Any given area of the city will have plenty of offerings to satisfy your appetite, taste buds, and wallet. Keep in mind that many upscale restaurants offer an affordable lunch menu, including all those steakhouses near the statehouse. While Rhode Island law prohibits Happy Hour-style drink specials, many restaurants offer appetizer specials in the early evening hours.

Yes, there will be a guide for conference attendees but start salivating now…

Downtown (often called “DownCity”) offers a dizzying array of dining destinations all within a five-minute walk:

• Directly off the Biltmore lobby waits McCormick & Schmick’s seafood and steaks—and Starbucks! And opening at the Biltmore Garage: Ellie’s Bakery (open), Fratelli’s, and Figidini (“prickly pear cactus” in Italian… certo!).

• Cross Burnside Park and you’ll be at the historic Union Station, now home to the Rhode Island Foundation. A handful of restaurants—Union Station Brewery, Luxe Burger Bar, The Capitol Grille steakhouse, Bar Louie, and Rí Rá Irish Pub—sit one level down along the river below in the same complex along Exchange Terrace, with Jacky’s Waterplace (upscale Pan-Asian restaurant and sushi bar) across a footbridge and offering fantastic views of downtown and the Providence River.

• Straight up from the Biltmore is Providence Place Mall. In addition to an extensive food court, find familiar restaurants that include P.F. Changs, Cheesecake Factory, Pizzeria Uno, Melting Pot fondue, Joe’s American Bar & Grill, and Fire + Ice Grill + Bar. Along the way you’ll spot both Fleming’s and Ruth’s Chris steakhouses.

• Pressed for time? Food Trucks to the rescue! Just walk out of the hotel and look to the right to spot food trucks parked along Kennedy Plaza that include Poco Loco tacos, Fancheezical, Plouf Plouf Gastronomie, and Mama Kims Korean BBQ. If it’s late (and you’ve been imbibing with hipsters at nearby Salon), don’t miss Haven Brothers Diner right at the steps of City Hall! Having doubts? Watch the video.

• Continue south along Dorrance another block to… The Dorrance. A former Federal Reserve serving meticulous farm-to-table dishes, the surrounding is simply spectacular. Above your price point? Splurge for dessert or simply go for wine or cocktails.

• You could then continue on Dorrance to Veggie Fun (Kosher-certified Pan-Asian Vegan) or veer east and wind up at Circe Restaurant and Bar or Pot au Feu (think Julia Child) in the historic Custom House or even the eclectic Red Fez, but you’ll probably be lured into turning right onto pedestrian-friendly Westminster and find yourself in the heart of DownCity shopping and dining with restaurant after restaurant… after restaurant. Standouts include: Flan y Ajo tapas, Sura (Korean and Japanese), stylish Tazza Cafe, Small Point Cafe, upscale Aspire Seasonal Kitchen and its fabulous interior and courtyard, Providence Coal-Fired Pizza with the only coal-fired oven in Rhode Island, and—one block further south from Tazza—Gourmet Heaven market and deli. At the end of Westminster, turn right on Empire and make your way to must-see AS220 gallery and FOO(D) & THE BAR. At the corner of Empire and Washington, find Bravo Brasserie French-American Bistro, then turn right along Washington (back toward the Biltmore) and come to Gracie’s fine dining (sadly, the attached too-cute TINI appetizer and martini bar was a recent casualty of a still-wobbly local economy) and Cuban Revolution around the corner. Continue along Washington to find Viva Mexico and Local 121 (another local-ingredients must).

East Side (literally just across the river) offers many options along North and South Main Street in the oldest section of Providence and through the heart of the RISD campus, all within a five-to-ten minute walk.

• Start east along Steeple Street to find Fat Belly’s (best pub name *ever*) and New Rivers American Bistro on different sides of the same historic building.

• Continue to Main St. and turn left to come across Cafe Choklad, Mill’s Tavern in the historic Pilgrim Mill’s Building, Olive’s Martini Bar, Harry’s Bar & Burger, and XO Café. Or turn right to head south toward Parkside Rotisserie and Bar, Hemenway’s seafood, Cablecar Cinema and Cafe, Pákarang Thai, Bacaro, and the newly reopened Mile & A Quarter along Providence’s historic gangways. The famous Al Forno that launched Providence’s dining scene in 1980 beckons from the very end of South Main.

