Rhode Island
10 Oldest Founded Small Towns to Visit in Rhode Island
Providence can make for the best history-themed vacation in Rhode Island, perhaps even in New England. Among many of its attractions, the oldest town in the Ocean State has the Roger Williams National Memorial, a site that pays tribute to the man credited with founding the state and advancing ideas ahead of his time, particularly the concept of the separation of church and state. However, Rhode Island is home to many other smaller towns that are both historic and beautiful. From Portsmouth to South Kingston, discover below the ten oldest-founded small towns to visit in Rhode Island.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth, the oldest municipality in Rhode Island after Providence, lies along the Sakonnet River, an Indian name that ostensibly means “Haunt of the Wild Black Goose.” Portsmouth was established in 1638 by Anne Hutchinson, William Coddington, and John Clarke, among others. Hutchinson had been arguing that people could reach God through individual intuition — not by observing institutionalized beliefs or following the precepts of ministers. For this, she was accused of “traducing the ministers,” to mean slandering them — was convicted in 1637 and banished from Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. That is how Hutchinson, with some of her followers, established Portsmouth. Today, one will enjoy roaming around the Green Animals Topiary Garden, swimming in the calm, shallow waters of Sandy Point Beach, or grazing at fun, casual spots such as Foodworks Restaurant, loved for its great breakfast and lunch menu.
Westerly
As its name implies, Westerly is the westernmost town in the state of Rhode Island. It reclines along the Pawcatuck River, an Algonquian Indian word that ostensibly means “open divided stream.” Although its European settlement history goes back to 1648, Westerly would be incorporated 21 years later in 1669. The town had its start as a ship-building hub before transitioning into an economy that mostly relies on tourism. Visitors often marvel at the massive historic homes here, including the Babcock-Smith House, a Georgian Mansion built in 1734, many years before the Continental Congress. Down at Watch Hill, the charming village where Taylor Swift has a home, a visitor will enjoy a quiet, laid-back vacation amid spellbinding nautical charm. For some light action, Napatree Point Conservation Area, which features one of the best sunset beaches in Rhode Island, has well-kept paths perfect for evening strolls. If tagging kids, the Flying Horse Carousel is the oldest working carousel in the nation. Ready to crown it with a glass of wine? Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery is a required stop.
North Kingstown
An outdoor and garden shop in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Editorial credit: James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com
Settled in 1641, incorporated in 1674, and divided into North Kingstown and South Kingstown in 1723, this town (and area) boasts some of the most dated histories in Rhode Island. One can trace the town’s footprints at spots such as the Old Narragansett Church, which was built in 1707, Smith’s Castle, one of the oldest surviving plantation houses in America (it was built in 1678), and the impressive Casey Farm in nearby Saunderstown, which was built around 1750 and is today maintained as a typical New England farmstead, complete with flowers and fruits, meat and music. Plus, Saunderstown is the birthplace of Gilbert Stuart, who painted the most popular image of George Washington; the one on the American one-dollar bill. If in the area, you may want to check out The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum. For some sand and sun, North Kingstown Town Beach is right at your doorstep.
East Greenwich
East Greenwich rests on the beautiful Greenwich Bay, just 20 minutes down the road from Providence. It was incorporated in 1677 and later called Dedford before being renamed for the city of Greenwich in London, where hemispheres meet and from where we have the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time. For many years after the birth of the new nation, Rhode Island would rotate its capitol to its five counties. During this period, East Greenwich served as one of the five capitals, representing Kent County. The courthouse, now East Greenwich Town Hall, was built in 1804. It is here that the meetings of the General Assembly were held. Many Revolutionary War heroes hailed from East Greenwich, including General James Mitchell Varnum, whose house, now the Varnum House Museum, is restored with period furnishings. There is also the Kentish Guards Armory, one of a handful of militia armories in the entire state.
Little Compton
Little Compton, founded by explorers from Plymouth Colony, was once called Sakonnet, translated as “the black goose comes.” Today, the town’s flag has two geese, possibly lending credence to the assertion. It was incorporated in 1682, 12 years before the convention of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia’s Carpenters’ Hall. Sakonnet was renamed “Little Compton” the same year. Wilbor House, built in the 1600s, now hosts the Little Compton Historical Society. Accommodation options around the town include Stone House Inn, an elegant four-story house constructed in 1854 by a prominent business entrepreneur from Providence. At Whitehead Preserve at Dundery, a scenic boardwalk takes one through the woods amid the soft cooing of birds and nature’s unspoiled beauty.
