Providence, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Providence is the capital
and most populous city of Rhode Island
and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County
, it is the third largest city in the New England
region. The city proper population of 178,042 anchors the 37th largest metropolitan population
in the country, with an estimated MSA population of 1,600,856, exceeding that of Rhode Island by about 60% due to its reaching into southern Massachusetts
. Situated at the mouth of the Providence River
, at the head of Narragansett Bay
, the city's small footprint is crisscrossed by seemingly erratic streets and contains a rapidly changing demographic.
Providence was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams
, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence"
which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers to settle. After being one of the first cities in the country to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware
industry. Today, the City of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the city's economy into service industries, though it still retains significant manufacturing activity.
Once nicknamed the "Beehive of Industry", Providence began rebranding itself as the "Creative Capital" in 2009 to emphasize its educational resources and arts community. Its previous moniker was "The Renaissance City", though its 2009 poverty rate was still over 22%.
The area that is now Providence was first settled in June 1636 by Roger Williams
, and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies
of the United States. Although the west bank of the Providence River
was later claimed by both the English and the Dutch, the actual inhabitants and true masters of the region were the Pokanoket Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation led by Massasoit Ousamequin. Williams secured permission to settle from the Pokanoket and gave the city its present name. Williams' Providence soon became a refuge for persecuted religious dissenters, as he himself had been exiled from Massachusetts
. Providence's growth would be slow during the next quarter-century—the subsuming of its territory into surrounding towns, difficulty of farming the land, and differing of local traditions and land conflicts all slowed development.
In the mid-1770s, the British government levied taxes that impeded Providence's maritime, fishing and agricultural industries, the mainstay of the city's economy. One example was the Sugar Act
, which was a tax levied against Providence's distilleries that adversely affected its trade in rum and slaves
. These taxes caused Providence to join the other colonies in renouncing allegiance to the British Crown. In response to enforcement of unpopular trade laws, Providence residents spilled blood in the leadup to the American Revolution in the notorious Gaspée Affair
of 1772.
Though during the Revolutionary War the city escaped enemy occupation, the capture of nearby Newport
disrupted industry and kept the population on alert. Troops were quartered for various campaigns and Brown University
's University Hall was used as a barracks and military hospital.
After departing from Newport
, French troops sent by King Louis XVI and commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau
passed through Providence on their way to join the attack against British forces. The march from Newport to Providence was the beginning of a campaign led jointly by Rochambeau and General George Washington
in a decisive march
that ended with the defeat of General Cornwallis in the Siege of Yorktown
at Yorktown, Virginia
and the Battle of the Chesapeake
.
Following the war, Providence was the country's ninth-largest city
with 7,614 people. The economy shifted from maritime endeavors to manufacturing, particularly machinery, tools, silverware, jewelry and textiles. By the turn of the twentieth century, Providence boasted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe
, Nicholson File, and Gorham Silverware
. The city's industries attracted many immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, England, Italy, Portugal, Cape Verde, and French Canada. Economic and demographic shifts caused social strife, notably with a series of race riots between whites and blacks during the 1820s. In response to these troubles and the economic growth, Providence residents ratified a city charter in 1831 as the population passed 17,000.
During the Civil War
, local politics split over slavery as many had ties to Southern cotton. Despite ambivalence concerning the war, the number of military volunteers routinely exceeded quota, and the city's manufacturing proved invaluable to the Union. Postwar, horsecar
lines covering the city enabled its growth and Providence thrived with waves of immigrants and land annexations bringing the population from 54,595 in 1865 to 175,597 by 1900.
The city's boom began to wane in the mid-1920s as industries, notably textiles, shut down. Jewelry manufacturing continued to grow, taking up the slack and employing many of the city's new immigrants, coming from Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Lithuanian and Jewish backgrounds. A number of hospitals also opened. The Great Depression
hit the city hard, and Providence's downtown was subsequently flooded by the New England Hurricane of 1938
. Though the city received a boost from World War II
, this ended with the war. The city saw further decline as a result of nation-wide trends, with the construction of highways and increased suburbanization. The population would drop by 38% over the next three decades. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Providence was a notorious bastion of organized crime
. The mafia boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca
ruled a vast criminal enterprise.
The city's "Renaissance" began in the 1970s. From 1975 until 1982, $
606 million of local and national Community Development funds were invested throughout the city, and the hitherto falling population began to stabilize. In the 1990s, Mayor Vincent Cianci, Jr showcased the city's strength in arts and pushed for further revitalization, ultimately resulting in the uncovering of the city's natural rivers (which had been covered by paved bridges), relocation of a large section of railroad underground, creation of Waterplace Park
and river walks along the river's banks, and construction of the Fleet Skating Rink (now the Bank of America Skating Rink) downtown
and the 1.4 million ft² Providence Place
Mall.
New investment triggered within the city, with new construction including numerous condo projects, hotels, and a new office high-rise all filling in the freed space. Despite new investment, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most post-industrial New England cities. Approximately 22 percent of the city population lives below the poverty line. Recent increases in real estate values further exacerbate problems for those at marginal income levels, as Providence had the highest rise in median housing price of any city in the United States from 2004 to 2005.
Providence is located at the head of Narragansett Bay
, with the Providence River
running into the bay through the center of the city, formed by the confluence of the Moshassuck
and Woonasquatucket
Rivers. The Waterplace Park
amphitheater and riverwalks line the river's banks through downtown
.
Providence is one of many cities claimed, like Rome
, to be founded on seven hills. The more prominent hills are: Constitution Hill (near downtown), College Hill (east of the Providence River), and Federal Hill (west of downtown and is New England's largest Italian district outside of Massachusetts). The other four are: Tockwotten Hill at Fox Point
, Smith Hill (where the State House is located), Christian Hill at Hoyle Square (junction of Cranston & Westminster Streets), and Weybosset Hill at the lower end of Weybosset Street, which was leveled in the early 1880s.
Providence has 25 official neighborhoods, though these neighborhoods are often grouped together and referred to collectively:
The city of Providence is geographically very compact, characteristic of eastern seaboard
cities which developed prior to use of the automobile. It is among the most densely populated cities in the country. For this reason, Providence has the eighth-highest percentage of pedestrian commuters. The street layout is irregular—over one thousand streets (a great number for the city's size) run haphazardly, connecting and radiating from traditionally bustling places like Market Square
.
Downtown Providence has numerous 19th century mercantile buildings in the Federal and Victorian architectural styles, as well as several post-modern and modernist buildings, located throughout the area. In particular, a fairly clear spatial separation appears between the areas of pre-1980s development and post-1980s development. West Exchange Street and Exchange Terrace serve as rough boundaries between the two.
The newer area, sometimes called "Capitol Center", includes Providence Place Mall (1999), a Westin hotel
(1993) and The Residences at the Westin
(2007), GTECH (2006), Waterplace
condominiums (2007), and Waterplace Park
(1994); the area tends toward newer development since much of it is land reclaimed in the 1970s from a mass of railroad tracks which was referred to colloquially as the "Chinese Wall". This part of Downtown is characterized by open spaces, wide roads, and intent landscaping.
The historic part of downtown has many streetscapes that look as they did eighty years ago. Many of the state's tallest buildings are found here. The largest structure, to date, is the art-deco-styled former Industrial Trust Tower, currently the Bank of America Building
at 426 feet (130 m). By contrast, nearby to it is the second tallest One Financial Plaza, designed in modern taut-skin cladding, constructed a half century later. In between the two is 50 Kennedy Plaza
. The Textron Tower
is also a core building to the modest Providence skyline. Downtown is also the home of the Providence Biltmore
and Westminster Arcade
, the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the U.S., built in 1828.
The city's southern waterfront, away from the downtown core, is the location of many oil tanks, a docking station for a ferry boat, a non-profit sailing center, bars, strip clubs, and power plants. The Russian Submarine Museum
was located here until 2008, after the submarine sank in a storm and was declared a loss. The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier
is also found here, built to protect Providence from storm surge
, like that which it had endured in the 1938 New England Hurricane
and again in 1954 from Hurricane Carol
.
The majority of the cityscape comprises abandoned and revitalized industrial mills, double and triple decker
housing (though the row houses found so commonly in other Northeast cities, are notably rare here), a small number of high-rise buildings (predominantly for housing the elderly), and single family homes. I-95
serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods such as Federal Hill and the West End
.
Providence's climate is a humid continental climate
, with warm summers, cold winters, and high humidity year-round. The USDA
rates the city at Zone 6a, which is an "in-between" climate. The influence of the Atlantic Ocean
keeps Providence, and the rest of the state of Rhode Island, warmer than many inland locales in New England. January is the coldest month with a mean of 28.7 °F (-1.8 °C). July is the warmest month with an average of 73.3 °F (22.9 °C), with highs rising to 90 °F (32 °C) on 10 days per summer. Extremes range from -17 F in February 1934 to 104 °F (40 °C) in August 1975.
