We have decided to skip November’s meeting due to the timing of Thanksgiving in favor of a December networking event. Please mark your calendars for the:
Bayside Business Breakfast Holiday Networking Event
Wednesday, December 9th, 8am – 9:30am
Isa Bistro, 79 Portland Street
Please bring a friend or a staff member. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other and chat.
In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
for more information contact breakfastclub@baysideportland.org
The City of Portland’s Office of Sustainability is hosting their annual Pumpkincycle event on Saturday November 7th in Payson Park from 10am – 1pm. Bring us your slumping pumpkin and we will make sure it gets composted. Smashing encouraged but not required!
Don’t throw your jack-o-lantern in the trash! Bring it to Portland’s annual Pumpkin-Cycle instead!
Come chuck your slumpin’ pumpkins in the Payson Park Little League Parking Lot on Saturday, November 7th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. From there, the Sustainability Office will make sure the pumpkins get properly composted with Garbage to Garden and don’t go to waste!
Pumpkin Cycle is a free, kid-friendly event. Bring as many pumpkins (and gourds) as you want!
Please join Senator Rachel Talbot Ross for the final Coffee with Neighbors for this year along with the host for this month’s gathering, the India Street Neighborhood Association.
Coffee with Neighbors is an opportunity for neighbors to connect with each other from across Senate District 28 and share any common concerns and/or recognize things that are going well in our city from one neighborhood to another. It is also a chance to meet with other state and local elected officials, ask questions, and learn about new developments.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Location: BTS Center, 97 India Street, Portland
Joining Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross will be:
Along with topics that neighbors want to discuss, we hope to devote some of our time together talking about street safety and Vision Zero efforts at the state and local levels.
Most importantly, this is a listening opportunity and neighbors are encouraged to bring questions, concerns and ideas.
Please share this invitation with your neighbors and members of your neighborhood association to help spread the word and encourage participation.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
The weather was perfect for Bayside’s 2nd Annual Howl-o-ween Doggie Costume Pageant. The Bayside Trail was transformed for a day thanks to a team effort led by Deirdre Paul who started things off with live music as “DD Sweet and the Bloody Eyeballs” featuring Mike Taylor on guitar and Nate Soule on bass. Pretty soon the stretch of trail behind Trader Joe’s was full of neighbors, kids, and dogs in costume.
And what costumes! Cashy showed up as a cowboy, Rudabaker was the Grinch, and Taterlily came as Buzz Lightyear. Bluey and Chase teamed up as the Two Bananas, Missy Mouse was there, and Betty took the prize for “cutest couple” with her human dressed in Victorian garb. Mr. Pemberton, last year’s purple octopus, came back as the Phantom of the Opera, and Radar went as the Spirit of Halloween. Prizes, courtesy of local pet stores Fish & Bone and Uncommon Paws, went out for Most Festive, Spookiest, Funniest, Cutest Couple, Best Behaved, and Most Original, and honestly every pup in the lineup deserved one. A special prize for bravery went to City Councilor Sarah Michniewicz’s cat, Dragon, who was dressed as a “purr-maid.”
There was plenty to do between the parade and the music. A pop-up dog park from Portland Parks & Recreation gave the pups room to run around, and the City Office of Sustainability made the games and activities possible. Two Fat Cats Bakery kept everyone fueled with sweet snacks, and plenty of free hot cider was there to keep us warm thanks to the Bayside Neighborhood Assocation and its donors.
Last year’s inaugural Howl-o-ween was a hit, and this year made it feel like a real neighborhood tradition. Part of the point has always been to bring some life to a part of Bayside that doesn’t usually have much going on, and a sunny Saturday full of costumed dogs, music, and neighbors did just that. Thanks to everyone who came out, to our neighborhood partners and benefactors, and to all the volunteers who helped set up and clean up. Special thanks to Deirdre and the Events Team for pulling it all together. If you’d like to help with next year’s pageant or any of our other gatherings, reach out to info@baysideportland.org.
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Date: Oct 27, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Bayside Opportunity Center, 62 Elm Street, Portland, ME
The Bayside Neighborhood Association (BNA) is hosting an informational public forum to discuss the city’s plan to open a winter warming shelter starting November 15, 2026.
This forum offers a venue for residents, business owners, and community members to hear directly from key decision-makers and operational partners, as well as share feedback and voice concerns regarding public safety, site management, staffing, and neighborhood impact.
If you cannot attend in person or would like to ensure your questions are addressed during the meeting, please submit them ahead of time using the Warming Shelter Question Submission Form.
https://www.pressherald.com/?p=7719034&uuid=4502e44e-5f7e-494f-8abe-1bc93633f46c&lid=248925
*this proposal has been dropped. see the City of Portland website for the latest information
The BNA’s Citizens’ Trash Brigade team, led by Bayside resident Megan Holt, joined forces with staff and clients from Preble Street’s Elena’a Way to pick up trash around the neighborhood today. The Citizens’ Trash Brigade meets at 28 Portland Street on the third Friday of every month at 3pm to help keep our sidewalks and curbs clean and litter-free. When the weather turns and snow falls, we switch to shoveling and sanding neglected sidewalks . Reach out to ctb@baysideportland.org for more information or just come out and join in!
BAYSIDE, PORTLAND, Maine – The Equality Community Center (ECC) will celebrate the grand opening of Equality Commons, a 54-unit affordable senior housing community at 25 Casco Street in downtown Portland. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place Wednesday, August 19, at 3 p.m.
Located next door to the Equality Community Center at 15 Casco Street, Equality Commons is Maine’s first affordable senior housing community developed in partnership with an LGBTQ+ community center, with programs and services specifically designed to support LGBTQ+ older adults.
