The capital of Rhode Island is Providence which is the third largest city in the New England Region. The origins of the name Providence came from the founder who thought it was “God’s merciful Providence that brought the settlers to such a wonderful area to live". The city is nestled on the Narragansett Bay on the mouth of the Providence River. The highly humid climate experiences warm summers and cool winters.
The city was built prior to the development of automobiles so the layout of the downtown streets is erratic, forcing most citizens to commute on foot. A part of the Rhode Island culture is the distinctive accent, a love of coffee and the high number of restaurants. Another interesting fact about Providence is that the city manufactures a large portion of the country's jewelry and silverware.
Providence is home for seven major universities such as Brown University, a part of the Ivy League. In fact, roughly twenty-five percent of Providence’s population is student population. Within the city there are an estimated 173,618 people, 62,389 households and 35,859 families according to the 2000 census. There are twenty-five neighborhoods placed into groups based on location. These residential areas include the East and West Sides, Jewelry District, North End, South Side, and West Broadway.