This first-rate museum, designed by illustrious architect IM Pei, is the crown jewel of Portland's thriving art scene.

BBC: Art appreciation and more in Portland, Maine

But lately, the thriving art scene is drawing its own share of peeps.

CNN: Mass appeal in the Berkshires

It exudes small-town charm, but it also boasts a thriving art scene.

FORBES: The Entrepreneur

The thriving bar scene, which includes microbrewery MikKeller with at least 10 of its own rich, malty brews on tap, is all the more appealing for its unconventionality.

BBC: Copenhagen��s gritty gastronomic quarter

"Many people are surprised to find that there's a stylish downtown district, a thriving nightlife scene and even some residents who don't dress up like pirates during the day, " says Lonely Planet.

BBC: Daily deal: A whole new world in Orlando

In recent years, a rise in the usage of mobile phones coupled with the emergence of a thriving tech scene, has helped to improve lives and bring people together across Africa.

CNN: Marieme Jamme: Shaping Africa's tech revolution

Covering painting, photography, drawing and illustration, the exhibition can be seen as a microcosm of a thriving alternative scene that sits somewhere between mainstream gallery collections and the artwork that decorates coffee shop walls around the city.

BBC: Art meets social causes in Berlin

There is a thriving local art scene centered around Bichinho, an even smaller village just outside town.

BBC: Tiradentes: The culinary goldmine of Brazil

While many economies are still struggling to recover, Latin America's art scene is thriving once again.

BBC: This is Buenos Aires week

After graduation they became a key part of a thriving country music revival scene in New York City.

NPR: Dustbin Bands: The Surreal McCoys

New York City has a thriving start-up scene and now is firmly established as the number two innovation center behind Silicon Valley.

FORBES: Why 2013 Will Be a Big Year for NYC's Tech Startups!

There's the lentil-growing area near Limerick, Saskatchewan, and a thriving Irish-arts scene.

WSJ: Little Pub on the Prairie: A Saskatchewan Tavern Tries to Pull Ahead on St. Patrick's Day

The restaurant scene is thriving.

NPR: New Orleans: A Tale Of 2 Cities Since Katrina

Through ambition and patronage he made his way into Rome's thriving Counter-Reformation art scene.

WSJ: The Calling of St. Matthew | A Dramatic Enlightenment | Masterpiece by Willard Spiegelman

Each has a thriving and innovative local food scene.

FORBES: Eating Towns, Drinking Towns

Bollywood music is still the mass market choice on Indian stereos, but the alternative scene is growing and thriving.

BBC: India's music scene - the DJs and singers moving East