New Shoreham
New Shoreham, which is the only town on Block Island, was incorporated in 1672. Settlers from Massachusetts arrived on Block Island in 1661. In 1664, just three years later, the island was admitted to the colony of Rhode Island. Once known primarily for farming and fishing, Block Island is today a fairly big name in vacation circles. You can stay at the Spring House Hotel, which is loved for its stunning views and central location. It was built in 1854, and hence, is the oldest hotel on the Island. Other attractions include the 185-foot Mohegan Bluffs, which provides the best views of the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, there is the beach, the lighthouse, and the kangaroos and camels at the Abrams Animal Farm.
Jamestown
Jamestown was incorporated in 1678 when the area was still part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It would be transferred to the Rhode Island Colony more than 60 years later in 1746. Today, Jamestown breams with many tasty restaurants, cute locally owned shops, and numerous attractions, many of which provide a glimpse into its rich and fascinating history. There is the windmill in the Windmill Historic District, which ground corn for farmers for over a century until 1896. Also, besides being a fantastic spot to enjoy the sunset, Beavertail State Park provides access to the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, from where one will enjoy spectacular views of the ocean. However, for some awesome artistic presentations, Jamestown Arts Center is the ultimate destination.
Bristol
Bristol was incorporated in 1681 and named for Bristol, England, home to Fry’s Chocolate, the first company on the planet to make chocolate bars. Historic landmarks within the precincts of Bistol include the Joseph Reynolds House, the oldest known three-story building in Rhode Island. It was built in 1698. It has hosted some notable guests, including Lafayette, who stayed there during a military operation in 1778. Likewise, there is Bristol State House, whose hallowed walls have witnessed centuries of Rhode Island’s heritage. If you want to stroll through a space where beauty pores from almost every spot, Blithewold Manor, Gardens & Arboretum is the best option for miles. Of the Gilded Age properties in the Bristol area, this is one of the most ornate, outdoorsy, and exquisitely landscaped.
Tiverton
Tiverton is tucked away in the easternmost realm of Rhode Island, an area originally known for its rich shellfish beds, mild climate, and abundant wildlife. Although its settlement history goes a bit longer, Tiverton was incorporated in 1694. At the time, the area was still part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. About 50 years later in 1746, by British Royal decree, Tiverton was brought within the jurisdiction of Rhode Island. One will have a blast traipsing through the Tiverton Four Corners Historic District, a homey 18th-century New England Village with a sculpture garden, cute shops, and tasty restaurants. Set base at Sakonnet Farm and Stays, enjoy hearty breakfasts at Groundswell Cafe + Bakery, and walk through the woods at the Audubon Emilie Ruecker Wildlife Refuge. Alternatively, Fort Barton and Ft. Barton Woods, the site of historic military engagements, has trails that weave through small brooks and streams.
South Kingston
The area that South Kingston occupies was once part of a larger town called Kingstown. It was appreciably large and comprised the present-day towns of North Kingstown (highlighted above), South Kingstown, Exeter, Narragansett, and Middletown. Crossing rivers and streams to attend town meetings in far-flung spots soon proved back-breaking. At least according to the folks from the southern parts of the town. Therefore, they petitioned the General Assembly in June 1722 for the creation of a new town out of the existing Kingstown. It was the first such request in the state. The subsequent division a year later was also the first of its kind in 18th-century Colonial Rhode Island. Samuel E. Perry Grist Mill, later known as Carpenter’s Grist Mill, is a historical gem that has been in use since 1703. That said, mingle with turtles and ospreys at the tranquil Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge before crowning everything with a cold drink at Mews Tavern, which has been in business since 1947.
Step into Rhode Island’s Timeless Heritage
Touching brick walls that have weathered three hundred winters, have witnessed epoch-making events, and seen both prosperity and desperation — is one of life’s most evocative experiences. It is a nice idea to read a book, perhaps Charles Bancroft’s The Footprints of Time; however, nothing compares to a physical tour of these historic sites, which is quite a sobering reality. Rhode Island boasts a rich and fascinating history and some of these can be enjoyed in Providence, the state’s oldest city. However, many other little gems in the state are just as good, just as travel-worthy. For specific suggestions, check out Portsmouth and all the towns highlighted here.