As with the rest of the northeastern seaboard, Providence receives ample precipitation year-round. Monthly precipitation ranges from a high of 4.43 inches (112.5 mm) in March to a low of 3.17 inches (80.5 mm) in July. Precipitation levels are generally slightly lesser in the summer months than the winter months, when powerful storms known as Nor'easter
s can cause significant snowfall and blizzard
conditions. Although hurricanes
are not frequent in coastal New England
, Providence's location at the head of Narragansett Bay makes it vulnerable to them.
of 2000, the population comprised 173,618 people, 162,389 households, and 35,859 families. The population density
was 9,401.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,629.4/km²), characteristic of comparatively older cities in New England
such as New Haven
, Connecticut
; Springfield
, Massachusetts
and Hartford
, Connecticut
. Also like these cities, its population peaked in the 1940s just prior to the nationwide period of rapid suburbanization
.
Providence has had a substantial Italian population since the turn of the century, with 14% (a plurality) of the population claiming Italian ancestry. Italian influence manifests itself in Providence's Little Italy in Federal Hill. Irish immigrants have also had considerable influence on the city's history, with 8% of residents claiming Irish heritage.
Belying Providence's traditionally white makeup is the sizable minority presence it has acquired in the last twenty years, embodied in the election of its first Latino mayor in 2010, Dominican-American Angel Taveras. Though nearby cities like Boston, Hartford, New Haven, and Springfield have longer-standing black and Latino communities, Providence now surpasses all of them in the density of its minority population, with non-Hispanic whites comprising less than half (40.9%) of the population. Though salient contributions to this growth have been among Asians and unspecified races, the most dramatic change comes from Hispanics, whose presence has increased fivefold. Having origins in Puerto Rico
, Colombia
, Bolivia
, the Dominican Republic
, and Central America
(particularly Guatemala
), Hispanics have strong influence in the neighborhoods of Elmwood
, the West End
, Upper
, and Lower South Providence
. Hispanic impact is even larger in the city's schools. Hispanics represent over half (55%) of all students in the city's school system while comprising only 33% of Providence's population.
In addition, Providence, like the nearby Massachusetts
cities of Fall River
and New Bedford
, has a considerable community of immigrants from various Portuguese-speaking countries
, living mostly in the areas of Washington Park and Fox Point
. Portuguese is the city's third-largest nationality, (after Italian and Irish) at 4% of the population while Cape Verdeans make up another 2%.
African Americans constitute approximately 30% of the city with the largest percentages in Mount Hope
and Upper and Lower South Providence neighborhoods. Asians are 6% of Providence's population and have enclaves scattered throughout the city. Another 6% of the city has multiracial ancestry. Native Americans and Pacific Islanders make up the remaining 1.3%. With Liberians comprising 0.4% of the population, the city is home to one of the largest Liberia
n immigrant populations in the country.
The Providence metropolitan area
, which includes Providence, Fall River
, Massachusetts
, and Warwick
is estimated to be 1,622,520. In 2006, this area was officially added to the Boston Combined Statistical Area (CSA), the fifth-largest CSA in the country
. In the last fifteen years, Providence has experienced a sizable growth in its under-18 population, attributed to the influx of Hispanics. The median age of the city is 28 years, while the largest age cohort
is 20 to 24 year olds, owing to the city's large student population.
The per capita income
, as of the 2000 census
, was $15,525, which is well below both the state average of $29,113, and the national average of $21,587. The median income for a household was $26,867, and the median income for a family in Providence was $32,058, according to the 2000 census. The city has one of the highest rates of poverty in the nation with 29.1% of the population and 23.9% of families living below the poverty line in 2000, the largest concentrations being found in the city's Olneyville, and Upper and Lower South Providence areas. Poverty has affected children at a disproportionately higher rate with 40.1% of those under the age of 18 living below the poverty line, concentrated particularly west of downtown
in the neighborhoods of Hartford
, Federal Hill, and Olneyville.
, a city with approximately 20,000 fewer residents than Providence, reported 15 murders in 2009 (i.e. the same number of homicides as Providence, but a slightly higher rate per capita); New Haven, Connecticut
and Hartford, Connecticut
, cities with approximately 50,000 fewer people than Providence, reported, respectively, 24 and 26 murders in 2010, significantly higher murder rates per capita than Providence. The police chief asserted that Providence's violence was not stranger-to-stranger, but relationship driven. The pattern of violent crime was highly specific by neighborhood with vast majority of the murders taking place in the poorer sections of Providence, such as Olneyville, Elmwood
, South Providence
and the West End
.
Providence has the fifth-highest rate of property crime per 100,000 inhabitants in the country. Burglary and car theft, in particular constitute 1.1 and 2.5 times the national average.
and silverware
design and manufacturing. Services, particularly education, health care, and finance, also make up a large portion of the city's economy. Providence also is the site of a sectional center facility
, a regional hub for the U.S. Postal Service. Since it is the capital of Rhode Island, Providence's economy additionally consists of government services.
The Fortune 500 conglomerate Textron
and Fortune 1000 company Nortek Incorporated are both headquartered in the city, and GTECH's world headquarters has recently been moved to downtown Providence. Citizens Bank
, the 15th largest bank in the country, is also headquartered in Providence. Another company whose origins were in the city is Fleet Bank
. Once Rhode Island's largest bank, it moved its headquarters to Boston, Massachusetts
, after acquiring Shawmut Bank in 1995. Before its acquisition by Bank of America
, Fleet merged with BankBoston
to become New England's largest commercial bank.
The city is home to the Rhode Island Convention Center, which opened in December 1993. Along with a hotel, the convention center is connected to the Providence Place Mall
, a major retail center, through a skywalk. The Port of Providence, the second largest deepwater seaport in New England, handles cargo such as cement, chemicals, heavy machinery, petroleum, and scrap metal.
Providence serves as Rhode Island's capital, housing the Rhode Island General Assembly
as well as the offices of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor in the Rhode Island State House
.
Providence's city government has a mayor-council
form of government. The Providence City Council
consists of fifteen city councilors, one for each of the city's wards. The council is tasked with enacting ordinances and passing an annual budget. Providence also has probate and superior courts. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island is located downtown across from City Hall
adjacent to Kennedy Plaza
.
David N. Cicilline finished his term as mayor in 2010, 8 years after taking office as the first openly gay
mayor of an American state capital. (notably, the second was elected 8 years later in neighboring Hartford, Connecticut
.) Providence was the largest American city to have an openly gay mayor, until Sam Adams took office in Portland, Oregon
on January 1, 2009.
The city's first Latino mayor was elected in 2010, Angel Taveras
, who assumed office January 3, 2011.
The flagship campuses of five of Rhode Island's colleges and universities are in Providence (city proper):
In addition, the Community College of Rhode Island
(Downcity and Liston campuses), Roger Williams University
(Providence campus) and University of Rhode Island
(Providence campus) have satellite campuses in the city.
Between these schools the number of postsecondary students is approximately 44,000. Compounded by Brown University's being the second-largest employer, higher education exerts a considerable presence in the city's politics and economy.
, the Lincoln School
, and the Wheeler School
, are in the city's East Side
. LaSalle Academy
is located in the Elmhurst area of the city near Providence College
. The public charter schools Time Squared Academy
(K-12) and Textron Chamber of Commerce (9–12) are funded by GTECH and Textron
respectively. In addition, the city's South Side houses Community Preparatory School, a private school serving primarily low-income students in grades 3–8.
Within the semi-private schools, The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The Met) and The Big Picture Company schools serve students through real world experiences and project-based learning. There are two separate centers for students with special needs.
serves about 30,000 students from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12. The district has 25 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and thirteen high schools. The Providence Public School District features magnet school
s at the middle and high school level, Nathanael Greene and Classical
respectively. The overall graduation rate as of 2007 is 70.1%, which is close to the statewide rate of 71% and the national average of 70%.
Much of Providence culture is synonymous with Rhode Island culture. Like the state, the city has a non-rhotic accent which can be heard on local media. Providence also shares Rhode Island's affinity for coffee, as the former has the most coffee/doughnut shops per capita of any city in the country. Providence, like many other towns, is also reputed to have the highest number of restaurants per capita, many of which are founded and/or staffed by its own Johnson & Wales University
graduates.
Providence has several ethnic neighborhoods, notably Federal Hill and the North End
(Italian), Fox Point
(Portuguese), West End
(mainly Central American and Asians), and Smith Hill (Irish with miscellaneous enclaves of other groups). There are also many dedicated community organizations and arts associations located in the city.
The city gained the reputation as one of the most active and growing LGBT
communities in the Northeast; the rate of reported gay and lesbian relationships is 75% higher than the national average and Providence has been named among the "Best Lesbian Places to Live". The former mayor, David Cicilline
, won his election running as an openly gay man, making him the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital. Former Mayor Cianci instituted the position of Mayor's Liaison to the Gay and Lesbian community in the 1990s. There are numerous social and community organizations supporting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Providence is home to the largest gay bathhouse
in New England.
During the summer months, the city regularly hosts WaterFire
, an environmental art
installation that consists of about 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. There are multiple Waterfire events that are accompanied by various pieces of classical and world music
. The public art displays, most notably sculptures, change on a regular basis.
The city is also the home of the Tony Award-winning theater group Trinity Repertory Company
, the Providence Black Repertory Company
, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
, as well as groups like The American Band
, once associated with noted American composer D. W. Reeves
. Providence is also the home of several performing arts centers such as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium
, the Providence Performing Arts Center, and the Providence Festival Ballet. The city's underground music scene, centered around artist-run spaces such as the now-defunct Fort Thunder
, is known in underground music circles.
