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City Life

Best companion for the retired gambler on your list

To some the prospect of "goin' to the puppies" means more than the love of animals, it means the love of Lincoln Park. As a result of that and similar affections, each year many greyhounds are retired from racing and killed. But thanks to the formation of more than 200 greyhound adoption organizations in 43 states, fewer dogs are being destroyed than are being given new homes. This breed would be interesting even if it couldn't sprint at up to 45 mph. Although they have been trained to chase an innocent bunny rabbit lure, they do so, attracted to movement rather than blood lust. They are especially intelligent and sociable around people, although since they probably have never seen any other kind of dog they may need you to introduce them. Call June Bazar of the Lincoln Greyhound Adoption Program, (401) 781-6231, www.adopt-a-greyhound.org.

Best channeling of road rage

Forget Seekonk Speedway -- the real action is at Lee's Collectibles slot car racing in the Rhode Island Mall. Rookies can pick up a "super starter kit" ($113.75), including a classic trigger paddle, sporty decals, a chassis and wheels, as well as one hour of track time and a free entry to the Grand Nationals event held every Saturday. For those not NASCAR-obsessed but looking to kill time while waiting for a new license, you can rent a car any time during mall hours ($5 for 20 minutes, or $8 for 30 minutes). The enormous eight-car track (at 159 feet long) recalls a classic Tyco layout on steroids. And you thought soccer dads were nuts -- beware, for these car operators are strictly business, and Lee's owner Joel Helman has actually had to eject adults from the mall for unruly racing behavior (lap penalties are incurred for foul language). Thus the necessity for a women's league -- it's that serious. Trophies are awarded for league winners, and gift certificates are given to weekly race winners. Monday nights are particularly entertaining when car specification rules are tossed; some slot enthusiasts have spent more than $500 customizing their plastic hot rods. Lee's also offers monthly clinics on building a slot car. 191 Rhode Island Mall, Warwick, (401) 828-9939, www.slotcars.org/lees.

Best place to kibitz while enjoying a fine cigar

The Red Carpet Smoke Shop is Providence's most venerable institution dedicated to the joys of tobacco. It's been at the same location, on Waterman Street on the East Side, just around the corner from Thayer in the heart of Brown country, since the early '60s. But the business actually started in 1948, and is currently run by the founder's grandson, Eric Chaika, who is a veritable font of information about pipes, cigars, and all things tobacco. Dedicated cigar and pipe smokers drop by and tend to hang out for a while, jawing on everything from the state of the world to vegetable gardens (a specialty of Pete, a stalwart employee for a few years now). They also, of course, have a wide variety of cigars, cigarettes, unique pipes, special tobacco mixtures, and smoking accessories. 108 Waterman Street, Providence, (401) 421-4499.

Best idea for watching paint dry

When Marc and Harry Adler expanded their hardware business -- Adler's -- about five years ago to include home decorating supplies, they came up with the idea of renting cans of paint to homeowners who couldn't make up their mind in the store. For $2, you can take a quart of paint, cover a square yard on your wall, and live with with it for two days to see if it's really what you want. Adler's also has the state's largest selection of high-end wallpaper and fabric samples, with several thousand swatches to peruse in a cozy banquette-furnished corner. The other half of this third-generation business (started in 1919 by Marc's grandfather) is given over to very well-stocked hardware shelves, from round head toggle bolts to hex head screws, garden spades to plumbing elbows, clotheslines to canning pots. Take note of the bronze door handles shaped as graceful human stick figures. 173 Wickenden Street Providence, (401) 421-5157. Parking is available in the Holy Rosary Church lot on Traverse Street.

