Why I love Providence

A City Year corps members sits in front of historic Providence City Hall during the 2011 mayoral inauguration.

When I first began my service at Esek Hopkins Middle School, while introducing myself to the students I would often mention that I was from Los Angeles and had just graduated from UCLA. When met with the news that had abandoned, as they saw it, the paradise of sunny Southern California for dreary old Providence, I was usually met with one exclamation; “But miss… why?!” Constantly explaining the reasons for my move has caused me to reflect on my feelings for my new home, and I realized that I have grown to love Providence, and Rhode Island.

Coming from Los Angeles, one of the best things about Providence is its accessibility. While in L.A. it took me 45 minutes to an hour to drive the 13 miles from my home to UCLA, in Providence virtually everything you could want is either within easy walking distance or a short bus ride away (on a public transportation system which is infinitely better that any in California). Being able to get to, within thirty minutes or less, the vibrant and distinct cultural gathering places of Atwells Avenue in Federal Hill, downtown, or Thayer Street on the east side means that there’s always something fun to do (and something delicious to eat!) in Providence.

 

The same ease of access and cultural and historic richness can be found throughout the region. The more touristy town of Newport, with the sprawling “summer cottages” built by Southern elites some hundred years ago, is an easy bus ride away. It’s even easier to take the commuter rail to Boston, where there’s an endless list of attractions. And for a U.S. History major like me, living in a place with so much history is just another reason I love Providence. Truly, I love everything about New England, from the accessibility to the food to the history present in this multicultural melting pot.

- Laura Mills, Corps Member- Esek Hopkins

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