Providence is home to an 1200 acres (4.9 km²) park system, notably Waterplace Park
and Riverwalk, Roger Williams Park
, Roger Williams National Memorial
, and Prospect Terrace Park
, the latter featuring expansive views of the downtown area. As one of the first cities in the country, Providence contains many historic buildings while the East Side neighborhood in particular includes the largest contiguous area of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. with many pre-revolutionary houses. The East Side is also home to the First Baptist Church in America
, the oldest Baptist
church in the Americas, founded by Roger Williams
in 1638, as well as the Old State House
, which served as the state's capitol from 1762 to 1904. Nearby is Roger Williams National Memorial. Downcity Providence is home to the fourth largest unsupported dome
in the world (the second largest marble dome after St. Peter's Basilica
in Rome), as well as the Westminster Arcade
, which is the oldest enclosed shopping center in the U.S.
The main art museum is the Rhode Island School of Design Museum
, which has the twentieth largest collection in the country. In addition to the Providence Public Library and its nine branches, the city is home to the Providence Athenæum, the fourth oldest library in the country. Here, on one of his many visits to Providence, Edgar Allan Poe
, met and courted a love interest named Sarah Helen Whitman
. Poe was a regular fixture there, as was H. P. Lovecraft
(who was born in Providence); both of them influential writers of gothic literature.
The Bank of America
Skating Center, formerly the Fleet Skating Center, is located near Kennedy Plaza in the downtown district, connected by pedestrian tunnel to Waterplace Park
, a cobblestone and concrete park below street traffic that abuts Providence's three rivers.
The southern part of the city is home to the famous roadside attraction Nibbles Woodaway
(also known as the "Big Blue Bug"), the world's largest termite
, as well as the aforementioned Roger Williams Park, which contains a zoo
, a botanical center, and the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium.
team Providence Bruins
, which plays at the Dunkin' Donuts Center
(formerly the Providence Civic Center). From 1926 to 1972, the AHL's Providence Reds
(renamed the Rhode Island Reds in their last years) played at the Rhode Island Auditorium
. In 1972, the team relocated to the Providence Civic Center
, where they played until moving to Binghamton
, New York
, in 1977.
The city is home to the Rugby League
team Rhode Island Rebellion, which plays at Classical High School
. The Rhode Island Rebellion is a member of the USA Rugby League
(USARL). The Rhode Island Rebellion recognizes its mission to serve club members, the State of Rhode Island and the Country. Its dual focus is to provide an opportunity for interested persons to participate in organized activities to achieve their maximum athletic and skillful potential in Rugby League, and to provide Rhode Islanders with an Exciting Team to become a part of. Its inaugural season began June 4, 2011.Rebellion's Website
The NFL
's New England Patriots
and MLS
's New England Revolution
play in Foxborough
, Massachusetts
, which is situated halfway between Providence and Boston. Providence was formerly home to two major league franchises: the NFL's Providence Steam Roller
in the 1920s and 1930s, and the NBA
's Providence Steamrollers
in the 1940s. The city is also where Rocky Marciano
won 29 of his 49 fights.
The city's defunct baseball team, the Providence Grays
, competed in the National League
from 1879 through 1885. The team defeated the New York Metropolitans
in baseball's first successful "world championship series" in 1884
. In 1914, after the Boston Red Sox
purchased Babe Ruth
from the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles
, the team prepared Ruth for the major leagues by sending him to finish the season playing for a minor league team in Providence that was also known as the Grays. Today, professional baseball is offered by the Pawtucket Red Sox
, the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
which plays in nearby Pawtucket
. Most baseball fans—along with the local media—tend to follow the Boston Red Sox.
Major colleges and universities fielding NCAA Division I athletic teams are Brown University
and Providence College
. The latter is a member of the Big East Conference
. Much local hype is associated with games between these two schools or the University of Rhode Island
. Providence has also hosted the alternative sports event Gravity Games
from 1999 to 2001, and was also the first host of ESPN
's X Games
, known in its first edition as the Extreme Games, in 1995. Providence has its own roller derby
league. Formed in 2004, it currently has four teams: the Providence Mob Squad, the Sakonnet River Roller Rats, the Old Money Honeys, and the Rhode Island Riveters.
Providence is home to eight hospitals, most prominently Rhode Island Hospital
, the largest general acute care
hospital in the state. It is also the Level I Trauma Center for Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut. The hospital is in a complex along I-95
that includes Hasbro Children's Hospital and Women and Infants Hospital. The city is also home to the Roger Williams Medical Center
, St. Joseph Hospital For Specialty Care (a division of St. Joseph Health Services Of Rhode Island), The Miriam Hospital, a major teaching affiliate associated with the Alpert Medical School of Brown University
, as well as a VA
medical center.
The Rhode Island Blood Center has its main headquarters in Providence. Since 1979, the Rhode Island Blood Center has been the sole organization in charge of blood collection
and testing and distribution
of blood products to 11 hospitals in Rhode Island.
Providence is served by air primarily by the commercial airfield T. F. Green Airport
in nearby Warwick
. General aviation
fields also serve the region. Because of overcrowding and Big Dig complications in Boston, Massport has been promoting T.F. Green as an alternative to Boston's Logan International Airport
.
Providence Station, located between the Rhode Island State House
and the downtown district, is served by Amtrak
and MBTA Commuter Rail
services, with a commuter rail route running north to Boston and south to a recently opened station at T.F. Green Airport
. Approximately 2400 passengers daily pass through the station.
I-95
runs from north to south through Providence while I-195 connects the city to eastern Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, including New Bedford
, Massachusetts
, and Cape Cod
. I-295 encircles Providence while RI 146 provides a direct connection with Worcester
, Massachusetts
. The city has commissioned and begun a long-term project, the Iway
, to move I-195 not only for safety reasons, but also to free up land and to reunify the Jewelry District with Downcity Providence, which had been split from one another by the highway. The project is estimated to cost $446 million and be completed in 2012.
Kennedy Plaza
, in downtown Providence, serves as a transportation hub for local public transit as well as a departure point for Peter Pan
and Greyhound
bus lines. Public transit is managed by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
(RIPTA). Through RIPTA alone Kennedy Plaza serves over 71,000 people a day. The majority of the area covered by RIPTA is served by traditional buses. Of particular note is the East Side Trolley Tunnel
running under College Hill, the use of which is reserved for RIPTA buses. RIPTA also operates the Providence LINK, a system of tourist trolley
s in downtown Providence. From 2000 to 2008, RIPTA operated a seasonal ferry to Newport
between May and October.
about ten miles (16 km) west of downtown, with contributions coming from four smaller bodies of water. Drinking water in Providence has been rated among the highest quality in the country.
designated by Sister Cities International
: Phnom Penh
Florence
Riga
Santo Domingo
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
and most populous city of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County
Providence County, Rhode Island
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 621,602 people, 239,936 households, and 152,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,504 people per square mile . There were 253,214 housing units at an average density of 613 per square mile...
, it is the third largest city in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
region. The city proper population of 178,042 anchors the 37th largest metropolitan population
Providence metropolitan area
The Providence metropolitan area is a region covering six counties in two states, and is the 37th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Anchored by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, it has an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The...
in the country, with an estimated MSA population of 1,600,856, exceeding that of Rhode Island by about 60% due to its reaching into southern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Situated at the mouth of the Providence River
Providence River
thumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
, at the head of Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, the city's small footprint is crisscrossed by seemingly erratic streets and contains a rapidly changing demographic.
Providence was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence"
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers to settle. After being one of the first cities in the country to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware
Silver (household)
Household silver or silverware includes dishware, cutlery and other household items made of sterling, Britannia or Sheffield plate silver. The term is often extended to items made of stainless steel...
industry. Today, the City of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the city's economy into service industries, though it still retains significant manufacturing activity.
Once nicknamed the "Beehive of Industry", Providence began rebranding itself as the "Creative Capital" in 2009 to emphasize its educational resources and arts community. Its previous moniker was "The Renaissance City", though its 2009 poverty rate was still over 22%.
History
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
of the United States. Although the west bank of the Providence River
Providence River
thumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
was later claimed by both the English and the Dutch, the actual inhabitants and true masters of the region were the Pokanoket Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation led by Massasoit Ousamequin. Williams secured permission to settle from the Pokanoket and gave the city its present name. Williams' Providence soon became a refuge for persecuted religious dissenters, as he himself had been exiled from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Providence's growth would be slow during the next quarter-century—the subsuming of its territory into surrounding towns, difficulty of farming the land, and differing of local traditions and land conflicts all slowed development.
In the mid-1770s, the British government levied taxes that impeded Providence's maritime, fishing and agricultural industries, the mainstay of the city's economy. One example was the Sugar Act
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act, also known as the American Revenue Act or the American Duties Act, was a revenue-raising act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain on April 5, 1764. The preamble to the act stated: "it is expedient that new provisions and regulations should be established for improving the...
, which was a tax levied against Providence's distilleries that adversely affected its trade in rum and slaves
Triangular trade
Triangular trade, or triangle trade, is a historical term indicating among three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come...