The project adds 54 affordable homes for residents age 55 and older, contributing to the City of Portland’s efforts to address its shortage of affordable housing. It also provides a safe and inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ older adults, other marginalized community members and their allies can age with dignity while remaining connected to community.
“Equality Commons brings affordable housing, community resources and LGBTQ+-affirming services together in one location,” said Ed Gardner of Gardner Real Estate, an ECC founding member and Chair of the Housing Committee.
LGBTQ+ older adults can face higher risks of poverty, social isolation, chronic health conditions, discrimination and unstable or hostile living environments. Many are more likely to live alone and have limited family support or caregivers, and may encounter discrimination in rental housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As people age and become more reliant on others for care and support, some also fear discrimination or retaliation if they are open about who they are.
Equality Commons is open to all residents age 55 and older, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Apartments are affordable to households earning approximately 50 to 60 percent of the adjusted median income for the greater Portland area, as determined by MaineHousing. More than 250 people have joined the waitlist for the 54 apartments. Leasing is underway, and the waitlist remains open.
Equality Commons includes studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, a community room, retail café with outdoor space, back patio, laundry facilities and a bike room. Nineteen apartments are accessible, including 12 beyond the seven required. Eleven accessible units are set aside for residents living with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS, in partnership with the Frannie Peabody Center.
One future resident, who came out later in life, said Equality Commons offers an opportunity to age in a welcoming environment.
“I spent much of my life hiding a part of who I was. Coming out later in life changed everything. Equality Commons gives me something I never thought I’d have – a safe place to grow older, surrounded by people who see me, understand me and let me be my authentic self.”
Downtown Location and Proximity to ECC Connects Residents to Resources
The downtown location provides convenient access to public transportation, health care, social services, restaurants, entertainment, parks and recreation. Living next door means Equality Commons residents will have easy access to the programs, social activities, educational opportunities and community resources available through ECC, while remaining connected to the larger LGBTQ+ community. Founded in 2015, the Equality Community Center is Maine’s first and only LGBTQ+ and social justice-focused community center. Its home at 15 Casco Street provides space for community organizations, programs, events and services, including a self-serve café, reading room and lending library, art gallery, meeting and event spaces, and the Safe Combinations thrift store.
“Equality Commons is an extension of what we have always believed at ECC: community matters,” said Christopher O’Connor, ECC Executive Director. “We wanted to create more than affordable housing. We wanted to create a place where people can make friends, build relationships, find resources, take part in community life and know that they belong.”
Project Details
The $23.5 million project was funded through public and private financing, including Maine Affordable Housing Tax Credits, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, a commercial bank loan and a tax increment financing agreement with the City of Portland. MaineHousing selected Equality Commons as one of four projects statewide to receive financing in 2024.
The project received $9.7 million in tax credit equity from the Evernorth 481 Fund II (TD Bank, N.A.), along with additional support from the Genesis Community Loan Fund.
Equality Commons was designed by Ryan Senatore, constructed by Penobscot General Contractors and developed by Developers Collaborative. The Portland Housing Authority will manage the property.
The project also received a generous grant from the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to support improvements that will make Equality Commons safer and more comfortable for residents: common-area
furnishings, entertainment technology, security cameras, the build-out of the retail space and other improvements.
The grand opening will bring together residents, community members, project partners, supporters and elected officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the development.
For more information, visit eccmaine.org/housing.
Thank you to Levitt Family Foundation for supporting The BPM Traditional Drum Festival! @levittfoundation partners with changemakers and nonprofits in towns and cities across America to create joyous, inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together of all ages and backgrounds, creating healthy, connected, and thriving communities. Learn more: levitt.org
The Bayside Neighborhood Association presents the first inaugural BPM Traditional Drum Festival on the Bayside Trail this summer thanks to a generous grant from the Levitt Family Foundation which leverages the power of free, live music to strengthen the social fabric of communities, creating places people love while amplifying local pride, activating underused public spaces and fostering more healthy, equitable, and thriving communities one city, and one concert, at a time. A perfect fit for Bayside!
This will be the first inaugural year for the BPM Drum Fest. Many block parties, fairs and community events over the last 25 years have brought us to this moment. We also have strong partners at the City Office of Sustainability,
Portland Downtown, and other community organizations who have helped us in the past. We’re looking for volunteers, fiscal sponsors, and other collaborative partners to help make this dream a reality. Can you help? Contact eventsteam@baysideportland.org
There’s still room for a couple more vendor tables, and they’re free! If you’re a non-profit org, local business, or artist, we’d love to have you join us! call “too oh seven, sicks five oh, five sicks three fore” for more info.
Join us…
Please help us make the inaugural event the best it can be!
Shoutout to Levitt Family Foundation for their support of The BPM Traditional Drum Festival! A social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space and community building, The Levitt Family Foundation supports changemakers and nonprofits nationwide to build healthy, connected, and thriving communities by making live music accessible and bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together. Learn more: levitt.org For a little inspiration, here’s a quote from their website:
“Creative placemaking is a community-driven process that situates arts and culture within broader community vitality strategies and builds upon a community’s existing assets. With partnerships, cross-sector collaborations, and community-engaged design and activation at its core, creative placemaking can help shape the physical, social, and economic qualities of a neighborhood. A collaborative process that connects people with each other, as well as connects people to place, creative placemaking is a collective reimagination of the way people experience a place. With creative placemaking, the arts serve a dual role, both as an activity for participation and also as a conduit or catalyst for other desired outcomes: increase economic vitality of a community; foster greater livability and vibrancy in a community; and build a community’s social capital and civic connection.”
Learn more: levitt.org
