Things To Do
WaterFire
Providence's signature event is WaterFire, an award-winning fire sculpture installation on the three rivers in downtown Providence. You can view it from the riverfront sidewalks, or put your own boat in and paddle up to enjoy the show or a free summer concert at Water Palace. Kayak rentals are available at the Providence Community Boating Center, which also offers tours to view the city from beneath street level.
Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge
Walk to the pedestrian bridge for great views of the skyline, food trucks, and to relax in the adjacent park. There are sometimes events there like yoga or live music!
Federal Hill
Providence is home to multiple culinary schools, making it a great place to eat delicious and affordable food! Federal Hill has some of the world's best Italian food. We recommend Andino's, the oldest family-owned Italian restaurant on Federal Hill, or Angelo's. Afterwards, go to Pastiche for dessert and try their house-made tarts, cakes, and pastries (specifically their lemon squares or the fruit tart)!
The Providence Athenaeum
The Providence Athenæum is a 200+ year old library that has welcomed illustrious writers and thinkers including Edgar Allan Poe and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The collections contain more than 175,000 items, including circulating materials, rare and beautiful volumes, and 19th-century artwork. It's a great place to check out or get any studying or work done!
RISD Museum
The art museum at the Rhode Island School of Design holds a large collection, including a custom built house within the museum itself designed to showcase early American art and design. It is free on Sundays and is a great place to hide if it's raining! It is also near Brown University if you want to walk around the college campus!
Brown University
Check out the undergrad campus and walk down Thayer Street, a funky and lively area with amazing food and cafes, bookstores, vintage clothing, and music shops. East Side Pockets on Thayer Street is popular for their falafel and gyros! Kabob and Curry is an Indian restaurant on Thayer with delicious paneer. Heng's has the best Thai in Providence.
Food Truck Festival
Food Truck Fridays occur from April 14th to September 29th in Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village! In addition to locally owned food trucks, many of the events also have live music.
Our Favorite Restaurants
(We have literally never had a meal that we didn't really really like so far in Providence, but here are some of our highlights) We went to Mokban Korean Bistro the first time we went to Providence and loved it! The braised pork belly was our favorite dish there. Kow Kow is the best ice cream we have ever had in our lives and features specialty bubble waffles and toppings. We recommend getting a double scoop to split. The portions are huge. Aleppo Sweets (a Syrian restaurant with great desserts), and Chomp (the best chicken sandwiches) are across the street. Julian's is a local favorite brunch spot for post-call residents and interns. Jackie's Waterplace has great specialty sushi rolls and views of the river and downtown (and a great place before Waterfire!) Tallulah's Taqueria has tasty burritos and fish tacos. They have outdoor seating and are located on the East Side.