Providence

Puritan refugee and Massachusetts exile Roger Williams settled Providence, Rhode Island, in June of 1636. It soon became one of the thirteen original colonies of the United States. The Narragansett Native Americans previously occupied Rhode Island's land.

British taxation held back the city’s economic growth in its fishing, farming, and nautical enterprises. Providence joined other critics of the British Crown and opposed the Sugar Act, a tax that adversely affected Providence’s international rum trade. The Gaspee Affair of 1772 involved the residents of Providence leading the first violent attack of the American Revolution.

After the Revolutionary War, Providence’s economic industry changed from maritime activities to manufacturing, especially in jewelry and textiles. Such industries drew many immigrants from overseas lands such as Italy, Ireland, England, Portugal and Cape Verde, whose descendants compose a high proportion of the population of the state today.

The jewelry industry boomed in the 1920s. The Great Depression hit the local economy hard, leading to population decreases. Organized crime rose to the forefront in Providence in the 1950s through the 1980s, primarily situated in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood. Providence became a notorious mob scene led by mafia boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca.

The “Renaissance City” got its nickname in the 1990s when Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci Jr came into his second term. After millions in local and national funds were spent throughout the city in the 1970s, the city's previously falling population was stabilized. Cianci pushed for an emphasis on the city’s strength in the arts and entertainment and revitalized the city’s natural landscape. He brought Rhode Island the Providence Bruins hockey team, uncovered Providence’s rivers, relocated a large section of the railroad underground, created the now famous Waterplace Park and river walks, and sanctioned the construction of the Bank of America Skating Rink and the gigantic Providence Place Mall.

Providence has a long history of political corruption that some feel to be part of the local charm. In keeping with this tradition; Mayor Cianci was indicted not once but twice from local office. When running for office for his second term, he actually ran partly from jail. It wasn't until a 2001 racketeering case was brought against Cianci that the notorious Mayor's reign ended.

Once dominated by the Italian-American political establishment, Providence had five mayors of Italian descent, including Cianci's two non-consecutive terms, between 1975 and 2011. Demographic shifts contributed to the election of the city's first Hispanic mayor, Angel Taveras, in 2011. The Mayor of Providence as of March 2020 Jorge Elorza, who did what many in Providence once thought was impossible and defeated Cianci in his final comeback attempt in 2015. Cianci died of colon cancer at 74 little more than a year after the election.

Providence's climate is humid continental/subtropical. This means high humidity year-round, with hot, wet summers and cold, snowy winters. Unlike other inland states in New England, Rhode Island's position along the Atlantic coast keeps Providence's temperatures relatively warm. Precipitation is a mainstay in Providence's climate. Spring and summer months often have bouts of rainfall and winter months are regularly hit with snowfall and blizzards. Providence's position on the coast of the Narragansett Bay leaves the city susceptible to hurricanes, but such occurrences are rare.

• 🌍 Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau (PWCVB), 1 Sabin Street (downtown, within the Rhode Island Convention Center), toll-free: +1-800-751-1177. M-Sa 9AM-5PM. The Visitor Center is in downtown Providence and provides maps, brochures and information on hotels, restaurants, shopping, and attractions. 

T.F. Green Airport (PVD ^IATA), in nearby Warwick south of Providence, offers many low cost and regular flights to cities in the United States.

• By car: take I-95 North. Approximately 20 minutes.
• By bus: the #14 and #20 buses connect the airport to Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence. #14 is an express bus taking 15-25 minutes. #20 has more stops and takes 40 minutes. See RIPTA for schedules.
• By commuter rail: MBTA runs 10 trains per weekday from the airport to downtown Providence.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS ^IATA) is much larger than T.F. Green Airport, and is generally used for most international flights.

• By car: take I-95 South. Approx. 1 hour (potentially much longer in traffic).
• Public transit: take the MBTA Silver Line bus (it's a BRT line) to South Station and take an MBTA commuter train to downtown Providence. Approx. 1hr 30 mins in travel time. Add waiting time of 1-2 hours if you haven't planned which commuter train to catch. The commuter rail leaves you in downtown Providence.

