Brown University - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

Providence is a city, but it’s not a big city. Sometimes the desire for the city to grow and incorporate new and exciting features is at odds with its efforts to maintain the small-town feel. If you want to go to a club one night, a museum the next day, a hip-hop show, and eat a few meals, you can cram it all into a weekend. Some Brown students never really explore the city, let alone the places less than an hour’s drive in any direction from College Hill. There are beaches, state parks, ski areas, and vineyards close enough to make day trips to, all surrounded by quaint New England towns. Students complain about the lack of drive-in theaters or an all-night diner, without realizing that there are several of both about 10 minutes away. There are more hip-hop, 80s, and live rock clubs and bars within walking distance of the University than Brown students can handle. And, of course, there is New York City and Boston, both easily accessible by bus and train for weekends when you need to get away.

Providence is a crowd pleaser. People from small towns may be a little intimidated at first, but except on goth night at Club Hell, the locals don’t bite. Students from megalopolises such as New York, DC, or LA may scoff at the downtown area, which can be traversed in about 20 minutes, but no Brown student who puts in a little effort can honestly complain that there’s nothing to do in Providence. The city simply has too much history, too many quirks, and too much to offer for the intrepid Brown student to find it boring.

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Students Speak Out

BroES says: Brown University 2012 Undecided

Brown is in its own, cute little... Brown is in its own, cute little area of Providence on Thayer Street, where there are plenty of restaurants and shops and a movie theater. Downtown is a great theater district and the largest mall in New England, but a lot of people tend to hang out on or around campus mostly. Sometimes people like to go to Boston on the weekends—it's only an hour away by community rail, and there's plenty to do there. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 03, 2009 Report

BroER says: Brown University 2012 Undecided

Providence is pretty much a... Providence is pretty much a college city. There isn't really much to do outside of the college campus. However, there are always plenty of activities happening on campus. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 03, 2009 Report

BroNG says: Brown University 2012 English Language and Literature

Providence is a great place to... Providence is a great place to explore, and although the town is pretty small, everything is easy to get to. There's not a lot of school interaction outside of RISD—which is almost an extension of Brown itself. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 03, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Providence is definitely a city... Providence is definitely a city that is on the up-and-up. There are art galleries and neat movie theaters—both artsy, independent foreign places as well as multiple theaters that show Hollywood movies. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

The social options at Brown and in... The social options at Brown and in Providence are really very ideal. Many students become unhappy going to school in a small town where they are forced to stay on campus. Brown offers a wide array of on campus events, but the city is so accessible if you are ever inclined to go off campus. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Brown:
• Providence hosts Waterfire on weekend nights in late spring, summer, and early fall. Ninety-seven bonfires line the river at Waterplace Park. Local residents enjoy the fires, music, and food vendors as they walk along the river. Artist Barnaby Evans, a Brown graduate, created Waterfire for the city’s newly renovated riverside area in 1994.
• A few times a semester RISD, hosts a student art sale on Benefit Street. There’s no better place to buy your holiday or birthday presents.
• Brown is about a 10-minute walk from the world-famous Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, where big and small shows, from punk to jazz, happen on an almost nightly basis.
• Once a month, Providence, hosts Gallery Night. Galleries around the city, including Brown’s Bell Gallery, open their doors and wine cellars to locals who want to take in a little culture. Brown and RISD student art is almost always part of the event.
• Recently, Providence has been the stage for numerous movies and TV shows. The obvious examples are the film Outside Providence and the show Providence on that was on NBC. Perhaps the most accurate portrayal of Providence is in Family Guy, which was written by a RISD graduate.

Local Slang:
Bubbler – a water fountain
Coffee Milk – like chocolate milk, but with coffee syrup
College Hill – the hill in Providence where Brown and RISD are located
Dropped Egg – a poached egg East Side – the gentrified side of Providence where Brown is located
Extra, Extra – extra cream, extra sugar at Dunkin’ Donuts
Light and Sweet – coffee with cream and sugar at Rhode Island staple Dunkin’ Donuts
Projo – the Providence Journal
Quahog – a big clam
Roe Dylin – how the locals say where they’re from
Stuffies – a stuffed quahog

Famous Rhode Islanders:
Harry Anderson, the Farrelly Brothers, Emeril Lagasse, H.P. Lovecraft, and Samuel Slater

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Justin Kim
Hometown: Austin, TX
Major: Undecided

Fun Fact: Justin ranked internationally in competitive Minesweeper.

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