Op-Ed: Third in Population, First in Our Hearts

ur civic pride got a rude awakening. Providence is the third largest city in New England!  Apparently, Worcester, MA passed us almost a quarter of a century ago but we didn’t get the message. We were shocked.

After the Revolutionary War, Providence was the ninth largest city in the US (today, it’s Dallas). We were the second largest in New England until 1980, lost the position for 21 years and gained it back in 2001 by 971 people. Buddy was mayor, the city looked great, we had a hit TV show (Providence) and WaterFire was in stride. We lost the position in 2006 by 199 people and today we’re 17,000 people behind.

Worcester has twice the land as Providence, but we have twice as much water as they do.

Both cities have struggled to recover from manufacturing losses of past eras and other economic issues. Worcester has done better than Providence in improving schools, supporting neighborhoods, and increasing the number of jobs. Worcester’s downtown still struggles, but the addition of Polar Park for “our” baseball team is triggering a major revitalization.

Contrast that with the success of downtown Providence, which has helped place the city on many “Best Cities” lists, creating an impression of coolness that attracts young professionals, as well as transplants from Boston, New York, and other major cities seeking urban amenities at lower costs.

And our food is much better! The first diner in America was opened here, and Al Forno ushered in a new level of dining, winning a James Beard Award and then being named the best casual restaurant in the world by the International Herald Tribune. The Capital Grille chain also started here.

We assembled this list comparing each city’s best qualities and firsts, and now we feel better!

• Coffee milk originated in Providence, while mass-produced shredded wheat was Worcester.
• Costume jewelry was created in Providence, while Worcester gets credit for the monkey wrench, the typewriter, the steam calliope (whatever that is), the first liquid fuel rocket, and the iconic smiley face.
• Providence means “the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power,” while Worcester means “war-castle.”
• J. Lee Richmond of the Worcesters pitched the first perfect game in Major League Baseball but Babe Ruth pitched for the Providence Grays.
• The sinking of The Gaspee was the first American military action of the Revolutionary War.  Four years later, the first public reading of The Declaration of Independence was in Worcester in July 1776.
• We have a better airport – even though it’s not exactly in our city, Providence is where people think they’re landing in. The New England Patriots planes are based here and visiting teams stay in Providence. Worcester’s regional airport is the official airport for the WooSox.
• Worcester’s hockey team is the Railers, the farm team for the NY Islanders. We have the P Bruins, the Boston Bruins farm team!
• Worcester gets more snow. They can have it!
• Providence has the ocean. Worcester has a bunch of ponds and lakes.
• The Providence Mob controlled Worcester for decades.
• Providence has the most strip clubs per capita in New England. Worcester has the Eggroll Lady & Fish Shack.
• Providence has the award-winning Roger Williams Park Zoo, the third-oldest in the country; Worcester is near a small one.
• Providence’s Fire Department is the second oldest paid department in the country and The Atheneum is the fourth oldest library.
• The Arcade was America’s first enclosed shopping mall.
• Providence has more coffee and donut shops per capita than any city in the country.
• Nibbles Woodaway, The Big Blue Bug, is the world’s largest artificial bug at 928 times the size of an actual termite.
• Horror writer H.P. Lovecraft’s house is in Providence, and he’s buried in Swan Point Cemetery.
• George M. Cohan, who wrote “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” lived in Fox Point, and there’s a statue to prove it.
• Like Rome, both Providence and Worcester are built on seven hills.

Op-eds express the authors’ opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Hey Rhody Media Co. Readers are welcome to send responses or letters to the editor to be considered for print publication in a future issue or posted online. Letters can be emailed to Abbie@heyrhody.com