By TANIA RALLI
Arts Editor
 

The Old Port sitting by the Portland Harbor is an attractive collection of renovated red brick buildings, rescued from demise in the 1970's. Now home to galleries, cafes, and eclectic shops the city is easy to navigate.

As a compact grid of cobblestone streets, the Old Port is easily traversed on foot.

Starting by the water at 24 Commercial Street is 3 Dollar Dewey's, a large informal restaurant and pub. More than thirty beers are available on tap and the restaurant serves standard sandwiches at reasonable prices.

On nearby Wharf Street is a restaurant claiming to offer "love at first bite" - Tony's Thai Taste Restaurant was rated seventh in value by the Portland Dining Guide for chicken satay ($5.95) or a dinner portion of pad thai ($6.95).

Exchange Street runs through the center of the Old Port and is the street with the most attractions.

On the corner of Exchange and Fore Streets is the CD Exchange, a small and somewhat dingy music store. Nevertheless, they will buy old CDs; and if you look through their racks, there may be an old CD worth listening to.

Basement Billiards is on the opposite corner; it offers free pizza and cheap beer during happy hour from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00.

If your pursuits are more intellectual, up the street is Books Etc., a bright store with a carefully selected array of worthwhile books. It's open until nine.

On the same side of the street is Perfetto, a restaurant with an Italian-influenced modern menu and sophisticated yet down-to-earth setting. For lunch, the roasted portobello mushroom sandwich is topped with goat cheese and grilled vegetables ($7.50). Dinner is more expensive, with the house-made shrimp ravioli with a lobster-tomato sauce ringing in at $14.

If you are looking to save money, Fresh Market Pasta across the street lets you choose a freshly made pasta and sauce. Small portions range from $3.75-4.70 and large portions from $4.25-5.10. Sauces include alfredo, marinara and pesto.

Nearby on Exchange Street is JavaNet, for those addicted to both caffeine and the internet. In a bright and warm setting with leather sofas, JavaNet has the slickness of any Starbucks, along with the conglomerate's high prices.

The cafe has its own server, and $19.95 a month offers unlimited access. But obviously, for any college student this would be a foolish investment.

Perpendicular to Exchange Street on Fore Street are more shops such as Condom Sense, purveyors of chocolate body paint ($8.99) and edible cherry flavored undies for men ($5.99). Down the third block of the street, have a psychic reading done for $25 at Light of the Moon.

If you find yourself running low on cash, there is a 24 hour ATM on the corner of Exchange and Middle Streets.

Ducking around that corner will take you off the tourist's path. If it's a bit of quiet that you seek, the Daily Fix coffee and tea house is a good bet. The cafe's ceilings are low and hung with a web of green plants, and bookshelves line the exposed brick walls.

The Old Port is easily reached by taking exit 6A off of route 295.