Newport, RI

It’s official. I’ve gotten bored of metropolitan areas. We’ve explored the flavor of the midwestern economic hubs (particularly the ones in the great lakes region as I have significant personal bias) and a little bit into other places where my cousins live. This State College weather has recently been taking an uptick, so it reminded me of summer. What better topic to do than a summer town so we can all reminisce on boating and beaches and sunburns? Next up is a city in the smallest state, Newport, Rhode Island. Contrary to the previous four places I’ve written about, I have never been here or been in this state. Ergo, this was a cool opportunity for me to talk to a college friend about their experiences and ties to this family tradition.

This summer resort is home to the East Coast’s finest, with summer resorts and mansions spanning along its coastlines. However, this means that many of the occupants are only visitors during tourist months, leaving the resident population to be only 24,672. The town has significant revolutionary and colonial history as it served as a landing place for ships coming from England and Africa carrying enslaved people and goods. The city is on a somewhat Peninsula, with miniature islands popping off of the eastern edge into the ocean giving beaches on all sides. Colonial beach houses and sailing docks sprung up as it became a summer home area, being frequently labelled as the “sailing capital of the world”. Many famous sailing clubs including the New York Yacht Club and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club are headquartered here. There is also a naval station that is the city’s principle employer.

I reach out to Nicole Kruse, a friend of mine and student here at Penn State originally from New York, about what her experience was like spending time in this little town.

“As a child I spent the summers in Newport where the summers are busy and various social circles fill in the rental and beach houses. During the summer, all of the bars and restaurants are open, as opposed to the winter season when owners find that its not worth it to be open. The vibes are preppy yet relaxed and Newport pink is everywhere. I would go with my family to the Newport Creamery and get the Awful Awful – a mix of milk, mix, and flavoring. The cliff walk was something my family would do almost every week, or at least go down to the cliffs near the Breakers. There are a ton of mansions that my family and I have gone to visit each summer, as Newport used to and still continues to house infamously rich families with historical roots, such as the Vanderbilts. The New England shorelines are always rocky and a bit rough but the the views are always worth it, and the sun beats down hard. The seafood is, of course, unbeatable and the ice cream shoppes, cafes, and coffeehouses paint a portrait of a quiet town with a Hamptons feel.”

I personally hate seafood but I guess if you like it that’s another appeal to coming here. Overall I give this city six rocks that fell off of a cliff right before you got your snap out to record it.