Rhode Island School of Design
- Local Atmosphere

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Providence, Rhode Island is absolutely New England. It is the largest city in New England outside Boston, and it behaves accordingly. While culturally, Boston is a big leap from Providence, there are things about the city that make it wonderful. One  is Waterfire, the celebration of Providence art that includes lighted piles of wood all along the canal and ambient music that fills the streets until midnight. Other wonderful things about Providence are its museums and galleries, the shops, and the food. Federal Hill is the mostly Italian section of Providence that hosts some of the best restaurants in the area. While there is a definite city feel, Providence is not devoid of green space, and there are several parks within walking distance that give really pleasant views of the city and its waterfront.

The main activity in Providence is built around RISD, Brown University, and Johnson & Wales University, so the town caters much of its business and attitude toward college students. The surrounding college neighborhoods are fairly quiet and pleasantly residential, and Providence is full of historic buildings that give it the small-town feel that you can’t often get while being exposed to the resources of a city. You get the benefits of being in a college town without the complete bubble. Providence’s size keeps it very accessible, and it doesn’t take long to know your way around. If you’re looking for a taste of the bigger city, New York is fairly close by, and a Commuter Rail train will take you to Boston during the week. In many ways, Providence has the ability to satisfy and frustrate everyone. It does not have the same excitement and culture of New York, and it doesn’t have the natural beauty of the American West but sits in a perfect middle ground, and it will give vistitors a little taste of both.

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Local Atmosphere at Rhode Island School of Design

jenarmi

'14

Architecture

3.8

B+

RISD

Providence is overall a very small city that does not have a lot to offer, however, even though it does not have a lot of places where you can go hang out with your friends or spend some quality time outside of college, it still has a little bit of everything, like shops, clubs, theaters, and restaurants. Even though RISD is not a party school, it has the advantage of having Brown University right next to it, so if you're a RISD student and want to have some fun after a hectic week, you can go out with your friends and go to Brown parties. Also, there's Thayer st. where night life is incredible due to the great number of restaurants and shops it has. In terms of sports, RISD is not the best school but it does have a basketball and a hockey team. There are many activities and cultural events offered on campus weekly that you can find yourself attracted to as well as many types of clubs and organizations that students can become part of.

Jan 28, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Rhode Island School of Design

yahomied

'10

Arts

5.0

A+

The Perfect Place for a Peaceful Painter

The scenery of Rhode Island School of Design, is composed of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, and the Brown University Campus as well as students. While on a steep hill, the atmosphere is peaceful, while students trek back and fourth, up and down the steep inclines and declines, or, take the bus.

Being in such a lively, young, and rich metropolitan area, it's easy for an artist to get and feel inspired by just waking up in the morning, and looking outside of a dormitory or apartment window.

Mar 18, 2010

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Local Atmosphere at Rhode Island School of Design

Anonymous

Student

Providence is a cute New England...

Providence is a cute New England city, where there is a great balance between tradition and modernity.

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Photos of Rhode Island School of Design's Local Atmosphere

15 West Housing

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15 West Housing A look at some housing on campus.

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RISD building

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RISD building A look at RISD at night.

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Freshman dorms

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Freshman dorms A look at the freshman dorms on campus.

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