Here's a lot of stuff about Providence for the reunion

50th REUNION HOTEL

Links to full version of Providence Visitor 
    Guide and Directory Map

The Biltmore Hotel will be home base. It's located in Downtown Providence next to City Hall and facing the renovated Union Station.

This map is extracted from the larger, and very useful, Visitor Guide and Directory Map of Downtown Providence. The Biltmore is in the lower right (red arrow) of the map above.

The Biltmore Hotel
One 11 Dorrance Street
Providence, RI 02903
401.421.0700

The Biltmore Hotel offers Driving Directions from various cities and directions, but you all know where it is.

If you are arriving by other modes of transport, check the Maps and Transportation page.

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RESTAURANTS & LOCAL SERVICES

Restaurants

There are lots of great restaurants in Providence, but here are some options easy to get to from the Westin:

Providence Place Mall - Ben & Jerry's, Cathay Cathay, Dave & Buster's, Fire + Ice, Japan Cafe, Joe's American Bar & Grill, Johnny Rocket's, Le Petite Bistro, Napa Valley Grille, Nordstrom Cafe, Pizzeria Regina, Popeye's, Subway, Surf & Turf, Taco Bell, Cheesecake Factory, Uno Chicago Grill. Directions: accessible by catwalk from the Westin.

Union Station Plaza - Union Station Brewery (Brew pub and restaurant, associated with John Harvard's Brew House), The Capital Grille (Beef-eater's delight, cigars and brandy crowd), Brewed Awakenings (gourmet coffee, pastries, WiFi Hotspot), Raphael Bar Risto (contemporary, Italian-inspired, Tunnel bar, people watching), Ri Ra (Irish pub and restaurant with live music (including Irish Session Sundays 5:30-9:30) and other events). Directions: a short walk to the other side of the Marriott hotel from the Westin.

Bella Vista Restaurant & Bar - Directions: from Union Station Plaza (see above), walk under Memorial Drive. You will see the restaurant across the pond of Waterplace park - just walk around and over the lovely bridge.

College Hill / Thayer Street - A healthy walk from the Westin (or speedy cab ride) but worth it. The Brickway on Wickenden (234 Wickenden Street) is excellent for brunch, the Coffee Exchange is known for good vegan desserts, more than one sushi bar, and Spike's hot dogs has good cheap veggie dogs.

TasteRI.com Restaurant Reviews - Providence restaurant reviews. Good information for evaluation, but no map links.

There are more nearby restaurants on the Around Hotel page.

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Coffee

Citi Perk - in the Westin Hotel, brewing Starbucks coffee.
Starbucks - in the Biltmore, southeast two blocks from the Westin.
Brewed Awakenings (#4 on Area Map) - in Union Station Plaza (quick walk to other side of the Marriott from the Westin), gourmet coffees and WiFi Hotspot.
Dunkin' Donuts - in the Providence Place mall (across the catwalk from the Westin).

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WiFi Hotspots

Westin Hotel - 1st and 2nd floor public spaces.
Brewed Awakenings (#4 on Area Map) - in Union Station Plaza (quick walk to other side of the Marriott from the Westin).
Borders Books & Music - in the Providence Place mall (across the catwalk from the Westin).

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Hotels/Motels/B&Bs

To register for the conference or verify the special rates and procedures for booking a room at the Westin, go to the Annual Meeting Web site. We encourage you to stay at the Westin as ASIS&T relies on room bookings at the hotel to prevent penalties and keep the conference reasonably priced.

Accommodations - This link lists most of the hotels/motels and bed and breakfasts in the immediate area. There are only really 4 other hotels within any walking distance of the Westin (conference hotel). The Providence Biltmore and the Marriott Courtyard are quite close, but demand a higher room rate as of the time of this writing. The Holiday Inn is about a quarter of a mile away. The Radisson is located on the harbor - a healthy walk or cab ride away.

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ATMs

BankRI ATM - in Convention Center, southwest down Sabin Street from Westin.
Citizens ATM - in Biltmore hotel, southeast two blocks from Westin.
Citizens ATM - in the Providence Place mall (across the catwalk from the Westin).

These and other ATMs listed in section A2 of the Visitor's Guide and Directory map.

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November Events

November Events in the Providence area, including performances, exhibits, and shows.

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Trip Planning

If you are planning a full visit to the Providence area, you will want to spend some time reviewing the following resources:

ProvidenceRI.com - Main city web site with sections on Arts and Entertainment (note link to Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism - separate but related site highlighting galleries, museums, public sculpture, theatre and other cultural events), Vacation and Traveling (includes parks, tour companies, etc.), and History and Facts.

Providence and Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau - Visitors section of the web site includes sections for Accommodations, Restaurants, and Nightlife.

MapQuest's Places Nearby the Westin Hotel - Find Restaurants, Hotels, Bars, Movie Theaters, Department Stores, Shopping Centers, Grocery Stores, Pharmacies, Florists, and Banks nearest to the conference. Includes descriptions and interactive maps!

The City of Providence.com Directory - If you REALLY can't find it, try this huge directory of Providence. From Excavating to Health Clubs, from Ornamental Iron to Bee Removal...

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A WALKING TOUR

Be sure to set aside a few hours one day to get to know Providence. Grab your map (Visitor Guide and Directory Map), and a few colleagues, and you will see you can make a terrific walk hitting these quintessential Providence destinations.

Waterplace Park - The amazing WaterFire presentation may be out of season, but the canals still make for a delightful stroll. From the Westin, cross Francis Street and make your way past the Marriott to Union Station Plaza and through the tunnel under Memorial Drive that is lined with tiles created by children to honor those lost on September 11th. Take a right and mosey up the canals. Lose yourself in the decidedly European atmosphere. Rejoin the streets of Providence at Washington Street and then take a left and head up the hill to Benefit Street. On your left at the corner of North Maine Street will be the...

First Baptist Meeting House - the first Baptist church in America, founded by Roger Williams in 1638. Go up another block to Benefit Street and turn right to find the...

RISD Museum of Art - The art museum of the Rhode Island School of Design contains over 10,000 pieces. From there, continue down ...

Benefit Street - and submerge yourself in classic New England architecture and history. Then meander your way back north and east towards ...

Thayer Street - between Waterman and Bowen streets is a unique part of the College Hill neighborhood chock full of shops and restaurants catering to students from RISD, one of the most well known art schools in the northeast, and from Brown University, one of the original "ivy league" schools. When you've loaded yourself up on treats and down with shopping bags, head back via Angell street and Washington again. Only this time, go straight through to...

Kennedy Plaza - and Burnside Park flanked by the marvelous architecture of the courthouse, federal building and post office on one end and City Hall and the Biltmore hotel on the other, with the art deco Fleet building in between. Head northwest at the Biltmore and you'll be back at the Westin.

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WEATHER

 
  Providence Weather Reports from The Weather Channel