A southerner’s guide to Rhode Island
It’s been almost four years since my wife and I moved to Rhode Island. I spent the first 38 years of my life in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge of moving to an entirely new part of the US. I’m sharing what I’ve learned here, with the caveat that this guide is just a start and will be updated over time.
1. Nature
Weather
We have all four seasons here!
Summer is absolutely glorious. Long days, hot but not humid, and the evenings cool down just right. Plan to welcome many visitors during the summer.
Winter is usually not that bad (except for this year, which was the worst I have ever seen in my life - and also the worst a bunch of Rhode Islanders have seen in their lives, FWIW). Buy a nice winter coat that covers your ass and invest in comfy, warm waterproof boots (I have fleece lined Blundstones that I wear for 6 months of every year). Invest in moisture-wicking fabrics like Smartwool for base layers and socks and you’re set.
Spring and fall are delights for the senses. Rhode Island’s flora really show out during these transitional seasons.
Always - always - bring an extra layer of clothing with you.
Beaches
This is the Ocean State. We have the highest ratio of coastline to square miles of any state. We have our pick of beaches: rocky, coarse sand, fine sand, bluffs, mud; bay beaches, ocean beaches, inland beaches. Ask your new Rhode Island friends for their favorite beaches and they’ll excitedly tell you.
No matter where you are in Rhode Island, you can drive 20 minutes and be on a beach. Pack a chair and an umbrella in your trunk from June through September in case you decide to get some beach time on a whim.
If you are feeling sad, you probably just need to see some big water and remember how small you are. Go to the beach.
Critters
At my childhood home in central Alabama, the lake in our back yard was home to multiple types of poisonous snakes. In our yard in Virginia, near the river, there were, as our landscape architect neighbor said, “countless snakes.” We were always terrified of disturbing a pile of brush for fear of finding a water moccasin lying in wait. Here, there is one type of poisonous snake - the timber rattler - and it’s in the mountains. Gardening here is a delight.
Also, some of the fauna are just different here in Rhode Island. Instead of…
- Giant Gulf shrimp? We have Giant Quahog clams.
- Possums? We have skunks and groundhogs.
- Buzzards? We have turkeys. (There are buzzards [vultures] here, but way fewer than in the South.)
- Palmetto bugs? Armadillos? Fire ants?
I have no word for thisin southern New England.
2. Foods
Grocery stores
Let me break this down for you:
- Shaws is an Albertson’s company, similar in fanciness to Publix.
- It is not to be confused with Shore’s, which is pronounced similarly here, but is smaller and a little spendier (like Earth Fare).
- Price Rite is Food Lion and
- Stop n Shop is Kroger.
- Market Basket stands on its own - maybe similar to HEB for our Texas family, but that is unconfirmed.
There are a few co-ops and Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s locations that are exactly what you’d expect.
Grocery foods
Mayo: As of 2024 you can buy Duke’s Mayonnaise at Shaws, and likely other places.
Chips: You can generally find Zapps and Golden Flake potato chips at most Ocean State Job Lot locations.
Grits: I am sure these are available for many dollars at some bespoke food stores. We still have our stone ground grits shipped up from South Carolina.
Peaches: Put in your order or two with the Georgia Peach Truck, which travels up the east coast two times each summer, delivering peaches from Georgia in 25-pound boxes. Eat ‘em, juice ‘em, freeze ‘em, enjoy all year.
Pimiento cheese: Shaw’s has Palmetto cheese, which will do in a pinch.
Chow chow does not exist here. Have a southern comrade bring you up a jar from their local farmers market.
Restaurant foods
Beware “Southern” restaurants: Most are simply not. Slow Rhode in the West End of Providence is close, but only it’s “southern-inspired.”
Collards: Great Northern in West End, Providence, has excellent collards.
BBQ: Again, Great Northern is solid. Wes’ Rib House is also fine! If you want authentic BBQ, go back to the South.
Grits: You can find some decent grits at Jiggers Diner in East Greenwich. Try the johnny cakes too! (Not southern, but made of corn meal.)