Federal Hill, aka Providence’s Little Italy, is west from the Biltmore and can be reached in ten-to-fifteen minutes by foot (not unsafe, but crossing past the convention center and over I-95), a very short taxi, or the public trolley. With back-to-back restaurants lining both sides of Atwells Avenue (striped down the middle in red, white, and green), it is one of the largest intact Italian neighborhoods in the US. Resisting gentrification where you’re as likely to hear Italian as English, Federal Hill is still more Sinatra than “Jersey Shore”. With too many restaurants to cover here, visit the Federal Hill website and mouse over the Dining tab to begin to understand why tourists and residents alike stroll under the La Pigna archway and savor menus transported from and inspired by the old country.

Need more?!? A budding restaurant and bar scene is springing up in the nearby Jewelry District (15-minute walk south of the hotel) with best-restaurant contender CAV; Thayer Street near Brown University (20-minute walk east *up* College Hill or trolley) offers more restaurants including Andrea’s (Greek), Soban (Korean), Cafe Paragon, Meeting Street Cafe, and arguably the best tea and coffee in the city at both Tealuxe and Blue State Coffee; and Wickenden Street (25 minutes by foot) at the base of College Hill boasts some of the best pizza at Fellini Pizzeria, great suds at The Point Tavern where you can have dinner delivered, A Taste of India, Angkor (Cambodian), Z Bar and Grille, Sakura Japanese and Sushi Bar, Abyssinia (Ethiopian), and The Duck & Bunny snuggery (look it up).

For further impressions or Foodie-level research, check out Yelp’s interactive restaurant guide based on the location of the Providence Biltmore.

Walking directions from the Providence Biltmore: http://goo.gl/maps/Ku3Kn

LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE:
Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design. 15 Westminster St. http://library.risd.edu/

Founded in 1878, the RISD Library is one of the oldest independent art college libraries in the country. In the summer of 2006, the Library moved into a new facility in the first two floors of the former Rhode Island Hospital Trust bank. The magnificent banking hall serves as the library’s main reading room, while the second floor accommodates a new reading room for Archives and Special Collections as well as expanded space for the Visual Resources, Materials, and Picture Collections. The Fleet Library was recently called America’s Most Beautiful College Library, http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-libraries, and One of 50 Most Amazing Libraries in the World, http://www.pbn.com/RISDs-Fleet-Library-named-one-of-50-most-amazing-in-world,85705.
View the Fleet Library brochure: http://library.risd.edu/pdfs/fleetlibraryrisd.pdf
Watch the Fleet Library video: http://bcove.me/av1gioc9

—> Simply present your conference badge to visit the library on your own.

LIBRARY GUIDED TOURS:

Fleet Library as Adaptive Reuse. Director of Library Services Carol Terry will tour the library and detail the history of the building from its origin as a bank to an acclaimed case of adaptive reuse as RISD’s library. Each tour limited to 15 people, meet at 15 Westminster St. SIGN-UP REQUIRED.

• Wednesday, April 3, 9:00-10:00am
• Thursday, April 4, 8:00-9:00am

Fleet Library Special Collections. Special Collections Librarian Laurie Whitehill Chong will present samples from the noteworthy Artists’ Book Collection of 1400 multiples, hand-made book objects, and limited edition books. Tour limited to 20 people, meet at 15 Westminster St. SIGN-UP REQUIRED.

• Wednesday, April 3, 10:00-11:00am

—> Sign up for these library guided tours: http://www.doodle.com/64bt8zma58bps5f8.

Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design. 15 Westminster St. http://library.risd.edu/

Founded in 1878, the RISD Library is one of the oldest independent art college libraries in the country. In the summer of 2006, the Library moved into a new facility in the first two floors of the former Rhode Island Hospital Trust bank. The magnificent banking hall serves as the library’s main reading room, while the second floor accommodates a new reading room for Archives and Special Collections as well as expanded space for the Visual Resources, Materials, and Picture Collections. The Fleet Library was recently called America’s Most Beautiful College Library, http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-libraries, and One of 50 Most Amazing Libraries in the World, http://www.pbn.com/RISDs-Fleet-Library-named-one-of-50-most-amazing-in-world,85705.
View the Fleet Library brochure: http://library.risd.edu/pdfs/fleetlibraryrisd.pdf
Watch the Fleet Library video: http://bcove.me/av1gioc9

Museum of Art at Rhode Island School of Design, aka RISD Museum. Entrances at 20 N. Main St. and 224 Benefit St. http://www.risdmuseum.org

With 86,000 objects housed in its six stories throughout five buildings, the Rhode Island School of Design’s Museum of Art offers a broad range of works across centuries and civilizations. With recent acclaim by The New York Times and Travel + Leisure magazine as a not-to-be-missed destination, the 135-year-old institution’s collection ranges from ancient Roman, Egyptian and Greek artifacts to mid-century modern Eames furniture and Frank Lloyd Wright stained-glass windows. Its newest addition, opened in 2008, is the 6,000-square-foot Chace Center designed by Rafael Moneo. Although the Asian and Textiles galleries are closed for renovation until 2014, Current Exhibitions and Permanent Collections galleries remain on view, http://www.risdmuseum.org/exhibitions-current.aspx.

