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Editor's Choice - Winter in Providence

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Getting Here


By Car

I-95 passes directly through Providence. This is the major north-south artery from the New York City metro area to Boston, and points far beyond, both northward and southward. Coming from a western point, say, Hartford, in the center of Connecticut, take Route 6 into Providence. Coming from a northwesterly direction, say, Worcester, Massachusetts, Route 146 feeds into Providence. - Map

By Train

Providence is served the Amtrak’s Regional Route line, with trains from Baltimore, MD, to Boston. The fast Acela line travels from Washington, D.C. to Boston. (See train information. )

By Ferry

During the summer season, ferries shuttle between downtown Providence and the island town of Newport, RI., across Narragansett Bay.

Things to Do


Walk the Historic Streets

Tie on some sensible shoes and take a walking tour of the hilly East Side neighborhood of Providence, a historic area of Georgian, Greek Revival, and Victorian architecture with the ivy-drenched campus of Brown University at the summit. The walk is packed with interesting places and vistas, including the First Baptist Church, the Providence Art Club, the Roger Williams Memorial (great view of downtown), and several historic houses. Downtown, too, has some fantastic stonework building facades, some of the oldest and best-preserved in the country.

Shopping at Providence Place Mall

Providence Place Mall in the heart of downtown is a beauty, with lots of name brand stores and places to dine. The “cityside” side of the Mall overlooks the city’s wonderful WaterPlace Park, a Venetian-like walkway along both sides of the rivers that join together and traverse the downtown, with marvelous arched bridges that carry workers from the downtown side to the East Side. Also, Providence's "downcity" neighborhood and East Side have fun, independent shops. For instance, the Arcade on Weybosset Street was built in 1828 as a shopping center and it is laced with arty ironwork and filled with unusual shops. Major shopping streets are Wickenden, Westminster, and Thayer.

Explore an Authentic Little Italy on Federal Hill

The Federal Hill neighborhood, west of downtown, is Providence's Little Italy, and many people say the food and flavor of the neighborhood is very much like the Old Country. The main artery is Atwells Avenue (although the area around Broadway is quickly developing into a hotspot for good food and drinks). People come to Federal Hill to dine or shop for ingredients to cook Italian cooking at home. The street's famous grocery is Venda Ravioli. Restaurants range from classic white linen to hipster, with hanging ferns and creative drinks.

Rhode Island School of Design Museum

Downtown Providence is home to the famed Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The RISD Museum, at 224 Benefit Street, features a stunning collection of art, ranging from the masters to contemporary creators. Take home a piece of the freshest work of American artists from the RISD Store at 30 North Main Street. This is a hybrid of retail store, gallery, and design showroom showing work by RISD alumni and faculty.

Wander the Lanes of a Victorian Park and Zoo

Roger Williams Park and Zoo, with its carriage roads, ponds, and fields, is a beauty all year. You can cross-country ski here (BYO equipment) or retreat indoors. The zoo animals and their caretakers welcome guests all winter. It’s a small zoo – perfect for younger kids. At the park's Botanical Center, visitors can relax by a waterfall and enjoy flowers from around the world. Open daily except Mondays. Also, the park's Museum of Natural History & Planetarium offers nature exhibits and cool planetarium shows for adults and kids. Open daily.

Go Ice Skating in the Heart of Downtown

Smack in the heart of downtown Providence, in the shadow of City Hall and the Biltmore Hotel, is Kennedy Plaza and the BankNewport City Center's public ice skating rink. This center provides outdoor ice skating for adults and children, rentals, and food concessions. Nice way to burn some energy in the daytime, surrounded by the city's beautiful 19th-century architectural profile. Night time skating is dreamy.

Performance Art from Broadway Shows to Ballet and Symphony

Great performances happen in Providence, but you will need to plan ahead for shows and tickets, of course. The Providence Performing Arts Center is a restored 1928 movie palace, with all the glitz of the time. PPAC hosts major Broadway shows and national entertainers. PPAC's sister venue, Veterans Memorial Auditorium ("The Vets"), hosts the Rhode Island Philharmonic and other grand music.

Night Life at Bars, Art Galleries and Clubs

If you are in Providence the third Thursday evening of the month (March through November), jump on a free downtown trolley to visit more than 20 galleries during the city's Gallery Night. Downtown, specifically the Jewelry District, has plenty of bars that offer fun, chic, unique cocktails and some nice atmosphere. Do you like live music up close? The city has a variety of music halls for many different tastes. A few you might check out (online first, to get the flavor of the place) are Fete, The Met, and The Spot Underground.

Good Eating


Breakfast

Ellie’s Bakery at 61 Washington Street, smack in the heart of downtown. Breakfast egg sandwich comes with house-cured bacon; three types of homemade bread for lunch sandwiches (to go); award-winning French macaroons in many flavors.

Small Point Cafe , 230 Westminster Street. A cozy quirky cafe with ample seating, pleasant and not-too-loud music, cherry plants, People love the bread, breakfast sandwiches. Gluten-free is available. Make way for the cat face in cinnamon on the latte!

Lunch

AS220 Foo(d) on Empire Street in the downtown is part of the AS220 off-the-radar art community. Adjacent tone AS220 gallery, this is, indeed, a really good restaurant with a hippie sensibility. Vegetarian dishes and menus that include mac & cheese, fritters, tofu coconut curry soup.

Rosalina is a wonderful Italian restaurant on Aborn Street in the arty downcity district. People rave over the authentic Italian eggplant and tomato sauce along with the Pappardelle Bolognese and other Italian favorites. Monday- Friday happy hour includes $1 Matunuck oysters.

Dinner

Federal Hill is Providence's Little Italy, and you cannot walk down the street without falling over great Italians. Trattoria Zooma on Atwells Avenue serves classic Neapolitan dishes made to order and pastas made daily by hand.

Al Forno , on South Main Street, is legendary for having inventing (so they say) the grilled pizza. One fan simply calls this standout Providence restaurant "the mothership" of Providence dining. People rave about the calamari pizza, the avocado beet salad, dirty steak, and the beef short rib ravioli.