Kennedy Park (Portland, Maine)

Kennedy Park is a neighborhood in downtown Portland, Maine. The neighborhood is part of Census Tract 5, the most diverse neighborhood in the state of Maine. While the White population of Maine was 97% according to the 2000 census, the White population in Census Tract 5 was only 71%.[1]

According to the 2010 census, Census Tract 5 is the most diverse section of Portland, Maine. It is 60% White, 21% Black, 6% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 1% Native American, and 4% Multiracial. http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map

History

Kennedy Park was built in 1964-1965 as a public housing project to accommodate poor and low income residents of Portland. It is named after President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.[2] There are 160 rental units. At one time, the neighborhood was known for crime and drugs. However, in recent years, the police have reported significantly less crime in the area.[1] From the 1980s onward, the neighborhood's demographic began changing; common ethnicities in 2001 were "Thai, Korean, Cambodian, Japanese, American, Somalian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Eritrean, Ethiopian etc..."[1]

Location

Situated in the East Bayside neighborhood, Kennedy Park is close to Franklin Street. Local schools are Portland High School and East End Community School. Franklin Towers, Maine's tallest building, is located nearby as well.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Neighborhood is Maine's most diverse in the Portland Press Herald, 3 April 2001
  2. ↑ An Overview of PortHousing Authority History

Coordinates: 43°39′54.1″N 70°15′23.0″W / 43.665028°N 70.256389°W / 43.665028; -70.256389

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