New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
New Bedford may not be perfect and sometimes can get an unfair reputation, but it’s home to roughly 100,000 residents many of which quite enjoy the Whaling City. I decided to ask citizens a simple question, “What’s your favorite aspect of New Bedford?” and I received a ton of answers! There was a plethora of categories but I began to notice a common theme among them, so I present to you:
“The 5 best aspects of New Bedford according to residents”
New Bedford Whaling Museum photo.
5. The History
With the arrival of the railroad in 1840 and easier access to New York and Boston markets, New Bedford became the wealthiest city in the world. This is because New Bedford became “The city that lit the world” or to put it bluntly, we have a history of men that would jump onto wooden ships with spears and hunt massive whales to light the world. One could say that is a pretty interesting and unique history we have!
Feast of the Blessed Sacrament photo.
4. Culture & Diversity
The diverse community makes New Bedford truly special. With a huge population of Portuguese it makes sense that we host the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament which is the largest Portuguese Feast in the world! New Bedford is also one of the largest Cape Verdean communities in America with roughly 8% of our population being of Cape Verdean descent. Many immigrated to New Bedford to contribute to our whaling history which has now given us a unique and diverse culture today!
Aerial New England photo.
3. Waterfront
The Waterfront was an obvious answer for many. You can watch the sunrise at East Beach, the sunset at West Beach, take a walk along the ocean at Fort Taber or the Covewalk, and of course you can’t forget the fishing port which happens to be the largest in America!
Zeiterion Theater photo.
2. Art & Entrepreneurship
The artistic and entrepreneurial spirit of New Bedford is really what sets it apart from similar cities. From the performing arts at the historic Zeiterion theater to the several art galleries and displays in downtown, we have become a destination for artists and creatives. Along with being a creative hub, many residents expressed their appreciation of how many locally owned businesses we get to enjoy in the area. Downtown as well as the Kilburn Mills host an insane amount of different local businesses, something you don’t see in every city!
Facebook photo.
1. Food
What happens when you take a diverse, entrepreneurial city with rich history, and mix it with a huge fishing port? You get some crazy good restaurants! Easily the #1 answer I received from residents was the “food scene” and quite frankly, I have to agree. There are so many things I could say about the Food in New Bedford, from authentic Portuguese to the “fresh of the docks” seafood. I’ll leave you with this, you won’t find an Applebees in downtown New Bedford!
