The Most Fun Cities in America - See Where Providence Ranks
GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team
The Most Fun Cities in America - See Where Providence Ranks
According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Providence is ranked 59th out of 150 cities when it comes to the most fun cities in the U.S.
“At WalletHub, we define such a place as one that packs a little bit of everything for everyone — except maybe Johnny Knoxville and his extreme-thrill-seeking posse. In a city with enough variety, you won’t have to compromise with your amigos, your family or even yourself about the next fun activity to do alone or together,” said WalletHub.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTProvidence’s Rankings
- 90th Best - Entertainment & Recreation
- 26th Best - Nightlife
- 116th Best - Cost
The Rankings
Providence ranks behind Charlotte, North Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama, who rank 57th and 58th respectively.
Providence ranks ahead of Boise, Idaho and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who rank 60th and 61st respectively.
Las Vegas, Nevada is ranked as the most fun city in the country, while Oxnard, California is ranked as the least fun city.
The Method
In order to determine the most fun cities in the U.S., WalletHub’s analysts compared the 150 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Entertainment & Recreation, 2) Nightlife & Parties and 3) Costs.
They evaluated those dimensions using 58 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the greatest number and variety of fun and cost-effective activities.
Finally, they determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities in the sample.
Entertainment & Recreation - Total Points: 40
- Number of Attractions: Double Weight (~2.16 Points)
- Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Diversity of Restaurants: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Ice-Cream & Frozen-Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Bowling Alleys per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Basketball Hoops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Tennis Courts per Capita: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Public Golf Courses per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Skiing Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Public Swimming Pools per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Public Beaches per Capita: Half Weight (~0.54 Points)
- Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Beaches” List: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Fishing Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Marinas per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Water Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Hiking Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Share of Population with Walkable Park Access: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Share of Designed Parkland Areas: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Parks” List: Half Weight (~0.54 Points)
- Park Playgrounds per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Parkland as Share of City Area: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Acres of Parkland per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Bike-Rental Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Sports Venues per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Fitness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Recreational Sports Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Sports Fan-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Movie Theaters per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Performing-Arts Theaters per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Arcades per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Amusement Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks” List: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Ideal Weather: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
Nightlife & Parties - Total Points: 40
- Bar Accessibility: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Beer Gardens per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Legality of Public Drinking: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Time of Last Call: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Average Open Hours of Breweries: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Music Venues per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Dance Clubs per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Dance Party Index: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Arts & Crafts-Supplies Establishments per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Casinos per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Costs - Total Points: 20
- Average Price of Party Ticket: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Beer Price: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Wine Price: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Food Price (Pizza & Burger): Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants Rated 4.5+ Stars: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Movie Costs: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Bowling Costs: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Fitness-Club Fee: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Price for Three-Star Hotel Room: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Cost of Living: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
20 Things to Look Forward to This Fall in New England - 2018
Pumpkin Picking at Jaswell's Farm
Smithfield, RI
The fall season signifies the return of pumpkins. Pumpkin beer, pumpkin pie and most of all pumpkin picking.
Pumpkin picking is a timeless event for families, especially those with young kids who will love to just run around and grab whichever pumpkin looks good to them.
Leaf Peeping at Green Mountain National Forest
Stowe, Vermont
One of the cool things about the fall season is the leaves on the trees and the colors that they change too.
According to smokeymountain.com, prime foliage season in New England is late September into early October.
Look forward to an enjoyable walk around the neighborhood and see how many different colors you can pick out, or just enjoy the beauty.
West Springfield, MA
The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts features a circus spectacular, Mardi Gras parade, agricultural competitions, arts & crafts, food contests, live music, and midway.
The Big runs from September 14 to September 30.
Great Pumpkin Nights at the EcoTarium
Worcester, MA
The Great Pumpkin Festival at the EcoTarium in Worcester is a must attend this fall in New England.
The event features more than 1000 carved pumpkins, live entertainment, family fun with trick-or-treating, displays and more.
Sam Adams Octoberfest Beer
Across New England
One of the fun things about the changing of seasons is the changing of beer flavors and with fall comes Sam Adams Octoberfest.
The Oktoberfest idea was born in 1810 when Munich celebrated the Crown Prince's wedding with a 16-day party with a special beer.
Sam Adams builds off of that idea with a beer that is perfect for the season.
