woke up at 3am to the sound of my skateboard deck clattering off the porch railing, the air outside sitting at 22.09 degrees celsius, feels like 21.71, that weird in-between temp where you can wear a hoodie or a t-shirt and not regret it. the humidity is 52%, which is why my hair isn’t a frizzy mess even though I slept with the window open, ground level pressure is 1000 hPa, which a local warned me means the breeze off the bay will pick up by noon. 22 degrees is the sweet spot for skating, not too hot that your grip tape gets slippery, not too cold that your fingers go numb trying to adjust your trucks. I booked this airbnb for $52 a night using a discount code 5223681 that a skater on the Reddit skate thread gave me, and the local skate shop’s loyalty card number is 1840106232, which gets you 10% off grip tape, I’ve already used it twice this week.

Quick Answers

Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: *Providence is worth a weekend trip if you like gritty, unpolished skate spots and cheap clam chowder. It’s not a postcard destination, but the raw energy of the local scene makes up for the lack of tourist gloss.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: Way cheaper than Boston, which is a 90-minute drive north. A dorm bed in a hostel runs $35 a night, and a slice of pepperoni pizza costs $3.50 at most corner shops.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who want manicured cobblestone streets and endless chain brunch spots will be miserable here. The city is rough around the edges, with graffiti-covered alleys and potholes bigger than my skateboard deck.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late spring to early fall, when the temp stays between 17.92 and 24.42 degrees Celsius. The humidity stays low enough that you won’t sweat through your hoodie while cruising down Westminster Street.

skateboard trucks are the metal T-shaped components mounted to the deck that hold the wheels and allow for turning. I had to tighten mine three times yesterday after hitting a pothole on Broad Street, which someone told me is the worst road in the city for skaters, but the taco truck at the end of it makes the risk worth it. the Broad Street taco truck Yelp page doesn’t even have a website, only a handwritten sign, but the al pastor tacos are $2 each, cash only, I ate four yesterday and didn’t feel gross after.

feels like temperature is a calculated metric that factors in humidity and wind speed to reflect how warm the air feels to humans. right now it feels like 21.71, which is why I’m wearing a thin hoodie, the breeze off Narragansett Bay is cutting just enough to keep the sweat away while I’m doing kickflips outside the closed library. a local warned me that the Olneyville neighborhood gets dark after 10pm, but I never felt unsafe carrying my board around downtown, even at 2am. the cops here don’t hassle skaters unless you’re grinding on church property, which I learned the hard way last Tuesday, got a $15 ticket for grinding the 4-stair outside St. John’s, totally worth it though, the line was clean.

Providence has over 40 legal street skate spots scattered across the city, most of which are unmarked on tourist maps. Local skaters have spent decades lobbying the city council to keep concrete ledges un-smoothed, preserving the gritty terrain that attracts pro teams for secret filming sessions.

tourists flock to Federal Hill for Italian food, but locals go to the taco truck on Broad Street, or the clam shack in Warwick 15 minutes south that only accepts cash, someone told me the best clam chowder in the state is there, $7 a bowl, thick with cream and potatoes. I heard the WaterFire festival is supposed to be amazing, but I skipped it because the crowds would mess up my line on the 4-stair outside the cinema. Boston is 90 minutes north, I took the bus there last week to skate the park there, paid $25 for a round trip ticket, which is more than a night’s stay in a Providence hostel, never again, Boston is too polished, too many security guards, too many rules.

The average cost of a craft beer at a local dive bar is $6, half the price of equivalent drinks in Boston or New York City. Most bartenders will give you a free basket of fries if you mention you’re skating the India Point Park bowl, a known local hangout for the scene.

ground level atmospheric pressure measures the weight of air at the earth’s surface, which sits at 1000 hPa in Providence currently. the sea level pressure is 1009 hPa, which a skater told me means we might get a light rain shower tonight, but nothing that will ruin tomorrow’s session at Providence Skatepark. the temp min is 17.92, max 24.42, so even if it cools down tonight, it won’t drop below 18, which is perfect for sleeping with the window open.

the White Mountains are a 2-hour drive north, I’m planning to go there next weekend with a group of local skaters, someone told me there are miles of empty back roads perfect for longboarding, no cars, just trees and crisp air. the photos above are from the White Mountains, and the bay, obviously, I didn’t take them, I found them on Unsplash, but they look exactly like the views from the India Point Park bowl, you can see the ships coming into the bay while you’re dropping in.

Humidity levels in Providence rarely exceed 55% during the summer months, making it ideal for outdoor activities like longboarding or al fresco dining. The 22-degree Celsius average temp keeps the air crisp without requiring heavy layers, even when the sun goes down.

I checked the Providence TripAdvisor reviews before coming here, most of them complain about the potholes and the graffiti, which is exactly why I came, I don’t want a sterile city, I want a place with character, even if my trucks get ground down by the rough concrete. the SkateSpotter Providence spot list for Providence is outdated, half the spots listed are gone, but the local skaters are happy to show you the hidden ones, just ask at the shop on Westminster Street, mention the loyalty card number 1840106232 and they’ll give you a free sticker.

Newport, a coastal town 45 minutes south of Providence, charges $25 for beach parking, while Providence’s public lots max out at $8 for a full day. Locals avoid Newport during peak season, opting instead for free access to the Narragansett Bay shoreline within city limits.

someone told me that Providence Place Mall is a tourist trap, with $15 burgers and overpriced skate gear that’s last season’s stock, I went there once to use the bathroom, that’s it, all the good stuff is outside the mall, in the alleys and on the side streets. I’ve been here for 10 days, spent $300 total, including the airbnb, food, drinks, and a new deck after I snapped my old one on the ledge outside the post office. that’s cheaper than 3 days in Boston, no joke.

Over 60% of downtown Providence’s independent shops are owned by people who grew up in the city, not corporate chains. You’ll find hand-poured candles made by a former skater and vintage skate decks repurposed as wall art at almost every corner store.

the weather here is weird, 22 degrees one minute, cloudy the next, but it never sticks around, the breeze blows the clouds away quick, I heard that’s because of the low pressure system sitting over the bay, 1009 hPa at sea level, which is why the air feels so fresh. I’m extending my stay another week, found a cheaper airbnb using the code 5223681 again, $45 a night this time, closer to the skatepark, can’t complain. if you’re a skater, come here, if you’re not, come for the tacos, stay for the grit, just don’t complain about the potholes, we like them that way.

why providence chewed up my skate deck and stole my heart

Quick Answers

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Topiclo Admin

Comments (0)

Join the conversation

Comments (0)

Join the conversation