How to End a (Long) Weekend

Holiday weekends are always bittersweet to me, because it is so easy to be lulled into the feeling that your work life has been left behind, and your life now is all about hanging out, being outside, visiting with friends, anything but plowing through another day in a cubicle. Then that Monday afternoon starts slipping away, and you realize you'll roll out of bed the next morning, the weight of responsibility if anything a bit heavier, and do whatever it is you DO.

To stave off that feeling of impending dread, the best tonic is to slow down with a cold beer at a nice spot, and watch the sun set. There are some very nice locations around Newport and Narragansett to do just that, but if you're in Providence and want the best possible experience, you need the Hot Club.


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In the shadow of the new I-195 bridge, the Hot Club boasts a great view of the water, the power plant across the water, and the buildings of downtown. The whole building is oriented to take maximum advantage of this view, with a long outdoor deck (hey, you can still smoke!) connected to a small, cozy building with a long bar, a shelf overlooking the water, and a few booths. Sit outside if you can, both for the breezes and the good-bad 80's music playing from the outside bar.

The best time to go is about 45 minutes before sunset, especially if you can stay a few hours. You'll see the sun go down between the power plant and downtown, then the lights of the city and the plant kick in (the power plant is strangely beautiful at dusk) and throughout can watch the occassional boat go by or fish being caught nearby.

The crowd is as eclectic as Rhode Island, with young hoochies and the men who love them scampering around near hipsters and students, the motorcycle set, 30-something professionals, and the die-hard natives annoyed that every good place is too crowded.

As for eating and drinking, all the summertime coctails are passable, though you might get a plastic cup if they're busy or you look unreliable. The wine is pretty bland, but they have a decent beer selection and stock cheap Gansetts and other brews. A popular culinary feature is the free popcorn popped in an old-timey machine all day, and if you're too hungry to go somewhere more geared to food, they have an assortment of basic bar fare.

But all that seems almost incidental sometimes, as you're fortifying yourself for the week that's looming, and reminding yourself why you love it in Rhode Island.