I’m starting to think a writer for Travel + Leisure had a pretty scarring trip to Providence. While offering no real explanation as to why Providence is unwelcoming and unpleasant, the magazine named our very own city 18th on its rankings for Rudest City in America. Earlier this year, we were ranked #6 in T+L’s Strangest City list. Now that’s rude.
Looking for more ways to procrastinate? BlogDH is here with a roundup of the best things to do in Providence during December that don’t involve orgo, the SciLi or copious amounts of caffeine.
Head down to Federal Hill Dec. 11 for a festive afternoon of carols and cocoa, plus a visit from Santa himself.
Embark on Hope Street’s Annual Winter Stroll Dec. 15. Take in the results of the Merchant’s Window Dressing Contest while taking advantage of the special sales and promotions. Enjoy the live entertainment and look out for Santa!
We all know Rhode Island can be a little backwards at times. From continuing to allow indoor prostitution to flourish until 2009, to the racist awkward reality that we’re that only state in the nation with the word “plantations” still in its name (true story, look it up), this place can be a little behind the times every now and then. Throw in a dash of good ol’ fashioned Puritan anti-drinking fervor, and you’ve got a real recipe for success — a fact which might help explain why the news team over at NBC1o has been living under a rock for a better part of the last decade.
In a recent video “exclusive” (posted not but two weeks ago) , the I-team over at the local news station exposed the perils of a “dangerous new drinking game” sweeping the Providence community by storm. Now, if you’re like any other student on this campus, your ears probably immediately perk up upon hearing that magical phrase. I think the only four words I might like more in conjunction with one another are “here’s a free burrito” or “there’s the open bar.” Unfortunately for us, however, the dangerous “new” drinking game the investigative team has uncovered is about as new as Professor Hazeltine (we love you Barrett!).
What is this mystery pasttime, you ask? [Read more →]
If you haven’t noticed The Onion newspapers floating around the dining halls the past few weeks…we completely understand, because the Herald is better. However, if you do enjoy The Onion and its hyper-pop culturally aware child, The A.V. Club, you might be pleased to know that the publication has decided to throw a party to promote celebrate its presence in the newest city under its ironic news umbrella. The free, yes FREE, show will be happening tonight at Fete Ballroom (because Lupo’s would have been too predictable) and will feature rock/blues guitarist Jeff Pitchell & R&B backing band Texas Flood. If that’s not enough to convince you, the event page announces that Buddy Cianci, yes that guy, will be hosting the bash. RSVP information here.
According to Travel + Leisure, Providence is home to the 6th strangest people in America. However, our “normal” friends at T + L don’t give us much of an explanation for this honor. They do highlight our “underground galleries and avant-garde performance spaces”, because apparently, hamster equals strange. They also give a shout-out to our highly ranked, but still “quirky” pizza. Celebratory trip to Nice Slice, anyone?
Author’s note: my hometown nabbed the #8 spot. This writer is concerned.
Despite having been a Brown student for nearly four years, there are still a few things I don’t understand about this puritanical city we call home. Providence, the 401, Browntown, USA, call it what you want, but there’s no denying this place is both strangely magical and magically strange sometimes. Though the list of Providence curiosities is extensive, I’ve taken the liberty of picking some winners that I find to be particularly perplexing.
1. The lack of public trashcans on College Hill: Leave the immediate vicinity of main campus and you’re more likely to find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow than you are to find a damn trashcan. As it is, the existing trashcans here on campus are confusing enough to require an AMCV class to decipher how to use them properly. Mixed containers? Solar-powered big bellies? My brain hurts. All I wanted was to be a responsible citizen, but now I have to put the remnants of my burrito in my backpack until I can Googlemaps a trash receptacle. #Capitalcityfail.
Let’s face it, here at Brown there’s just not enough time in the day to waste it walking hither and thither. Your brutal schedule of Russian Lit and AMCV0190E demands that you methodically obliterate every single superfluous second of transit time. We here at BlogDH want to help: by pointing out some “EPIC shortcuts” that, over time, could literally add days to your life, you can use the extra to play Farmville, read Sartre, or refresh the Blog page so to increase our hits! The insider tips to navigating Brown’s campus at near-lightning speed are after the jump:
It can be way too easy sometimes to get trapped in the College Hill bubble. A fun trip off campus every now and then can be a good break from all the goings on at Brown. I say, go see live music!
When it comes to bands on tour, Providence may not have the big-city draw of say New York, Philly, or Boston, but between Providence and Pawtucket we still have a decent number of concerts coming up. Already this fall, we’ve had, among others, Deer Tick, Das Racist, Tiesto and Girl Talk play shows nearby. For all you live music fans out there, I’vescouredtheinterwebs and compiled a list of some of the upcoming concerts close to campus and others in the surrounding area. Boston’s only an hour train ride away. The latest train back to Providence is usually 11:10 pm though, which sucks. If you want to make sure you see the whole show, you should probably figure out somewhere to stay for the night.
Providence and Pawtucket:
Neon Indian and Kreayshawn Thursday November 3 – Peterson Recreation Center, Providence College – free or $5 ??? “Chillwave” band and that girl walking around campus with a baggie full of Adderalls.
Shwayze and Cisco Adler Friday November 4 – Lupo’s – $15 advance, $20 day of They had the world buzzin’ in 2008. They even had a show on MTV.
Josh Groban Wednesday November 9 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RI – $21.50 Dreamy opera singer. [Read more →]
We all know and love the best weekend of the year: Family Weekend. Upperclassmen look fondly back on the time when their parents would visit for a couple of days to replenish snacks, buy new clothes for the upcoming bitter months and look for excuses to pawn useless dorm necessities off on us.
Often, parents will try and utilize this opportunity to relive their college years while simultaneously bonding with their now-adult children. Read: they want to eat in the dining hall. And to that, we must be strong! Be principled! Stand up for yourself and for all that tastes good in the world! Demand food off-campus before it’s too late and you start to notice leftovers being served in the Ratty three days in a row. Providence was named the third best city for foodies in America [via], and now is the time to take advantage ofeducate your parents on some of the wonderful food offered here. Let them drive you wherever your their heart desires and bask in the glory of the foodie-heaven that is Providence. Even if fancy food isn’t your style, at least use this weekend as an opportunity to get off Thayer Street. I know we thought that Paragon would never get old, but alas…
Pricey-but-worth-it Dinner
Al Forno Restaurant, www.alforno.com, 577 South Main Street, Providence, (401) 273-9760
Made famous by their amazing appetizer pizza, this classy (and relatively pricey) Italian restaurant is first-rate. Just a hop, skip and jump away from Whisky Republic, this restaurant truly offers some of the best Italian food that can be found on this side of the Atlantic. Open Tuesday through Sunday, Al Forno does NOT take reservations, is fairly small and fills up FAST: plan accordingly. [Read more →]
Providence was recently featured as the second-most “surprisingly romantic” city in the US, prompting a Rhode Island radio station to run a story with the headline “Providence, RI: A city of love, romance and macaroni.” Great.
We assume the judges of this highly legitimate contest have seen Federal Hill, the Netflix Instant-available classic love story about a Brown archaeology student and Nicky, the Atwells Avenue-dwelling petty criminal who falls for her. Spoiler alert: Their meet-cute is him selling her some coke. Awwww.
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