North Providence

North Providence is a town in the Providence County area of Rhode Island. There are seven villages that make up the town of North Providence; Allendale, Centerdale, Fruit Hill, Greystone, Lymansville, Marieville, and Woodville/Geneva. North Providence is the second smallest town in the smallest state of the country. It has an area of nearly six square miles and has nine schools; six elementary, two middle schools, and one high school. North Providence was established in the late 1700s by farmers, who were originally from Providence, and wanted to form a separate town because government officials in Providence favored merchants over farmers. The town has everything you need in one place; markets, banks, gas stations, several gyms, convenience stores, and small shops. There are two main roads that run through the whole town; Mineral Spring Avenue and Smith St. North Providence is the eighth most populated community in Rhode Island with a population of approximately 33,000. The current mayor is Charles A. Lombardi.

Understand
Surrounding towns include Smithfield, Lincoln, Providence, and Pawtucket. The town itself has a unique blend of urban and suburban areas. Mineral Spring and Smith St. are very busy urban-like roads. There are also countless dozens of condo and apartment complexes scattered throughout the small town. Overall North Providence is a great town with a lot to offer, but most of the main attractions are in neighboring Providence.

Get in
See Providence for details on how to reach the city Providence.

North Providence is accessible by car from I-95. 295 (exit 7a) and 146 also take you there.

Get around
North Providence is a pretty small town, area-wise, but it's densely packed and populated. Some locals will walk to the market or to other errands, but a visitor's best bet would be to rent a car. Odds are you will travel to neighboring towns as well, so a car is best, but you could bike also.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) also runs several bus lines through the area. Buses 51, 52, 55, 58, and 73 all run through North Providence, but you'll have to check the website for details that pertain to your trip.

Do
Parks and Recreation There are a few parks scattered throughout North Providence. Stephen Olney Park is a good one. It features a skatepark, tennis courts, basketball court, and many baseball fields. Plenty of field space for all sports and activities.

Providence With North Providence being located only a few minutes away from the capital city of RI, there is a lot to do around North Providence.



Buy
You can get everything from groceries, at Stop and Shop and Shaws to jewelry at Anthony's Jewelers. All of these businesses are located on Mineral Spring Avenue. If you can't find what you need here, like I said above, Providence is only minutes away and will have what your looking for.



Eat
There are many places to eat, with numerous fast food chains and take out places. All you have to do is stay on Mineral Spring Ave and you will not starve. If you're looking for even more good eats, just head over to Federal Hill in Providence, the infamous hub of RI's best restaurants.


 * Betty's A great place to enjoy breakfast at any time of the day. Great for the college student crowd after coming from a night of clubbing in Providence.
 * Betty's A great place to enjoy breakfast at any time of the day. Great for the college student crowd after coming from a night of clubbing in Providence.

Drink
Where you can eat, you can drink. North Providence has a colorful array of bars and pubs, mostly on Mineral Spring Ave and Smith St.