Rhode Island
Gather Round at These Unique, Seemingly Unrelated Rhody Businesses – Rhode Island Monthly
Ice cream class attendees look next door at the glassblowing studio. Courtesy of Gather
It all started with a glassblowing studio. Benny Giguere had just moved from Vermont to Providence when he and high school friend, Matt Stone, decided to turn their passions into a brick-and-mortar endeavor. Giguere had been a glassblower for twelve years and felt Rhode Island was the perfect place to bring his talents.
That was around 2010. Now, in addition to a Providence glassblowing studio, Gather has two other businesses under its belt: an adjoining ice cream shop and a farm in Johnston. The goal for all three? To bring people together.
“One of the reasons we named it Gather was because the goal is to bring in more of the public and offer experiences,” Giguere says. “Gathering is the first thing you need to do in order to make something. We couldn’t do any of this without gathering.”
Fire and Ice
Benny Giguere uses his breath to expand glass during a live demonstration. Photo courtesy of Gather
Located at the tail end of Atwells Avenue, Gather Glass and Gather Cafe & Ice Cream Bar offer an experience called Fire and Ice, where participants make their own glass (the fire) and then craft a batch of ice cream (the ice). I set out to try the experience that blends the two businesses, starting with glassblowing.
The glassblowing space is split into two parts, a retail side and a studio side. We step into the studio and Giguere shows me the color options for my soon-to-be wine glass. Brightly colored glass pieces rep Rhode Island-friendly names like RIDOT, bright orange with white glass, and Blizzard of ’78, blue with white glass. I choose one called Grinch (a bright green).
Giguere takes me through the motions of the glassblowing process. Once prepped, I put on my safety goggles to do it for real. Giguere stays by me the whole time, mirroring what I need to do next while jumping in when I need assistance. With his laid-back but assertive cadence, he is obviously the man in charge.
“Once you choose a career like glassblowing, you either work for somebody else’s dream or you forge your own path,” he says.
Giguere helps a student shape their glass. Photo courtesy of Gather
Since opening, Gather Glass has partnered with multiple local businesses. WaterFire was one of the first to work with Gather and that relationship still stands today, with Gather Glass glassblowing at almost every WaterFire lighting. Other local partners include Bellini and the Industrious Spirit Company. The shop also works with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and donates to Crossroads Rhode Island.
“While the goal is to bring people in our doors, we also go out of our doors to help better things in the community,” Giguere says.
My glass needs to stay overnight to properly harden and cool, but not before Giguere helps me with the finishing touches.
In its first year, Gather Glass welcomed around 350 people to its studio. In 2025, that number climbed to more than 9,000.
Ice Cream Madness
After finishing my wine glass, I switch gears and walk next door to the ice cream making class. The ice cream shop shares a glass wall with the studio so customers can watch the classes while enjoying their ice cream. A fully stocked bar with local brews and spirits from local distilleries offers visitors a stronger alternative to milkshakes.
I make my way over to the ice cream making station, complete with a scale, a stovetop and other ice cream making tools. Leading our class is Andrea LaFazia, a chef who helped open Troop.
Liquid nitrogen floats out of an ice cream churn as attendees look on in awe. Photo courtesy of Gather
The ice cream shop was born in large part due to the Johnston farm, which had an apiary and lots of lavender growing. They used the ingredients in a honey lavender ice cream, which they sold on the farm and at events. After positive feedback, they used the farm’s basil in a lemon basil ice cream, and an idea was born.
“The thing that makes Gather special is everything we do is an experience that we can share,” LaFazia says. “So, we decided that it wasn’t enough to just make our own ice cream — we had to teach people how to make ice cream.”
Gather began renovating the space next to the glassblowing studio two years ago and opened the ice cream shop last July. The shop is open for ice cream making classes and premade ice cream purchases.
After hearing the shop’s backstory, it’s time to decide our flavor base. Options include vanilla, chocolate and coffee made from New Harvest coffee beans.
