Prelude30

Providence, RI is just another city. I don’t really find anything special about it. I have been to Providence more times than I can count…and more times than I care to. I went there for various reasons…sometimes for theatre conferences, sometimes to just shop at the insanely huge mall and other times to visit with friends. I have never gone to really enjoy the city and in my opinion, there is not much to enjoy.

However, if you do go…

The Providence Place Mall is a great place to go Christmas shopping because it is packed with so many different shops in one convenient location. There is also an IMAX theatre as well as a Dave & Busters on the top floor. Brown University has a gorgeous campus…you should really swing by and check it out. Waterfront Park can be very romantic on a warm summer night and Federal Hill is a very diverse place to visit.

My favorite places to dine in Providence include the chain restaurants: The Cheesecake Factory and Uno Chicago Grill. While it is a chain, the restaurant Fire & Ice is only found in Providence, Boston, Cambridge and Lake Tahoe…it can be a unique experience for anyone who does not live in or near the above mentioned cities. The Union Station Brewery is another good dining option.

Every time I made yet another trip to Providence, I have always stayed at the Biltmore. If I ever visit this city again, I will only stay at the Biltmore. It is very clean, the staff is wonderful, the rooms are spacious and it is very elegant. It has a fitness center as well as a very fancy and cozy Starbucks full of books, games and couches on the lower level. The Biltmore is also home to many events…please know that your stay may be scheduled during the same time a convention or business meeting is being held.

Definitely make time to visit the Astors Beechwood Mansion! I have been to Newport twice and this was on my list of things to do and see both times! It is a living history museum and your tour guide is a historian/actor playing the part of someone who long ago lived or visited there. These guides are very good and able to answer any questions you may have about the history of the house or Newport and the historic figures who come to life around you.

I always have fun passing over the Claiborne Pell bridge. It one of the largest suspension bridges in the world! (I wouldn’t even talk about something like a bridge unless it was definitely worth seeing!) The best place for shopping, in my opinion, would be the Long Wharf Mall! It has a great variety of shops and has a cozy feel to it. The Red Parrot is a wonderful place to eat, though expect at least an hour and a half wait for a table. There are also a ton of amazing ice cream shops and beautiful parks where you can just sit and relax.

The Salem Witch Museum is a great place to take your kids. It is a good educational yet entertaining experience. Dracula’s Castle is equally a good family event. Other tourist attractions include East India Square, Pickering Wharf, the Salem Marketplace and an abundance of museums!

The House of Seven Gables, Chestnut Street and Burying Point are really the only things I honestly enjoyed in Salem, Massachusetts. Don’t get me wrong, Salem is a great vacation and very family oriented. However, it is a little too “touristy” for my own personal taste.

I have been told to go in the “off season” (supposedly it is completely different) but I have only been there during Summer. The following is my Provincetown summer experience.

P-Town! A Mecca for us gay folk! Provincetown feels like a celebration…not just a “pride” celebration…but a celebration of life! It is so full of positive and welcoming energy! You can’t help but smile and have the time of your life! The town is busy but rather calm by day and parties overflow into the streets by night.

Provincetown is an overall stunning place which literally lies right on the water’s edge. (Even if you visit in the summer…you are going to want to bring a light jacket.) Full of wonderful boutiques and independent shops, great food, great drag shows and great people! P-Town is full of love and optimism! Whether you are gay, lesbian, transgendered, questioning or straight…it is definitely a unique and amazing town! A must see.

I have been to Vermont six times. It really is a beautiful state with much to do! The summer is a nice time to go, however, it gets quite busy. Autumn is a beautiful time of year to visit. There will still be a good amount of fellow tourists because of the gorgeous foliage this state has. However, it will not be as crowded. I agree with taryngirl, traveling the back roads really is the best way to see the state. It is a wonderful trip for children as well…it really introduces them to the beauty and magic of nature.

Hopping off the downtown bus, allowing a motherly woman go ahead of me. The two of us race toward the light rail…an above ground subway would be the best way to describe it…if that makes any sense. We chat while waiting to purchase our tickets…she soon breaks away from the conversation, heading toward the ticket machine with the shorter line. I am still standing…waiting, when she glides into the train. No goodbye? No it was nice talking to you? No. Feeling disappointed that she didn’t even wave. Should I have expected anything more from a complete stranger?

Street lights flicker on and off above the overflowing trash can. Shallow puddles form on the sidewalk due to the melting blizzard snow. My vision blurs and for a second…and just for a second…I could have sworn I was back in New York City waiting for the six to take me home. Back to my overpriced apartment, back to my actor roommate, back to the George Foreman grill and closet bedroom.

A man throws himself around as if he is feeling the spirit of Jesus. As if the hand of God smacked him square in the ass. Halleluiah! Praise the Lord! Halleluiah! AMEN! Ahhh…New York…the city…my city…

I am in Denver, Colorado not New York City.

