Leaving New York behind, the next stop on our journey was Providence, the second city of New England and the state capital of Rhode Island, the US’s smallest state.
The city of Providence (and later the state of Rhode Island) was founded in 1636 by Robert Williams, after he was chased out of Massachusetts for arguing that religion and politics should remain separate entities, when it came to the governance of the people. He founded the city of Providence on this principle.
Nowadays, Providence is a creative capital and an epicentre of higher education, being home to Brown University, Johnson Wales University and the trendy Rhode Island College of Design. The city boasts everything you would expect from a historic New England population centre; from traditional steepled churches, Georgian mansions and remnants of the colonial past. The people of Providence refer to their city as ‘cosy’, ‘friendly’ and ‘just the right size to bump into people you know all the time’.
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Providence, Rhode Island
We arrived into Providence mid-afternoon after a pleasant trip up and around the coast from New York, once again courtesy of Amtrak. In total, the journey time was around three hours and our route took us through various small towns and past picturesque waterfronts.
Arriving into Providence we were met by a blanket of white; a pertinent reminder of just how far north we had travelled. What a change from New York!
As we exited the station we could see the Rhode Island State Capitol building standing majestically, overlooking the city. Neoclassical in style and crowned with the third largest self supporting marble dome in the world, after St Peter’s Basilica and the Taj Mahal, the Capitol building represents the historical importance of the city and reflects the values and visions of its founding fathers. Atop the dome we could just about spot the Independent Man, originally called ‘Hope’, who represents the spirit of freedom of thought and action, alluding to the independent spirit of the city’s founder Williams.
It was only a short distance from the station to the hotel on Fountain Street in Providence’s Downcity – the vibrant heart of the city. Despite the snow and icy conditions we managed the walk without any mishaps, no slipping and no sliding!
Along the way we passed Waterplace Park, an urban space which is home to a stone-stepped amphitheatre, which in summer is the venue for concerts and also the starting point for the city’s world-renowned WaterFire festival, in which almost a hundred dancing bonfires light up the Providence River. Pretty hard to imagine given the weather conditions during our visit – but quite a spectacle I’m sure.
We soon arrived at our hotel, The Dean, and were able to check in. Our room wasn’t quite ready but we used the opportunity to warm up, explore the facilities, admire the décor and furnishings and enjoy a latte at Bolt Coffee, situated just behind the hotel’s reception.
We didn’t have to wait too long for our room to be ready and after a quick pit stop to drop off the bags and freshen up, we headed out into the town to explore.
From the hotel, we made our way along Mathewson Street – briefly stopping to admire a handful of lovely colourful murals on the side of a parking lot – before emerging onto Weybosset Street where we passed by the Providence Performing Arts Centre, a historic 1928 Loews theatre which narrowly escaped being turned into a car park in the seventies. Also in the vicinity was the campus of Johnson & Wales University, well known for its Culinary Arts program, which now claims to be the largest food service educator in the world.
Continuing on our way we then weaved our way along the streets until we reached the Providence River which separates downtown Providence from the East side. There was still evidence to be seen of the city’s former importance as a major New World seaport. You could even picture the many goods made by the city’s craftsmen and merchants being loaded aboard ships bound for Europe.
Crossing to the eastern side of the river, into the quarter known as College Hill, it was as if we had been transported to a completely different place. The urban glass-and-steel industrial nature of downtown had been left behind and we were able to experience a more bookish, residential and colonial ambience – it was clear that is was here where William’s Providence was born.
As we trekked up the steep hill – slightly regretting our choice of footwear and trying to dodge the particular icy patches of pathway – we took in the residential mix of 18th and 19th century architecture; from the ornate Georgian and Victorian mansions, to the more traditional wooden houses that are closely associated with New England.
We were soon on Benefit Street, also referred to as the ‘Mile of History’, due to its rich and diverse display of residential, institutional and religious architecture. As Providence transformed into a successful trading centre in the 1780s, it was clear that the city needed to expand. Graves, which had previously occupied the hilly area on the eastern bank of the Providence River were moved, and Benefit Street was laid out. The street soon became a fashionable place to live and the city’s well-to-do families descended on the area, building fancy houses overlooking the city below. Many of these grand houses still stand today – with the house of John Brown amongst them. Despite amassing his fortune through trade and slave trafficking, John Brown was a fierce advocate of American independence and later became a US Congressman as well as a trustee of the College of Rhode Island, which later evolved into Brown University – named after him and his family.
