Renaissance Of A Small Town
By Rick Ferreira, Mon Dec 26th
Bristol, Rhode Island located on a peninsula located betweenMount Hope and Narragansett bays is home to nearly 23,000residents. A town rich in history, and as picturesque as can befound in these United States. A town I've called home for nearly48 years except for my four years in the Air Force, and a shortstint in nearby Warren, before returning to my roots andsettling back in Bristol in 1992. In recent years Bristol has begun a transformation of itsdowntown waterfront district from an old mill town to a thrivingtourist spot. Bristol's people and leaders have recognized theneed to improve the downtown area and rekindle the downtownbusiness district while still maintaining the charm of thequintessential seaside village. Mills have been replaced withupscale condominiums, old rundown buildings have been remodeledwhen possible and existing structures have been incorporatedinto an attractive shopping district. Much planning is done andevery effort is made to maintain the architectural integrity ofthe downtown landscape. While across this country many towns are experiencingabandonment of their small mom and pop type businesses in favorof the giant shopping malls, new unique shops are opening andthriving in downtown Bristol. Where once stood empty rundownbuildings, we have day spas, dress boutiques, gift shops,jewelry stores, restaurants, pubs, hotels, antique shops andmore. More importantly almost all are owned and run by smallindependent business people with ties to Bristol and thecommunity.
Bristol has always been a great place to live and a wonderfulplace to visit, and visiting is even easier now. There areseveral B&B's available and a new harbor side hotel for lodging.Once here, there is no need to leave as Bristol is home to manydining establishments from diners to white tablecloth finedining. Depending on your mood, you can choose the authenticIrish pub Aidan's, tea and scones at Basically British, finecontinental cuisine at Roberto's, or traditional American fareand seafood at the S.S. Dion. The SS Dion is my favorite forenjoying a great meal at reasonable prices and great servicewith the most breathtaking sunsets. For breakfast enjoy thefreshest bagels at the Bristol Bagel Works or pastries at CaféLaFrance. Enjoy lunch on the waterfront at Quito's Seafood or JGGoff's Pub. There are more fine establishments and part of thefun is exploring the area and happening upon something specialor just seeing what strikes your fancy. For the athletically inclined there are many water sports to befound in our bays. You can rent a kayak to paddle around thebay. If you own your own boat, Bristol is a great place
to dockfor a meal or the day. You could also use your boat forwaterskiing in the waters around Bristol. Or you could join inone of the many Regattas' if your choice of boating includessails. Colt State Park is a wonderful place to ride a bicycle orwalk on the many miles of paved paths that connect to a trailthat leads to East Providence. You may also choose to justunwind and relax by the water or at the many picnic areas spreadthroughout this treasure that Bristol calls its own. Bristol is not a complete secret to the world, it is well knownfor having the oldest, continuous 4th of July celebration in theUnited States. Crowds of over 200,000 people have flocked towitness our parade and see firsthand what arguably the mostpatriotic town in America, has to offer. The town has even beengranted a special permit to paint the parade route roads with ared, white and blue center stripe instead of the standard doubleyellow line, year round. The 4th of July celebration actuallybegins three weeks before with events nearly every night,culminating with the parade and a spectacular fireworks displayover the harbor. To illustrate just how important the 4th ofJuly is to Bristol people, most real estate listings will use aparade route location as a major selling feature for a home. Bristol is also home to numerous museums. Brown University'sHaffenreffer Museum of Anthropology featuring over 100,000artifacts from the native peoples of the Americas, Asia, Africaand the Pacific. The Herreshoff Marine Museum showcases thehistory of Bristol as a leader in the yacht building industry.The Blithewold mansion, originally the summer house ofPennsylvania coal baron, Augustus Van Wickle, is open for toursof the 45-room mansion and lush 33 acres of landscaped groundsand gardens. The mansion is decorated for the holidays and"Christmas at Blithewold" during the entire month of December isa great time to visit this historic site. Bristol has something to offer everyone, no matter what yourtaste, you'll find it here. It can be a quaint seaside villageor a sophisticated cultural treasure chest, a quiet relaxingstroll by the water or high energy activity on land or sea. Ifyou have never been to Bristol, you need to add it to your listof must sees. If it has been a while since your last visit youneed to come back and enjoy the renaissance of Bristol About the author:Rick Ferreira is president of Lighthouse Systems Group, asoftware development company specializing in the fooddistribution industry. He lives in Bristol, RI with his wifeLori. Rick and Lori's mutual love of the arts led them to createLori J Gallery, anonline art gallery dedicated to promoting the works of verytalented, |
