Providence is the Idyllic East Coast Escape of Your Dreams

Very few places get me to think, “I could live here.” Even fewer leave me saying, “More people need to know about this place,” or “How has this place not blown up yet?” And while I’d love to keep Providence a secret getaway for just myself – I’m letting the cat out of the bag because I truly believe it deserves more recognition.

So what did we love so much about the capital of the fun-sized state?

It’s Small(ish). I’m at a point in my life where I’m willing to trade crowded cities for places with space and room to breathe. But that doesn’t mean I want to sacrifice convenience; I’m not a suburban soccer mom just yet — I still like being able to walk to our favorite restaurant and bar without fighting traffic and the headache of parking. Despite being the state capital, Providence was still super walkable and had excellent public transportation. About 180,000 people live in Providence, and a million live in Rhode Island, but many view it as a suburb of Boston or New York, so if you wanted that urban vibe, you could still get it without going far.

It’s Really Easy to Get to – and To Get Elsewhere. The entire east coast is accessible, and Providence is no exception. They have an international airport right in the city (a 20-minute drive to hop on a plane is sooo nice), the bigger gateway of Boston Logan is just an hour away, and the Amtrak can get you just about anywhere else. Of course, if you have a car, it’s also a great hub and spoke jumping-off point for exploring the rest of the East Coast — remember my 5 states in 5 days road trip last year?

It’s Still Pseudo Affordable – At Least Comparatively. Yes, I’ve become one of those millennials that Zillows wherever she goes just out of curiosity. Two-bedroom homes in downtown Providence feel reasonable and are nowhere near the astronomical prices of Denver, Austin, New York, and Los Angeles levels.

It Felt Vibrant, Modern, and Youthful. The East Coast has this stereotype of being old and stuffy, but Providence wasn’t like that despite having some seriously epic architecture left over from being one of the original 13 colonies. In fact, for how small it is, would you guess it was home to eight colleges?! The most well-known being Brown, Providence, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and Johnson & Wales, that intersection of higher education attracts an influx of students that pour a youthful, progressive energy into a city that’s abuzz with culture, community, and creativity.

Sooo yeah, we loved it. Rhode Island is the smallest state by land mass but densely populated with awesomeness. Tiny but mighty?

Here are the best things to do in Providence once you get there:

Set the City on Fire

Figuratively, at least. Providence is best known for WaterFire Festival, which happens all summer long with full lightings and partial lightings on select Saturday evenings May-November. A series of hundreds of bonfires are set ablaze on the three intersecting rivers as performers travel on glowing gondola boats that provide music and entertainment. You can catch the action anywhere along the mile route or make a reservation at one of the waterfront restaurants for epic dinner views.

Wander the Botanic Gardens

It almost undermines the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center to call it a botanical garden because it’s so much more. Part of the greater Roger Williams Park, it’s enormous and is many attractions in one – essentially the Providence version of Central Park. Home to New England’s largest glasshouse display, four greenhouses, summer and winter gardens, a rose maze, and a pollinator meadow, next door is the zoo, swan boats, the Carousel Village, bike park, and Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, which is basically everything you could possibly want in one place.

Live the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in Newport

Just an hour away by bus, train, or ferry, Newport, Rhode Island was another city we fell in love with and fantasized about moving to…albeit more of in a “nice to dream” realm when we retired multimillionaires. The yacht-filled harbor is home to America’s Cup regatta and the mega-mansions along the 3.5-mile Cliffwalk. Summer cottages of the wealthiest American families, you can tour some of these turn-of-the-century homes, including the most famous, the Breakers, travel by trolley, go sailing, or peruse the shops and restaurants along Bowen’s Wharf and Marina.

Pro Tip: Adventure Junkies won’t want to miss the Rail Bike Tour, a custom-built tandem or quad pedal-powered bike you ride along the railroad tracks of Narragansett Bay.

Eat Your Weight in Seafood…and Italian…and Everything Else

Johnson and Wales has blessed Providence with an incredible culinary scene for such a small town with some seriously talented chefs putting down roots. You’ll find lobster rolls, clam chowder, crab cakes, and oysters as menu staples, but the signature dish and what you must seek out are Stuffies, baked stuffed clams that tastes like the seafood version of Thanksgiving.

Almost every restaurant we passed had a rating of 4+ stars with 500+ reviews, so you’re virtually guaranteed a good meal just about anywhere you turn, but for seafood, we loved Providence Oyster Bar and Dune Brothers, which is literally a shack turning out some of the best fish and chips around.

Del’s frozen lemonade is another Rhode Island staple to seek out, with the watermelon being the summer refresher and crowd-pleaser. And if you’re craving carbs, the Federal Hill area is Providence’s version of Little Italy, with blocks upon blocks of restaurants, pizzerias, bakeries, and gelaterias. In short, come hungry.

Block Off Time to See Block Island

If you’re keen on taking advantage of the water, your best bet is to head to Block Island. Just off the mainland, it’s 17 miles of pristine beaches, boutiques, waterfront dining, and lighthouses best seen by bicycle or moped. After a slight learning curve, we went the adventurous route and rode our adorable Vespa from the lighthouse to the breakers to the petting zoo because if there are llamas somewhere, I will find them. The moped was easy to pick up and a great help going uphill, and a fun way to tour. And yes, there is everything from camels to kangaroos and wildflowers to be found. You also can’t miss having a Mudslide at Ballard’s Beach Club, the infamous Block Island spot you go to if you’re looking for an oceanfront cabana party.

Getting to Block Island is a bit of an adventure if you don’t have a car, as there are no direct ferries from Providence. You can catch the ferry from Newport or Narragansett, which are both about 45 minutes to an hour from Providence. Check the train schedules or Uber, which wasn’t that bad and about the same cost as getting to the Boston airport.

Both locations have standard ferry routes that take about an hour or a high-speed ferry which cuts the travel time in half (and is worth the extra $25 if you’re keen on making the most of a day trip and don’t get too seasick because it can get choppy). If you have a vehicle, you can also take your car to the island via the standard ferry.

Airports in Providence

Providence (PVD) has its own airport, so you could potentially fly direct, but since Rhode Island is such a tiny state, it should come as no surprise that it’s one of the pricier destinations to fly into and feels more like a small regional hub than the international airport it is.

More often than not, the easier and cheaper option for getting to Providence is to fly to Boston Logan International Airport, which is just 50 miles away (and about an hour away, give or take Northeast traffic). But don’t worry, you don’t need to rent a car, and Providence is super easy to get to via Amtrak. Just grab an Uber or taxi to the Boston Back Bay Amtrak Station, a 15-minute ride from Boston Logan. The Amtrak ride from the Boston Back Bay Station to downtown Providence takes only 30 minutes on the express route and is a great way to bypass traffic. They have 10+ trips a day (some express, some not), and you can pre-book seats around your flight schedule.

But don’t forget to comparison shop! If I were traveling solo, Amtrak would’ve been the cheapest option. Since there were two of us, splitting an Uber the whole way ended up being cheaper than buying two train tickets and was only a $45+ tip all the way from Boston to Providence.

Where to Stay in Providence

A landmark boutique property in the heart of the downtown arts district, Hotel Providence was great – we could walk almost everywhere and were just 15 minutes from the train station to get everywhere else. Oozing in old-world charm, the hotel décor harkened back to the early 1900s with modern touches and a view of the neighboring Grace Episcopal Church that looks like it’s been plucked straight out of the European parliament. The only AAA Four Diamond luxury property in downtown Providence, it’s pretty rare to be on that list and the National Register of Historic Places.

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