Things To Do In Providence
Providence is an amazing and vibrant city. It’s smart, hip, and quaint, with both New England charm and urban saltiness. It’s where we first met and grew our relationship, so we have a special link to the place. Here are a few of our favorite things to check out while you’re in town!
AS220
http://www.as22o.org
115 Empire St., Providence, RI 02903
An artist-run gallery and performance space. Fantastic shows, and a great cafe inside.
Brown University Campus
http://brown.edu/Facilities/Facilities_Management/maps
Mary’s alma mater. She spent a year here earning a graduate degree in Urban Education Policy before moving up to Boston. It has a beautiful campus, and is well worth a stroll through its many quads and back streets. (Brown is a short distance from downtown—walk along Westminster St. until you cross the Providence river, then head up the hill on College St until you reach the main quad).
Federal Hill Neighborhood
http://federalhillprov.com/
Providence’s “Little Italy”, located just west of downtown. Tons of restaurants, cafes, shops, galleries, and some of the finest Italian bakeries in Providence. Walk or drive down Atwells Ave until you cross under an arch topped with a giant pineapple (no joke), and you’ll know you’re there.
Pawtucket Red Sox
http://www.pawsox.com
1 Columbus Ave, Pawtucket, RI 02860
Long live minor league baseball! Even if you’re not a sports fan, an afternoon at a PawSox game (just north of Providence) is a blast. They’re the farm team for the Boston Red Sox, so the games are always exciting, and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. It doesn’t hurt that tickets are cheap, either. Lucky for you, the team has home games every night of Labor day weekend.
RISD Museum of Art
http://risdmuseum.org/
224 Benefit St., Providence, RI 02903
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has a fantastic art museum. It’s inexpensive, thorough, and thoughtful in its curation. Always worth a trip.
Roger Williams Park and Zoo
https://www.rwpzoo.org/
1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907
Just south of Providence lies Roger Williams Park, a large and beautifully landscaped 427-acre stretch of land. Within the park itself, don’t miss the Roger Willams Zoo, one of the oldest in the nation (founded 1872). It’s small, but impressively well-kept, and has a diverse range of rare animals on display.
WaterFire
http://waterfire.org
A regularly-scheduled art and culture event along Providence’s canals and waterways. At sundown on most summer weekends, the city lights a series of floating bonfires, and holds performances, art fairs, and other events throughout the area. Many of our early dates were WaterFire events.
Westminster Street
http://www.yelp.com/list/on-westminster-st-providence
This street is one of the oldest and quaintest thoroughfares in downtown Providence. We recommend strolling for a few blocks, enjoying the architecture, and stopping in the many diverse shops and cafes along the way.
Other Options
In addition to our suggestions, there are tons of other things to to in the area—you’ll find helpful guides to popular attractions, museums, shops, etc. at the links below.
• DesignSponge.com’s City Guide to Providence (our favorite!)
• Guide to “Downcity” Providence
• New York Times “36 Hours in Providence”
• Fodor’s Travel Guide
• Lonely Planet Providence Guide
• WikiTravel Guide