Issues → May/June 2007 → Travel →

Newport, Rhode Island: Waterfront

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Though the former sailor bars on this stretch of waterfront have been replaced by shops and restaurants, their legacy lives on in a few spruced-up corners. Cafe Zelda is half bistro, half Irish pub, with a loyal neighborhood following. The West Deck makes a great martini (and knock-your-socks-off fish chowder). And Pronto has a fine wine list with excellent Mediterranean/Italian dishes as well as a view of the harbor from the second floor. For a nonalcoholic cocktail, try Cold Fusion's mojito sorbet or any of Torrance Kopfer's handmade gelatos.

If your intellectual curiosity about all things nautical has been spiked by your waterfront wanderings, there's no better place to explore than the Armchair Sailor Bookstore with its extensive selection of marine and travel books, navigational charts, and maps. At Armchair, you'll discover new attractions, and then you can begin Newport's one-mile harborside jaunt all over again.

What the Locals Know

Leave behind the downtown hubbub of the wharves and head north of the Goat Island causeway to discover Newport's "other" waterfront: the Point district. You'll see a cluster of beautifully restored pre-Revolutionary and Federal houses, some of them moved to the quiet neighborhood 40 years ago. As colorful as they are historic, the houses have been painted using a palette of authentic 18th-century colors: autumn orange, sunny yellow, deep-sea blue, barn red, olive green, and rusty brown.

Matching the charm of the houses are their well-tended gardens -- large beds of white impatiens and delicate brick archways framing roses and peonies.

At the heart of this area is Washington Street, which runs from the Newport Shipyard to Battery Park, a great spot to take in the sunset's glow. After your stroll around the Point, stop in at The Rhumbline (62 Bridge St.; 401-849-3999) for a drink and a memorable dinner.