Historic Federal Hill, Providence, RI - Providence, Rhode Island Little Italy of Providence Attracts Visitors

Historic Federal Hill, Providence, RI, is also known as the Little Italy of this city. The neighborhood is bordered to the north by I-95 and to the south by Route 10. Route 6 is to the west and the southern side of the neighborhood ends at Westminster Street. It is directly to the west of the downtown area. It is a short walk from the city's Amtrak railway station and roughly 30 minutes drive from the nearest airport.

An arched gateway announces entry into this neighborhood. The arch is adorned with a large metallic pignola nut, a traditional symbol of abundance in Italy.

After passing under the arch, dozens of restaurants offering, in large part, Italian cuisine, can be found. Other culinary offerings are available as well. Menus accommodate a broad range of dining budgets. Atwell Avenue is the main thoroughfare and is one of the busiest shopping and dining areas in Providence.

A three hour walking and tasting tour of this neighborhood offers cuisine and wine samples along the way. It is hosted by pastry chef Cynthia Salvato.

In addition to eateries there is a large concentration of beauty salons and several tattoo parlors found in this part of the city. There are also numerous legal offices here in close proximity to the courts.

The Providence police station and fire department are based here as well.

At least nine bars, lounges and late night eateries can be found here. There are some cultural attractions here as well such as the Columbus Theater, a proscenium stage venue usually serving as a movie cinema. Its main space seats 650 and there is a smaller venue seating 200 people. Both spaces are available for private use.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival is hosted in this neighborhood for one week every August.

The Modern Jazz Dance Company is also based in this historic Federal Hill, Providence, RI, neighborhood, as are a number of art galleries.

Several parks can be found in this neighborhood of just under 10,000 inhabitants.

The cost of living in Federal Hill is well above the national average, as is often the case in a neighborhood so close to a State Capitol and downtown area. It is without doubt one of Providence's most visited neighborhoods.

There are no hotels in this neighborhood but travelers can stay in several nearby downtown hotels.

60-65% of the residents of this neighborhood are white. There is also a large Latin American and African American population followed by roughly 10% people of Asian descent.

51% of the residents are female and 49% male.

Historic Federal Hill, Providence, RI, is home to several boutiques and specialty shops. It also hosts a school for cosmetology as well as a professional bartender's school.