Providence, RI

DougG

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2006
1,004
3
Cooperstown NY
Thinking about going next weekend for a couple days. Never been. Taking my wife and two kids (12 and 8). Any suggestions or opinions? Worth going? Areas to stay away from?

Thanks,
Doug
 

57loboy

Well-known member
Oct 17, 2007
913
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Fairfield County, CT
There's a decent amount of stuff to do there and within a short drive of the city. Walk Thayer Street near Brown University for all sorts of weird and wacky shops. If kids like zoos, the roger williams zoo is pretty nice. If the downtown "water fire" events have started, check that out one evening. (Wood fired cauldrons on the river - very cool) Benefit Street historical area has old houses and such. Newport RI is less than 30 minutes south and all sorts of cool stuff to see and well worth the time if you're as far as Providence. Easily fill a day in Newport... We go there all the time.
 

garrett

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Jun 18, 2004
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Middleburg, VA
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Yeah hit up Newport. Everyone has to stop into the Red Parrot, but skip that. It's right there in the round-about, but the Black Pearl is more "old school" Newport and is a pretty solid place and on the waterfront. Typical NE food - clam chowder, clams, lobster, etc. EDIT: The Black Pearl isn't a basic bar BTW - it's quite good, but still relatively casual. The chef there worked at Le Bec Fin in Philly back in the day. Some good shit.

Do the Ocean Drive and Narragansett Bay. It's worth to see what the super wealthy from NYC, etc lived in. The houses are unlike anything you've likely seen. Brenton Point Park is a cool stopping point too along the drive.

RI gets forgotten about quite a bit, but damn there are some pretty areas headed out along the Narragansett Bay, etc. An ex of mine had a summer house out there - extremely nice in the summer and Newport was fun on the weekends. But I imagine it's gotten even more popular/touristly.
 

DougG

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2006
1,004
3
Cooperstown NY
Yeah hit up Newport. Everyone has to stop into the Red Parrot, but skip that. It's right there in the round-about, but the Black Pearl is more "old school" Newport and is a pretty solid place and on the waterfront. Typical NE food - clam chowder, clams, lobster, etc. EDIT: The Black Pearl isn't a basic bar BTW - it's quite good, but still relatively casual. The chef there worked at Le Bec Fin in Philly back in the day. Some good shit.

Do the Ocean Drive and Narragansett Bay. It's worth to see what the super wealthy from NYC, etc lived in. The houses are unlike anything you've likely seen. Brenton Point Park is a cool stopping point too along the drive.

RI gets forgotten about quite a bit, but damn there are some pretty areas headed out along the Narragansett Bay, etc. An ex of mine had a summer house out there - extremely nice in the summer and Newport was fun on the weekends. But I imagine it's gotten even more popular/touristly.

Thank you for the great info. We were thinking about staying in Narragansett. At the very least, we(I) want to go to the Narragansett brewery which is a little north of Providence. All areas mentioned seem like a short drive from one another.
 

garrett

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Jun 18, 2004
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Middleburg, VA
www.blackdogmobility.com
Thank you for the great info. We were thinking about staying in Narragansett. At the very least, we(I) want to go to the Narragansett brewery which is a little north of Providence. All areas mentioned seem like a short drive from one another.

Narragansett beer is the PBR of that area. Even comes in tall boy cans.

Either place you stay will be quite nice. Going up the bay will be quite a bit more remote with little "villages" along the coast. While Newport is certainly more touristy, etc., but still very nice and more dining/drinking options.
 

DougG

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2006
1,004
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Cooperstown NY
Narragansett beer is the PBR of that area. Even comes in tall boy cans.

Either place you stay will be quite nice. Going up the bay will be quite a bit more remote with little "villages" along the coast. While Newport is certainly more touristy, etc., but still very nice and more dining/drinking options.

I know Narragansett is just cheap beer, but I am a huge Jaws fan. They have a lot of other beers besides the original lager.

Anyway, we decided to stay in Newport. Black Pearl for dinner Friday night. Probably do some driving around the coast Saturday. Looking forward to it. Thanks.
 

garrett

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Jun 18, 2004
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Middleburg, VA
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I know Narragansett is just cheap beer, but I am a huge Jaws fan. They have a lot of other beers besides the original lager.

Anyway, we decided to stay in Newport. Black Pearl for dinner Friday night. Probably do some driving around the coast Saturday. Looking forward to it. Thanks.

They sell it at a local bar around me actually. Well if you have any time by chance, take the ferry to Block Island too. It runs from just south of Narragansett. Yellow Kittens (Los Gatitos) is the spot out there. :)
 

DougG

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2006
1,004
3
Cooperstown NY
Had a great weekend in Newport. We will definitely be back. Did the cliff walk, went to the Audrain car museum, went house shopping on Ocean Drive(wink wink). Unbelievable homes! Black Pearl for dinner Friday night, Wharf Pub Saturday night, both excellent. What a great town.

Drove down the coast to Narragansett on Sunday. Beautiful. Lobster Roll at Monahan's for lunch. Continued east to Mystic, Conn., then back home.

Weather could have been better on Friday and Saturday, but great discovering Newport. Even saw a Series I 107 station wagon on Thames Street Sunday.
 

garrett

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Jun 18, 2004
10,931
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Middleburg, VA
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Had a great weekend in Newport. We will definitely be back. Did the cliff walk, went to the Audrain car museum, went house shopping on Ocean Drive(wink wink). Unbelievable homes! Black Pearl for dinner Friday night, Wharf Pub Saturday night, both excellent. What a great town.

Drove down the coast to Narragansett on Sunday. Beautiful. Lobster Roll at Monahan's for lunch. Continued east to Mystic, Conn., then back home.

Weather could have been better on Friday and Saturday, but great discovering Newport. Even saw a Series I 107 station wagon on Thames Street Sunday.

LOTS of classic British vehicles in that part of the country.

My sister and her family live in Mystic half the year. Cool little area. A little touristy, but not overwhelming. And of course CT pizza is among the very best in the country.

Late summer and fall is my favorite time go head that way and points north to Maine, etc. Like I said - RI gets forgotten about to a large degree when discussing NE, but it's got some crazy nice areas without looking for them.