I decide on my flavor: chocolate-strawberry. After mixing some cracked eggs, milk and other ingredients on the stovetop, the base goes inside a freezer to harden while we decide on our mix-ins. Some, like marshmallows and peanut brittle, are made in-house. I go for the cookie dough globs and waffle cone bits.
Andrea LaFazia adds the showstopping liquid nitrogen to her ice cream creations. Photo courtesy of Gather
LaFazia starts churning the ice cream using liquid nitrogen.
“When we dump the liquid nitrogen into the cream, the air pockets shut down,” she says. “This makes it so you don’t have that crunch and thinness you get with other ice cream.”
The liquid nitrogen’s foggy contents waft out of the churner as I add my mix-ins, watching them fold into the ice cream’s base. LaFazia gives me two scoops of my creation to sample and puts the rest into the freezer to harden. It’s some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tried, and the view of glassblowing next door provides entertainment while I scarf it down.
“Sometimes people get confused about how a glass studio, an ice cream shop and a farm are all tied together,” LaFazia says. “But we’re really just trying to create an environment where people can get together, have a great time and not be scared.”
Go for the Goats
A fifteen-minute drive from Atwells Avenue brings me to my final stop, Gather Farm in Johnston. The farm uses a community supported agriculture model, where consumers purchase shares of the farm’s harvest. Once a week during the season, the farm brings produce to the ice cream shop for CSA members to pick up.
All the produce is grown using organic and regenerative practices. CSA members have access to weekly yoga sessions in the summer and fall and pick-your-own opportunities during peak season. Spring sees produce like lettuce, carrots and rosemary harvested while summer is for cucumbers, sweet corn and blueberries.
The farm also offers various classes and works closely with the African Alliance of Rhode Island, which runs the six-acre Bami Farm in Johnston.
Gather Farm goats Salty and Fawn seemingly pose for a photo in the goat greenhouse. Photo courtesy of Gather
Aidan Simmons, the farm’s goat caretaker, waves at me as I park. She’s a twelfth-generation dairy farmer and second-generation goat farmer. In 2024, after learning her family could not continue operating Simmons Farm in Middletown, Simmons found a new home at Gather. Since then, she’s worked to perfect the farm’s goat hikes and goat cuddling sessions.
She leads me through the greenhouse, which doubles as the property’s event space. Here, Simmons and Gather farmer Elisabeth Stone tell me about their efforts to make the goat hikes more accessible for all.
“It’s important we make the hikes doable for all people,” says Simmons. “The hiking trail is mostly flat, so even if you aren’t completely mobile you can participate.”
We finally reach the stars of the afternoon: the goats. Twenty-three goats waddle by as I step into their space, with Simmons greeting each one by name.
A few goats congregate toward the front corner of the goat greenhouse, and I walk over. Behind the blocked off area, three pairs of bright eyes stare up at me, each pair belonging to a floppy-eared baby goat. Their names are Jude, Willow and Ivy. Each is small enough to pick up and carry around. Simmons hands me Willow as we settle in for goat cuddles.
The cuddles are a new offering at the farm. During each session, guests can sit and snuggle with the goats for thirty-five minutes.
While I’m holding Willow, Simmons tells me more about the farm. Weekends are for the farm’s goat hikes, one-hour strolls through the property where attendees learn about goat history and fun facts from Simmons. The hike gives the goats time to forage around the property, which helps with the enrichment they require. Simmons also has plans to start offering goat yoga.
Simmons’ world revolves around the goat’s happiness. During our cold snap in January, Simmons brought the babies inside to the guest room of her home, which is on the Gather Farm property only a few feet from the goat greenhouse.
Aidan Simmons leads hikers and her goats through the hiking trails on the Gather Farm property. Photo courtesy of Gather
“Some of them have never met their mom, but I’m their mom,” she says. “I kind of had to stop everything I had going on in my life to take care of them, but it’s worth it.”
I put down Willow, who’s been gnawing at my hair for the past few minutes. I stand up next to Simmons and ask what her dream is for the farm.
“The dream is to have a fully functioning farm,” she says. “I really want to prove that you don’t have to be the worst person in the world to be a dairy farmer.”
I give each of the baby goats one last squeeze before I head back to grab my things. I tell Simmons she has a pretty great thing going and she laughs, nodding.
“While I gave them goats, they gave me and my goats a home and hope when I didn’t know what was coming next,” she says. “This place really is like a family. All of the people I get to work with, they’re everything to me. I just feel like the luckiest person every day.”
