Newport, Rhode Island shares our name and waterfront setting, but the parity ceases there
Newport, Rhode Island, the “other Newport” sits 3,000 miles away from Newport Beach. While these cities share a name and are both blessed with a spectacular setting on the waterfront, the similarities end there.
Newport, Rhode Island is a delightful combination of New England grit and glamor. Its roots as a fishing village are very much in evidence along the cobblestone streets and crooked brick-lined lanes that are flanked by colorful Colonial-era houses. Thanks to its stunning scenery and cool temperatures, it became the summer escape of the Gilded Age for industrialists like the Vanderbilts. The aristocratic tone was further bolstered when John F. Kennedy and Jackie were married here. Today, Newport is considered one of America’s greatest yachting capitals, hosting the America’s Cup, and the Newport Bermuda Race, the challenging 635-mile open ocean competition that attracts the world’s greatest sailors.
On the Waterfront
Along the waterfront, you can ogle some massive yachts, it’s true, but Newport also harbors a working fishing fleet. Visitors can explore the majestic Narragansett Bay and glide past iconic lighthouses aboard a number of boats, including a former rum smuggling yacht. But you need not sail to experience the best of the waterfront. A visit to twin wharves, Bannister and Bowen, yield shopping opportunities that include only-in-Newport souvenirs (a pewter whale bottle opener, anyone?), along with preppy tunics and locally made bath bombs.
The Famed “Summer Cottages”
A pilgrimage to Newport is not complete without a visit to the colossal monuments of capitalism built along Bellevue Road. These grand estates, dubbed “summer cottages” by the mega-rich of the early 20thcentury, were constructed to awe and impress. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad titan, built the Breakers, an opulent 125,000-square-foot mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with gold gilt walls, silver-encrusted ceilings, and architectural elements imported from French chateaus. Just up the street another Vanderbilt, Alva, hosted lavish parties at Marble House, which used a half-million cubic feet of marble for its construction. Across the street, The Elms, a palace conceived by a Philadelphia coal magnate, boasts what may be the most stunning grounds in Newport with a sunken garden, marble pavilions and fountains. The street is anchored by socialite Doris Duke’s extravagant 39,000-sqaure-foot house, which she owned until her death in 1993.
Beyond the Mansions
It was back in 1881 on the grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame that American tournament tennis was born. Today, an onsite museum traces the evolution of the game and its players through memorabilia like 19thcentury all-wood rackets. The building itself, shake-shingled, gable- peaked and capped with a handsome clock tower, is so beautiful that it frequently hosts weddings. The world’s top players compete here each year, but mere mortals can also book a court for a game or a lesson.
Just steps away on the very same block, visitors will find Audrain Automobile Museum, a small but magnificent space dedicated to rare high-octane, high priced cars. The museum displays a rotating roster from its collection of 200 antique cars dating from 1899 to new releases, including Bugattis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis, many customized and one-of-a-kind. Jay Leno, who owns property in Newport, is a frequent visitor.
For outdoor fun, nothing beats a stroll along Cliff Walk, the three-and-a-half mile pathway that weaves behind the swank Gilded Age mansions, delivering dramatic vistas of the mercurial Atlantic Ocean. Here, waves crescendo against the rocks, sending sea spray into the air. At certain points, visitors can climb down to small coves and plunge their feet into the (typically) chilly water.
Dine
Newport is awash with places where you can sample authentic New England seafood, harvested from the waters right out front. The Black Pearl, a buzzy local favorite is prized for its extraordinary clam chowder. The Clarke Cooke House, an 18thcentury white clapboard building with a wonderful warren of dining rooms, serves up classics like lobster rolls. And, you can grab a table on the deck overlooking the marina at The Mooring to dine on local clams, claws and calamari.
Stay
Newport has no shortage of charming accommodations. Nestled among the twisting streets, you’ll find worthy bed and breakfasts that buttress restored historic homes. One of the best is the elegant but unfussy Hydrangea House, which puts you in easy walking distance of the mansions and museums. To get a taste of what it must have been like to be a guest at a Gilded Age mansion, book a room at Castle Hill Inn, an estate tucked at the end of the scenic Ocean Drive, with dramatic vistas of Narragansett Bay.
No matter where you anchor yourself, you’ll never be far from the waterfront, the soul of the “other Newport.”