Hey y'all! I'm moving to RI from Missouri soon (it's it's 20 hour drive, yuck!) and I'd love to know the best ways to make friends and enjoy the city!
For reference, I'm 21f, and I like live music (mostly punk, but up for anything if it's good), TTRPG's, and art! I'm also a huge book nerd. However I am NOT athletic so please don't suggest gyms or sports to meet people... lol
Thanks all!
Posted Apr 13, 2022, 10:39 AM UTC
AS220 is probably a good spot for you to start, got local art and local bands on a regular basis
Providence Atheneum is heaven on Earth for book nerds.
Congratulations on getting out of Missouri.
I’m biased, but I’d say library events. There are dance classes, gardening classes, author talks, etc. You could also go to independent book stores, they can have fun events.
I’m a librarian, so that’s what I’d do.
There’s an arcade bar that has super friendly people, but my introvert kept me from saying hi to anyone.
There’s brewery visits organized on Reddit and the first and third Fridays of the month.
There are tons of events around the community depending if you want more art/culture or more music and whether you want a college crowd or more of a slightly older group or much older group.
There are all kinds of pubs, but I find them less enjoyable. There are speakeasies, which are lots of fun. They’re not all expensive, some are reasonably priced (aka sub $10 drinks).
Roger Williams park is nice to go for a walk in.
The beach is within an hour, so there’s that.
It just really depends on your crowd. I’m super shy and introverted so it’s difficult for me to meet people, but I wish you all the luck in the world.
I'm super introverted too, but I don't have any friends in RI so I know I need to get out there!
Good luck! I’ve found there are lots of lovely people, but I’m always busy or shy when I go out. It’s not the best combo lol
so youre in luck
In pawtucket theres Untapped Games and they have a good supply of ttrpgs and could put you in touch with groups looking for new players or you could start one of your own
as far as books go the city is full of solid places my favorite being riffraff books
Theres also a free gallery night that has bus tours that hit all the galleries downtown so thats another option for you too
welcome to the city
We have a pretty bustling music scene with shows happening all of the time. Lots of our LGS's have open enrollment for ttrpgs . I think there are a few groups here that meet at breweries and run D&D. My crew is going to be running some new campaigns soon so feel free to hit me up if you'd be interested.
Welcome from a fellow former Midwesterner!
Sounds like you'll enjoy the New England con scene
Providence has the RI Comic Con in Nov
Boston has Arisia in Jan (lots of TTRPGs), Boskone Sci-Fi Fiction Festival in Feb, Anime Boston in April/May, Fan Expo Comic con in the fall and, the biggie, PAX East at end of April
Boston also has its annual Book Fair each summer with tons of guest speakers
And RI has a crazy diverse range of foods.
You'll love it here- welcome!
i live in mass but i love punk too. alchemy has cool punk shows. im seeing agent orange there in october but dont know anything in RI sooner. less than jake, aquabats and bowling for soup are at the palladium in worcester ma in june. its a 45 minuteish drive. and then a week later the get up kids and dashboard confessional are playing. im going to both
Find a great variety of people at 7 Stars on Hope St. I'll be there in 3 weeks from Seattle.
You might like what we’re doing at Kismet Improv! Would love to have you drop in for a show or class.
keep driving and move to boston
I'm moving to Providence to be with family but thanks
I’m from Boston and moving here was the best move ever. There’s so much in Providence and if there’s a show or event in Boston it’s a quick trip up. The traffic will remind you why you live in Providence.
Yup. Boston is 95% working to pay the astronomical cost of living, the other 5% is telling people you love it while wanting to die in the 2 hour morning commute to get 5 miles down a road every day.
Welcome! :)
As someone else suggested, AS220 is a good place to meet like-minded folk who enjoy music (of all types) & art. They have live music shows, gallery events, and classes. Also, really good mac and cheese (and offer a vegan variation)...
I'm also going to suggest Dusk (metal/punk venue & bar). Lots of shows there, which might be more of your "speed".
Scurvy Dog is Providence's punk bar. They have a little patio outside that encourages mingling & there's a pool table indoors. It's not for everyone, but *I* like it.
Motif is a great local (free) publication to keep informed about all sorts of events. Aside from checking their website, you can find copies at most convenience stores, diners, etc.
From my experience the average age of people at Dusk varies wildly. So if you go and you don't really gel with the crowd don't be afraid to try it out again!
The Scurvy Dog was pretty cool the one time I've been there. Probably ought to check it out again myself actually.