Not only are there beautiful mansions lining the historic Benefit Street but there are also a whole host of federal-style dwellings with their front doors opening directly onto the brick pavements – it is easy to feel transported back in time whilst strolling along!
After meandering along Benefit Street and its adjoining roads, we eventually stumbled across the Brown University quad, which serves as the heart of the College Hill neighbourhood. We couldn’t resist strolling through the campus grounds, pretending to be native students and of course saying hello to the famous Brown Bear before saying our goodbyes and heading off in search of somewhere to warm up and refuel.
Our wish was soon granted as we emerged onto the bustling student strip of Thayer Street – bordered with quirky shops, eateries and restaurants. The surrounding area was in stark contrast to the East Providence we had just been walking through. One minute we had been admiring the historic houses of Benefit Street and all of a sudden we were met with an edgier, hipster vibe that student areas tend to emit.
Back in downtown Providence, we made our way along Westminster Street, popping into the Arcade for a look, and passing the classy Dorrance as we went. This beautiful restaurant with its high ornate ceilings, extensive bar and fine cuisine encapsulates the timeless elegance of bygone times in a resplendent but contemporary way. Well worth a visit!
As dinner time was approaching, (and our budgets not quite up to Dorrance levels) we decided to walk towards Federal Hill – Rhode Island’s own ‘Little Italy’. Whilst it was clear that the city’s rich Italian influence is still thriving, the restaurant scene of the neighbourhood also offers a diverse selection of cuisines from across the world including Indian, Asian and Mexican.
We found a nice place called Zooma where we stopped to sample the cuisine before retracing our steps back in the direction of the hotel, in search of the warmth and comfort of our room.
Newport, Rhode Island
The following morning we were up early to catch the bus to Newport, best known as a New England summer resort, and of course, for the famous Newport Mansions. We hopped aboard the bus, along with a handful of interesting characters and settled back in our seats for the one and a quarter hour (37 mile) journey south. The weather conditions underwent a huge change between the two cities – despite starting off rather grey and snow laden in Providence, the weather morphed and we were met by a beautiful clear sunny day as the bus pulled into Newport’s bus station.
Our friendly bus driver recommended that we paid an extra $1 to transfer our bus ticket into one that could be used on Newport’s transport system and then pointed us in the direction of the bus which would take us up to the mansions.
Our timing was ‘perfect’ time and hopped aboard seconds before the driver closed his doors. Within ten minutes we were off the bus and strolling along Bellevue Avenue taking in the sights of the grand historic mansions. There are now more than a dozen prestigious properties that represent the era (the so called Gilded Age – late 19th century) when some of America’s wealthiest families chose this area as their summer playground.
After viewing The Breakers, one of the Vanderbilt family’s grandiose mansions from afar, we made for the Cliff Walk which wends its way along the shore line. For three and a half miles we were treated to panoramic views of the ocean, the stunning coastline and more century-old architectural marvels. We walked along the path, taking in these wonderful sights, to its end at Easton’s Beach taking in the sheer natural beauty as well as the sights and smells of the early spring flowers.
Once we were back in the ‘centre’ of Newport, we grabbed a sandwich at a small deli and spent some time wandering around the town itself. We got as far as King Park, just south of Newport Harbour, before turning back on ourselves and following Thames Street back in the other direction.
After a short while browsing in some of the various boutiques, we decided that it was probably time to return to Providence as we had the onward journey to Boston to look forward to.
Rhode Island, it was a pleasure!
1 comment
I come from Rhode Island, but haven’t lived there in over 20 years. It was a pleasure to read your blog and enjoy the photos. While some things have changed in Providence, other things remain exactly the same, especially College Hill. Just one correction, though, the state was founded by Roger Williams, not Robert. This blog entry was lovely. I’m so glad you enjoyed my home state.