, nearby, a man sitting alone sipped a glass of Penelope Barrel Strength bourbon as he looked at his phone.
A furry convention is coming to Portland. Forget what you think

2 weeks ago | centralmaine.com | Leslie Bridgers

Do you love seeing Slugger the Sea Dog emerge at baseball games, meeting Disney characters like Goofy on trips to the Magic Kingdom or rewatching animated classics like “The Lion King”? You might be a furry. “Everybody’s a little bit furry. It’s just a matter of whether they want to say,” said Kevin Breslin, chairperson of the Furcationland convention, happening this week in Portland. What that means, at its core, is being a fan of anthropomorphic animal characters.
Gone from Westbrook news racks, American Journal lives on in influence

3 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Leslie Bridgers

A lot has happened in Westbrook over the last six decades: Downtown buildings were demolished in the 1970s as part of the federal urban renewal program. The S.D Warren Paper Mill was sold to Sappi in 1994. Market Basket opened in 2020 as the anchor tenant of the first phase of massive mixed-use development Rock Row.