Providence Station: 100 Gaspee St, Providence, RI 02903
This is where you arrived in Providence. This building was built in 1986, with the tracks under the building to help make the station smaller than the previous providence train station. There's a bathroom and some snacks so it makes traveling a little easier.
Water Place Park: Memorial Blvd, Providence, RI 02903
Water Place Park is a really cool spot to hang out and eat lunch during the day or to catch a free concert or watch the waterfire at night. Waterfire is a Rhode Island tradition that started when the Riverwalk was built in 1994. The Providence river was rerouted and bridges were made to mirror those in Venice, Italy. Barnaby Evans created a living sculpture that is lit most saturdays throughout the spring, summer and fall, sometimes just the basin is lit but nonetheless the event is always beautiful. Gondolas float filled with wood and torches to feed the fires as fire dancers and performers dance along the center of the river on narrow cement passages. During the day you can see Gondolas floating down the river with singing gondoliers playing instruments, and with kayakers, canoers and dinner boats cruising along. When there is a concert, you’ll see the amphitheater styled steps along with the grass behind them filled with people, you'll also see tons of people watching from boats in the water.
Wall of Hope: 1 Financial Way Waterplace Park Providence, RI 02903
If you walk around the basin across from the stage area you will see The Wall of Hope, which is comprised of 11,000+ ceramic tiles made by people in the community after 9/11. The wall is one of three locations with these tiles, you can also find them on the Providence Journal Building and inside the Rhode Island Convention Center. I am not sure if these tiles remain here currently, I know they were trying to move them indoors to some sort of gallery but are still working on the design and execution of the move. I know they did start to remove some tiles in 2018 but I couldn’t find information on if they finished the removal or not. This is the inscription that was on display at the water place park location:"This mosaic was created by more than 10,000 Rhode Island Residents of all ages, races, religion, and cultures. The magnificent artwork you see here is a tribute to loved ones lost, to the heroes of the 9-11-01 tragedy and to our hope for the future.”
Providence Art Club: 11 Thomas Street, Providence, RI 02903
The Providence Art Club founded in 1880 is within an old building that makes absolutely no sense. There are four buildings that comprise the art club, connected by hallways, tall stairwells, a back elevator and a parking garage? The art club is preserving these buildings to keep their meaning and tradition alive. I have been part of a fashion show that gets put on here for the past couple years and I have also been to a few other things and I am still just as confused by this building as I was the first time I set foot into it. According to Visitrhodeisland.com H.P. Lovecraft also disliked the building he “found it so revolting that he set his horror story “The Call of Cthulhu” (1926) there.” A lot of their events are for members only, including lectures, presentations, classes and galleries. The Providence art club is a sort of social club for its members and their guests, they do host events and dinners that you can pay to enter but overall it is a sort of elitist club with obscene membership fees. The architecture is interesting and if you have the opportunity to attend an event here it is definitely a fun building to explore. I am not sure if you can explore the premises on any given day or if you would have to be attending an event to be able to be within their walls.
Big Nazo: The corner of Eddy st and Fulton st
Growing up Big Nazo was extremely exciting to me, I remember walking through providence with my parents and seeing these giant creatures in the windows of their building. In this building they have exhibitions and workshops, they also put on local performances that are spread throughout the. Their performances include comedy, drama, music, gogo dancing, wrestling and much much more.
The Plant: 60 Valley St
The Plant in Providence, although not within walking distance, is my all time favorite place to go to and hang out at in Providence. The self driving shuttles frequent olneyville so depending on where you start maybe you can take one of those over here. The Plant is a living/working/commercial space that’s focused on art and community (they describe it way better on their website). Within the industrial brick building is a courtyard that houses a weekly “flicks on bricks” event where you can watch a classic movie sponsored by a local business, with food and drink provided by different local businesses each week. You can also get some fun street food inspired meals from Troop or dive into an interesting book and an intoxicating beverage at Riffraff, the bookstore/bar. Also within this old factory building you’ll find Hungry Ghost press, an apparel store with in store made goods, stop by midday and you’ll probably find them screen printing or sewing up some new one-off designs. They have free printing for anybody who wants to print zines, posters, etc. as long as you leave one in their library for other customers to enjoy. They also host different events with outside artists doing screen printing demos or pop up shop.