Best place to get wet in the dark

There are no monsters in the ocean, not in daylight and not in the dark, no matter what resonant horror-movie voice whispers "Don't go in the water" as you stand, ankle deep at midnight, ready to take the plunge. On Second Beach in Middletown, there may be the stray piece of seaweed, but otherwise it's just you, your accomplice, the white edges giving shape to the waves you can only otherwise hear, a giant stardust sky, and the far away spark of the Sakonnet Point lighthouse. This final tendril of Aquidneck Island is so dark, you'll think someone lowered the dimmer. And then, body surfing in this pitch blackness, perhaps in the buff? Whitman should have tried it. Later, if you want to play-act "From Here to Eternity," in the lovely, permissive, lights-off, be our guest. 305 Sachuest Point Road, Middletown, (401) 849-0038.

Best way to time-travel

The Providence Preservation Society's rescue of Benefit Street houses from the wrecker's ball in the late '60s has resulted in one of the country's best-preserved colonial neighborhoods. Twice a year, the Providence Preservation Society allows you to step back a century or two by sponsoring candlelight tours of historic neighborhoods in June and a caroling stroll down Benefit Street in December. (The latter is free, with roasted chestnuts, mulled cider, a tree-lighting, and a chance to vote for your favorite door decoration.) In addition to the candlelight tours, the summertime Festival of Historic Houses offers a house and garden tour, a rare opportunity to peek at someone else's plantings, be they expansively landscaped grounds or petite patios. The PPS' Holiday Festival includes house tours of private homes, a glimpse at refurbishings, refurnishings, and holiday regalia. So grab a muffler or a muff, tune up those pipes, and join friends, neighbors, and Victorian-clad street performers in a do-it-yourself Dickensian tale. The Holiday Festival is on December 10. Call (401) 831-7440, or (401) 831-8587, www.providencepreservation.org/.

Best view of the Renaissance City

Sometimes you want a place where you can get the big picture -- a panoramic view of the city -- while being a little removed from it at the same time. The best such spot in Providence is Prospect Park. It features a nice expanse of grass, plenty of park benches, and a sweeping vista of the city, from the State House to the downtown financial buildings. A statue of Roger Williams, our illustrious founder, beneficently surveys the scene -- and, as demonstrated by the steady stream of visitors, there's something incredibly appealing about being able to see so much of the city from such a pretty and tranquil spot. Congdon Street, Providence.

Best care for guilt-ridden Miss Fifi-abandoners

You know the look you get when you're away all day, never mind a long weekend. And you call yourself a responsible pet parent. Hmmph . . . Whether you're as bad as all that or just practical, A-to-Z Pet Sitters is a Cranston service that can come in handy. Instead of shipping your furry friend off to a kennel, you can have a bonded "pet professional" come to your home. They will feed the little beast in its familiar habitat and play with it for 20 or 30 minutes. (A little bonus is the anti-burglary protection of mail and papers taken in.) If you're really indulgent, while you're away at work to keep Fang in the veal chops he insists on, you can have A-to-Z provide its daytime walking service. And if a veterinarian appointment is inconvenient for you, they can keep it. Call Kathy Giardino at (401) 941-5978, www.pet-net.net/rhode-island-AZ-pet-sitters.

Best classic sports venue

There are lots of great bowling alleys, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, swimming pools, et al., all over the state. But our pick for the coolest sports venue of all is the bocce court on Federal Hill. The Italian game of bocce ball is popular around these parts due to our large and influential population hailing from Italy. On summer evenings, you'll find a big crowd of enthusiastic players and spectators checking out the action. Of course, one of the added pleasures is that you're just around the corner from a slew of great restaurants, from Caserta Pizzeria to Pastiche (the dessert joint) to the Sikar Café and smoking lounge. The bocce court is one block off Atwells Avenue on the corner of Dean and Spruce streets, Providence.

Best rose in February

No matter how wet or cold, snowy or blowy, the winter has been, one thing that's as welcome as the first robin sighting (and quite a bit earlier!) is the bloomin' paradise that the Rhode Island Convention Center becomes when it plays host to the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show. It's no wonder lines of people of all ages assemble for the sights and scents of spring, long before it makes an official appearance outdoors. For the Flower and Garden Show isn't just a display of potted plants and carefully arranged bouquets. Exhibitors build waterfalls, ponds (and bridges over them), stone walls, wooden fences, anything that will create the illusion of an entire garden transplanted inside. Wild flowers bloom along paths, trees tower overhead, koi fish swim in small pools, and slatted benches beckon. Despite the crowds, despite overhead lights, the world falls away, and it's spring in Providence! At the Rhode Island Convention Center, February 15-18, 2001. Call (401) 272-0980.

