A Walking Tour of Providence

Stroll your way through the city for an afternoon | Presented by Expedia.com

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One of the great things about Providence is its walkability. For a small city, we pack a lot of delicious food and interesting attractions into a few square miles. Spend the day taking an epicurean stroll through the city, without hiking too far afield.

Start your morning with breakfast from Ellie’s Bakery. The downtown morning hotspot has Parisian influences (don’t leave without a macaron, made in seasonal flavors) with a local sensibility, serving locavore breakfast sandwiches on freshly baked breads.

A quick half-mile walk will take you through downtown and across the Providence River - make sure you stop to check out the street art by the bridge - to the RISD Museum. The world-class art museum is part of the Rhode Island School of Design, and hosts notable exhibitions like Inventing Impressionism, with works on display from Cezanne, Monet, Pissarro and Degas through June.

All that art probably made you hungry, so leave the museum and walk two blocks up Benefit Street to Denden Cafe Asiana. The casual cafe serves up some of the city’s best Asian food. Don’t miss the Monkey Balls (deep fried mushrooms with spicy tuna), bibimbap or the Korean fried chicken.

Denden is on Benefit Street, also known as A Mile of History. The street on College Hill is a National Historic Landmark for the density of historic homes and preserved architecture. The homes are beautiful, and the views of the rest of the city are unmissable. While you’re on Benefit, stop in at the Providence Athenaeum, an 1838 private library that’s open to visitors (as long as you’re not trying to check out any books) and hosts regular salons.

Head north on Benefit Street towards the harbor. Your next adventure is going to be by boat. Just over three-quarters of a mile away is The Providence River Boat Company, which offers daily sightseeing tours and sunset cruises. (Pro tip: bringing your own wine is encouraged.) Tours last about an hour and offer a unique perspective on the city.

The boat disembarks at The Hot Club, a laid-back waterfront bar that had its 15 minutes of fame in There’s Something About Mary. Stay for a dark and stormy on the deck, which is open year round, and don’t miss the self-serve popcorn the bar is known for. But, don’t spoil your appetite, because you’re headed back downtown for dinner. A quick mile through the historic Jewelry District will bring you to Figidini Wood Fire Eatery. They serve rustic Neapolitan pizzas with ingredients directly from Italy, and prepare all of their food in a wood oven that imparts a unique, unforgettable flavor to your meal.

After dinner, have a nightcap at Aurora, just two blocks away. The music venue is always hosting fun events like concerts, dance parties and stage performances.  The cocktails at their tiki bar are not to be missed, including a rotating selection of surprisingly sophisticated frozen drinks on tap.
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