The New York Times travel section swoops in and brings back a bulleted list: 36 Hours in Providence, R.I.

It begins with an unfortunate and baffling lead: "An Ivy League college, a cutting-edge art school and top-flight chefs have helped Providence shed its reputation as a Boston suburb." Before Brown (est. 1764) and RISD (est. 1877), we were a Boston suburb?

The tour of greater downtown skips Haven Bros. and the mall -- it does its high-end shopping on Westminster Street.

Best quote: "An espresso on Caffe Dolce Vita's outdoor patio (59 DePasquale Plaza, 401-331-8240; www.caffedolcevita.com ) and a coin toss into the DePasquale Fountain bring images of Fellini to America."

Chief surprise: How expensive it is to get here now from there. "Delta flies daily between Kennedy Airport and Providence starting at $358 for travel this month, according to a recent online search."

What I didn't know: Downcity Diner does a drag brunch. Al Forno's "Mr. Germon and Ms. Killeen are opening a 20-seat Mediterranean tapas restaurant this fall, called Tini (200 Washington Street)..."