Best reason to stay away from the West Warwick DMV

If sardine-packed church pews, unsupervised children climbing on strangers, and the usual assortment of mutants awaiting mug shots at the infamous West Warwick DMV doesn't sound appealing, try the heaven-sent DMV Registry Express on the lower level of the Rhode Island Mall. Although the awkward array of shops doesn't offer much anymore (it makes East Providence's old Wampanoag Mall look like Emerald Square), there's Keno, Auntie Anne's pretzels, and an arcade upstairs. A bonus -- no bankers' hours here: the DMV is open Tuesday through Friday until 7:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 12 to 4:30 (new registrations, ID cards, and permits are not offered). A mid-week, late-afternoon visit may have you spending more time in line for an Auntie Anne's pretzel than a license. Of course, things might change when Wal-Mart jumps into the former G. Fox spot next spring. Rhode Island Mall, Warwick, (401) 277-2970.

Best room with a view for dentaphobes

The yacht rests comfortably (for a mere $50 slip) atop the serene Newport waters, Johnny Mac is warming up the serve, but the toothache just won't quit. No problem -- skip over to Dr. Elliot Kaminitz, DDS, a lob away from the majestic grass courts of the Tennis Hall of Fame. The office offers a bird's-eye view of Bellevue Avenue and Memorial Drive, the bustling intersection ideal for nosy patients who can watch while rinsing and spitting. Dr. Kaminitz also enjoys dropping a variety of music -- everything from Latin salsa to Sonic Youth -- to help patients through the needles, drills, and gauze. 172 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, (401) 849-2080.

Best morning/evening foreplay

Come to Thames Street in Bristol, at dawn or dusk with your running shoes. Tie them well, please, and head north up the bike path. At Poppasquash Road, turn left and trace the edge of the harbor. On a clear morning or evening, the water will hold several shades of purple while the sky spawns red and orange and gold. Finely articulated white and grey herons pose, still, on the rocky shores and dozens of sailboats punctuate the deeper, middle waters. Continue past the Bristol Yacht Club to Coggeshall Farm and Colt State Park -- turn right. A low lying fog might adorn the meadows and ponds and yourself, like good jazz. Continue straight, past the huge, original barn on the tree-lined, historic road, until the Narragansett Bay spreads out beyond your peripheral vision. See the bluefish jumping. Feel alive. Follow the main drive clockwise to the bike path. Turn south, run hard. Coffee and donuts or beer and fried clams ahead.

Best place to help Drew Bledsoe pack his bags

Sure, your friends want to waste a Saturday lugging boxes of your junk through the snow (again), sweating out a hangover for free pizza, a Bud 30-pack, and eternal gratitude. Didn't think so -- instead of dealing with the amateur hacks (gouging your worldly possessions) and a whiny girlfriend, hire some real help from Paul Arpin Van Lines. The world headquarters are in nearby West Warwick. A local pack-and-delivery job usually runs about $125 per hour for a three-man crew and truck (four-hour minimum). So lay down the dough (the chiropractor bill might cost as much) and let professionals deal with it. And, as the official movers of the NFL (and LPGA), perhaps Pats fans can toss the Arpin boys a few bucks toward moving Bledsoe and his offensive line far, far away. Industrial Park, West Warwick, (800) 343-3500.