. These taxes caused Providence to join the other colonies in renouncing allegiance to the British Crown. In response to enforcement of unpopular trade laws, Providence residents spilled blood in the leadup to the American Revolution in the notorious Gaspée Affair
Gaspée Affair
The Gaspée Affair was a significant event in the lead-up to the American Revolution. The HMS Gaspée, a British customs schooner that had been enforcing unpopular trade regulations, ran aground in shallow water on June 9, 1772, near what is now known as Gaspee Point in the city of Warwick, Rhode...
of 1772.
Though during the Revolutionary War the city escaped enemy occupation, the capture of nearby Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
disrupted industry and kept the population on alert. Troops were quartered for various campaigns and Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
's University Hall was used as a barracks and military hospital.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, French troops sent by King Louis XVI and commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau
Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau was a French nobleman and general who participated in the American Revolutionary War as the commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force which came to help the American Continental Army...
passed through Providence on their way to join the attack against British forces. The march from Newport to Providence was the beginning of a campaign led jointly by Rochambeau and General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in a decisive march
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
The Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route is a 680-mile -long series of encampments and roads used by U.S. Continental Army troops under George Washington and French troops under Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau during their march from Newport, Rhode Island to Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. The route...
that ended with the defeat of General Cornwallis in the Siege of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
at Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
and the Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
.
Following the war, Providence was the country's ninth-largest city
Largest Cities in the United States by Population by Decade
]This entry tracks and ranks the population of the largest cities in the United States by decade, starting with the 1790 Census. For 1790 through 1990, tables are taken from "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990." For year 2000 rankings,...
with 7,614 people. The economy shifted from maritime endeavors to manufacturing, particularly machinery, tools, silverware, jewelry and textiles. By the turn of the twentieth century, Providence boasted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe
Brown & Sharpe
Brown & Sharpe is a division of Hexagon Metrology, Inc., a multinational corporation focused mainly on metrological tools and technology. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Brown & Sharpe was one of the most well-known and influential firms in the machine tool industry...
, Nicholson File, and Gorham Silverware
Gorham Manufacturing Company
The Gorham Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of sterling and silverplate.-History:Gorham Silver was founded in Providence, Rhode Island 1831 by Jabez Gorham, a master craftsman, in partnership with Henry L. Webster. The firm's chief product was spoons of coin silver. The company...
. The city's industries attracted many immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, England, Italy, Portugal, Cape Verde, and French Canada. Economic and demographic shifts caused social strife, notably with a series of race riots between whites and blacks during the 1820s. In response to these troubles and the economic growth, Providence residents ratified a city charter in 1831 as the population passed 17,000.
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, local politics split over slavery as many had ties to Southern cotton. Despite ambivalence concerning the war, the number of military volunteers routinely exceeded quota, and the city's manufacturing proved invaluable to the Union. Postwar, horsecar
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
lines covering the city enabled its growth and Providence thrived with waves of immigrants and land annexations bringing the population from 54,595 in 1865 to 175,597 by 1900.
The city's boom began to wane in the mid-1920s as industries, notably textiles, shut down. Jewelry manufacturing continued to grow, taking up the slack and employing many of the city's new immigrants, coming from Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Lithuanian and Jewish backgrounds. A number of hospitals also opened. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit the city hard, and Providence's downtown was subsequently flooded by the New England Hurricane of 1938
New England Hurricane of 1938
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...
. Though the city received a boost from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, this ended with the war. The city saw further decline as a result of nation-wide trends, with the construction of highways and increased suburbanization. The population would drop by 38% over the next three decades. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Providence was a notorious bastion of organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
. The mafia boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca
Raymond L.S. Patriarca
Raymond Loreda Salvatore Patriarca, Sr. was an Italian-American mobster from Providence, Rhode Island who became the longtime boss of the Patriarca crime family, whose control extended throughout New England for over three decades...
ruled a vast criminal enterprise.
The city's "Renaissance" began in the 1970s. From 1975 until 1982, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
606 million of local and national Community Development funds were invested throughout the city, and the hitherto falling population began to stabilize. In the 1990s, Mayor Vincent Cianci, Jr showcased the city's strength in arts and pushed for further revitalization, ultimately resulting in the uncovering of the city's natural rivers (which had been covered by paved bridges), relocation of a large section of railroad underground, creation of Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
and river walks along the river's banks, and construction of the Fleet Skating Rink (now the Bank of America Skating Rink) downtown
Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island
Downtown, also known as Downcity, is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street...
and the 1.4 million ft² Providence Place
Providence Place
Providence Place is an urban shopping mall in the central part of Providence, Rhode Island. Opened on August 20, 1999, it is located near the Rhode Island State House and Providence Station. It compromises three main floors and is connected to the nearby Westin Hotel via skyway. It also features...
Mall.
New investment triggered within the city, with new construction including numerous condo projects, hotels, and a new office high-rise all filling in the freed space. Despite new investment, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most post-industrial New England cities. Approximately 22 percent of the city population lives below the poverty line. Recent increases in real estate values further exacerbate problems for those at marginal income levels, as Providence had the highest rise in median housing price of any city in the United States from 2004 to 2005.
Geography
The Providence city limits enclose a small geographic region, with a total area of 20.5 square miles (53.1 km²). 18.5 square miles (47.9 km²) of it is land and the remaining 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) (roughly 10%) of it is water.Providence is located at the head of Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, with the Providence River
Providence River
thumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
running into the bay through the center of the city, formed by the confluence of the Moshassuck
Moshassuck River
The Moshassuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows from the town of Lincoln to the city of Providence. There are six dams along the river's length.- History :...
and Woonasquatucket
Woonasquatucket River
The Woonasquatucket River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately and drains a watershed of 130 km² ....
Rivers. The Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
amphitheater and riverwalks line the river's banks through downtown
Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island
Downtown, also known as Downcity, is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street...
.
Providence is one of many cities claimed, like Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, to be founded on seven hills. The more prominent hills are: Constitution Hill (near downtown), College Hill (east of the Providence River), and Federal Hill (west of downtown and is New England's largest Italian district outside of Massachusetts). The other four are: Tockwotten Hill at Fox Point
Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island
Fox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, RI. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods...
, Smith Hill (where the State House is located), Christian Hill at Hoyle Square (junction of Cranston & Westminster Streets), and Weybosset Hill at the lower end of Weybosset Street, which was leveled in the early 1880s.
Neighborhoods
- The East SideEast Side, Providence, Rhode IslandThe East Side is a collection of neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island on the eponymous eastern part of the city. It officially comprises the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope , Mount Hope, College Hill , Wayland, and Fox Point.The area is separated from East Providence, Rhode Island to the...
is a region comprising the neighborhoods of BlackstoneBlackstone, Providence, Rhode IslandBlackstone is a predominantly residential neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It is in the northeast corner of the city and is bounded to the south and west by Lloyd Avenue and Hope Street respectively...
, HopeHope, Providence, Rhode IslandHope is a neighborhood on the northern border of Providence, Rhode Island. To the west, it is bounded by North Main Street, the North Burial Ground, and Interstate 95, while Rochambeau Ave, Hope Street, and the Providence-Pawtucket city line roughly delineate its boundaries to the south, east, and...
(aka Summit), Mount HopeMount Hope, Providence, Rhode IslandMount Hope is a neighborhood in northern Providence, Rhode Island. It is one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence. The area is bounded to the north by Rochambeau Avenue, to the east by Hope Street, to the south by Olney Street, while the western border is the former New...
, College HillCollege Hill, Providence, Rhode IslandCollege Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence and part of College Hill Historic District. It is roughly bounded by North Main Street to the west, Power Street to the south, Governor Street and Arlington Avenue to...
, Wayland, and Fox PointFox Point, Providence, Rhode IslandFox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, RI. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods...
.
- The Jewelry DistrictJewelry District, Providence, Rhode IslandThe Jewelry District is a neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island located just south of Downtown between Interstate 195 and Henderson Street. Interstate 95 lies at the western edge of the neighborhood, which includes Davol Square and the waterfront along the west bank of the Providence River...
describes the area enclosed by I-95, the old I-195, and the Providence RiverProvidence Riverthumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
. The city has made efforts to rename this area the Knowledge District to reflect the area's newly developing life sciences and technology-based economy.
- The North End is formed by the combination of the neighborhoods of CharlesCharles, Providence, Rhode IslandCharles is a neighborhood in northern Providence, Rhode Island. Along with Wanskuck, it comprises what is sometimes referred to as the North End. To the west Charles is partitioned from Wanskuck by Route 146, while the Chad Brown public housing complex separates Charles from Smith Hill to the...
and WanskuckWanskuck, Providence, Rhode IslandWanskuck is a neighborhood in the northern edge of Providence, Rhode Island. Along with Charles, it is one of two neighborhoods comprising what is often referred to as the North End. Wanskuck is bounded to the east by Route 146, to the west by Providence College, Admiral street, Douglas avenue,...
.
- The South SideSouth Side, Providence, Rhode IslandThe South Side of Providence, Rhode Island, originally South Providence, is a term frequently used to describe the collective region comprising the official neighborhoods of Upper and Lower South Providence, Elmwood and the West End...
(or South Providence) consists of the neighborhoods of ElmwoodElmwood, Providence, Rhode IslandElmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95.- History :Prior to the 1850s, the region had been used primarily as farm land...
