Federal Hill

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent Eat well, or more appropriately, "mangia bene" at the 13th Annual Federal Hill Stroll in historical Federal Hill, Providence, June 5, when 30 galleries, shops and of course, restaurants open their doors to welcome the expected 1,000-plus patrons who usually come to walk around. Stroll tickets are $30 plus tax, and included admission button, two free drinks, and a map of the venue. It starts at 4:30 p.m. and includes music.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent Eat well, or more appropriately, "mangia bene" at the 13th Annual Federal Hill Stroll in historical Federal Hill, Providence, June 5, when 30 galleries, shops and of course, restaurants open their doors to welcome the expected 1,000-plus patrons who usually come to walk around. Stroll tickets are $30 plus tax, and included admission button, two free drinks, and a map of the venue. It starts at 4:30 p.m. and includes music.

Boston's North End and Providence's Federal Hill have been the Little Italies of their respective cities for well over a century, yet the two neighborhoods could not look more different. The North End was already a 250-year-old warren of twisting, narrow streets when Italians began arriving in the 1880s. Federal Hill, by contrast, began as a circa-1800 planned grid of broad streets opposite the old Colonial city. Despite population shifts and creeping gentrification, the aromas of garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes still drift from many doorways, and each neighborhood retains its own...

Boston's North End and Providence's Federal Hill have been the Little Italies of their respective cities for well over a century, yet the two neighborhoods could not look more different. The North End was already a 250-year-old warren of twisting, narrow streets when Italians began arriving in the 1880s. Federal Hill, by contrast, began as a circa-1800 planned grid of broad streets opposite the old Colonial city. Despite population shifts and creeping gentrification, the aromas of garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes still drift from many doorways, and each neighborhood retains its own...

PROVIDENCE — Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a woman suspected of being the driver in a hit-and-run accident Friday night that injured a Providence city councilor. Authorities told the Providence Journal that they have identified the woman, but her name has not been released. Police say they have also found the car involved in the accident. Police say Terrence Hassett, the council’s majority leader, was seriously injured but is expected to recover.

Magic near the mountains For the kind of white Christmas that Irving Berlin so sentimentally imagined, head to the Balsams Grand Resort in beautiful Dixville Notch in the northernmost tip of the White Mountains. The drive from Boston, traffic willing, is around four hours and well worth it. The resort folks almost guarantee snow by Christmas, but if nature doesn’t comply, they make their own for the ski area. Air does not come any fresher, nor views as simple and inspiring, as at this wonderful, wooded wilderness spot, which was appropriately dubbed ‘‘The Switzerland of...

PROVIDENCE - Welcome to one of the most underrated cities in New England. It has everything you would ever want in a travel destination: historic neighborhoods, funky shopping districts, great views, culture, and a bit of Old World charm to boot. And for singles and couples, fun and eclectic options after the sun sets. Stay If you want classy lodging with historic flair, check out the Providence Biltmore Hotel (11 Dorrance St., 401-421-0700, www.providencebiltmore.com)

PROVIDENCE -- Pity the maid who takes a job at Dolce Villa, the new boutique hotel smack in the middle of DePasquale Plaza. It's not that the clients are particularly messy. No, the problem is that everything is white. Well, everything except a couple of stainless steel appliances in each suite's kitchen. White floors, white walls, white ceiling, white bedspread, white curtains, white furniture, white lights. Only in the little lobby, in fact, does anything break the stark blank lines: a couple of nice green plants.

PROVIDENCE -- Ads for the new Peerless Lofts in the Downcity arts district are an exercise in hyperbole, calling the area "New England's hottest shopping destination" and home to "the best restaurants in Providence. " Someday that may all be true, but the day hasn't arrived. Hot shopping requires more than a Design Within Reach showroom down the street and a Nordstrom in a nearby mall, and the folks at Al Forno or any number of spots on Federal Hill might take issue with that restaurant claim.

Bostonians often regard Providence as just another restaurant district, a little farther south than the South End, but close enough to eat and get back in time to send the baby sitter home before curfew. But there's more to "Renaissance City" than boites and bistros. Sure, there are similarities to Beantown in the merchant-prince manses on a hill, the river down the middle, and even a disruptive highway relocation project. Like Boston, Providence is a college town, with the Rhode Island School of Design raising the level of visual effervescence and Johnson & Wales University, Brown University, and...

