visiting Providence RI

July 17, 2004 11:32 AM

My wife and I will be visiting Providence, RI next week for a long weekend getaway. We're up for any suggestions of how to spend some time. I'm particularly interested in certain sections of town I may want to visit as well as restaurant suggestions. And heck, anything I don't know about would be mighty cool as well.
posted by punkrockrat to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Make sure you see the giant, hurricane-proof, blue bug on the north side of I-95 in the south part (if I remember right) of the city. It's on the top of a building right next to the highway.
posted by skynxnex at 12:23 PM on July 17, 2004

Mmm, Pastiche.
posted by Hypharse at 1:08 PM on July 17, 2004

I'm typing from downtown right now, but I should be outside. It's a nice day.

A walking tour of the East Side can make for a great afternoon. If you're an architecture geek, it would be a full day. See the Brown campus, the houses along Benefit Street, the RISD campus and the RISD museum. Eat lunch on Thayer Street. I recommend East Side Pockets and the Meeting Street Cafe.

There are probably more really good restaurants per capita than any city in the US. I'd encourage you simply to go up to Federal Hill and look at the menus. If you are interested in a certain type of place or price range, I could give you better recommendations.
posted by PrinceValium at 1:21 PM on July 17, 2004 [1 favorite has favorites]

I enjoyed the cliff walk when I visited RI last year. Oh, and stop at a Dell's for a frozen lemonade.
posted by dogwelder at 1:52 PM on July 17, 2004

PrinceValium previously wrote a detailed response in this thread. I second East Side Pockets (great falafel) or Meeting Street (excellent organic food, though their sandwiches are a little pricey). Meeting Street is nice to sit down in, but both of those are counter-service restaurants, if that makes a difference in your meal plans. Do Indian? Kabob and Curry (also on Thayer) is also quite excellent, and a great atmosphere.

Definitely see the wonderful RISD museum. If art is really your thing, Brown has a (small) gallery that rotates really cool modern/contemporary exhibits just a block or so away, so it might be worthy of a glance, too. The Brown campus is nice, but in a just-for-the-heck-of-seeing it sort of way.

And definitely do Waterfire. Last time I was there it featured Sovereign Bank Ballroom, a dance floor in the middle of a particuarly pretty intersection. But any night there is a full lighting there will definitely be music and funnel cake.

If you want to take a break and catch a movie, The Cable Car (free popcorn refills and "couches") and The Avon show independent films (pay with a tenspot at The Avon and expect a two-dollar bill in return), and then there is, of course, the multiplex and Imax theater in Providence's eight story mall.

If you bring bikes (or theoretically rent) the East Bay Bike Path is beautiful. (Start from India Point Park and cross the river on the I-95 Bridge. Posted signs promise a "historic carousel" in 4 or 5 miles, but my girlfriend and I didn't make it that far).

But Providence in general is just a really nice city. Like most cities, you can kill a day just walking around and playing by ear. Have fun on your trip --
posted by rafter at 2:12 PM on July 17, 2004

Drat! I knew I had used that architecture geek line somewhere before.
posted by PrinceValium at 5:37 PM on July 17, 2004

There's an East Side walking tour of historic homes that is nice. You might also drive down through some of the small towns along the coast, down towards Point Judith. For restaurants, try Al Forno for fancy, Caserta for amazing pizza and Apsara for Cambodian/Laotian/Vietnamese that's the best ever.
posted by judith at 7:04 PM on July 17, 2004

What ever you do, don't go to Pawtuckett- "Home of the obvious drug deal" (though they do have a nice library).

As far as malls go, the 8 story one is one the best I've ever been too.
posted by drezdn at 8:49 PM on July 17, 2004

see the russian submarine.
posted by jeb at 11:06 PM on July 17, 2004

I was just there in February and though we didn't see much, I can recommend a stop at Constantino's in the Federal Hill District, the USA Cock at a likker store, ane nearby is Fall River, where the Lizzy Borden museum, B&B and soon-to-be-coffeehouse is located.

some self-linkage, and my gallery is borked because we just moved to a new server and I don't know what's wrong.
posted by mimi at 4:25 AM on July 18, 2004

Thanks for the tips everyone. We're on our way tomorrow. I'm hoping we like it enough to move there :)
posted by punkrockrat at 8:05 PM on July 22, 2004