I say my final goodbyes and walk to my car. My drive home is filled with thoughts of Gather and the people who make it all happen. From the heat of the glassblowing studio to the chill of the ice cream class and the warmth of the goat cuddles, Gather makes people feel like they belong. And in these chaotic times, couldn’t we all use a little sense of togetherness?
Gather Glass, 521 Atwells Ave., Providence, gatherglass.com; Gather Cafe & Ice Cream Bar, 519 Atwells Ave., Providence, gathercafe.com; Gather Farm, 380 Greenville Ave., Johnston, gatherfarm.com.
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Learning Experiences
Interested in more hands-on experiences that blend education and fun? Check out these three spots below.
Thames Glass
Located in the City by the Sea, Thames Glass offers various make-your-own classes. Guests can make ornaments, paperweights and vases, among other items, with the help of a professional glassblower. 688 Thames St., Newport, 846-0576, thamesglass.com
The 1661 Animal Farm
Part of the 1661 Block Island Resort, this farm houses goats and pigs and more exotic animals like kangaroos and camels. Visitors can purchase vegetables to feed the animals at a farm store on the property. 1 Spring St.,
New Shoreham, 466-2421, blockislandresorts.com
CHOP
The Culinary Hub of Providence offers sit-down dining and engaging culinary classes. Through educational workshops, visitors can learn skills from CHOP’s culinary professionals and expert guest chefs. CHOP’s open kitchen also allows diners to peek into their meals’ creation process while the Chef Demo Bar offers quick kitchen demos and tastings. 211 Washington St., Providence, 429-2450, culinaryhubpvd.com
As if the aftermath of her explosion at the Studio 54 party wasn’t enough to deal with, Liz also now has to figure out what to do with the six bunches of bananas that Gary accidentally ordered when he meant to order six individual bananas. But until they’re ripe enough to make banana bread, she’ll focus on the other issue. “I came across as a bitter, drunken, witch,” she tells Dolores — three words that I have to imagine also appear on the show’s casting notice.
Meanwhile, Ashley takes some of the other women to her favorite beach, and Alicia, who is used to her country club, is terrified. “This is not my vibe, I’m freaking out,” she whispers as she’s forced to carry her chair, bag, and snacks. The snacks in question are something called “pizza chips,” which appears to just be bread with sauce on it? Alicia, being the brain behind Pizza Mamma, tries to break down the science to us, saying that cheese can’t sit out in the sun, but she need not explain. She had me at pizza chips.
She also had me when she revealed that Rulla apparently met Brian while he was married to Alicia’s high school Spanish teacher. “I don’t know if this is true, Brian cheated on his first wife, my Spanish teacher,” she says with her hands over her heart, “with Rulla. I hope that’s not true because I really did like my Spanish teacher.” Yet again, I’m obsessed with how deep the ties between these women go. A game of six degrees of separation hates to see them coming. I also love Alicia starting a declarative sentence with, “I don’t know if this is true,” but she should say it in Spanish next time.
And speaking of those deep ties, we already know that there was some connection between Jo-Ellen’s sister and Jo-Ellen’s husband while they were in high school, before Jo-Ellen swooped in. But now we’re finally getting to meet Jen, who is basically subbing for Jo-Ellen at the house while she’s on a work trip. “She perpetuates this fun little game of flirting with my husband,” Jo-Ellen explains, but assures us that nothing is going on. That being said, Jen does joke that they’re like an old married couple and Jo-Ellen tells us that Jen wants his sperm to have a baby…but apart from that I guess everything is totally normal! I’m putting together a list of side characters who should be in the running to hold clams in future seasons, and so far Jen and Alicia’s Spanish teacher are leading the pack.
But when it comes to side characters, the real stars are of course Alicia’s aunts, who are thankfully back on our screens for a backyard barbecue with some of the ladies. And what better group to speak frankly to Rulla about her situation with Brian? The second Rulla alludes to bumps in the road, this beautiful coven of scorned divorcées pounce, encouraging Rulla to leave him. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder?” one of them asks her, and later in her confessional Rulla even admits that those words stayed with her. I feel like we’re seeing something real with Rulla and she’s finally letting the glossy veneer slip. But the best commentary comes from Alicia’s mother, who says, “I just hope and pray that you somehow hurt him…I’m gonna pray you get him back.” Forget the usual Bravo aftershows, I want a show that’s just all of Alicia’s aunts watching and commentating on each week’s episode. The ratings will be higher than the MASH finale.