, Lower South ProvidenceLower South Providence, Providence, Rhode IslandThe Lower South Side is a neighborhoods in southern Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded from Upper South Providence by Public Street to the north, Interstate 95, to the south, and Broad Street, and the Providence River to the west and east respectively...
, Upper South ProvidenceUpper South Providence, Providence, Rhode IslandUpper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bound to the north by Interstate 95, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street...
, and the West EndWest End, Providence, Rhode IslandThe West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
.
- West Broadway is an officially recognized neighborhood with its own association. It overlaps with the southern half of Federal Hill and the northern part of the West End.
- The West Side is a vague term sometimes used to mean the West EndWest End, Providence, Rhode IslandThe West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
, Olneyville, Silver LakeSilver Lake, Providence, Rhode IslandSilver Lake is a neighborhood on the western edge of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bordered by the Hartford neighborhood to the north, Route 10 to the east, Johnston and Cranston on the West and separated from Olneyville by Route 6....
, and nearby parts of abutting neighborhoods.
Cityscape
The city of Providence is geographically very compact, characteristic of eastern seaboard
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
cities which developed prior to use of the automobile. It is among the most densely populated cities in the country. For this reason, Providence has the eighth-highest percentage of pedestrian commuters. The street layout is irregular—over one thousand streets (a great number for the city's size) run haphazardly, connecting and radiating from traditionally bustling places like Market Square
Market Square, Providence, Rhode Island
Market Square is a market square in Providence, Rhode Island. It is located at the intersection of present-day North Main Street and College Street.-History:...
.
Downtown Providence has numerous 19th century mercantile buildings in the Federal and Victorian architectural styles, as well as several post-modern and modernist buildings, located throughout the area. In particular, a fairly clear spatial separation appears between the areas of pre-1980s development and post-1980s development. West Exchange Street and Exchange Terrace serve as rough boundaries between the two.
The newer area, sometimes called "Capitol Center", includes Providence Place Mall (1999), a Westin hotel
The Westin Providence
The Westin Providence is a Neo-Traditionalist skyscraper in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, occupied by the Westin Hotel. At , it became the fourth-tallest building in the city and the state on on 15 February 2007, when the nearby slightly taller Residences at the Westin topped out...
(1993) and The Residences at the Westin
The Residences at the Westin
The Residences Providence is a recently completed high-rise residential project in downtown Providence, Rhode Island designed by TRO Jung Brannen and developed by The Procaccianti Group. It is situated adjacent to The Providence, a 25-floor hotel with similar fenestration and styling. The...
(2007), GTECH (2006), Waterplace
Waterplace
Waterplace is the name of a high-rise residential condominium project in Providence, Rhode Island. The project completed construction in mid-2008, and was developed by Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation....
condominiums (2007), and Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
(1994); the area tends toward newer development since much of it is land reclaimed in the 1970s from a mass of railroad tracks which was referred to colloquially as the "Chinese Wall". This part of Downtown is characterized by open spaces, wide roads, and intent landscaping.
The historic part of downtown has many streetscapes that look as they did eighty years ago. Many of the state's tallest buildings are found here. The largest structure, to date, is the art-deco-styled former Industrial Trust Tower, currently the Bank of America Building
Bank of America Tower (Providence)
The Bank of America Building is the tallest building in the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island, and the 28th tallest in New England. Standing at and comprising 26 floors, it was the third tallest building in New England when completed, behind the Travelers Tower in Hartford, CT and...
at 426 feet (130 m). By contrast, nearby to it is the second tallest One Financial Plaza, designed in modern taut-skin cladding, constructed a half century later. In between the two is 50 Kennedy Plaza
50 Kennedy Plaza
50 Kennedy Plaza is a Postmodern skyscraper in Providence, Rhode Island. At a height of , it is currently the sixth-tallest building in the city and state. The building is named for Kennedy Plaza, which it abuts....
. The Textron Tower
Textron Tower
The Textron Tower, formerly the Old Stone Tower, is an International-style skyscraper in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It is the world headquarters of Textron.At , it stands as the 5th-tallest building in the city and the state...
is also a core building to the modest Providence skyline. Downtown is also the home of the Providence Biltmore
Providence Biltmore
The Providence Biltmore Hotel is an upscale hotel that opened in 1922 as part of the Biltmore Hotel chain. It was founded by John McEntee Bowman and Louis Wallick, and is currently owned by Grand Heritage Hotels International...
and Westminster Arcade
Westminster Arcade
The Westminster Arcade or Providence Arcade was a historic shopping center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States, built in 1828...
, the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the U.S., built in 1828.
The city's southern waterfront, away from the downtown core, is the location of many oil tanks, a docking station for a ferry boat, a non-profit sailing center, bars, strip clubs, and power plants. The Russian Submarine Museum
Soviet submarine K-77
K-77 was a "Project 651" cruise missile submarine of the Soviet Navy. Her keel was laid down in the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Gorky on 31 January 1963...
was located here until 2008, after the submarine sank in a storm and was declared a loss. The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier
Fox Point Hurricane Barrier
The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is a long tidal flood barrier spanning the Providence River in Providence, Rhode Island, located upstream from Fox Point...
is also found here, built to protect Providence from storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
, like that which it had endured in the 1938 New England Hurricane
New England Hurricane of 1938
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...
and again in 1954 from Hurricane Carol
Hurricane Carol
Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones to affect the New England region of the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and gradually strengthened as it moved northwestward. On August 27, Carol intensified to reach winds of , but weakened...
.
The majority of the cityscape comprises abandoned and revitalized industrial mills, double and triple decker
Triple decker
A triple-decker is a three-story apartment building, typically of light-framed, wood construction, where each floor usually consists of a single apartment; although two apartments per floor is not uncommon....
housing (though the row houses found so commonly in other Northeast cities, are notably rare here), a small number of high-rise buildings (predominantly for housing the elderly), and single family homes. I-95
Interstate 95 in Rhode Island
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line...
serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods such as Federal Hill and the West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
.
Climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, with warm summers, cold winters, and high humidity year-round. The USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
rates the city at Zone 6a, which is an "in-between" climate. The influence of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
keeps Providence, and the rest of the state of Rhode Island, warmer than many inland locales in New England. January is the coldest month with a mean of 28.7 °F (-1.8 °C). July is the warmest month with an average of 73.3 °F (22.9 °C), with highs rising to 90 °F (32 °C) on 10 days per summer. Extremes range from -17 F in February 1934 to 104 °F (40 °C) in August 1975.
As with the rest of the northeastern seaboard, Providence receives ample precipitation year-round. Monthly precipitation ranges from a high of 4.43 inches (112.5 mm) in March to a low of 3.17 inches (80.5 mm) in July. Precipitation levels are generally slightly lesser in the summer months than the winter months, when powerful storms known as Nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
s can cause significant snowfall and blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
conditions. Although hurricanes
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
are not frequent in coastal New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Providence's location at the head of Narragansett Bay makes it vulnerable to them.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, the population comprised 173,618 people, 162,389 households, and 35,859 families. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 9,401.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,629.4/km²), characteristic of comparatively older cities in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
such as New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
; Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Also like these cities, its population peaked in the 1940s just prior to the nationwide period of rapid suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
.
Providence has had a substantial Italian population since the turn of the century, with 14% (a plurality) of the population claiming Italian ancestry. Italian influence manifests itself in Providence's Little Italy in Federal Hill. Irish immigrants have also had considerable influence on the city's history, with 8% of residents claiming Irish heritage.
Belying Providence's traditionally white makeup is the sizable minority presence it has acquired in the last twenty years, embodied in the election of its first Latino mayor in 2010, Dominican-American Angel Taveras. Though nearby cities like Boston, Hartford, New Haven, and Springfield have longer-standing black and Latino communities, Providence now surpasses all of them in the density of its minority population, with non-Hispanic whites comprising less than half (40.9%) of the population. Though salient contributions to this growth have been among Asians and unspecified races, the most dramatic change comes from Hispanics, whose presence has increased fivefold. Having origins in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
(particularly Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
), Hispanics have strong influence in the neighborhoods of Elmwood
Elmwood, Providence, Rhode Island
Elmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95.- History :Prior to the 1850s, the region had been used primarily as farm land...
, the West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
, Upper
Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
Upper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bound to the north by Interstate 95, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street...
, and Lower South Providence
Lower South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
The Lower South Side is a neighborhoods in southern Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded from Upper South Providence by Public Street to the north, Interstate 95, to the south, and Broad Street, and the Providence River to the west and east respectively...
. Hispanic impact is even larger in the city's schools. Hispanics represent over half (55%) of all students in the city's school system while comprising only 33% of Providence's population.
In addition, Providence, like the nearby Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
cities of Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
and New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, has a considerable community of immigrants from various Portuguese-speaking countries
Lusophone
A Lusophone is someone who speaks the Portuguese language, either as a native, as an additional language, or as a learner. As an adjective, it means "Portuguese-speaking"...
, living mostly in the areas of Washington Park and Fox Point
Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island
Fox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, RI. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods...
. Portuguese is the city's third-largest nationality, (after Italian and Irish) at 4% of the population while Cape Verdeans make up another 2%.
