PROVIDENCE | GETTING AROUND | ART SUPPLIES | BANKING | FILM + THEATER | DINING | MARKETS | RELIGION | OFF-CAMPUS LIVING

PROVIDENCE
RISD is in the middle of a part of the city that is home to more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students during the school year. Students from RISD and our good neighbor Brown University stroll from libraries and galleries to studios and classrooms along brick sidewalks bordered by 18th-century clapboard houses and 19th-century mansions. The Providence’s new Capital Center includes retail, office and hotel/convention facilities — all bordering the historic, revitalized waterfront. For more information about the city and links to online resources, follow this link to a guide to Providence.

Providence is in an ideal location for students seeking snowy slopes in winter or sand and surf in summer. With train and bus terminals close to campus, the wharves and mansions of historic Newport (45 minutes away) are as accessible as the Ocean State’s many beaches (30 minutes), the ski slopes of northern New England (three to four hours), or the galleries and museums of Manhattan (three-and-a-half hours). Boston, under an hour away, offers numerous attractions, especially in terms of the fine and performing arts. Amtrak connects Providence to Boston and New York, and there are a number of bus companies that do the same. Click here for complete information about traveling to and from the city.

GETTING AROUND

RISD Rides
RISD operates a free evening and late night shuttle service for RISD students, staff, and faculty called RISD Rides. Click here to view the RISD Rides system maps.

Cars and Parking
Parking in Providence is a challenge, at best and there is no student parking at RISD during business hours. Providence prohibits overnight on-street parking and the few private parking spaces available around campus generally cost $150 or more per month. Since the hassles tend to outweigh the benefits, the vast majority of RISD students do not have cars.

Bicycles
Bikes are a good transportation alternative for Providence, providing you are in shape to make it up the many hills. There are several designated outdoor storage areas for bikes on campus, although on-campus students often keep their bikes in their rooms. If you bring a bike, remember to bring a good lock. (The RISD Store sells affordable, high-security bike locks with free anti-theft warranties.) All bikes on campus must be registered with RISD’s Department of Public Safety: stop by the office to make these arrangements. Rhode Island boasts an extensive network of paved bike paths. Click here for more informations and route maps

Transportation to/from Providence
If you have time to steal away for a weekend, there are many transportation alternatives available. Providence is served by Amtrak as well as the major bus lines. T.F. Green Airport, in nearby Warwick, serves the Providence area. A taxi to the airport can run $20-$30, however, so we recommend using the airport limousine, which picks students up and drops them off at RISD’s Residence Life Quad for only $9. Follow this link to a complete guide to transportation to and from Providence.

ART SUPPLIES
Just about everything you’ll need can be found at risd:store or at the Metcalf Supply Store, which stocks large items such as wood, plaster and metals. In addition, students shop at Jerry’s art supply store and Utrecht.

BANKING
Regardless of your financial situation, you’ll find that having a local checking account is very convenient. Most of the area’s major banks have offices within a few blocks of campus. Each bank listed below offers ATMs (cash machines) that are part of the Yankee 24 (New England area) or Cirrus (nationwide) networks.

Bank of America (www.bankofamerica.com)
main office: 100 Westminster Street; East Side: 814 Hope Street; Wayland Square: 457 Angell Street

Bank Rhode Island (www.bankri.com)
downtown: One Turks Head Place (401 456-5000); Riverview Place: 137 Pitman Street (401 456-5160)

Citizens Bank (www.citizensbank.com)
main office: 870 Westminster Street (401 456-7010); East Side: 120 Waterman Street (401 456-7050); downtown: One Citizens Plaza (401 456-7096)

Sovereign Bank (www.sovereignbank.com)
main office: One Hospital Trust Plaza (401 278-8000); East Side: 176 Angell Street (800 788-5000)

FILM + THEATER
Many films are shown each week at RISD and Brown; information on screenings is usually posted around the campus. There are also good movie theaters within walking distance. Follow this link to a complete list of nearby theaters. The RISD Film Society also provides free movie screenings to the RISD community (e-mail them at rfs@risd.edu).

DINING
There are several on-campus locations for casual dining at RISD and many cafés and restaurants on nearby Thayer and Wickenden streets. Follow this link to a complete list of nearby restaurants and click here to read students’s restaurant reviews.

MARKETS
There are a number of grocery stores, large and small, within a mile of campus:

Eastside Marketplace
165 Pitman Street (401 831-7771)
A large grocery store with a good selection of organic and international foods as well as more common food items.

Whole Foods (2 locations)
261 Waterman Street (401 272-1690)
North Main Street at Doyle Avenue (401 621-5990)
Whole Foods offers health foods and environmentally conscious packaging at slightly higher prices than conventional grocery stores.

Super Stop & Shop
333 West River Street (401 861-9300)
A large, full-service supermarket.

Providence also offers a variety of ethnic markets that give you the opportunity to experience Italian, Portuguese and Asian cultures and cuisine. OSL offers free weekly shopping shuttles to local grocery and superstores. The Asian Cultural Associaton offers a bi-weekly shopping shuttle to local Asian markets.

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS
Members of the RISD community are welcome to participate in a variety of religious services held in Providence. Call to find out the times of services.Click here for a list of nearby religious institutions.

OFF-CAMPUS LIVING
If you need basic furnishings or just some affordable and unusual finishing touches, you might consider the Salvation Army (401 421-5270), located about a mile from campus at 201 Pitman Street. Follow this link to a complete guide to off-campus living, which includes links to websites with classified listings.