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Destination: Providence Revival
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A new urban river project inspires Rhode Island’s capital city
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BY SHANA LIEBMAN
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| Waterplace Park during WaterFire. |
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PICTURE 100 SMALL FIRES floating on top of a river at night, their flickering flames reflected in the water, doubling the glow, while wordless melodies fill the air. It’s not the image most people conjure up when they think of Providence, Rhode Island. But this art installation, called WaterFire, has become one of the city’s main attractions since artist Barnaby Evans created it in 1994. Millions of people have flocked to the city to witness the romantic spectacle, which occurs on certain evenings in May through October (check waterfire.org for the schedule).
WaterFire is only one aspect of the state capital’s recent makeover. No longer Boston’s awkward stepchild—gritty, gloomy and as weird as the stories that writer H.P. Lovecraft fantasized here—Providence has undergone a significant artistic and cultural revitalization over the past two decades.
It started in the early 1990s, when the city spent $60 million to reroute 1,150 feet of paved streets that were covering the Providence River. Venetian bridges were added to connect downtown with the East Side, along with green spaces, a fleet of gondolas and docking platforms. Almost immediately, this beautiful urban riverscape, christened Waterplace Park, started bringing people—and business—back downtown.
Although a few side streets are still grimy and industrial highways still encircle the city, shiny modern buildings are now rising above it, including condos, a new Westin Hotel and a big mall. More than 12,000 restaurant seats have come on the scene since 1986, along with a good selection of cool and quirky shops. The 1922 Biltmore Hotel underwent a $10-million renovation; it now has a Red Door Spa. And the heart of the financial district is now home to the Bank of America Skating Center, twice the size of Rockefeller Center’s rink. (It’s used as a skateboard park in the warmer months.)
The “daylighting” of downtown has also made it possible to redesign the transportation system: These days, trolley buses take tourists on loops around town. And locals are happy that the city is infinitely more walkable than it used to be. As Kristen Adamo, vice president of the visitor bureau, says, “Providencers hate to drive.” Plus, with all the one-way streets, it’s often easier to hoof it than drive it.
It’s a pleasant stroll from downtown to Benefit Street’s “Mile of History.” Founded in 1636, Providence is one of the oldest cities in America and its heritage is preserved here in eminent Federal-period homes; at the Old State House, where Rhode Islanders declared independence two months before the Founding Fathers made it official in Philadelphia; at the first Baptist church in America; and at the 1828 Arcade, the oldest indoor shopping mall.
Benefit Street also borders Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design, whose internationally renowned museum (224 Benefit St.; 401-454-6500; risd.edu) houses an exceptional collection. Among the 84,000 works of art are Roman frescoes, 18th-century caricatures and French Impressionists, as well as a 12th-century Japanese Buddha displayed in its own room with benches for meditation, and an Egyptian mummy that had to be ambulanced to its glass-enclosed showcase here.
“In the early 1900s, Providence was so wealthy that many people could afford to go to Europe and acquire art,” says Matt Montgomery, the museum’s marketing director. The 20th-century collection is brilliantly organized to illustrate how aesthetics have evolved from Matisse to Picasso to Rothko to performance art. There’s also one of the greatest collections of 19th-century Gorham silver, whose historical records are housed at Brown. (As Montgomery says, “If you want to study silver-making, you pretty much have to come to Providence.”) The Happy and Malcolm Chace Center, opening in September 2008, will add 10,000 square feet of exhibition space to the museum.
Another attractive newcomer is the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center (1000 Elmwood Ave.; 401-785-9450; providenceri.com), which opened in March. The 6,000-square-foot greenhouse is filled with permanent plantings of huge tropical palms, specially designed sections for orchids and cacti, and seasonal exhibits. It’s part of 430-acre Roger Williams Park, often cited as one of the top reasons to visit New England for its swan-shaped paddleboats and Victorian-style carousel. The park is also home to the Museum of Natural History & Planetarium, and a zoo containing more than 1,000 animals, many of which are endangered.
With more restaurants and degreed chefs per capita than any other major American city, Providence is undeniably a place for people who like to eat. The port city’s many immigrant cultures have brought a multitude of ethnic cuisines, but Providence is probably best known for its Italian food. The Little Italy here is the Federal Hill neighborhood, its entrance marked by a huge arched gateway topped with a bronze pinecone. It’s easy to picture Tony Soprano sliding into his Suburban in front of Constantino’s Venda Ravioli (265 Atwells Ave.; 401-421-9105), a gourmet grocery store that sells hundreds of kinds of fresh ravioli (every morning, five neighborhood women choose which ingredients to stuff), plus antipasti, cheeses, olives, hot dishes like eggplant rollatini, and more.
As for the restaurant scene, the tagliatelle alla bolognese served at Camille’s (71 Bradford St.; 401-751-4812) inspires faith in humanity, while the subtly complex wood-grilled pizza at 25-year-old Al Forno (577 S. Main St.; 401-273-9760) is generally agreed to be the best outside Italy. But these days, food critics are talking about the city’s terrifically innovative newbies, such as Citron, New Rivers, XO Steakhouse, Siena and L’Epicureo. Luckily, Providence is home to Johnson & Wales University, one of the top culinary schools in the country (Emeril Lagasse was a graduate in 1978), and many alums have stayed to open their own restaurants in town. One of these is the popular Nick’s on Broadway (259 Broadway; 401-421-0286), serving Derek Wagner’s inventive dishes, like the frittata with rock shrimp, asparagus, goat cheese and smoky bacon. Just as appealing is the friendly enthusiasm that percolates through the dining room’s new, more modern digs.
The same is true for much of the city. Founded as a sanctuary for religious freedom, Providence has always preached tolerance and had a mind of its own. But with all the recent innovative improvements, it’s no longer just a place for students and artists buzzing with youthful energy. Providence is suddenly the kind of feel-good city that might have made even H.P. Lovecraft crack a smile.
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Published: July/August 2007 Issue
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Photo:Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau
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