The D line approaches…blaring it’s horn…warning people to get the fuck out of the way or be crushed. Bright lights contrast against the dark blue night sky. Making it nearly impossible to see anything but my own reflection in the window.

Suddenly, I am back in New York City…back on subway with two men, a 13 year old girl in spike heels and a little brat throwing a temper tantrum standing on my toes. Speeding downtown to grab “Mike’s Drink” at Sly Fox. Barreling down the tunnel toward Broadway to catch a play on opening night. Hurry up! I’m going to be late. Damn public transportation! Flying under the city to the upper east side, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Little Italy, Chelsea, Central Park…anywhere…somewhere!

Have to run, have to speed on by, have to race through the allies, past the La Mia pizzerias, past the business men in suits, past the homeless with only a single piece of cardboard for shelter. Past the neon lights. Past the dozen construction zones on any given day. Past the graffiti art and street performers, past the Village hippies and the countless Asian-owned Laundromats. Jaywalking behind police cars after they drive by since they never check their rearview mirrors. Past the taxi cabs, bolted doors, skyscrapers, film crews, “The Big Apple” tourists, prostitutes, hustlers and pick pockets…speaking of pickpockets I should check my wallet.

Have to get away from everything. Have to walk, have to move…the endless search for peace….for quiet…for happiness. An endless quest in a city full of chaos.

The city I promised I would never live in again…the city I never wanted to see again. The city I said “good riddance” to long ago. The city I have so desperately tried to forget still haunts me everyday. I did not leave a piece of my heart in New York City…a piece of New York City followed me miles and miles away to the place I now call home.

That endless quest…those walks, those journeys, subway rides, wallet checks, overpriced shoebox apartments…collectively helped form the spine of my happiness. I just never knew it.

“New York City…center of the universe!” – A quote from the Broadway hit RENT

New York really does feel like the center of the universe when you’re there. I grew up in Connecticut and was lucky to spend a lot of time in “the city” as residents like to call it. I also lived in the city for a short time. While I swear I would never live there again…I still miss it every day. It’s a wonderful place if you love faced paced, urban life and energy!

For those planning a trip who have never been…make sure you give yourself at least a good week there (especially if you don’t live in the northeast region of the country and will not be able to make several trips). See everything and anything you can…from the Statue of Liberty to Broadway to Chelsea to Chinatown to the Village. Visit the “main attractions” of course but also take time to roam small neighborhoods and less active streets. Really get a feel for life there.

New York is beautiful in it’s own way. I find a lot of the graffiti and the general deterioration beautiful…then again I have a strange sense of beauty I suppose.

There is so much to see and so much to do! I have taken about nine or so trips to New York and I lived there for about four months and I still haven’t seen everything.

Maybe it’s because I was born and raised here, but it is definitely not the place for me. It can be fun if you don’t end up passing through downtown everyday of your life. It would be a nice place to visit only if you live in Connecticut and are looking for a daytrip or if you live in one of the neighboring states. Otherwise, do not waste your time and money on New Haven, CT!

I have been to Yale University many times. My father was pushing me to go there and study medicine against my interest since I was about eight years old. Twelve years later, he’s still pushing for it. Yale has a nice library….your jaw would drop if you are an avid reader like myself. Other than that it’s just another ivy league college with a bunch of prep school kids running around.

The green, which rests in the very center of downtown…is just that…a green. It’s a green like every other city has. It’s kind of big and a lot of homeless people sleep there and feed pigeons. It’s almost exactly like Denver’s green…though less active.

Union Station is only worth visiting if you’re hopping a train or a greyhound. East Rock is boring…there’s not much there. It is just a large residental area with a few schools. Mamoun’s Falafel made Will (an old friend of mine) and I sick…and I don’t really wish to talk about that experience. SCSU is your standard state college. I know lot of people who I grew up with and/or went to high school with attend SCSU. They say it’s like this big reunion (an unwelcome reunion for several).

I have been to Maine a couple of times. It really did not make an impression on me. It was beautiful, I will say that. Also, I did enjoy the farmers markets and the random vegetable stands. Overall I could take it or leave it.

My roommate, who is also one of my best friends, is moving to Portland this summer. She lived there years ago and wants to move back. She has asked me to come with. She says I’ll love the city because of it’s “anything goes” attitude. She says it’s crazy, interesting, liberal and relaxed.

I’m not a big fan of the weather there (cloudy and rainy) but I would like a change of pace. I really like Portland from what I heard so far. It sounds like my kind of city. However, I am going to at least spend a weekend there…to get a feel for it and explore some.

Denver really isn’t for me. It’s a small cow town pretending to be a big city. I love cities. I love the energy, the people, the night life…everything! I grew up in New Haven, Connecticut then moved to New York City after high school. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Manhattan. After living near and eventually in NYC, Denver was a hard adjustment to make and I’m still not used to it.