New England’s Creative Capital
Where can your group take a walking tour of a Mile of History that includes the preserved home of a 1707 U.S. Constitution signer, illustrious Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, the library where Edgar Allen Poe’s ghost is said to still pine after his lost love, and end the day with WaterFire—which is just what it sounds like, a night of music, community and woodfires burning in the reclaimed river by Waterplace Park?
This rolling, walkable city built on 400 years of religious freedom and ingenuity is filled with history and creativity. A new Innovation and Design district draws on the educated brain trust of the many campuses in town along with the presence of the vibrant life sciences and renewable offshore wind sectors in the area. Plus, it’s absolutely adorable with all the murals and cobblestone streets. I visited during peak leaf-peeping season and found these gems.
Sleep and Meet
In the heart of the Capital City, Rhode Island Convention Center was setting up for an epic Comic-Con even as plans for a modernized 20,000-square-foot ballroom, expanded food services and refreshed visitors center were taking shape under new management by Oak View Group. The convention center is connected to Amica Mutual Pavilion (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts Center) and through Amica to Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
On the other side of the convention center, a link to Omni Providence Hotel’s 46,284 sq. ft. of meeting rooms and 564 guest rooms is the event hub of the city. The grand lobby, with a chandeliered rotunda that echoes the convention center’s own, sets the tone for the stately rooms that seemed designed to reflect the fall weather.
Omni, in turn, is connected to Providence Place Mall, which leads to the State Capitol building. Visitors can traverse that entire five-block reach without ever going outside.
For an exclusive group, The Beatrice boasts 47 amenity-driven guest rooms in a converted bank building with a rooftop restaurant and access to sophisticated Bellini restaurant in the historic district.
A new meeting option in an emerging area is Collaboration and Innovation Center (CIC) Providence, an event space and coworking office that is home to some of Rhode Island’s fastest-growing Blue Economy companies, including 30 offshore wind innovators. The modern, hip building is filled with art and looks out over Providence River Pedestrian Bridge and park.
Eat
If you haven’t been to Providence in a while, the restaurant scene has greatly diversified, including vegan and ethnic choices. Since this is the Ocean State, seafood is always a good idea. From Crow’s Nest Fish House & Oyster Bar in Warwick to Boat House’s fish of the day simply grilled and waterfront views, it is hard to make a bad decision. I tried Rhode Island clam chowder for the first time at Hemenway’s Restaurant overlooking Providence River and found that the more brothy base allowed the shellfish to shine in ways that a creamy version does not.
Do
Legendary Providence Art Club has been gathering people for celebration and appreciation in College Hill since 1880. Four buildings in the picturesque New England style offer cultural and culinary nourishment. Go for the art. Stay for the space.
Alternatively, get out and take in the fresh air. Walking tours mark the important role of the city’s manufacturing and jewelry-making past, strategic role during the Civil War, arts and foodie credentials and even ghostly presences, thanks to the storytellers at Providence Ghost Tours.
This article appears in the November/December 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
