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Historic Eastport (the downtown area) is the primary attraction of the city of Eastport. On April 21st, 2003, the Eastport City Council had the foresight to establish the Downtown Committee, an organization chartered with protecting and sustaining Eastport's historic downtown "through authentic preservation, economic development and cultural activity and to benefit the community at large." The committee has undertaken several restorations in recent years, the most impressive being the Landmark Building, which suffered from structural issues (across the street from the Tides Institute).

Add to this attraction the downtown Eastport architecture that features Italianate brick buildings from when the town was rebuilt from 1887 through 1888). In 1887, 26 brick Italianate-designed buildings were built along Water Street, followed by two additional buildings added in 1893. A final building was constructed between 1928 and 1929. Add to this the many colonial-style homes and the later Victorian-style homes – and other designs – and Eastport shines as an architectural paradise.

But, for Eastport to grow and thrive, improvements need to be shown. Recently there has been solid progress in:

• Shipping: (the Port Authority saw a dip during the Covid years – but is on the rebound);
• Transportation: On December 14, 2022, the Eastport City Council voted to hire a consultant to help the city apply for a federal grant encouraging small airlines to bring air service to rural communities such as Eastport (examples: Southern Airways Express, Cape Air, etc.). Note: under the auspices of the Office of Aviation Analysis, a federal Small Community Air Service Development Program can grant airlines money to underwrite air service costs.
• Aquaculture: In August 2013, Cooke Aquaculture took over Eastport's Deep Cove salmon farming site. As a result, the salmon pens in Cobscook Bay now belong to a well-managed New Brunswick-based company.
• The Arts – now include plays, festivals, and other events – especially during the summer. And the artist community has grown steadily.
• Cruise Ships – Eastport has seen a dramatic increase in the number of cruise ships that visit annually.
• Outdoor activities: there are huge recreational areas nearby for kayaking, hiking, etc. as part of the greatly expanded Cobscook Shores park system.
• Nearby Roosevelt Cottage (in Campobello) is an international park.
• The American Can Company building may soon be sold. Nearby St. Andrews, New Brunswick, offers "The Algonquin Hotel." And down the Down East coast, Bar Harbor offers the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel, the Primrose, the Saltair Inn, the Acadia Hotel – and many more resort hotels (remember, Bar Harbor was a summer resort area for New York's rich and famous at the turn of last century). The point is: many travelers want to visit a historic site that offers a resort hotel. The obvious choice for a resort hotel in Eastport is the historic, old, abandoned American Can Company building located on Sea Street on the city's waterfront. 

People are “finding” Eastport. But is Eastport finally on the road to recovery after losing its major manufacturers and after failing to find the “next big thing” after the sardine industry collapsed? We shall see – but the future looks very bright indeed.