African Americans constitute approximately 30% of the city with the largest percentages in Mount Hope
Mount Hope, Providence, Rhode Island
Mount Hope is a neighborhood in northern Providence, Rhode Island. It is one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence. The area is bounded to the north by Rochambeau Avenue, to the east by Hope Street, to the south by Olney Street, while the western border is the former New...
and Upper and Lower South Providence neighborhoods. Asians are 6% of Providence's population and have enclaves scattered throughout the city. Another 6% of the city has multiracial ancestry. Native Americans and Pacific Islanders make up the remaining 1.3%. With Liberians comprising 0.4% of the population, the city is home to one of the largest Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n immigrant populations in the country.
The Providence metropolitan area
Providence metropolitan area
The Providence metropolitan area is a region covering six counties in two states, and is the 37th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Anchored by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, it has an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The...
, which includes Providence, Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
is estimated to be 1,622,520. In 2006, this area was officially added to the Boston Combined Statistical Area (CSA), the fifth-largest CSA in the country
Table of United States Combined Statistical Areas
thumb|An enlargeable map of the 125 [[Combined Statistical Area]]s of the [[United States]]The United States Office of Management and Budget has defined 125 Combined Statistical Areas for the United States of America...
. In the last fifteen years, Providence has experienced a sizable growth in its under-18 population, attributed to the influx of Hispanics. The median age of the city is 28 years, while the largest age cohort
Cohort (statistics)
In statistics and demography, a cohort is a group of subjects who have shared a particular time together during a particular time span . Cohorts may be tracked over extended periods in a cohort study. The cohort can be modified by censoring, i.e...
is 20 to 24 year olds, owing to the city's large student population.
The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
, as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, was $15,525, which is well below both the state average of $29,113, and the national average of $21,587. The median income for a household was $26,867, and the median income for a family in Providence was $32,058, according to the 2000 census. The city has one of the highest rates of poverty in the nation with 29.1% of the population and 23.9% of families living below the poverty line in 2000, the largest concentrations being found in the city's Olneyville, and Upper and Lower South Providence areas. Poverty has affected children at a disproportionately higher rate with 40.1% of those under the age of 18 living below the poverty line, concentrated particularly west of downtown
Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island
Downtown, also known as Downcity, is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street...
in the neighborhoods of Hartford
Hartford, Providence, Rhode Island
Hartford is a neighborhood located along the western edge of Providence, Rhode Island. Route 6 and the Woonasquatucket River separate it from Olneyville.- History :...
, Federal Hill, and Olneyville.
Crime
Compared to the national average, Providence has a high rate of property crime and an average rate of violent crime per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2010, there were 15 murders, down from 2009's 24. In 2010, Providence fared better regarding violent crime than most of its peer cities: Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, a city with approximately 20,000 fewer residents than Providence, reported 15 murders in 2009 (i.e. the same number of homicides as Providence, but a slightly higher rate per capita); New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
and Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, cities with approximately 50,000 fewer people than Providence, reported, respectively, 24 and 26 murders in 2010, significantly higher murder rates per capita than Providence. The police chief asserted that Providence's violence was not stranger-to-stranger, but relationship driven. The pattern of violent crime was highly specific by neighborhood with vast majority of the murders taking place in the poorer sections of Providence, such as Olneyville, Elmwood
Elmwood, Providence, Rhode Island
Elmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95.- History :Prior to the 1850s, the region had been used primarily as farm land...
, South Providence
South Side, Providence, Rhode Island
The South Side of Providence, Rhode Island, originally South Providence, is a term frequently used to describe the collective region comprising the official neighborhoods of Upper and Lower South Providence, Elmwood and the West End...
and the West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
.
Providence has the fifth-highest rate of property crime per 100,000 inhabitants in the country. Burglary and car theft, in particular constitute 1.1 and 2.5 times the national average.
Economy
Providence was one of the first cities to industrialize in the United States. By 1830, the city had manufacturing industries in metals, machinery, textiles, jewelry, and silverware. Though manufacturing has declined, the city is still one of the largest centers for jewelryJewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
and silverware
Silver (household)
Household silver or silverware includes dishware, cutlery and other household items made of sterling, Britannia or Sheffield plate silver. The term is often extended to items made of stainless steel...
design and manufacturing. Services, particularly education, health care, and finance, also make up a large portion of the city's economy. Providence also is the site of a sectional center facility
Sectional center facility (SCF)
A Destination Sectional Center Facility is a Processing and Distribution Center of the United States Postal Service that serves a designated geographical area defined by one or more three-digit ZIP Code prefixes....
, a regional hub for the U.S. Postal Service. Since it is the capital of Rhode Island, Providence's economy additionally consists of government services.
Textron
Textron is a conglomerate that includes Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee, among others. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company, and is headquartered at the Textron Tower in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.With total revenues of...
and Fortune 1000 company Nortek Incorporated are both headquartered in the city, and GTECH's world headquarters has recently been moved to downtown Providence. Citizens Bank
Citizens Financial Group
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is an American bank headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, which operates in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Citizens is a wholly owned...
, the 15th largest bank in the country, is also headquartered in Providence. Another company whose origins were in the city is Fleet Bank
FleetBoston Financial
FleetBoston Financial was a Boston, Massachusetts–based bank created in 1999 by the merger of Fleet Financial Group and BankBoston. In 2004 it merged with Bank of America; all of its banks and branches were given the Bank of America logo.-History:...
. Once Rhode Island's largest bank, it moved its headquarters to Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, after acquiring Shawmut Bank in 1995. Before its acquisition by Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, Fleet merged with BankBoston
BankBoston
BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. Bank of Boston had a venerable history dating back to 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 1999...
to become New England's largest commercial bank.
The city is home to the Rhode Island Convention Center, which opened in December 1993. Along with a hotel, the convention center is connected to the Providence Place Mall
Providence Place
Providence Place is an urban shopping mall in the central part of Providence, Rhode Island. Opened on August 20, 1999, it is located near the Rhode Island State House and Providence Station. It compromises three main floors and is connected to the nearby Westin Hotel via skyway. It also features...
, a major retail center, through a skywalk. The Port of Providence, the second largest deepwater seaport in New England, handles cargo such as cement, chemicals, heavy machinery, petroleum, and scrap metal.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees | % of Total city employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island Hospital Rhode Island Hospital Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island.-Overview:Rhode Island Hospital is the main teaching hospital of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to... |
6,910 | 6.17 |
| 2 | Brown University Brown University Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,... |
4,877 | 4.36 |
| 3 | Bank of America Bank of America Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina... |
3,040 | 2.72 |
| 4 | Women & Infants Hospital Women & Infants Hospital Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is a women and infants' hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the primary teaching hospital in obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics for in Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University... |
2,880 | 2.57 |
| 5 | Miriam Hospital Miriam Hospital The Miriam Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital at 164 Summit Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. It a major teaching affiliate associated with the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.-History:... |
2,389 | 2.13 |
| 6 | Roger Williams Medical Center Roger Williams Medical Center The Roger Williams Medical Center is a teaching hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.-Overview:Founded in 1878, and located in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence, RWMC is community owned and governed. It is named after Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. Since 1997, it has been... |
1,470 | 1.31 |
| 7 | Citizens Bank Citizens Financial Group Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is an American bank headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, which operates in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Citizens is a wholly owned... |
1,289 | 1.15 |
| 8 | Verizon | 1,205 | 1.08 |
| 9 | Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island, USA, is home to JWU's first and largest of four currently operating campuses. Founded as a business school in 1914, by... |
1,200 | 1.07 |
| 10 | Pinkerton Pinkerton National Detective Agency The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired... |
1,167 | 1.04 |
Government
Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
as well as the offices of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor in the Rhode Island State House
Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located on the border of the Downtown and Smith Hill sections of the state capital city of Providence...
.
Providence's city government has a mayor-council
Mayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
form of government. The Providence City Council
Providence City Council
The Providence City Council is the fifteen-member legislative body of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The two major responsibilities of the council are enacting ordinances necessary to ensure the welfare and good order of the city and adopting the city's annual budget...
consists of fifteen city councilors, one for each of the city's wards. The council is tasked with enacting ordinances and passing an annual budget. Providence also has probate and superior courts. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island is located downtown across from City Hall
Providence City Hall
Providence City Hall is the center of the municipal government in Providence, Rhode Island and is located at the west end of Kennedy Plaza.Built in 1878, Providence City Hall is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
adjacent to Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
.
David N. Cicilline finished his term as mayor in 2010, 8 years after taking office as the first openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
mayor of an American state capital. (notably, the second was elected 8 years later in neighboring Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
.) Providence was the largest American city to have an openly gay mayor, until Sam Adams took office in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on January 1, 2009.
The city's first Latino mayor was elected in 2010, Angel Taveras
Angel Taveras
Angel Taveras is an American lawyer and mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. Taveras is the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth serving Dominican-American mayor in the United States....
, who assumed office January 3, 2011.
Postsecondary
- Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, an Ivy LeagueIvy LeagueThe Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
university and one of nine colonial collegesColonial collegesThe Colonial Colleges are nine institutions of higher education chartered in the American Colonies before the United States of America became a sovereign nation after the American Revolution. These nine have long been considered together, notably in the survey of their origins in the 1907 The...
in the nation. - Johnson & Wales UniversityJohnson & Wales UniversityJohnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island, USA, is home to JWU's first and largest of four currently operating campuses. Founded as a business school in 1914, by...
