Providence, Rhode Island: America’s Coolest City

Five idiosyncratic reasons why this is so.

Providence as seen from Prospect Park. This and all photos by the author.

How can you not love Providence? The aspects of Providence’s coolness which so impressed GQ magazine back in 2015 differ from those that captivate me and many others. We all love Providence, albeit for different reasons.

1: Aynne Raye Pitts

Only in a city as cool as Providence will you find a story high mural of Aynne Raye Pitts.

Aynne Raye Pitts was the mother-in-law of the founder of Mixed Magic Theater — one of many community theaters that are an essential part of the coolness that is Providence — who is also the founder of the Exult Gospel Choir, with which it is my joy and privilege to sing. A lifelong Gospel singer, when she opened for us we never knew what she would sing or how long she would go on. She didn’t seem to know either. She started a song, her keyboardist found the key, and her aged yet vibrant, strong voice rang out, mesmerizing the audience. After about fifteen minutes she would cede the stage. Tough act to follow. I figured she was in her 90s but when she died we learned that she was 85. In keeping with her traditional nature she never revealed her age. A participant in the Great Migration, she led a fascinating life, full of trials. I was…