Best view of WaterFire

Providence ain't no Paris, but the Woonasquatucket River sure is making a good show of emulating and miniaturizing the Seine, with iron posts linked by swaying black chains, cobblestones underfoot, and young lovers passing by hand-in-hand along the Riverwalk. Or is it supposed to be the Grand Canal in Venice, with that gondola passing by? Whatever. Without a doubt, Café Nuovo's outdoor tables provide the most sublime view of the goings-on, right there on the river bank. The outdoor patio is even raised above the walkway for a better view of the burning braziers and, for those so inclined, a superior perspective on the foot-weary throng. So invite friends, book a table, have dinner, linger afterwards over the restaurant's architectural desserts, or have another coffee or Drambuie. Listen carefully to passersby and you just might hear some couple from Woonsocket exchanging sweet somethings with French-Canadian accents. 1 Citizens Plaza, Providence, (401) 421-2525, www.emenusonline.com/cafenuovo.asp.

Best bargains on the street (literally)

All year long, street vendor Famara sets up his table on the wide sidewalk outside the Brown Bookstore on Thayer Street. This Senegal native, who has been in the States for 10 years, imports jewelry of all kinds from his homeland, as well as small shells and wooden beads from which he makes bracelets, anklets, chokers, and necklaces. Some of the Senegalese necklaces are made from glass beads, and there are a few Kenyan strands strung from semi-precious stones. Famara has scores of silver rings ($5 each) in many designs, including elephants, hearts, the star of David, and the yin-yang symbol. Leather thong necklaces also have yin-yangs, as well as peace symbols and ankhs. To round out his inventory, Famara also displays American watches and sets out Senegalese djimbe drums -- passersby can't resist trying them out. And once you stop, Famara's wide smile wins you over and you leave with a new ring (or two). Thayer Street, Providence, except when it rains.

Best place to do a load and play some pinball at 3 a.m.

Truck drivers generally reserve the right to be pissed off -- dealing with Rhode Island drivers for an hour or two is enough to ruin anyone's day. If you're drunk and really, really looking for trouble, or feel the need to wash a late-night load, grab 95 South to Exit 5B -- there in the sticks of Exeter/ West Greenwich is Rhode Island's Only 24-Hour Automated Truck Wash. The exterior exudes the typical, desolate movie façade, and the drivers that usually inhabit the place are scarier than the trucks that chased Emilio Estevez in Maximum Overdrive. And the dorm dumpster furniture lends ambience to the surreal setting. There are plenty of pinball and video games (including old-school Tetris -- that'll stretch a quarter); and if you dare, call "next" on one of three pool tables while doing a load ($2 wash, $1.25 dry) in the company of your new friends. 849 Victory Highway (Rt. 102), West Greenwich, (401) 397-4706.

Best place to take the cat after a 4 a.m. scrap with the neighborhood raccoon

What to do when Pooch swallows the stash, or a missing hamper full of socks?Or when a rabid raccoon feasts on kitty's foot? The Warwick Animal Hospital offers reliable and friendly service 24-7-365. Conveniently located off Elmwood Avenue on the Warwick/Cranston line, the hospital has been in the pet-saving business for more than 40 years. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and rabbits receive devoted, expert TLC (when it comes to frogs and hamsters, flush the $5 pocket pet and get a life). But for every success story there are many more heartbreaking tales of severely abused or neglected animals, and owners who fail to care for their pets with routine vaccinations and yearly heartworm tests. There's no excuse -- the Hospital is open 24 hours a day, remember? 1950 Elmwood Avenue, Warwick, (401) 785-2222, www.laservet.net/.

Best al fresco people-watching

While the weather's still nice, there's no better place in Providence to sit and take in the sights than Waterplace Park, when there are Convergence sculptures as a bonus. At lunchtime, young white-collar workers and secretaries from the office buildings and the courthouse find this a pleasant place to take a bench, unwrap a sandwich, and maybe strike up a conversation. You also have your buttoned-down types from the short walk across the bridge to the city's financial district. Vying with them for Power Suit Presence, sometimes a little wrinkle-collared, depending on their success rate, are the lawyers, identifiable with their brief-bulging briefcases. That morose guy? Maybe a worried felon in a borrowed suit. Bring a book, a smile. Chat. Memorial Boulevard, Providence.