Biscuits: The best biscuits are at Irregardless Biscuits in Providence. The owner, James Dean, is from Mooresville, NC, and he’s using his grandmother’s recipe and flour he carts up once a month from NC. Otherwise, most restaurant biscuits here are bland, greasy, too scone-y, and/or heated from frozen. I said what I said.
3. Politics
Mostly dem…kinda
There are five kinds of democrats here:
- Two of them are republicans.
- One of them is corrupt as hell and probably will still get re-elected.
- One of them is a gay moderate whose pockets are lined with corporate donations.
- The last one is a democratic socialist and their dedicated base is about to win them a consequential election in 2026.
Blue wall…sorta
There is an abundance of laurel-resting among a lot of liberals here, many who come from long lines of families of liberals. Many (but certainly not all!) of these folks do not acknowledge that 44% of Rhode Islanders voted for Donald Trump in 2024, and also low-key hold some regressive views about poor people, immigrants, trans people, and the economy. Us southerners who came by our progressivism very honestly are super fun at parties when we point these things out.
Old money, private schools
Old money, Ivy-educated culture is extremely prevalent here - not just in Newport, but all across southern New England. Brown University is in Providence and Harvard is up the road in Boston (well, Cambridge, to be appropriately specific). My wife and I went to public schools all the way through, from elementary to graduate school, and it really took us a minute to get used to the prevalence of private-school education here.
4. People and culture
Accents
If you think you don’t have a southern accent, yes you do.
The Rhode Island accent is deliciously, spectacularly strong. You will feel a kinship with folks in this way.
My southern accent has actually deepened the longer I have lived in New England, and I wear it as a badge of pride.
“I’m gonna have to pack a lunch for that.”
As any of y’all who have watched the first episode of Real Housewives of Rhode Island have learned, Rhode Island is the smallest state and it’s also a place where folks are far less likely to drive 15 minutes to get anywhere. One person described it to us in 2022 as “provincial,” which is a harsher way to say that most folks here just have what they need within a short radius. As someone who grew up in a place where you had to drive 20 minutes to see a stoplight, I scoffed at this initially, but am now finding myself balking if there’s not an easy route to a venue or gathering.
“You must be glad to have escaped the South!”
Be sure to have a response at the ready for this extremely common retort from well-meaning but ignorant New Englanders. Here’s my most recent response:
You know, I hear this a lot. Many folks dismiss the South outright, but it is home to some of the most consequential cultural contributions and progressive political movements in the US, past and present, and most of my family and beloved friends live there still. While I truly love living here, I miss the South.
Most folks will take the note.
Southerners find each other here
I must have met 20 folks through friends, friends-of-friends, or just out in public, who are southerners missing home and seeking to connect with other southerners here. Sometimes all I need is hearing a southern accent as an excuse to strike up a conversation. Whether we are relieved to be out of the South (sometimes) or missing home (most of the time), we find each other and we make our networks here.
Strong queer networks
When my wife ad I moved to Rhode Island, we were friends with two people here. One of them, my friend Angela from library school, knows basically every queer person in Providence over 35. She welcomed us into her network and we have built a super-strong community here. Once you’re here, you’re Family™️.
Kind, not always nice
We were asked multiple times before we moved to New England if we were ready to be surrounded by rude people who don’t care about others. Turns out, that ain’t it at all. People here aren’t jerks; they tell it like it is.
Everyone here will give you the shirt off their back if you need help, while chiding you for not dressing appropriately. They’ll tell you to be more careful as they’re changing your tire for you. They’ll gruffly tell you to move your car before the tow trucks come through. Unlike some folks in the South who are nice but not kind (“bless your heart”), these kind, straightforward neighbors are an unexpected and welcome change.
Strong regional culture with heart
One tie that connects southern New England and the southern US is our deep, specific, very strange, beautiful regional culture. It has been an absolute joy to get to know this state and all the ins and outs as we build our new home here.
I hope this guide has been useful to you! If you have additions, please get in touch. If you have arguments, corrections or complaints, please keep ‘em to yourself. ⚓️
