<p>I grew up in San Francisco and I’m a little worried about the town of Providence, because I really like doing volunteer and activist work in the city. I’ve heard Brown has a really strong Urban Studies program though, so I’m excited about that.</p>
<p>If you go to Brown, do you visit Boston or nearby cities a lot?</p>
<p>Has anyone who visited like to tell me about their experiences?</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>When my daughter visited Brown, there was a fair amount of talk among the current Brown-ers who sounded like they planed their exoduses up to Boston, a fair amount.</p>
<p>My daughter is at Brown, and grew up in NYC. Providence is a wonderful city, beautiful in many ways. It’s small, true, but there is everything you would want in a city college experience. Good food, music, theater, shopping, biking, etc. Water is very close by (Providence is on a river that flows into Long Island Sound with great islands, boating, etc. in warmer weather). Much of the area around Brown is architecturally very interesting and carefully renovated. College Hill is beautiful. As far as volunteer possibilities, there are many. Brown works closely with the local public school system, and there are the expected volunteer needs of any city. I feel like an ad for the chamber of commerce, but it’s all true. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, Brown is in such a great place too. It is not directly in the city, but on “College Hill.” It’s definitely the best of both worlds; a short distance to the city, very lively. It’s a beautiful campus. I love it.</p>
<p>Brown has a lot of volunteer opportunities for students interested in working in Providence neighborhoods or schools. It might be a small city but there are immigrant neighborhoods, downtrodden housing developments, poverty, etc. It has many of the same problems as larger urban areas, just on a slightly smaller scale. There are also activist groups on campus working for other types of social/political/environmental change – like campaign finance reform, for example. And, there are classes where as part of your coursework you need to do some volunteer work in the community.</p>
<p>And yes, the urban studies program is quite good.</p>
<p>If you’re coming from San Francisco, then yes, Providence is going to be small. However, there are things to do, should you choose to leave College Hill. Brown has a number of volunteer programs. Downtown is an easy walk from the Main Green (especially if you like hills).</p>
<p>Boston is a $7.75 train ride away, and I know a fair number of people who will make the trip once in a while. I’ve gone up there a couple of times with friends or on my own to visit home.</p>
<p>Personally, I have no problems with Brown’s place in Providence. I don’t feel as if I’m in the thick of things (which is nice if you want the “college bubble”), but I can go into the city if I’d like. And if you don’t feel like trekking down College Hill, there’s always the fantastic cityscape views from the back windows of the Rock.</p>
<p>When I visited Brown it definitely was not suburban. Providence feels like a big city just in a small package.</p>
<p>Brown’s neck of Providence definitely feels very suburban and is mostly residential except for a few streets, but it is only an ~8 minute walk from the center of Providence, which definitely feels like a city, albeit a small one. I live in Manhattan, so to me it seemed tiny, but it seems like it has pretty much most of the offerings of a big city just on a smaller scale. Just keep in mind though, Providence is not even close (sizewise) to NYC/LA, or even Boston/San Fran/etc. With that in mind though, it seemed like a very nice place, and just about the right size so that it didn’t dominate the social scene but still offered some social outlets if you get bored of campus life.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies. I feel more comfortable knowing that some people who grew up in NYC were just fine with the smallness of Providence.</p>
<p>woah im from sf too! what school do you go to go?? i think we’re like the same person since i am interested in volunteer/activism and i was initially worried about that at first.
seriously though, providence was amazing when i visited, back in april. its small but honestly you get the ‘big city’ feel in a smaller city. its quite perfect. also, there are a lot of places to volunteer and hella things to choose from. especially with the weird weather we’ve been having, everytime i look outside my window, it reminds me of providence :)</p>
<p>also, boston is a little less than a hour away and costs about 13 bucks round trip. so its nice for a weekend get a way fo sho. </p>
<p>im from sf and visiting ny was mind shocking. the city is on crackkkk</p>
<p>Providence rocks! Brown rocks! My D and her friends never went to Boston in all 4 years. There’s plenty to do on campus and around town. Great restaurants, lots of theater (on-campus and off-campus). We still go back to visit. We really miss Brown and Providence.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information! That’s interesting, I would imagine one would get tired of Providence after being there for so long.
I go to George Washington, rizzledizzle. You?</p>
<p>It’s funny reading perceptions of what suburban is, and “the city” means. Let me straighten everyone out :]</p>
<p>Prov is not suburban, only compared to Manhattan would it be. College Hill is not suburban. It’s a somewhat dense residential neighborhood with a few commercial areas within. Risd takes up most of the hill insulating Brown from downtown which isn’t far at all. Sayng that you go into the city from Brown is silly. Brown is nearly touching downtown, and is only separated by risd and a big 150 ft hill. So Brown is IN the city of Providence, and is where the city started. For suburban housing with garages and yards you’d have to travel to a …you guessed it…suburb. There are some places on the east side with larger housing plots but not many. </p>
<p>I guess some people don’t realize that housing does not equal suburban. Prov is NOT a suburb of any other city. </p>
<p>Also, the river flows into Narragansett Bay not Long Island Sound lol.</p>
<p>Brown is a fairly small city. When I visited there, my first impression was “quaint.” Although the city is not huge, there are actually some advantages of it- such as the area being a bit safer and easier to walk around. Actually, the thing I was most surprised about the city was that it was very clean- which I guess is an outcome of it being small. However, it is still a city, with tons of cars and buildings. The area around brown is beautiful with the water and trees and capitol building.</p>
<p>You obviuoysly stayed near College Hill/ East Side. </p>
<p>Prov has it’s not so pretty areas. I worked in a city just north of Providence, Central Falls, and that place is the trouble spot if RI. At least they have decent, and not overpriced, ethnic food there.</p>
<p>I’m not saying it’s dirty or that I don’t like it, I’m just telling it like it is.</p>