Happy thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoy this post.

For Thanksgiving, we went to Newport, Rhode Island, which I personally came to have very mixed feelings about after putting thought into my sense of place here.

The part where we stayed, on the coast, is very low key, with old mansions scattered along it. The reason being that Newport used to be a place where very rich, probably mostly white, people lived. The houses are surrounded by trees, yards, and beaches. While I don’t know much about the area, I think it is still settled by slightly wealthier white folk. They are probably at the same socioeconomic status as the people who have settled the area where I am from. For comparison, my home town is Arlington, MA, a higher end town in the greater Boston area.

Not too far away is a very busy, more urban area where it’s impossible to park. It’s also full of attractions, and many people young and old mosey about.

One more aspect of Newport is it’s community, and connection with neighbors. Based on my very short time here, I felt as though the people in my area of Newport were genuine, and wanting to say hi when they passed. My experience is similar in Arlington, where I’ve lived my whole life, and also in Martha’s Vineyard.

Here’s my comparison to places I’ve lived: In some ways, it’s like Martha’s Vineyard, where wealthy people tend to own houses to vacate to whenever they feel like it. Houses are neighbored by other large houses, yet secluded and surrounded by quite a bit of nature, making it very quiet. A 20 minute walk toward the main harbor, and you find yourself at a small town not unlike Newport’s, but with a lot less people.

However, the amount of people who come here and live here makes it also feel like Arlington. Very rarely is anyone a full-time resident in Martha’s Vineyard, but Newport certainly has year-round residents, and so does Arlington. Furthermore, the amount of people and parking issue we found in Newport’s more urban area is a characteristic of Boston and the greater Boston area

As someone who has lived in higher end, mostly-white places my whole life, I guess I didn’t feel out of my comfort zone by coming to Newport. I’m used to being in a kind community with middle-to-high-class people, and little touristy or amusement attractions within close range. I am also used to more urban areas with close access to everything, of which Newport definitely is one.

The mansions make me uncomfortable, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. I think it may be because of the fact that I’m used to living in smaller spaces; they feel to me more home-like. The bigger a place, the more weirdly sacred it seems, and not a place that I could call home, or, for that matter, imagine anyone else calling home.

Sources:

Reiss, Jaclyn. “Barack and Michelle Obama Are Reportedly Buying a Martha’s Vineyard Mansion – The Boston Globe.” BostonGlobe.com, The Boston Globe, 22 Aug. 2019, www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2019/08/22/barack-and-michelle-obama-are-reportedly-buying-martha-vineyard-mansion/cuoVonwx5Uxen9GAQMo1bP/story.html.

“Town Day.” Housing Corporation of Arlington, Housing Corporation of Arlington, 12 Dec. 2018, housingcorparlington.org/events/town-day-2013/.