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 🌍 Providence station, 100 Gaspee Street (across the street from the Rhode Island State House). The central train station in Providence. (updated Oct 2023)
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Routes stopping in Providence:
    • Acela travels multiple times daily between Boston and Washington, D.C. with stops in Westwood, Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. This is the only route in the U.S. which resembles a high-speed rail line, with a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h), though it can only go this fast on a few short segments. Stops at Union Station, but not State Street. Travel time to Providence from Boston is 35 minutes, from New Haven is 1.5 hours, from New York City is 3 hours, from Philadephia is 4.75 hours, and fro Washington, D.C. is 6.5 hours.
    • Northeast Regional is Amtrak's busiest regional service, connecting Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the many towns and cities in-between. Some services also continue south into Virginia towards Newport News, Roanoke and Norfolk on three separate branch routes from Alexandria. This is also Amtrak's most frequent service, with multiple daily departures.
  • MBTA Commuter Rail, ☏ +1 617 222-5000. The MBTA runs a commuter rail service between Boston and Providence on the Providence/Stoughton Line. If coming from Boston, this is a cheaper option than Amtrak, although the trip takes longer. It is $11.50 for a one way trip taking about an hour. Tickets bought aboard the train, instead of at the station, have a $1.00-$2.00 surcharge added. 

For those driving, I-95 will serve you well from Boston or New York areas, Rt. 146 is better when coming from Worcester or western Massachusetts area. I-195 connects to Cape Cod and eastern Massachusetts. Driving from TF Green Airport (PVD), head north on I-95. Driving to the airport exit 13 on I-95.

• RIPTA, ☏ +1 401 781-9400. Services across all of Rhode Island and throughout Providence, with a central hub in Kennedy Plaza. Bus charge is $2.00, and an extra $.75 for a 2-hour valid transfer to travel with other buses. One-day, 10-day, 15-day, and monthly RIPTA passes can be purchased inside the Kennedy Plaza bus station or at a Rhode Island Stop-and-Shop or Shaw’s. 
• Bonanza Bus Lines. Bonanza travels to many states on the East Coast. Tickets can be purchased at Kennedy Plaza or online. Trips depart from Kennedy Plaza at any given time throughout the day.
• Greyhound Bus
• 🌍 Megabus, Canal Street at Park Row (across the street from Roger Williams National Memorial). Services daily from New York City with three round trips. Tickets can be purchased online, daily deals from $1–61. 

The monumental Rhode Island State House, finished in 1901, is a wonder that has the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome. Downtown Providence also includes a number of beautiful 19th century buildings in a variety of styles.

Brown University's Ivy League campus, dating back to the 1700s, features buildings from nearly every American architectural movement. Best to visit in May-September when school is largely out of session and weather is amenable to walking.

Though professional tours of the city are not offered, a book featuring 12 self-guided walking tours of the city's architecture is available for purchase at the Providence Preservation Society, 21 Meeting Street, ☏ +1 401 831-7440.

• Benefit Street and College Hill - The tree-lined Benefit Street contains an outstanding collection of 18th and 19th-century houses and mansions. Additionally, a popular overlook of the Downtown Providence skyline and Rhode Island State House is available at Prospect Park on Prospect Street. Popular with visitors to the city, Benefit Street is also host to the seasonal Providence Ghost Walk (below under "do"), where one may see the ghost of poet Edgar Allan Poe, who was said to spend extended amounts of time in the city, strolling down Benefit.
• Prospect Park on Congdon Street: This is great park to just go and chill out. It overlooks the entire city, in a relaxed way. It is very easy to waste hours there just laying on the lawn or hanging on the benches. It is very common to see weddings taking place here because it is an ideal Providence Park for such a thing. It is a great spot for having a picnic, playing frisbee with your friends, or simply spending some time alone to sort out your thoughts.
• Federal Hill: This famous Providence area is located just west of downtown, and is quickly and easily accessible from downtown by walking, biking, or trolley ride. This area is known for its Italian heritage and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Some have even compared it to Little Italy in NYC. In 1994, the movie Federal Hill was filmed here. Showtime filmed its second season of their critically-acclaimed series Brotherhood in and around the Federal Hill area in 2007; a neighborhood referred to in the series as "The Hill", a fictitious Providence neighborhood representative of Federal Hill. There is plenty to do in Federal Hill, including shopping, dining, and nightlife. There are many nationally renowned Italian restaurants here, including Andino's, Old Canteen, and Cassarino's. There are also a number of retailers whose specialty is “Authentic Italian Food,” such as Venda Ravioli, Via Roma, and Tony's Colonial. Gasbarro's Wines is also located on Atwells and carries an extensive variety of wines, both local and international. Impressive bakeries and pastry/confection shops also in the Federal Hill area are Scialo Bakery, Pastiche, and Ocean State Chocolates. Running roughly parallel to Atwells Avenue is Broadway. Broadway has been referred to as the "Bellevue Avenue" of Providence due to the number of large Victorian mansions lining both sides of the street, in reference to the famous mansion-lined Bellevue Avenue of nearby Newport, Rhode Island.
• The East Side- The East Side (not to be confused with East Providence) starts on the east side of Waterplace Park, encompassing College Hill and beyond. Within the East Side, lies the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. One of the oldest parts of the city, the East Side is home to historical houses and buildings and a plethora of unique areas including, the Blackstone District, College Hill District, and the India Point district. The East Side is great for walking around, visiting eclectic shops along famous Thayer Street, and viewing other parts of Providence from the East Side's Prospect Park, located on Congdon Street (between Benefit and Prospect).
• Thomas Street - Between Benefit (to the east) and North Main (to the west).
• Westminster Street - Between Memorial Boulevard (to the east) and Empire Street (to the west).
• North & South Main Street - Between Planet Street (to the south) and Meeting Street (to the north)
• Weybosset Street - Between Westminster (to the east) and Dorrance Street (to the west).