As for Liz and Kelsey’s simmering conflict, the pair finally meet up to clear the air by the water where Liz’s boat is docked. I’ve seen similar meetings play out just like this on The Sopranos, so I had to keep reminding myself that Kelsey was safe because surely Bravo would never broadcast a woman being murdered. Then again, this would be the show to break that glass ceiling. As it turns out, I had no reason to fear because the sit-down goes incredibly smoothly. Liz explains that it felt like Kelsey was co-signing the rumors by bringing them up, and Kelsey says her instinct for Liz to keep her distance from Dino actually had more to do with her own history. She explains that ten years ago she and Dino hooked up but it didn’t go well, and now his presence is a reminder of a time in her life that she’s trying to forget. She even says she has PTSD over it and now avoids him like the plague, but respects that Liz has a meaningful friendship with him. I still have a lot of questions about this, but ultimately Liz and Kelsey clear the air and reconcile.
And thank god, because then they’re able to go rail biking in peace. All of the women split up into groups to cycle their way three miles down an old railroad track, with drinks in hand of course. “Rullala, how you doing back there?” Alicia asks as they ride, which made me scream out in delight upon once again getting to hear my new favorite word: “Rullala.” It’s my mantra. I say it no fewer than 50 times a day. It’s a greeting, it’s a prayer, it’s a way of life. Better yet, when the camera cuts to Rulla, she finally wins me over. Mid-cycle she’s shaking a cocktail shaker and pouring her tequila into a wine glass. Leave Brian and his bullshit at home, this is the woman that I want to see on my screen.
I’m even more enamored with her once they get to their location and she’s horrified to discover Alicia’s financial situation. She’s telling the ladies about not feeling valued given that her husband won’t put her name on the house or business, and Rulla, being a financial planner, springs into action. Seeing this smart, powerful side of her, especially as she’s trying to empower Alicia, is a great look and is far more compelling than watching her meekly defend her cheating husband. It gives a glimpse at what an independent Rulla might look like on this show in a couple of seasons.
But she’s not the only one supporting Alicia — Kelsey steps up to play Billy in a role-play so Alicia can practice airing her grievances. Sidebar: everyone talks about these women looking alike, but the real problem is that all of their partners have such similar names. Alicia’s is Billy, Kelsey’s boyfriend’s is Bill, Rulla’s is Brian, Jo-Ellen’s is Gary, Liz’s is Gerry, Ashley’s is Jared, and thankfully Rosie’s is just Rich. But oh my god, how am I supposed to keep that all straight? Anyway, the little role-play Alicia does ends up being heartbreaking, as she gets emotional saying that he makes her feel worthless in their relationship. But the fact that we’re talking about this so much feels promising, and I hope we get to see Alicia ultimately bring all of these feelings to Billy. And if he doesn’t listen, I hope her aunts attack him.
The conversation then turns to how Liz has been gelling with newbie Ashley, and they joke about how Ashley is a little scared of her. When the Studio 54 party comes up, Liz says that that wasn’t her finest moment and wasn’t a good representation of what she’s really like. “Alicia, you said she’s always like that,” Rosie says, throwing Alicia right under the bus. “Don’t flip that shit, don’t do that to me, don’t put shit in my mouth,” Alicia fires back, as Dolores looks on like a proud mother. “She twisted my words, you’re a fucking troll,” Alicia yells, saying that Rosie fucked her. It’s a line-o-rama of iconic outbursts, one after another: “Welcome to Rhode Island, bitch, this is how we roll,” then, “Fucking thirsty bitch, so thirsty its scary,” and finally, “I need to get out of here cause I’m gonna end up killing her.” Our first death threat!
But the craziest part of this comes when Alicia and Rosie step away from the group for a moment. It’s allegedly to sidebar, but I was convinced it was so Alicia could murder her with fewer witnesses. Alicia tells her that if she apologizes everything will be good, Rosie apologies, and then things are good. “Did she just hug her?” someone asks from the circle, shocked. The series has had a lot of incredible moments thus far, but this one is what is most promising about its longevity as a Housewives show. The secret sauce of these shows is resilience — the ability to be as angry at someone as humanly possible, and move on like nothing happened so they can do it all over again. Long, drawn-out grudges make for bad television (as RHOBH proves), so this cast’s ability to reconcile and move on will be the thing that makes it great.
