Downtown Providence, RI Neighborhood Information

In 1636, the city of Providence and eventual capital of the state of Rhode Island came into being. Founded by Roger Williams, a religious exile, the city was apparently so named because of "God's merciful Providence" which led Williams and his band of settlers to the head of the Providence River at the mouth of Narragansett Bay. It now boasts eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning, including Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and as of 2009 re-branded itself as the "creative capital" in an effort to showcase its arts and education resources. The city's previous official slogan "the Renaissance city," heralded the fact that it is one of the country's oldest cities and that many of its original buildings and landscaping still remain intact.