Best collection of presidential autographs

Who would have thought that the extensive collection of culinary materials at the Culinary Archives & Museum at Johnson & Wales University would also hold a noteworthy set of presidential autographs? In keeping with its reputation as "The Smithsonian Institution of the Food Service Industry," these signatures are on documents dealing with food, drink, or entertainment, but they range from George Washington to Bill Clinton and are referred to as "The History of the First Stomach." The Museum was established in 1979 with a donation of rare cookbooks by Paul Fritzsche, and enlarged in 1989 by 400,000 culinary materials from Chef Louis Szathmary. It includes a 5000-year-old trading knife, a bread ring from Pompeii, and more than 30,000 cookbooks. But it's the Inauguration Day insights (Lincoln pocketed pastries for his son Robert; Coolidge had pickles for breakfast) and presidential details (Eisenhower liked to cook for relaxation) that hold a timely fascination. Guided tours are available by appointment Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 315 Harborside Boulevard, Providence, (401) 598-2807, www.culinary.org.

Best urban bike ride

We continue to be surprised by the relatively small number of people who use a bicycle to navigate Providence. Sure, it can be tough to climb the steep hill to the East Side, and city traffic is sometimes dodgy for the uninitiated. For the most part, though, a two-wheeler is a fun, fast, and efficient way to get around the capital city. Our favorite ride has something for kamikazes and nervous Nellies alike. With fairly narrow lanes and countless contusions, Hope Street calls to the more devil-may-care bikers among us. Blackstone Boulevard, by contrast, offers spacious roads and light traffic -- perfect for squeamish cyclists. For a ride with a good balance of terrain and varying conditions, cruise down Hope Street almost to the Pawtucket line, hop onto Blackstone, cut up Butler Avenue, then Angell Street, and back to Hope, before starting the 4.4-mile loop again.

Best places to experience old-school Rhode Island ethnic politics

Although the days are long past when the state Democratic Party's concept of a "balanced ticket" for general officers was one Irish, one Italian, one French, and one WASP (all men, of course), ethnic solidarity still counts for something in the Biggest Little. If you want to experience old-school ethnic politics, Rhode Island-style, there are a variety of spots where the tribes meet. In Cranston, Joe Pashalian's Boston Submarine Sandwich Shop is a notable hangout for Armenian-Americans. For Italian-Americans, the Aurora Civic Association, with a dazzling array of politically involved members, is a great place. It is, however, a private club. Cassarino's on Federal Hill is another place where lots of Italian-Americans get together and talk politics. And African-Americans with a political bent can be found at the South Street Café. The Boston Submarine Sandwich Shop, 192 Gansett Avenue, Cranston, (401) 942-7993; the Aurora Civic Association, 289 Broadway, Providence, (401) 861-1111; South Street Café, 54 South Street, Providence, (401) 454-5360.

Best home-cooked conspiracies

"The powers that be have left citizens with a justice system that is not affordable, confusing, hostile, and indifferent to the cause of justice," insists 47-year old Rhody native Richard Wayne, webmaster of Caught! (www.caught.net), the "list of judicial misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, ethics violations, civil rights violations, and other abuses of power in Rhode Island." Is Wayne just a disgruntled hick from the sticks of Coventry, venting and muckraking from a mobile home via the World Wide Web? He insists every complaint is researched and all parties are contacted (anonymous complaints are not accepted) before landing online. Wayne's site pulls no punches -- it documents complaints against judges to lawyers accepting coke as payment and lists a plethora of disturbing reports from within the walls of the ACI, including mass strip searches, denial of proper medical care, and stolen mail (ACI spokesperson Al Bucci declined comment). Shortly after posting the first ACI item last year, Wayne purportedly received numerous anonymous death threats for the first time since the site's inception in 1997. The most detailed case concerns inmate Beaver Tempest ("Never have I seen such documentation of blatant injustice," Wayne insists), stemming from a 1982 murder case in Woonsocket. Wayne's site has piqued curiosity with nearly 11,000 hits worldwide. Box 1355, Coventry, RI 02816.

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