By Margot Dougherty,
AMERICA’S GILDED-AGE industrialists knew a little about curb appeal, as their Newport, R.I., “cottages” attest. These architectural grande dames, their endless rooms outfitted with museum-quality art and furnishings, endure on landscaped lawns—designed by the likes of Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame and his sons—that sweep to dramatic cliffs and a feisty Atlantic. An additional cache of restored colonial houses make Newport a mecca for “heritage tourists.” In summer, the harbor draws droves of gawkers, eager to see the phalanx of yachts that idle between outings. Onshore, bars, restaurants and shops, including those on a newly invigorated stretch of Broadway, are easily navigated on foot. As the 1875 travel guide “Popular Resorts and How to Reach Them” put it, Newport “is the fashionable queen of all American watering resorts.” Some things never change.
The Secrets of Newport, R.I.
Locals share their favorite summer spots in Newport, R.I.
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