Providence’s beating heart is its lively downtown neighbourhood, also known as Downcity. This easily walkable district is where you’ll find the majority of businesses, the City Hall and the Rhode Island State House, alongside the numerous dining, cultural and entertainment venues you’d expect to find in a city of this scale. One of the area’s real highlights is Waterplace Park, which would be a must-visit for its beautiful riverside walkways and pretty bridges alone but is also prized for its part in the city’s signature WaterFire event. On select evenings between May and November, up to 100 fires burn in over-water braziers along a stretch of three downtown rivers in a spectacular display accompanied by music from around the globe.
As its name suggests, College Hill is where you’ll find Providence’s two most prestigious academic establishments: Ivy League college Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Centred on two parallel streets, Thayer and Wickenden, this region is the epicentre of the city’s youth culture thanks to the numerous students that live and study here. Thayer Street in particular is a lively hub of independent stores, locally-owned restaurants and ultra-cool bars.
Many areas of Brown University are open to the public and you can join a tour led by a current student or take a self-guided exploration. Points of interest include the Van Wickle Gates, the John Hay Library and the Main Green, which is part of the original 18th-century campus. Located east of Brown one block from the river’s east bank, RISD is one of the world’s best art and design universities. The adjacent RISD Museum is a must-see for those interested in the arts, along with the many art installations scattered through Downcity and its surroundings.
College Hill is also one of the city’s most celebrated National Historic Districts. Along a mile of the neighbourhood’s Benefit Street, you can witness modest houses and grand mansions sitting side by side, along with eclectic architecture from colonial to Victorian. For a glimpse of 18th- and 19th-century life in Providence, visit John Brown House, Stephen Hopkins House – one of the oldest remaining buildings in the city – and the Providence Athenaeum, which was once visited by the writer Edgar Allan Poe.
To the southwest of Downcity, beyond the historic Italian enclave of Federal Hill, lies the 427-acre Roger Williams Park. Often touted as one of the finest urban parks in the United States, it plays host to the city’s Natural History Museum, a zoo and miles of walking and biking trails. The land was once a simple family farm and today visitors can see the original farmhouse, Betsy Williams Cottage, within the park.
Whether you wish to stay in one of Downtown’s modern luxury hotels, an old-world grande dame, a chic boutique property or a charming 19th-century mansion, Providence certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s a wide selection of acclaimed accommodation, ranging from sophisticated boltholes sitting in the shadow of the Rhode Island State House to quintessentially ‘New England’ guesthouses.
The closest major international airport to Providence is Boston’s Logan airport, approximately 50 miles away. More convenient options include a number of state and regional airfields such as the Theodore Francis Green Memorial State Airport which is just 10 miles from Downtown. Simply contact our team and we’ll arrange everything you need to charter a private jet to Providence.