HINESBURG, Vt. — The sun streamed into the barn, silhouetting Lindsay Harris as she introduced her cows. “Jemima is a bit of a showoff,’’ she said, scratching under the chin of the sand-colored Jersey. “And that’s Pasha, and Dora is in the corner.’’ Harris is a dairy farmer in rural Vermont and one of the passionate people on Chris Howell’s Vermont Farm Tours. On another day, visitors to the Federal Hill section of Providence watch women roll, cut, and fill ravioli squares by hand at Venda Ravioli.

PROVIDENCE — Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a woman suspected of being the driver in a hit-and-run accident Friday night that injured a Providence city councilor. Authorities told the Providence Journal that they have identified the woman, but her name has not been released. Police say they have also found the car involved in the accident. Police say Terrence Hassett, the council’s majority leader, was seriously injured but is expected to recover.

PROVIDENCE - Welcome to one of the most underrated cities in New England. It has everything you would ever want in a travel destination: historic neighborhoods, funky shopping districts, great views, culture, and a bit of Old World charm to boot. And for singles and couples, fun and eclectic options after the sun sets. Stay If you want classy lodging with historic flair, check out the Providence Biltmore Hotel (11 Dorrance St., 401-421-0700, www.providencebiltmore.com)

ST. LOUIS - Italian-Americans in Providence have Federal Hill. In Monterey, Calif., residents can claim Spaghetti Hill as their own. In the Midwest, Ohioans frequent Brier Hill. But folks in St. Louis keep things simple: it's just the Hill. Established in the mid-19th century, the Hill attracted Italian miners with claims of good working conditions in the coal and clay mines. Over the years, as the area has become more ethnically diverse, many things remain the same. This neighborhood, near the city's western border, continues to be anchored by...

Magic near the mountains For the kind of white Christmas that Irving Berlin so sentimentally imagined, head to the Balsams Grand Resort in beautiful Dixville Notch in the northernmost tip of the White Mountains. The drive from Boston, traffic willing, is around four hours and well worth it. The resort folks almost guarantee snow by Christmas, but if nature doesn’t comply, they make their own for the ski area. Air does not come any fresher, nor views as simple and inspiring, as at this wonderful, wooded wilderness spot, which was appropriately dubbed...

Bostonians often regard Providence as just another restaurant district, a little farther south than the South End, but close enough to eat and get back in time to send the baby sitter home before curfew. But there's more to "Renaissance City" than boites and bistros. Sure, there are similarities to Beantown in the merchant-prince manses on a hill, the river down the middle, and even a disruptive highway relocation project. Like Boston, Providence is a college town, with the Rhode Island School of Design raising the level of visual effervescence and Johnson & Wales University, Brown University,...

ST. LOUIS - Italian-Americans in Providence have Federal Hill. In Monterey, Calif., residents can claim Spaghetti Hill as their own. In the Midwest, Ohioans frequent Brier Hill. But folks in St. Louis keep things simple: it's just the Hill. Established in the mid-19th century, the Hill attracted Italian miners with claims of good working conditions in the coal and clay mines. Over the years, as the area has become more ethnically diverse, many things remain the same. This neighborhood, near the city's western border, continues to be anchored by St. Ambrose Catholic Church and a...

HINESBURG, Vt. — The sun streamed into the barn, silhouetting Lindsay Harris as she introduced her cows. “Jemima is a bit of a showoff,’’ she said, scratching under the chin of the sand-colored Jersey. “And that’s Pasha, and Dora is in the corner.’’ Harris is a dairy farmer in rural Vermont and one of the passionate people on Chris Howell’s Vermont Farm Tours. On another day, visitors to the Federal Hill section of Providence watch women roll, cut, and fill ravioli squares by hand at Venda Ravioli.

PROVIDENCE -- Pity the maid who takes a job at Dolce Villa, the new boutique hotel smack in the middle of DePasquale Plaza. It's not that the clients are particularly messy. No, the problem is that everything is white. Well, everything except a couple of stainless steel appliances in each suite's kitchen. White floors, white walls, white ceiling, white bedspread, white curtains, white furniture, white lights. Only in the little lobby, in fact, does anything break the stark blank lines: a couple of nice green plants.

PROVIDENCE -- Ads for the new Peerless Lofts in the Downcity arts district are an exercise in hyperbole, calling the area "New England's hottest shopping destination" and home to "the best restaurants in Providence. " Someday that may all be true, but the day hasn't arrived. Hot shopping requires more than a Design Within Reach showroom down the street and a Nordstrom in a nearby mall, and the folks at Al Forno or any number of spots on Federal Hill might take issue with that restaurant claim.