This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Providence, RI photos courtesy of the Providence Warwick CVB; credit all photos: Nicholas Millard


Have you ever judged an entire city or region’s friendliness factor simply based on the first person that you’ve met there?


You know -“The people in ___ are so nice!”- Just because the guy at the car rental counter smiled warmly at you. Or -“The people from ___ are the worst!”- Simply because fate had you crossing paths with someone who’s far less enjoyable to be around than you are.


With this exact mentality I found myself in the presence of a beautiful stranger while in a completely unfamiliar town. Here’s how I came to meet,uh,what’s her name again...?


“Taz”she’ll tell me with a demure smile. After ordering a late lunch from the Small Point Café, a friendly and diminu- tive light-breakfast, lunch,dinner and coffee haven with local artist’s renderings


70 September  October 2015


lining the walls, the café resides along Westminster Street amid Providence’s upscale and energetic Downcity section.


Collecting my tasty hummus wrap and accompanying cup of fair trade coffee, I immediately headed toward the outdoor seating out front hoping to snag a nice alfresco table. Alas,all were occupied save for a lone two-top, situated directly in the beating sun. It was then I spotted the gorgeous young lady camped out at the next table over working on her laptop. “Uh,excuse me. Do you mind if I sit with you? I forgot to put on sunscreen,and…”


“Sure, absolutely. Not a problem,” she gestured to the open seat across from her. Thus began and ended my half-hour friendship with the congenial Taz who made me feel instantly welcome in Providence,and - let’s face it - there are


few cities where I’d feel comfortable in even asking a stranger to share the intimate confines of a café table with me, and it’s even rarer for that stranger to so easily acquiesce. (I never would have done such a thing in, say, NewYork City, and I doubt that most NewYorkers would think twice about sharing their tiny table space with me.)


In other words: First impressions count here in“America’s Best Small City.” Who’ll you meet is most likely what you’ll get - a cordial laid back-ness. It’s part old New England amenability with a dash of insouciant youth thrown in for good measure.


Providence boasts a honey of a locale, situated between big brothers Boston and NewYork City, with the rest of Massachusetts,metro NJ, and my own Philly as not-so-far-away feeders.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92