- Providence CollegeProvidence CollegeProvidence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
- Rhode Island CollegeRhode Island CollegeRhode Island College is a nationally ranked, coeducational, state-supported comprehensive college founded in 1854, located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA...
, the state's oldest public college. - Rhode Island School of DesignRhode Island School of DesignRhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
(RISD)
In addition, the Community College of Rhode Island
Community College of Rhode Island
The Community College of Rhode Island, commonly abbreviated as "CCRI", is the only community college in Rhode Island. It was founded as Rhode Island Junior College, "RIJC", in 1964 with 325 students studying on the former Knight Estate. Today CCRI consists of six campuses and enrolls over 16,000...
(Downcity and Liston campuses), Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University, commonly abbreviated as RWU, is a private, coeducational American liberal arts university located on in Bristol, Rhode Island, above Mt. Hope Bay. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams...
(Providence campus) and University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
(Providence campus) have satellite campuses in the city.
Between these schools the number of postsecondary students is approximately 44,000. Compounded by Brown University's being the second-largest employer, higher education exerts a considerable presence in the city's politics and economy.
Private and charter schools
Several private schools, including Moses BrownMoses Brown School
Moses Brown School is a Quaker school located in Providence, Rhode Island, founded by Moses Brown, a Quaker abolitionist, in 1784. It is one of the oldest preparatory schools in the country.-Founder:...
, the Lincoln School
Lincoln School, Rhode Island
Lincoln School is a liberal arts college preparatory day school for girls nursery through twelfth grade, located in Providence, Rhode Island.-History:...
, and the Wheeler School
Wheeler School
The Wheeler School is a coeducational independent day school located on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The school serves students from the nursery level through twelfth-grade.- Mary C. Wheeler :...
, are in the city's East Side
East Side, Providence, Rhode Island
The East Side is a collection of neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island on the eponymous eastern part of the city. It officially comprises the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope , Mount Hope, College Hill , Wayland, and Fox Point.The area is separated from East Providence, Rhode Island to the...
. LaSalle Academy
La Salle Academy, Providence
La Salle Academy is an independent, co-educational Roman Catholic college preparatory day school located in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island...
is located in the Elmhurst area of the city near Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
. The public charter schools Time Squared Academy
Time Squared Academy High School
Time Squared Academy is a charter school in Providence, Rhode Island that specialises in teaching students science and mathematics.- Current :...
(K-12) and Textron Chamber of Commerce (9–12) are funded by GTECH and Textron
Textron
Textron is a conglomerate that includes Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee, among others. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company, and is headquartered at the Textron Tower in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.With total revenues of...
respectively. In addition, the city's South Side houses Community Preparatory School, a private school serving primarily low-income students in grades 3–8.
Within the semi-private schools, The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The Met) and The Big Picture Company schools serve students through real world experiences and project-based learning. There are two separate centers for students with special needs.
Public schools
The Providence Public School DistrictProvidence Public School District
The Providence Public School Department is the administrative force behind the primary public school district of Providence, Rhode Island. It contains 45 schools, 4 annexes, 1 center, and 2 charter schools, and serves 25,085 students, as of January 2006....
serves about 30,000 students from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12. The district has 25 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and thirteen high schools. The Providence Public School District features magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
s at the middle and high school level, Nathanael Greene and Classical
Classical High School
Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public exam school in the Providence School District, in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It was originally an all-male school, but has since become co-ed...
respectively. The overall graduation rate as of 2007 is 70.1%, which is close to the statewide rate of 71% and the national average of 70%.
Culture
Much of Providence culture is synonymous with Rhode Island culture. Like the state, the city has a non-rhotic accent which can be heard on local media. Providence also shares Rhode Island's affinity for coffee, as the former has the most coffee/doughnut shops per capita of any city in the country. Providence, like many other towns, is also reputed to have the highest number of restaurants per capita, many of which are founded and/or staffed by its own Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island, USA, is home to JWU's first and largest of four currently operating campuses. Founded as a business school in 1914, by...
graduates.
Charles, Providence, Rhode Island
Charles is a neighborhood in northern Providence, Rhode Island. Along with Wanskuck, it comprises what is sometimes referred to as the North End. To the west Charles is partitioned from Wanskuck by Route 146, while the Chad Brown public housing complex separates Charles from Smith Hill to the...
(Italian), Fox Point
Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island
Fox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, RI. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods...
(Portuguese), West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
(mainly Central American and Asians), and Smith Hill (Irish with miscellaneous enclaves of other groups). There are also many dedicated community organizations and arts associations located in the city.
The city gained the reputation as one of the most active and growing LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
communities in the Northeast; the rate of reported gay and lesbian relationships is 75% higher than the national average and Providence has been named among the "Best Lesbian Places to Live". The former mayor, David Cicilline
David Cicilline
David Nicola Cicilline is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is formerly the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and was the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.-Early life, education, and career:...
, won his election running as an openly gay man, making him the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital. Former Mayor Cianci instituted the position of Mayor's Liaison to the Gay and Lesbian community in the 1990s. There are numerous social and community organizations supporting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Providence is home to the largest gay bathhouse
Gay bathhouse
Gay bathhouses, also known as gay saunas or steam baths, are commercial bathhouses for men to have sex with other men. In gay slang in some regions these venues are also known colloquially as "the baths" or "the tubs," and should not be confused with public bathing.Not all men who visit gay...
in New England.
WaterFire
WaterFire is the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI.First created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, WaterFire has grown to become an annual public art phenomenon.WaterFire is simultaneously a free...
, an environmental art
Environmental art
The term environmental art is used in two different contexts: it can be used generally to refer to art dealing with ecological issues and/or the natural, such as the formal, the political, the historical, or the social context....
installation that consists of about 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. There are multiple Waterfire events that are accompanied by various pieces of classical and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. The public art displays, most notably sculptures, change on a regular basis.
The city is also the home of the Tony Award-winning theater group Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company is a non-profit regional theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. The theater is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1963, the theater is "one of the most respected regional theatres in the country"...
, the Providence Black Repertory Company
Providence black repertory company
The Providence Black Repertory Company is a 501c3 non profit arts organization that offers programming inspired by the cultural traditions of the African Diaspora in three key areas: Theater, Education, and Public Programs...
, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Rhode Island which performs throughout Southern New England. Founded in 1944, Based in East Providence, Rhode Island, its performing home is Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence...
, as well as groups like The American Band
The American Band
The American Band is a community band based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded as a military band in 1837 by Joseph C. Greene. During its early years, the members were some of the highest paid in the country - even higher than the New York Philharmonic in its first season. Since then, it...
, once associated with noted American composer D. W. Reeves
David Wallis Reeves
David Wallis Reeves , also known as D. W. Reeves or Wally Reeves, was an American composer, cornetist, and bandleader. He developed the American march style, later made famous by the likes of John Philip Sousa, and his innovations include adding a countermelody to the American march form in 1876...
. Providence is also the home of several performing arts centers such as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Providence)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium is a performing arts theater in Providence, Rhode Island. Construction began in 1928, but was delayed by the Great Depression. The theater was finally completed in 1950. It is among the oldest arts venues in Rhode Island and is on the National Register of Historic...
, the Providence Performing Arts Center, and the Providence Festival Ballet. The city's underground music scene, centered around artist-run spaces such as the now-defunct Fort Thunder
Fort Thunder
Fort Thunder was a warehouse on the second floor of a pre-Civil War former textile factory in the Olneyville district of Providence, Rhode Island. From 1995 through 2001, the space was used as a venue for underground music and events, as well as a living and working space for the artists...
, is known in underground music circles.
Sites of interest
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
and Riverwalk, Roger Williams Park
Roger Williams Park
Roger Williams Park, in the southern part of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, is an elaborately landscaped city park and is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is named after the founder of the city of Providence and one of the founders of the...
, Roger Williams National Memorial
Roger Williams National Memorial
Roger Williams National Memorial is a landscaped urban park located on a common lot of the original settlement of Providence, Rhode Island, by Roger Williams in 1636. Bounded by North Main, Canal, and Smith Streets and Park Row, the memorial commemorates the life of the co-founder of the Colony of...
, and Prospect Terrace Park
Prospect Terrace Park
Prospect Terrace Park is a park located on Congdon Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The park, founded in 1867, overlooks the city's "downcity."Author and Providence native H. P...
, the latter featuring expansive views of the downtown area. As one of the first cities in the country, Providence contains many historic buildings while the East Side neighborhood in particular includes the largest contiguous area of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. with many pre-revolutionary houses. The East Side is also home to the First Baptist Church in America
First Baptist Church in America
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
, the oldest Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church in the Americas, founded by Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
in 1638, as well as the Old State House
Old State House (Providence, Rhode Island)
The Old State House on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, known also as Providence Sixth District Court House, Providence Colony House, Providence County House, or Rhode Island State House is located on 150 Benefit Street. It is a brick Georgian-style building completed largely in 1762...
, which served as the state's capitol from 1762 to 1904. Nearby is Roger Williams National Memorial. Downcity Providence is home to the fourth largest unsupported dome
Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located on the border of the Downtown and Smith Hill sections of the state capital city of Providence...
in the world (the second largest marble dome after St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
in Rome), as well as the Westminster Arcade
Westminster Arcade
The Westminster Arcade or Providence Arcade was a historic shopping center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States, built in 1828...
