DISTANCE FROM BOSTON: 61 miles
POPULATION: 86,000
WEBSITE: warwickri.gov
ODD FACT: In the mid-19th century, textile mill owner Robert Knight saw images of fruit painted on bolts of his cloth sold in a friend's shop, bought the idea, and in 1871, one year after Congress passed the country's first trademark laws, Knight received patent 418 for his new brand: Fruit of the Loom.
Water, water everywhere, yet what many envision when thinking of Warwick is a gigantic mall and New England's third-busiest airport, T.F. Green. Think again: Rhode Island has 400 miles of coastline and Warwick's share is a full 10 percent, with all manner of marinas and bounty of beaches (four saltwater, four freshwater) in and around its winding inlets, bays, and coves. Sprinkle in some rich history - the first attack in the American Revolution happened here on June 10, 1772, when the Yanks burned the British schooner Gaspee - and top with fabled food (Iggy's on Oakland Beach has the best clam cakes and chowder in the state, locals say) and you have one terrific city that just happens to have a gigantic mall and busy airport.
Goddard Memorial State Park (1095 Ives Road, 401-884-2010, riparks.com/goddard .htm) is one of the state's most popular parks, a sprawling 500-acre expanse of lawns, fields, forests, and beach. Goddard offers a nine-hole golf course, 11 playing fields, and a new performing arts center. One of the most picturesque beaches in the city is Conimicut Point Beach (Point Avenue, visitwarwickri.com/parks&;beaches.htm). The beach is also popular for clamming, fishing, and taking in the skyline of Providence on one side of the point and the historic Conimicut Point lighthouse on the other. Another is Oakland Beach (Oakland Beach Avenue, visitwarwickri.com/parks&;beaches.htm) boasting east- and west-facing beaches, optimizing the chance for great sunrise/sunset photos. Off the beach path, you can cool down at the city's McDermott Pool (975 Sandy Lane, 401-738-2000 ext. 6809) or get totally cool at the Thayer/Warburton Ice Arenas (975 Sandy Lane, 401-738-2000 ext. 6811, warwickri.gov/parksrec/thayermain .htm). Both facilities have a variety of public programs available to tame the summer heat. And for fun in the water, check out Giant Stride Dive Shop (1935 Warwick Ave., 401-732-8808, giantstridediveshop.com) where you arrange to do things like go on a shark dive off the coast - cage included - or explore the wreckage of a German U-boat sunk at the end of World War II.
Spend
A place as steeped in history as Warwick abounds with all things historical, including the magnificent
Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum (4157 Post Road, 401-884-4550,
cloudshill.org), a 3 1/2-story granite Victorian high on a hill and boasting intricate etched-glass doors and Victoriana from the world over. The home has remained virtually unchanged since it was built by William Smith Slater in 1872 for his daughter, Elizabeth Ives Slater. It has stayed in the family, passing from woman to woman to the present day. Open by appointment only. Check out the
Warwick Museum of Art (3259 Post Road, 401-737-0010,
warwickmuseum.org), the city's largest nonprofit arts organization and its cultural center. The museum hosts not only art but provides performance space for theater, music, poetry readings, and a monthly visual arts exhibit. While Brad Pitt did not sleep at the
Aldrich Mansion (836 Warwick Neck Ave., 401-739-6850,
aldrichmansion.com), he did work here. The mansion was used in the 1998 film "Meet Joe Black," in which Pitt starred. The 70-room mansion is a local favorite for weddings.
Spend
OK, so you can't escape the
Warwick Mall (at Interstates 95 and 295, warwick
mall.com, 401-739-7500), a collection of 90-plus stores that has made some significant upgrades in its 37-year history. But take in some of the smaller retailers across the city as well, including
Dolls and Daffodils (245 Legris Ave., 401-826-8885, dolls
anddaffodils.com), where you'll find collectible dolls from Adora to Marie Osmond and related accessories, and
CLC Menswear (642 East Ave., 401-827-7848), which offers tailored men's clothing.
Ann & Hope (1689 Post Road, 401-739-3400) is a Rhode Island legend, named after a ship built in Providence in 1789 and said to be the first discount self-service department store chain in America. Launched in the 1950s, it is now an outlet store. Summer may not be time for fur, but another Rhode Island institution is
William H. Harris Furs (641 Bald Hill Road, 401-821-6000,
williamhharris.com), New England's largest furrier since 1908, which besides selling all styles of fur, does fur storage, repairs, appraisal, and cleaning.
Party
Warwick hosts a variety of venues for dancing, listening to music, or just hanging out and relaxing.
Eddie's 529 Club (529 Warwick Ave., 401-941-9423,
eddies529club.net) is down-home casual, features local bands, and sells a 16-ounce glass of Rhode Island's iconic beer, Narragansett, for a skimpy $1.50.
Copperfield's (1551 Warwick Ave., 401-738-7936) is a sports bar, restaurant, and night club featuring live entertainment, karaoke, pool tables, and pool tournaments. Another local favorite,
Back Street Bar & Grille (2247 West Shore Road, 401-736-0404), offers karaoke on Thursday and Saturday nights, sandwiched around live bands on Friday nights, and you can sup and sip on the outdoor patio. Back Street's food is all homemade, from steaks to baked stuffed shrimp to a Rhode Island favorite, stuffed quahogs.
Fuel
In summer, you cannot miss
Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House (889 Oakland Beach Ave., 401-737-9459, iggysdough
boys.com), the oldest beach stand in Rhode Island and arguably the best, where lines of hungry diners routinely snake out the door and toward the beach.
O'Rourke's Bar and Grill (23 Peck's Lane, 401-228-7444) overlooks Pawtuxet Cove in one of the city's most historic and picturesque places, Pawtuxet Village. Back in the day, this building reportedly housed a brothel, but these days you can indulge in Irish music and fare, including, yes, Irish nachos. For Italian fare, there is the relatively new, family-run
Portofino Restaurant (897 Post Road, 401-461-8920,
elizabethportofino.com). The
Fat Belly Pub (254 Forge Road, 401-884-2112), cranks up typical bar food a notch with offerings like grilled pesto pizza and a not-so-typical Cajun pasta dish.
Rest
Most of the city's lodging options are near the airport, with many chain hotels clustered there. The city's largest hotel,
Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings (801 Greenwich Ave., 401-732-6000,
crowneplaza.com) boasts more than 300 rooms, dining, a shuttle to the airport, and for dog lovers, all manner of national and regional shows from spring through fall. The dog docket for the rest of this season includes eastern English springer spaniels, Portuguese water dogs, beagles, and golden retrievers. The
Hilton Garden Inn (1 Thurbers St., 401-734-9600,
hiltongardeninn.com) features free in-room Internet service, a 24-hour "pavilion pantry," and evening room service. The renovated
Homestead Studio Suites Hotel (268 Metro Center Blvd., 401-732-6667) has 94 studios and suites, sports court, hot tub, and outdoor patio with barbecue. And scheduled to open in early August,
NYLO Warwick (corner of Knight Street and Greenwich Avenue, 401-734-4460,
nylohotels.com), an 82,000-square-foot, loft-style hotel, is Atlanta-based NYLO's first in the Northeast. The 164-room facility overlooks the Pawtuxet River and will feature local art on display and for sale, with 90 percent of the proceeds going to the artist and 10 percent to charity.
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