Providence, Rhode Island
Providence City has it all, from best educational institutions to excellent recreational options. Some of the famous universities in the city are Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, Rhode Island College, and University of Rhode Island. The city may not be among the best planned cities in US, with its irregular streets running haphazardly but it is relatively safe than many others. The Providence city has many parks and some of the most eye catching ones are the Water place Park and River walk, Roger Williams Park, Roger Williams National Memorial, and Prospect Terrace Park.
This is the city for people who appreciate arts. It is the home to several art galleries, performing art centers and theaters. Some of the finest art centers are the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the Providence Performing Arts Center, and the Providence Festival Ballet.
The city has always been active in the field of sports. It is the birthplace of some of the best teams of various leagues like the Providence Bruins and the Rhode Island Rebellion. The major sports that the city supports are hockey, baseball and rugby. The city has hosted sporting events like the Providence Roller Derby and the Red Bull Soap Box Derby.
The history of Providence can be traced back to the 17th century which makes it one of the first cities established in the USA. It is Rhode Island's capital city and also its most populous one. Providence boasts of a fantastic amalgamation of a lively social and cultural scene along with some beautiful strolling places by the side of the Connecticut River.
Providence History
The city of Providence, Rhode Island, is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It has a rich history and was one of the first cities to be created by settlers of the new world. Providence saw the first white settlement in 1636 when the Baptist Roger William along with other religious fugitives took refuge in the native land of the Narranganset tribe. He also coined the present name for the place and began the Providence Farms that concentrated on agriculture and fishing as well as a means to house religious refugees. In 1676, the town of Providence was destroyed by a group of Native American tribes.
The rebuilding of the new town brought in urbanization. By the mid 1770s, Providence was bursting with agriculture, fishing and other industries. However, this was affected by the imposing of taxes by the British Government, which led Providence to fight against Colonial Rule. The Revolutionary War (or the American War of Independence) where the American colonies were fighting for independence from British Rule, led to a poor economy as industries and agriculture were affected.
After the war, the city tried to rebuild its economy by shifting its manufacturing mainly of maritime tools and machinery. Other manufacturing industries included textiles and jewelry. With the onset of the twentieth century, the city flourished in manufacturing and this attracted more immigrant settlements which led to racial riots and finally culminated in the Civil War. Then in the 1920s, the manufacturing industries began to decline causing the economy to worsen. As the years passed, there was no respite to the city. It was subjected to economical crisis and even natural calamities such as the New England Hurricane of 1938. The following years saw an increase in unemployment and crime.
It was the 1970s that brought a whiff of fresh air into the area when funds were invested into rebuilding the city. Owing to the vast diversity of settlements in Providence, importance was given to the arts which saw a lot of improvement and revitalization. After that, the economy stabilized, unemployement dropped, and new opportunities and industries began to grow in the city.
About Providence, Rhode Island
Providence city in Rohde Island state has a lot to say about itself in terms of history, in terms of struggling for survival and the art. The densely populated city speaks for itself about the various migrants that moved into Providence long time ago as well as the new migrants of current age. This is due to the stream of businesses that are emerging in Providence.
History has seen providence to rely on the culture that was brought in by the migrant settlements to focus on art and culture. It is this fact has made the economy of the city to grow. Even today, Art and Culture remain one of the focuses of the city. Speaking of history, there are so many museums and libraries present in Providence that showcase only a part of the history, one such museum is the twentieth century oldest art museum called Rhode Island School of Design Museum. It is also home to the fourth oldest subscription library called Providence Athenaeum Public. The city also has many historical building such as the Roger Williams founded Baptist Church, the Providence Catholic Church.
Apart from these attractions, the city of Providence is also blessed with many attractive parks. The Waterplace Park is situated along the Woonasquatucket River. This park is well known for its three quarter of a mile pedestrian walkway known as the Riverwalk that lines the waterfront. The Waterplace Park also has an amphitheater. Other parks in Providence are Roger Williams Park, the Prospect Terrace Park and the Roger Williams National memorial. The city also has a botanical park, a zoo and a Natural History museum. One not-to-forget site in Providence is the Big Blue Bug (Nibbles Woodaway), a giant termite mascot of the New England Pest Control firm.
The neighborhoods of Providence are also characteristic to its settlements. A few mentionable ethnic neighborhoods are Federal Hill. Fox Point (Portuguese), Smith Hill (Irish), West End (Asian and Central American) and the North End (Italian). Providence also enjoys being the place where there are a lot of restaurants with a vast and diversified range of cuisines that one can enjoy and relish.
On the financial front, there are lot of industries present in Providence. One of the booming industries is the Real Estate industry. There are so many hospitals, schools, colleges and universities present in Providence that make the city being counted in the education map of United States. Places of recreation and entertainment are characterized both historically and modern day.
Historically oriented places include the Fleet Skating Center (now Bank of America Skating Center) which is connected to the Waterplace Park by a pedestrian tunnel. There are many sports centers present in the city such as Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence Civic center and Dunkin's Donuts Center. The city of Providence also plays home to many performing arts centers such as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, The Providence Performing Arts Center and the Providence Festival Ballet.
About Providence County, Rhode Island
The Providence County is located in the state of Rhode Island, USA. With a population of nearly 6 million, Providence County is the most populous county in Rhode Island. With an area of nearly 450 square-miles, and a density of 1,507 people per square-mile, it is a very scenic county.
The early inhabitants were mostly tea and silk traders. They were shipping merchants and made profitable business. The war of 1812 had a huge impact on the commerce of Providence County. It made Rhode Island an important port. Between 1810 and 1850, Providence was an important commercial port. This was a major factor in the development of Providence County. In May, 1828, the commonwealth of Massachusetts applied to the general assembly of Rhode Island to construct a railroad between Boston and Providence. Permission was given to construct the railroad during this period. This was the same year the locomotive was built. The railroads were designed by General Lee.
The introduction of railroads was the turning point in the history of Providence county. Since then Providence has developed several folds. It was a major port during the Second World War and acted as a buffer for military equipments. The population of Providence County has been steadily increasing. It is now noted for its jewelry and silverware industry. The county of Providence is very famous for educational resources and arts community. Today it stands among the most developed counties of USA.
Unlike other counties in Rhode Island, the Providence county has sound economy and employment rate. Out of the total geographical area, 95% is in the form of land & just 5% as water. This contributes to the major growth of the county too as it offers plenty of opportunity for various industrial activities. The county of Providence is certainly emerging as the popular counties in Rhode Island.