, which is the oldest enclosed shopping center in the U.S.
Rhode Island School of Design Museum
Rhode Island School of Design Museum is a prominent art museum in Providence, Rhode Island affiliated with the well-known Rhode Island School of Design...
, which has the twentieth largest collection in the country. In addition to the Providence Public Library and its nine branches, the city is home to the Providence Athenæum, the fourth oldest library in the country. Here, on one of his many visits to Providence, Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, met and courted a love interest named Sarah Helen Whitman
Sarah Helen Whitman
Sarah Helen Power Whitman was a poet, essayist, transcendentalist, Spiritualist and a romantic interest of Edgar Allan Poe.-Early life:...
. Poe was a regular fixture there, as was H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
(who was born in Providence); both of them influential writers of gothic literature.
The Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
Skating Center, formerly the Fleet Skating Center, is located near Kennedy Plaza in the downtown district, connected by pedestrian tunnel to Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
, a cobblestone and concrete park below street traffic that abuts Providence's three rivers.
The southern part of the city is home to the famous roadside attraction Nibbles Woodaway
Big Blue Bug
The Big Blue Bug, also known as Nibbles Woodaway, is the giant termite mascot of New England Pest Control, located along I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bug is 928 times the size of an actual termite, standing at 9 feet tall and 58 feet long, and weighing 4,000 pounds...
(also known as the "Big Blue Bug"), the world's largest termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
, as well as the aforementioned Roger Williams Park, which contains a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, a botanical center, and the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium.
Sports
The city is home to the American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
team Providence Bruins
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
, which plays at the Dunkin' Donuts Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
(formerly the Providence Civic Center). From 1926 to 1972, the AHL's Providence Reds
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956...
(renamed the Rhode Island Reds in their last years) played at the Rhode Island Auditorium
Rhode Island Auditorium
Rhode Island Auditorium was an indoor arena in Providence, Rhode Island, at 1111 North Main Street. It hosted the NBA's Providence Steamrollers from 1946 until 1949, and the Providence Reds ice hockey team until the Providence Civic Center was opened in 1972. The arena held 5,300 people and opened...
. In 1972, the team relocated to the Providence Civic Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
, where they played until moving to Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in 1977.
The city is home to the Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team Rhode Island Rebellion, which plays at Classical High School
Classical High School
Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public exam school in the Providence School District, in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It was originally an all-male school, but has since become co-ed...
. The Rhode Island Rebellion is a member of the USA Rugby League
USA Rugby League
The USA Rugby League is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League , plus expansion franchises...
(USARL). The Rhode Island Rebellion recognizes its mission to serve club members, the State of Rhode Island and the Country. Its dual focus is to provide an opportunity for interested persons to participate in organized activities to achieve their maximum athletic and skillful potential in Rugby League, and to provide Rhode Islanders with an Exciting Team to become a part of. Its inaugural season began June 4, 2011.Rebellion's Website
The NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
's New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
play in Foxborough
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, which is situated halfway between Providence and Boston. Providence was formerly home to two major league franchises: the NFL's Providence Steam Roller
Providence Steam Roller
The Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England team to win an NFL championship...
in the 1920s and 1930s, and the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Providence Steamrollers
Providence Steamrollers
The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island....
in the 1940s. The city is also where Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
won 29 of his 49 fights.
The city's defunct baseball team, the Providence Grays
Providence Grays
The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at Messer Field in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National League title twice, in and...
, competed in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from 1879 through 1885. The team defeated the New York Metropolitans
New York Metropolitans
The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...
in baseball's first successful "world championship series" in 1884
1884 World Series
In baseball the 1884 World Series was an early forerunner of the modern post-season championship series.Although the "Fall Classic" as we know it didn't begin until 1903, Major League Baseball had several versions of a post-season championship series before that.The first such championship series...
. In 1914, after the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
purchased Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
from the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (minor league)
The city of Baltimore, Maryland has been home to two minor league baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles.-Name history:"Orioles" is a traditional name for baseball clubs in Baltimore . It was used by major league teams from 1882 through 1899 in the American Association/National League and by...
, the team prepared Ruth for the major leagues by sending him to finish the season playing for a minor league team in Providence that was also known as the Grays. Today, professional baseball is offered by the Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
, the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
which plays in nearby Pawtucket
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
. Most baseball fans—along with the local media—tend to follow the Boston Red Sox.
Major colleges and universities fielding NCAA Division I athletic teams are Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
. The latter is a member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. Much local hype is associated with games between these two schools or the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
. Providence has also hosted the alternative sports event Gravity Games
Gravity Games
The Gravity Games were a multi-sport competition originating from Providence, Rhode Island that is broken down into Winter and Summer adaptations...
from 1999 to 2001, and was also the first host of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
, known in its first edition as the Extreme Games, in 1995. Providence has its own roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
league. Formed in 2004, it currently has four teams: the Providence Mob Squad, the Sakonnet River Roller Rats, the Old Money Honeys, and the Rhode Island Riveters.
Health and medicine
Rhode Island Hospital
Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island.-Overview:Rhode Island Hospital is the main teaching hospital of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to...
, the largest general acute care
Acute care
Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery...
hospital in the state. It is also the Level I Trauma Center for Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut. The hospital is in a complex along I-95
Interstate 95 in Rhode Island
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line...
that includes Hasbro Children's Hospital and Women and Infants Hospital. The city is also home to the Roger Williams Medical Center
Roger Williams Medical Center
The Roger Williams Medical Center is a teaching hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.-Overview:Founded in 1878, and located in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence, RWMC is community owned and governed. It is named after Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. Since 1997, it has been...
, St. Joseph Hospital For Specialty Care (a division of St. Joseph Health Services Of Rhode Island), The Miriam Hospital, a major teaching affiliate associated with the Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, as well as a VA
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
medical center.
The Rhode Island Blood Center has its main headquarters in Providence. Since 1979, the Rhode Island Blood Center has been the sole organization in charge of blood collection
Blood donation
A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation....
and testing and distribution
Blood bank
A blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a division of a hospital laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where proper...
of blood products to 11 hospitals in Rhode Island.
Transportation
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
in nearby Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
. General aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
fields also serve the region. Because of overcrowding and Big Dig complications in Boston, Massport has been promoting T.F. Green as an alternative to Boston's Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
.
Providence Station, located between the Rhode Island State House
Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located on the border of the Downtown and Smith Hill sections of the state capital city of Providence...
and the downtown district, is served by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
services, with a commuter rail route running north to Boston and south to a recently opened station at T.F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport (MBTA station)
T. F. Green Airport is a train station and intermodal facility in Warwick, Rhode Island on the Northeast Corridor, adjacent to T. F. Green Airport...
. Approximately 2400 passengers daily pass through the station.
I-95
Interstate 95 in Rhode Island
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line...
runs from north to south through Providence while I-195 connects the city to eastern Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, including New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. I-295 encircles Providence while RI 146 provides a direct connection with Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The city has commissioned and begun a long-term project, the Iway
Iway
The Iway is the $610 million project by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to relocate the Interstate 195 and Interstate 95 intersection in Providence, Rhode Island...
, to move I-195 not only for safety reasons, but also to free up land and to reunify the Jewelry District with Downcity Providence, which had been split from one another by the highway. The project is estimated to cost $446 million and be completed in 2012.
Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
, in downtown Providence, serves as a transportation hub for local public transit as well as a departure point for Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....
and Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
bus lines. Public transit is managed by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...
(RIPTA). Through RIPTA alone Kennedy Plaza serves over 71,000 people a day. The majority of the area covered by RIPTA is served by traditional buses. Of particular note is the East Side Trolley Tunnel
East Side Trolley Tunnel
The East Side Trolley Tunnel is a tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island, originally built for trolley use in 1914. In 1948 the tracks were removed and the tunnel was paved for use by buses and trackless trolleys. The trackless trolley system in Providence was dismantled in the mid-1950s...
running under College Hill, the use of which is reserved for RIPTA buses. RIPTA also operates the Providence LINK, a system of tourist trolley
Tourist trolley
A tourist trolley, also called a road trolley, is a rubber-tired bus , which is made to resemble an old-style streetcar or tram....
s in downtown Providence. From 2000 to 2008, RIPTA operated a seasonal ferry to Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
between May and October.
Utilities
Electricity and natural gas are provided by National Grid. Providence Water is responsible for the distribution of drinking water, ninety percent of which comes from the Scituate ReservoirScituate Reservoir
The Scituate Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in the state of Rhode Island. It has an aggregate capacity of and a surface area of 5.3 square miles...
about ten miles (16 km) west of downtown, with contributions coming from four smaller bodies of water. Drinking water in Providence has been rated among the highest quality in the country.
Sister cities
Providence has four sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
designated by Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Providence
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island
- Neighborhoods in ProvidenceNeighborhoods in ProvidenceThe city of Providence, Rhode Island has 25 official neighborhoods.Many of these neighborhoods are often grouped together referred to collectively:...
- Notable people from ProvidenceNotable people from Providence, Rhode IslandThe following is a list of notable people from Providence, Rhode Island.-Arts, literature, humanities and entertainment:* Tom Adams - an illustrator most famous for his Agatha Christie paperback cover designs...
External links
- The City of Providence website
- Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Portrait of Providence from Altitude, 2010, aerial photos by Doc Searles