I think most other Americans who live outside of New England like me, don’t know much about Rhode Island. I didn’t realize what a historic city its capital of Providence was until I actually visited it for myself! Before I get into the history, I’ll start off with government buildings like I usually do. On the upper left is the state capitol building and the state library on the right. Who would have thought that the state capitol dome right here in Rhode Island, is the fourth largest self supporting marble dome in the world, after places such as St. Peters’s Basilica in the Vatican or the Taj Mahal in India!

Providence really is a beautiful city. Walking around is especially nice on a warm summer night. I really was surprised by how many things were going on. I passed by some other live music spots, plenty of busy bars and restaurants, and even this guy singing blues above. Just watch where you’re going though, I almost tripped over this sewer cover on the lower right just outside the capitol building!

The capital is split up into several different districts. In the downtown area I went to there are lots of fancy restaurants and bars and of course your chain restaurants as well. My first trip I went to this Au Bon Pain and this gentlemen asked me to take his photo. On the right is a photo I took of a truck trailer that was turned into a diner. When I walked up to it from the back I thought it was just a typical food truck, but they actually had seating inside and even an ATM! Below are two final night shots I took while exploring downtown Providence.

With Providence’s history beginning in the early 1600’s, there are a number of historic places that are still standing in the city. Providence has always been known for its great education systems that began in the colonial times. The Old Brick School House photographed on the upper left was founded in 1769. Their believe was education for all, and even taught Africans Americans during a time when slavery was near it’s peak in the southern parts of the country. Going back way before this, is the First Baptist Church on the right. This church is named this because it is literally, the first Baptist church! It was founded in 1638 by the same man who founded Providence, Roger Williams.

Rhode Island’s most prestigious school is Brown University founded in 1764. Brown University was actually the first Ivy League school and remains one of the most difficult schools to attend, with acceptance rates in the single digits. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever visited, and I’d definitely recommend giving yourself a self tour. I visited torwards the end of the summer when there were large groups of new students checking out the campus with their families.

There are several famous buildings on campus such as Robinson Hall on the upper left and the Carrie Tower on the right. Robinson Hall was built in the late 1800’s and is the campus library built with a Venetian Gothic style architecture. The English Baroque Carrie Tower was built in 1904 in memory to the granddaughter of the university’s founder, Nicholas Brown. Also here in this area is the Brown University which is free! The museum is dedicated to culture and artifacts from around the world. On the left is a large section devoted to kings from Cameroon, on the lower right are some artwork collected from multiple countries.

Right in front of Brown University is Benefit street; a scenic and historic part of Providence that is worth checking out. It’s said to be one of America’s best collections of colonial houses that have all been restored. It’s definitely one of Providence’s nicest neighborhoods, but I can think of a few others in the country that top this one, such as Battery Park in Charleston, SC.

One of my last places that I visited in downtown Providence was Roger Williams National Memorial. As I mentioned earlier, he is considered the founder of the city, and this memorial for him was made on the original grounds of Providence. The memorial is mostly a small park, but there is a small museum and national park visitor center located here. It’s also a great stop to get directions for other things to do in the city.

These three buildings show some of the older colonial structures in Providence. I once knew what the building on the left was, but now I can’t remember the name! The building directly on the right is definitely the Providence County Courthouse. It’s a massive building that is the 11th tallest in the city, but relatively new as it was built in 1930.

During my first visit to Providence I somehow never heard of the Federal Hill district. Washington DC has a neighborhood also named Federal Hill, so as someone who grew up outside of the capital i immediately imagine crowded streets with people in business suits surrounded by government buildings. Providence’s Federal Hill is certainly not like that at all. As a matter of fact, it’s actually an Italian district known for its diversity of restaurants more than anything else. Above are two photos from Federal Hill that show some outdoor restaurants on the left and two cakes from a bakery on the right. I found it strange they made a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cake, since that franchise seemed way out of its prime, but as it turned out there had been a remake scheduled to be released soon.