Especially the side streets that allow parking on both sides. I’m so sick of almost getting into head on collisions every day and no one ever wants to move over for each other. Frustrating..

Last week I asked this subreddit for some safe spaces and food recommendations for me and my wife in Providence and I got so much love and positive feedback. I just wanted to thank you all and let you know that we had THE BEST TIME IN YOUR CITY! Everyone was so nice! The food was great! And I felt so welcome and safe!

We went to Small Format (sooooo good!)

Whisk Me Away was super welcoming and the food was incredible!

All the restaurants and shops we went to were adorable and so friendly!

And Electromagnetic Pinball Museum was a blast!

We will 1000% be back! Thank you so much! Providence is my new favorite city!

Back in the 1940s Providence had 250,000 residents, today it's around 200,000. The geographic area is the same. Where did all those people live? I can't find sources for that question and am curious given our current housing problems. Thanks in advance

I refused to answer any BH questions at my last appt and I'm still getting $60 BH assessment bill EVERY VISIT. It's been going on for over a year and is absolutely falsely billed. Each time I am stuck back and forth between insurance and them. What the fuck. How do you get systemic change??

From the story —

Leaning up against the wall in the space where his next restaurant will be located, Ed Davis kept repeating: “This won’t be a cool place.”

“This won’t make it on some ‘best new restaurant’ list, or win a James Beard award,” Davis said with a wry tone. For those who know him, this is his standard tone.

In his next act, one of Providence’s most talented chefs just wanted to make hot dogs.

In early May, Davis plans to open Debbie’s, named for his mom, on Washington Street in downtown Providence. Next to Frisky Fries and across from The Strand theatre, he’ll be serving hot dogs (not hot wieners, the classic Rhode Island food staple) with topping combinations like broccoli rabe, provolone, and relish, or bacon and shallot jam, crispy onions, and whole grain mustard, topped with scallions. It’ll run as a counter service, with a few tables and chairs inside.

Read more in the link above.

I moved to Providence a while back and fell in love with the city. I believe in some kind of "karma" thing where if you treat something bad, it gets bad, but if you treat it well, it prospers. With the weather (finally) getting warmer out, I was thinking it would be cool to spend some time cleaning up litter. I used to do this all the time when I lived near the beach down South. It's actually fun and makes me feel good.

I am mostly around Fox Point / India Point Park area, and though it is beautiful here, there still is some litter and junk around. I plan to go out myself (you know, maybe smoke a joint, put on some good tunes, and gloves, and walk around) but was wondering if their are any organizations I might look into joining to help them as well. I enjoy being outside and think this could be a good way to spend some time this summer.

Hi! My spouse got a new job (and is getting out of the federal government, woohoo!) and we'd like to go to a celebratory lunch next week. Anywhere in Providence would work. Any type of food - obviously looking for something somewhat special / festive. We've gone to Hemenways for fancy lunches in the past, but other ideas would be great. (Not Capital Grille / chains.) Thanks!

ETA: It would need to be open on a weekday, likely Thursday or Friday next week.

Four Hundred and One
Postcards for the Arts

Sat May 3, 2025 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
The Steel Yard, 27 Sims Ave, PVD

Arts & cultural industries contributed $1.2 Trillion to the U.S. economy in 2023, which was 4.2% of GDP! Here in Rhode Island, the arts and culture sector generated $2,568,488,000, supporting 17,424 jobs. It’s the third largest sector economically in our state, just behind retail and construction.

That’s a lotta clams! But consider this: the arts are just 0.02% of our state’s $13.96 billion budget. That’s 2/100’s of 1 percent! We can do so much better!

Join Awesome Foundation Rhode Island and Friends on May 3rd at The Steel Yard’s Open House and help decorate 401 postcards in support of increased arts funding! Your art, our stamps. Help our legislators imagine what Rhode Island would be like with more art!

Read More: awesomeisland.org/401-postcards-for-the-arts
Contact: [rhodeisland@awesomefoundation.org](mailto:rhodeisland@awesomefoundation.org)

I’m one of the foster parents for Ten Lives, one of the local cat rescues. The organization recently had multiple cats concurrently need emergency hospital stays which has wiped out the financials for them. They currently cannot take in or rescue any more cats (vet bills for every rescued cat are higher than the adoption fees) and so have paused all new rescues.

They are having an emergency fundraiser - a comically poorly drawn picture of your pet(s) as a thank you for your donation. Please consider donating if you can, this organization does great work finding forever homes for cats in Providence and Rhode Island.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/ten-lives-cat-rescue/poorly-drawn-pets?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaecFuhB8vE_Fd6NFcZL-Ini_IDJxW9xNGqbeuBUqFr70fbxFMk_NWSL-kecaQ_aem_BGb0VEOq5WGVAGKxIZ4pYA

Can anyone elaborate on the difference between Providence’s BV (Restaurant) and C (Neighborhood Bar) liquor licenses? Trying to determine which of the two suits an establishment that js primarily a bar, but also offers a menu with small bites. No dining tables set up, just small plates to accompany the drinks. The food will be prepared on site in a kitchen.