New East Bay Bike Path bridges are open and ready for bikes
What’s it like to ride over the new East Bay Bike Path bridges? We sent a reporter to try them out.
I’ve long thought bike paths are among Rhode Island’s premier attractions, up there with the beaches, the mansions and the bay.
We like to knock government, but credit where it’s due, the state has done an amazing job building out an incredible pedaling network.
It’s clearly a priority.
At least I thought it was.
But they’ve just dropped the ball on what should have been a beautiful new stretch.
The plan was to finish a mile-long connector from the East Providence end of the Henderson Bridge all the way to the East Bay Bike Path.
There was even $25 million set aside to get it done.
Except WPRI recently reported that it’s now been canceled.
The main fault lies with the Trump administration, which is no friend of bike paths, and moved to kill that $25 million.
But it gets complicated, as government funding always does.
To try to rescue that money, the state DOT reportedly worked with the administration to refunnel it into a road project. Specifically, the $25 million will now be spent helping upgrade the mile-long highway between the Henderson Bridge and North Broadway in East Providence, turning it into a more pleasant boulevard.
That totally sounds worthy.
But it’s insane to throw away the bike path plan.
Especially for a particular reason in this case.
They’d already put a ton of money into starting it.
When state planners designed the new Henderson Bridge between the East Side and East Providence, they included a bike path.
It’s a beauty – well protected from traffic by a barrier, a great asset for safely riding over the Seekonk River.
The plan was to continue it another mile or so along East Providence’s Waterfront Drive, ultimately connecting with the East Bay Bike Path, which runs all the way to Bristol. Which, by the way, is one of the nicest bike paths you’ll find anywhere.
But alas, that connector plan has been canceled.
So the expensive stretch over the Henderson Bridge to East Providence is now a bike path to nowhere. Once the bridge ends, the path on it continues a few hundred yards or so and then, just … ends.
Too bad.
We were so close.
Most of the stories on the issue have been about the complex negotiation to rescue the $25 million by rerouting it to that nearby highway-to-boulevard project. But I don’t want to get lost in the weeds of that bureaucratic process here because it loses sight of the heart of this story.
Which is that an amazing new addition to one of the nation’s best state bike path systems has just been scrapped.
You can knock the Rhode Island government for blowing a lot of things.
The PawSox.
The Washington Bridge.
But they’ve done great with bike paths.
And especially, linking many of them together.
Example: not too many years ago, Providence bikers had to risk dicey traffic on the East Side to get to the more pleasant paths in India Point Park and on the 195 bridge to the East Bay Path.
But the state fixed that by adding an amazing connector that starts behind the Salvation Army building and beautifully winds along the water of the Seekonk River for a mile or so.
That makes a huge difference – and no doubt has avoided some bike-car accidents.
We were close to a comparable stretch on the other side of the river – that’s what the $25 million would have done.
But it’s now apparently dead.
Online commenters aren’t happy about it.
On a Reddit string, “Toadscoper” accused the state of being “complicit” with the feds in rerouting the money from bikes to cars.
And there was this fascinating post from FineLobster 5322, who apparently is a disappointed planner who worked on the project: “Mind you money has already been spent on phase one so rejecting it at this point is wasting money and also against the public interest … but what do I know? I only worked on the project as an engineer … I didn’t get into this to build more highways. I do it … to give back to communities and give them more access to their environment.”
Wow. One can imagine the state planning team is devastated. That’s not a small consideration. Good people go into government to make life better in Rhode Island, and it’s a bad play to take the spirit out of the job by first assigning a great human-scale project and then, after a ton of work, trashing it.
A poster named Homosapiens simply said, “We just accept this?”
Hopefully not.
The first stretch of the path over the Henderson Bridge is done, money already sunk.
What a shame to leave that as a path to nowhere.
It doesn’t have to happen.
Between Governor McKee and our Washington delegation, there’s got to be a way to get this done.
There’s got to be.
mpatinki@providencejournal.com
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