Roger Williams Park, in the southern part of the city, is an elaborately landscaped 427-acre park contains seven lakes and numerous museums and other attractions.

Waterplace Park, finished in 1994, is probably the most accepted recent addition to the city owing to its historic and unassuming look. Featuring cobblestone paths and unobtrusively shaped concrete form, the park follows Providence's downtown rivers quietly below the level of automobile traffic. You'll usually find a few people enjoying the park quietly. Come here during Waterfire (below under "do") to see the park at its best.

• The feast of St. Joseph, ☏ +1 770 421-9137. It is celebrated on Federal Hill in May. It is sponsored by the Holy Ghost Parish. 

• “The Stroll” is a twice a year event, in June and October, where you can walk Federal Hill and sample 22 restaurants and 11 boutiques and shops. For hours and exact dates call the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau at ☏ +1 401 274-1636 extension 230 or 231, or register online. Included in the $20 price for sampling, are coupons for two free beverages.
• Columbus Day is celebrated on Columbus Day Weekend on Federal Hill. It consists of a parade on Sunday, outdoor vendors, and a who’s who of Italian “hierarchy”.
• Rhode Island Pride Occurs in the summer, usually in June. There are events in the daytime and then a parade at night. The parade lasts for about half an hour filled with dancing men, drag queens, old people driving in old cars, and people celebrating life. The streets of Downtown Providence are lined with some people in crazy outfits and others just there to watch and see what it's all about. It is a very popular event, and people tend to be intoxicated, so some pushing and bumping into people can occur. The floats are usually very well decorated and the people dancing upon them are very skilled at hyping up the crowd. When the parade finishes the gay bars downtown open up for special events complete with more drag queens, lots of dancing, and drink specials.

In Downtown, Providence Performing Arts Center is Rhode Island’s home for Broadway productions, children's shows, and popular entertainment. AS220 is a community art center hosting musical performances, poetry slams, and other events. Trinity Repertory Company produces numerous premiere plays.

Amica Mutual Pavilion is the site of many music venues and the home of the Providence Bruins and Stars on Ice. The Rhode Island Convention Center hosts many functions such as the Rhode Island Home Show. The Strand Ballroom specializes in live music performances. All these are centralized in the downtown area.

Many nightclubs are located in Downtown, particularly along Richmond St.

• Water Place Park, is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk host to Providence's popular summertime Waterfire events, a series of bonfires lit on the river accompanied by Classical and World music. The Friday night concert series kicks off at Waterplace Park in June for free. This is a summer concert series for all Rhode Islanders featuring an eclectic array of performers ranging from jazz and folk to hip-hop and rock.

Although Providence may be small compared to other states' capitals, it has quite a bustling nightlife. There are a variety of bars and clubs to suit any taste and price range - from hip eclectic bars in the artsy college area, to upscale martini bars downtown, techno and hip-hop clubs for the younger crowd, and casual pubs and brewhouses scattered throughout the city, there is certainly something for everybody. RI Law prohibits Happy Hour drink specials.

• Italy (Honorary Vice Consulate), 49 Weybosset St, ☏ +1 401 454-1492, fax: +1 401 421-9080, ViceConsulRI@web-Italia.com. 
• Portugal, 56 Pine St, Hanley Bldg 6F, ☏ +1 401 272-2003, fax: +1 401 273-6247, cportpvd@ici.net.