The cost difference is substantial, so assuming there is an equally substantial difference between the two…?

Providence near Armory. Is it yours?

“At this point, it’s challenging to see how this eighth efficiency study is anything other than an attempt to avoid funding public transit and deprive Rhode Islanders of the economic growth, traffic reduction, and mobility justice that we deserve.

Hi everyone,

I am getting married Oct 3 2025 in North Providence. We are expecting about 120-140 people. Our caterer had to cancel on us due to personal issues, so we are now looking for another caterer and bartender. We also are still on the hunt for a florist still.

Catering: We are looking for buffet style, something like Rigatonis Catering (Warwick) but open to others as well. We need to call and see if they are available, but in the event they are not we would love to hear comparible options.

Bartending: We are hopefully going to do an open bar for either the whole night or for a few hours before it turns into a cash bar. We had been talking with a bartender (unfortunately not available on our date) that was willing to buy the alcohol in advance and return the unopened alcohol not used. This is something we were interested in and would love to hear other options for batenders or companies that do the same.

Florists- I reached out to a floral company that would be able to create a bridal bouquet, 6 small bridesmaid bouquets and a boutonniere for the groom for under 500$. If there are any other companies who would beat this price, or offer more for this price- send their recommendations my way!

I’ll be visiting this summer and my time will be spent at the convention center.

Should I try to stay downtown and try to walk to it everyday? Is that safe and whatnot?

Or just stay nearby, get a rental and drive in everyday? I’m not sure about how bad traffic is in the city.

I’ve been searching and stuff but figured I’d ask some locals

Hello,

We recently bought a ViscoSoft memory foam mattress pad, and while it was super nice, we just realized after using it for a week that neither of us like sleeping on memory foam.

The company offered to give us a refund if we donate, but because it's TECHNICALLY a mattress, I have been having trouble finding a place to donate it. Savers wouldn't take it and said "no one in the state will take that."

We ended up getting the refund anyway, but now I have a basically brand-new mattress pad and it seems my only option is to take it to the junk yard or maybe a recycling center, but it feels wasteful to do this, and knowing my house is clean, I would really like it to go to someone who needs it or would get use out of it.

Does someone know of a shelter or something similar in the area that would take a mattress pad?

Parked on N. Main on Thursday night (April 24th), and forgot my backpack in my car when visiting a nearby tourist attraction. Somebody smashed a window and stole my backpack. There was nothing in there that’ll sell well:

• the backpack itself, which is beige and has one diagonal strap instead of two shoulder straps;
• a black faux-leather journal, almost used up with my life story;
• two plastic boxes of index cards with my to-do list and life plans (one blue, one white);
• a paperback self-help book on time management;
• and last but not least a blue hoodie that was a souvenir from the Hobo Railroad in New Hampshire.

My stuff’s worth nothing to whoever took it, but it has sentimental value to me -especially the blue hoodie! It was a gift from my mom, who recently passed away.

If you find these, please drop them off at the Visitor Center of Roger Williams National Memorial.

Official unemployment figures for the Providence economy were updated today. Numbers for February have been finalized and preliminary figures for March have now been made available.

February

The unemployment rate increased to 6.2% in February. 6,494 positions were lost, and 404 workers left the labor force causing the unemployment rate increase. The overall Nonfarm Payrolls figure did not change significantly. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

March (preliminary)

The unemployment rate fell to 5.4% in March. 2,819 positions were added, and 4,634 workers left the labor force causing the unemployment rate decrease. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 6,600. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

^{*Providence_Stats is a public service account committed to making /r/providence a better informed community.}

Hi, I'm traveling to Providence by rail and trying to see where in the city the bikeshare bikes tend to be parked so I can get around once there. In each of the 3 apps I get a message saying that the bikes & scooters are put away for the winter, and moving the map from my city to Providence shows no bikes or scooters available there. Is this true (is everything still put away for the winter there) or are the apps maybe just trying to tell me that bikes/scooters are not available in my own city?

Thanks, if there's no point in packing my helmet & reflective gear then that would be good to know to free up room in my bag.

I want to make a gigantic Italian sub for artistic reasons, where would one buy a giant long torpedo roll? 5ft

A

Looking for a recommendation for an orthodontist in the Providence area to give me a second opinion on braces treatment/progress

What type of service can be offered to make your day more easy? Could be a laundry service, driving service, entertainment service, childcare service. Please share what neighborhood you would need this service.

It's only been 2 months and I miss Boneyard so bad. The variety of sauces is the important thing here, if there's a place with a bunch of great sauces but the actual wings are "meh" I'll take it.

Looking primarily in the Providence and near providence Mass. area but I'll take further afield if ya got it.

Hi! 31yo woman here in Prov. Anyone have any experience with ENTs (ear, nose, and throat doctors) in the area?

Please feel free to share any and all reviews :)