South Portland is topping charts as the best place to live in the state in 2018, according to Money Magazine.
It’s high praise for the small city—that was rated among the top 100 places to live in America in 2017.
So what makes the small city so special?
They say, it's location, affordability, neighborhoods, and development potential.
South Portland has marketed itself as a place that is ripe with business opportunity all while being a great place to raise a family.
So far, it’s paying off.
South Portlanders say they aren’t surprised.
"Yes, definitely. It is the best place to live that I’ve ever lived. I’ve lived all over the country, and it’s my favorite," Michael O'Brien said.
So what makes South Portland so great?
"We are location-wise spectacularly advantaged on the Atlantic coast, just south of the state’s largest community. We have all the amenities of a full-service city, but we can deliver those amenities and services in a way that a small town or a small community can in a very personal way," city economic development coordinator Bill Mann said.
"We particularly like this section called Knightville right here, and it’s just like a little neighborhood and everyone is very friendly and we love the little shops and everything up and down the street, it’s wonderful," Candace O'Brien said.
It’s a trend South Portland officials hope to continue, with business investments and affordable housing expansion slated for 2019.
"The majority of our growth will come from existing businesses, we’ve seen that in the past, we expect that to be the case in the future and we’re looking for another very positive year," Bill Mann said.
Another interesting note on South Portland’s plans for 2019 is the promotion and expansion of their broadband network. City officials say South Portland has one of the largest high speed broadband networks north of Boston. City officials hope to use it to attract folks that want to live in or move back to Maine, but need to telecommute or work remotely.