Boston, MA
The Phantom Gourmet Food Festival is an event to look forward too and it will be held on September 22 from 12- 4 p.m. on two streets next to Fenway Park.
Tickets are $40 in advance and online and will go up to $50 at the event.
The ticket includes sampling 100 of Phantom's foods from hot dogs and pizza to pulled pork and more. Beer and wine will be served on the street.
The New England Patriots Return
Foxboro, MA
The NFL returns and that means that the New England Patriots are back.
The Patriots have won two of the last four Super Bowls and are among the favorites to win another one this season.
The Patriots kick off their season on Sunday, September 9 at 1 p.m. against the Houston Texans.
Apple Picking at Burtt's Apple Orchard
Cabot, Vermont
A great fall family event, especially those with young kids, is apple picking.
Nothing more fun than grabbing the nicest looking apple that you can find, giving it a quick wash off and then biting into it. Delicious.
Columbus Day Festival on Federal Hill
Providence, RI
Filled with great music and even better food, the Columbus Day Festival is a fall event to look forward to every season.
The feast will take place from October 6 through October 8.
Fall Boat Ride to Block Island
Block Island, RI
Though the summer weather is winding down, there is still great weather coming and great opportunities to get on the ferry and head over to Block Island for the day, or maybe even multiple days.
Fall trips to Block Island are something to look forward too.
Click here for more information.
Wearing Fleece
For those nights, or days, where it's just a bit cooler out, there is nothing more comfortable than throwing on a fleece jacket and settling in for a fun day ahead.
The arrival of fall means it's time to start breaking those jackets out.
Drinking Apple Cider From Pippin Orchard
Cranston, RI
Can't you already taste it? The sweet taste of apple cider returns with the fall season.
Head over to your local market and buy some, or maybe you know how to make your own or have your own recipe. Either way, drinking apple cider is something to look forward too.
Attend Waterfire in Providence
Providence, RI
Summer may be nearing the end, but Waterfire continues into the fall.
Waterfire is the premiere event in Providence and if you haven't gotten to one yet during the summer or fall season, now is the time to plan.
Waterfire is a great night out with different vendors, music and other entertainment lining the city streets while the river is lit up by the fire. For a really romantic and fun night, hop on a gondola ride.
The Return of Your Favorite TV Shows
One of the down sides of summer is that there is very little to watch on TV as far as new shows go. Thank goodness for Netflix and or HBO on demand.
However, the return of the fall season means the return of all the popular TV shows like Gotham, Game of Thrones, Arrow and several others.
Look forward to having something to watch at night after a long day at work.
Celebrating Halloween at Factory of Terror
Worcester, MA
Who isn't looking forward to celebrating the Halloween season at the Factory of Terror in Worcester?
The Factory of Terror consists of five different attractions including Dracula's HIdeaway, Phobia Mayhem, Zombie Alley and much more.
Fall Golf at Harbor Lights
Warwick, RI
The end of Summer does not mean the end of golf season.
The fall is a great time of year for golfing at Harbor Lights or any of the courses across the state.
The fall offers some of the best-golfing weather of the year, not too hot and not too cold.
Golf season has not left.
Harpoon Brewery Oktoberfest in Boston
Boston, MA
Harpoon Brewery will hold their 28th annual Octoberfest from September 28 through September 29.
The event will feature Harpoon brews, bratwursts, chicken dancing and German chocolate cake eating contests as well as Oompah music.
Harpoon Brewery is located at 306 Northern Ave in Boston.
Click here for more information or for tickets.
Elton John's Farewell Tour at TD Garden
Boston, MA
Rock n' Roll legend Elton John is bringing his farewell tour to Boston's TD Garden on October 6.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to see one of the greatest of all time sing songs such as "Bennie & the Jets," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and more.
PHOTO: David Shankbone/wikipedia
Carver, MA
Dive into history at King Richard's Faire, New England's oldest and largest Renaissance Festival and most beloved annual fall event. Dress up, play games and learn a lot at a fair that is a great fall event for the entire family.
The Fair runs from September 1 through October 21.
Click here for more information
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo
Providence, RI
What better way to spend a fall evening than strolling through Roger Williams Park Zoo and viewing some cool Jack-O-Lanterns.
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park is a Rhode Island and New England Fall staple featuring thousands of illuminated pumpkins from October 4 to November 4.
