AN Ivy League college, a cutting-edge art school and top-flight chefs have helped Providence shed its reputation as a Boston suburb. In recent years, Providence has not only seen a new convention center and a revitalized waterfront, but historic corridors have also been restored to their Revolutionary-era glory, giving the Rhode Island capital an architectural sense of place. But these cultural trappings, more commonly associated with overcrowded metropolises, have not caused this city of 200,000, near the banks of Narragansett Bay, to lose its small-town flavor. Drivers still request their initials on license plates, sandwich shops let regulars run a tab and Mayor David N. Cicilline greets residents by name and lists his home number in the phone book.
36 Hours in Providence, R.I.
Friday
5 p.m.
1) ESPRESSO IN THE AIR
Federal Hill offers a different kind of Providence history, one steeped more in food than religious freedom. Stroll down Atwells Avenue, otherwise known as the city’s Little Italy, where the scent of sopressata drifts overhead. Much of the crowd is under 30 and showing a lot of faux-tan flesh, but there’s still a small old-school contingency that congregates over pepper biscuits and pignoli. Posters of the television series
7:30 p.m.
2) TOP TOMATO
No one questions that Al Forno (577 South Main Street, 401-273-9760; www.alforno.com) put Providence on the culinary map three decades ago. And while some foodies prefer the town’s splashier new kitchens, no one does rustic Italian better than the owners, George Germon and Johanne Killeen. Favorites include handmade bread gnocchi with spicy sausage ($19.95), its signature crackling grilled pomodoro pizza ($19.95) and ice cream churned to order. For those who like things intimate, Mr. Germon and Ms. Killeen are opening a 20-seat Mediterranean tapas restaurant this fall, called Tini (200 Washington Street, 401-383-2400).
10 p.m.
3) DRAMA AND MUSIC
The Providence Black Repertory may be known for giving voice to a generation of African-American playwrights and artists, but it also has a lounge, Xxodus Café (276 Westminster Street, 401-351-0352; www.blackrep.org), to hear new music. Friday nights belong to Afro-Sonic, a group of D.J.’s and musicians who mix electronic and turntable house music with African djembe and djun-djun drumming.
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) WALKING BACK IN TIME