Portland seems to get all the hipster cred in Maine, but all those tourists and media attention make the Southern Maine hotspot so last week for the edgy set. Here's the truth: While you were growing your beard out and turning Uno into a drinking game at Novare Res in the Old Port, one Mid-Coast town was quietly emerging as the most effortlessly cool place in New England. Not only is the small town of Belfast, Maine quickly becoming one of the coolest towns in our state, but it's also growing a following for being the coolest place in New England. Have you been to Belfast yet?

Founded in 1773 and named after the Irish city of Belfast, this town of less than 7,000 boomed after World War II as a working-class community centered on the poultry industry.

In the 1970s, the town's poultry business collapsed during a national recession. Many residents deserted Belfast in search of jobs elsewhere.

But the area's serene natural beauty combined with affordable homes attracted new residents. These newcomers were very different from the old poultry workers -- they were artists, new college graduates, and city dwellers seeking a more rural lifestyle.

Today the arts are an even bigger part of life in Belfast than when the artists first arrived, both inside at galleries ...

... and outside on the street.

When you stroll around Belfast, you can even sit on the art.

Belfast also hosts a weekly art market on Fridays, the kind of thing usually seen only in a big city.

While Belfast has no shortage of the charming architecture typical of the area ...

... the town isn't afraid to be a little weird and whimsical, either.

A town can't qualify as the coolest in New England without a great food scene, and Belfast's is booming. Chase's Daily has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards. The restaurant is so committed to its farm-to-table philosophy that it sells fresh produce at its own market.

Find this restaurant at 96 Main St., Belfast, ME, 04915.

The New York Times has praised Three Tides as "the closest thing midcoast Maine has to a hipster bar scene." Don't miss the food, either.

2 Pinchy Ln., Belfast, ME 04915 / (207) 338-1707

Still not convinced, hipsters? We have three words for you: Belfast Ukulele Fest. It's an annual event.

In fact, Belfast hosts an impressive number of festivals for such a small town, including the popular All Roads Music Festival, Belfast Harbor Fest, a peace festival, and the Maine Celtic Celebration.

Belfast's free-spiritedness long ago earned it the self-deprecating nickname "Moonbat Kingdom."

Whether or not you think that's a good thing has a lot to do with whether or not you'll love Belfast.

Above all, Belfast, Maine is real, and that's what makes this the coolest place in New England. With so much awesome in such a small town, it's little wonder that DownEast Magazine has named it one of the best places to live in Maine. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a bigger city that still packs that cool factor, Bangor does a bang-up job:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/maine/coolest-maine-city-me/

Looking for even more to explore? Check out this stunning footage of Acadia National Park: