Summer Guide

Providence: Experience Summer in the City

Who needs a beach when you're in the Creative Capital?

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Get Your Blood Pumping
Spend the morning getting some exercise, whether that’s with a City Running Tour to take you past all the landmarks downtown, or the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Benefit Street: A Mile of History, delving into the details of the city street on the National Register of Historic Places for its concentration of historic architecture. Running: CityRunningTours.com/Providence. RIHS: RIHS.org

For a little more adventure, stroll through Roger Williams Park, where there’s a botanical garden, swan boats, a natural history museum, a carousel and the biggest (and in our opinion, best) zoo in New England, where you can feed giraffes and ride camels. 1000 Elmwood Avenue. 401-785-3510, RWPZoo.org

Lunch Al Fresco

Make sure you end your tour somewhere near The Duck and Bunny. The state’s only snuggery (and quite possibly the world’s only snuggery… actually, what is a snuggery?) offers brunch daily, with a delicious selection of crepes, freshly baked cupcakes, teas and wine, fruit and herb-infused cocktails. Everything tastes better in their garden terrace, where there are birds splashing in bird baths and herbs growing around you that are in your food. In the Providence Marriott Downtown, Aqua is an urban oasis. The poolside restaurant serves salads, sandwiches and cocktails. Duck and Bunny: 312 Wickenden Street. 401-270-3300, TheDuckandBunny.com. Aqua: 1 Orms Street. 401-272-2400, MarriottProvidence.com

Take in Some Art
The RISD Museum is worth a visit any time, but this summer is an especially excellent time to spend an afternoon. All of Everything: Todd Oldham Fashion celebrates the revolutionary designer – known for putting future supermodels like Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford on the runway as unknowns. The exhibit includes 65 of Oldham’s runway looks, and a bunch of events like the All of Everything Dance Party on June 17, featuring music by DJ Lady Bunny, red carpet photos and on-the-spot fashion illustrations by renowned artist Jarno Kettunen. 20 North Main Street. 401-454-6500, RISDMuseum.org

Go City Chic for Dinner

The Providence G, formerly home to a utility company and now luxury condos, has several chic options for your evening. G Pub offers gastropub fare like Shrimp n’ Grits and Farmhouse Fried Chicken, plus pool tables and private karaoke rooms. Garde offers haute seafood, including a great raw bar. After dinner, make sure you head upstairs to The Rooftop at the G, the city’s only rooftop bar, where you can cozy up on couches with fire pits and watch the sunset. G Pub: 61 Orange Street. 401-632-4782, ProvidenceGPub.com. Garde: 86 Dorrance Street. 401-632-4799, GardeDeLaMer.com. Rooftop: 100 Dorrance Street. 401-632-4904, RooftopAtTheG.com

Have Some Evening Fun
There are so many fun things to do in Providence when the sun goes down that your problem won’t be finding something, it will be narrowing it down to just one (or two, or three) entertaining activity. WaterFire is the city’s signature event, with crowds in the thousands and lightings happening on weekends all summer. On Thursdays, head to Burnside Park for the Burnside Music Series and Beer Garden, featuring great local bands and brews by Trinity Brewhouse, or to Grant’s Block for Movies on the Block, where you bring your own chair and watch a classic flick projected onto a side of a building. Friday nights bring the hugely popular, free WBRU Summer Concert Series, presented by Mayor Jorge Elorza and the City of Providence, which pair a local opener with a national touring band. WaterFire: WaterFire.org. Burnside: ProvParksConservancy.org/Visit/Music. Movies: 260 Westminster Street, Grant’s Block. MoviesOnTheBlock.com. Summer Concerts: WBRU.com

WBRU Summer Concert Series, Movies on the Block, Trinity Brewhouse, Burnside Music Series and Beer Garden, WaterFire, G Pub, Garde, The Rooftop at the G, RISD Museum, All of Everything: Todd Oldham Fashion, The Duck and Bunny, Providence Marriott Downtown, Rhode Island Historical Society, City Running Tour, Roger Williams Park

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