It was our first time in Providence, RI. We were looking to get away from NYC for a but, to visit a place that was quiet, with restaurants at walking distance (good for non-drivers), and that allowed us to stay indoors (to minimize exposure) and still enjoy our time. Pippi and Xander's place hit all the marks. We are overall very happy with our visit. Here are a few highlights
The house+hospitality: The house itself is a trip. We asked the host to give us a tour of the house and the history of their collective. Xander did that with no issue and that in itself made our trip worth it. They let us see the other rooms and take pictures. Every corner of the house makes a great photo, as the lighting is great. This house is filled with temporary and permanent artworks in all the rooms. They bring breakfast to your room if you choose but you can also eat it on one of the balconies. Their coffee was so so good. We stayed on room #1 which was beautiful and spacious. Make sure to check out the tower, is a fun trip, but it is 3 flights up, and the stairs a bit narrow but sturdy. You can eat there, just chill and read a book. You can easily get around the house on your own, checking in and check out was all very easy. The host was responsive to our questions all the time and quick. Everyone was kind.
Restaurants: So many restaurants at walking distance. Nick's on Broadway, YNoodle, and Pan-a-Day were hands down amazing. We never had a meal that was disappointing. Moniker Brewery get a shout out bc their staff were kind beyond, thou we landed there by accident. Sin bakery was pretty good too. One suggestion with the restaurants is that they may open at 3 or 5pm, and close at 6 or 8pm kinda thing, so plan ahead to not be left with no eating options.
A few other places: With the limitations we had due to the pandemic, we visited Armageddon Record store and the botanical garden. All great places. Walking around the neighborhood was pretty great too, as the houses look beautiful.
For POC/Queer/Immigrant visitors: We stepped into Maria's Cucina, and it was a different experience from the other places. We got looked up and down kinda of thing, from the staff to the guests coming in. We went there to order take out and it seemed they couldn't wait to have us leave quick, and were even a bit taken aback that we wanted take out. A bit uncomfortable.
No one wore masks at all and at the end the food wasn't great. This is an upscale, Italian American restaurant, in an upscale Italian American neighborhood, so while we had no issues walking around at different times of day or entering different stores, we weren't too surprised at the experience in that restaurant either.
Our experience at the Wedding Cake House was 5 starts. We would love to come back!