While at the museum, visit risd|works—the gallery and design showroom featuring work by the Rhode Island School of Design alumni and faculty. Behind every item featured—from mass-produced objects to fine art—is the mind and hand of a RISD artist. Receive a 10% discount with conference badge.

All guided tours are free of charge. Unless specified, tours do not require registration and will gather in the lobby of the Providence Biltmore. Tour times reflect a maximum duration and include walking to/from the beginning and end of the tour from the hotel.

Guided Walking Tours

• Wednesday, April 3, 7:30-9:00am. Downtown Providence led by Dietrich Neumann.
  This walking tour will present a few of the most significant buildings and public sculptures at the heart of Providence from the 18th to the 21st Century. We will discuss the Providence Renaissance with its creation of Waterplace Park and the re-opening of the rivers and see splendid examples of historic preservation and rehabilitation.
• Thursday, April 4, 7:30-9:00am. Brown University campus led by Dietrich Neumann.
  This tour will visit the campus and a number of individual buildings of one of America’s oldest colleges, dating from the 18th to the 21st Century, including works by McKim Mead and White, Philip Johnson and Diller & Scofidio. We will also see one of Richard Upjohn’s late Gothic Revival Churches, St.Stevens of 1862. Please note: this tour will involve scaling and descending the considerable elevation of College Hill.
• Friday, April 5, 12:00-1:30pm. Rhode Island School of Design campus led by Andrew Martinez.
  This tour highlights the 135-year history of RISD as it relates to the historic and significant buildings on the RISD campus.

Self-guided Walking Tours

• Independence Trail, http://www.independencetrails.com/
• Providence Preservation Society booklets of Downtown Providence and Benefit Street, $3 each, sold at the conference registration desk. http://www.ppsri.org/ppsresources/walking-tour-booklets

About our tour guides:

Dietrich Neumann is Professor of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University and is a former president of the Society of Architectural Historians and one of the principals on the SAHARA grant.

Andrew Martinez is Archivist at the Rhode Island School of Design and is co-editor of “Infinite Radius: Founding Rhode Island School of Design.”

Rhode Island was at the heart of trade routes for the colonies (nearby locations with names such as India Point speak to this role and to the awful truth of being heavily involved in the slave trade) and was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, known primarily for textiles and silver. Like many formerly industrial strongholds, Providence has redefined itself as a center for education and medicine. With flagship institutions that include Brown University (most liberal among the Ivy League), Rhode Island School of Design (long-ranked the #1 art and design school), and Johnson & Wales University (preeminent culinary school that offered the first degree in the culinary arts), and with a low cost of living for New England and a location ideally situated close to Boston and not far from New York City, Providence is home to many artists, performers, musicians, etc.—truly a Creative Capital for critical thinking and making.

With one of the most centrally located hotels for a VRA conference, all of your destinations will be within a very short walk, starting with Starbucks located off the hotel lobby. Restaurants of dizzying variety, jazz clubs, galleries, pubs (English *and* Irish), Little Italy on nearby Federal Hill, etc., are all nearby for you to enjoy. And should you have any questions (or momentarily lose sight of the Biltmore’s iconic neon sign), Rhode Islanders are friendly to visitors, partly born of pride in this smallest state with the longest name and its fierce tradition of independence and dissent, but also because Rhode Islanders love to talk.

Future messages on VRA-L will expand on these aspects of Providence as a host city for VRA*31, in addition to highlighting the impressive conference programming that awaits attendees. I’m pleased to call your attention to VRA’s first use of a blog platform as the conference website, http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra31/, allowing for greater fluidity and variety of content. Look to the blog as your primary resource for travel planning and other logistics, with links to the conference program and registration.

Other city-related websites of interest:

• The official website of the city: http://www.providenceri.com/
• The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau: http://www.goprovidence.com/
• Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goprovidence/
• Official tourism video: http://youtu.be/HbVD_yb9mWE
• Providence Biltmore: http://www.providencebiltmore.com/

Hope to see you in April for a conference that promises to be “wicked good”.