Providence, RI – Downtown Attractions You Won’t Want to Miss

So many people tell me that they drive right through Rhode Island when they’ve traveled to New England. Big mistake. Providence, RI is a city worth visiting. Great Italian food, seafood, museums, shopping, historical buildings, ghosts….how can you resist? Can you tell that I have a passion for this city? I’m a native who now lives in Southern California. I make several trips “back home” each year and bring you the latest “must see” Providence destinations.

Let’s start our neighborhood stroll with Downtown Providence Attractions.

The heart of the city is Kennedy Plaza. It was created in 1848 as City Hall Park, an appropriate name as it is right in front of City Hall.

The name was changed to Kennedy Plaza in 1964 in honor of John F. Kennedy. The plaza serves as the transportation hub with all buses making a stop here. No cars are allowed in the plaza.

Like to skate? Or would you like to learn how? Here’s a Downtown Providence feature you’ll enjoy. Stop by the downtown Providence Bank of America skating rink in Kennedy plaza. At 14,000 square feet, the rink is nearly twice the size of the skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

You can rent skates for $4.00. Adult tickets are $6.00, children and seniors are $3.00. The 2009-2010 schedule is:

November 21st, 2009 – March 20th, 2010

Monday – Friday 10am to 10pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am to 10pm

An adult “refresher” course is offered each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. For locals, six week skating lessons are offered.

Hint: Parking near the skating rink is available behind the Marriott but it’s expensive. If you can walk from your hotel, that’s ideal…otherwise, see if you can find a free spot on a side street.

Next to the skating rink is the next Downtown Providence gem Burnside Park. You can find different activities to enjoy. Check out the Kennedy Plaza website to see the current schedule.

Currently Market Bazaar Mondays run from 11:00 am. -5:00 pm offering all kinds of locally grown foods, books, and unique gifts.

Farmers Market Friday brings the freshest RI food to the public from 11:00 am to 2:00 p.m. Public Square Tuesday brings together non-profit RI organizations to share information about this missions in a fun atmosphere. This is a seasonal event running from spring through October.

Check the website for music events and free exercise classes.

If you’re downtown Providence, near City Hall, at 4:30 p.m. any day of the week, you’ll see one of my favorite downtown Providence attractions Haven Brothers Diner roll up, park and set up to serving up traditional diner fare along with a quirky RI delicacy…the wiener.

Wieners are a small hot dog, covered in meat sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and celery salt. Many wiener chefs line up five or six hot dog rolls on their foreman and then dress ‘em up.

The Haven Brothers Diner is a charming part of Providence history…beginning a horse drawn lunch wagon that first rolled up in 1893, operated by Irish immigrant Anne P. Haven. The current truck is the 3rd vehicle used. The diner stays in front of City Hall from 4:30 pm to 5:00 a.m.

So go ahead, grab a bite and we’ll continue our tour in other articles.

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is a native Rhode Islander who encourages a visit to RI and shares the quirky characters, delicious food, beautiful and historical places of Providence, RI and nearby attractions. Go to http://www.providencelover.com now for more tips and secrets about this historical, beautiful city.

Interested in culinary delights? Providence, RI has award winning restaurants featuring Italian food, the greatest pizza on earth, tantalizing seafood including the always popular New England chowder and a wide variety of ethnic restaurants.

History? Many buildings in the city were built in the 1700’s and are still standing, proud as ever.

Ghosts? Providence has a long history and with it comes fantastic ghost stories including the apparitions that visit local colleges including Providence College, Johnson and Wales University and the Ivy League Brown University.