Janes Walk Aquidneck 2025
May 3 + 4, 2025
Jane’s Walk is a movement of free, neighbor-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs. Anybody can lead a Jane’s Walk. The festival encourages people to share stories about their neighborhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbors.
Saturday May 3
9am: Restoration Today: Ensuring the 21st Century Livability of 18th Century Buildings
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45 minutes. .25 miles max
Uneven surfaces, Long period of standing
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This tour will introduce participants to the restoration and preservation work of the Newport Restoration Foundation through a focused lens on one ongoing 2025 restoration—42 Division Street, a ca.1748 residential building in the Newport Historic District undergoing a full restoration.
11:30am: Jane’s Lunch at Spring Park
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60 min
Bring your own lunch. Bring your own chair or sit on non-traditional surfaces
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Meet at one of Newport’s newest parks in order to explore the many ways we can make the most of this kind of reclaimed public space.
1pm: North End Art Walk Parade!
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1 mile (23 min)
No physical requirements
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Join the Newport Health Equity Zone & North End residents as we walk along Hillside Ave to Miantonomi Park. Participants are encouraged to bring their best parade accoutrements from home, and costumes are encouraged!
3pm: Keeping History Above Water: Community Resiliency & Action
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60 min. 2 blocks
Uneven surfaces, Long period of standing
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As a community-wide challenge, this tour will focus on the approaches to protect vulnerable historic properties from rising tides and highlight the opportunities and challenges facing Newport to unify resiliency and preservation initiatives citywide.
6:30pm: Easton's Pond; Past, Present & Future
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60 min
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Twilight Tour on Easton's Pond
Sunday May 4
9am: Exploring the Landscape of Newport’s Quaker Community
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60 minutes/ 1.7 miles
Uneven surfaces
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This walk will take us to the Great Friends Meeting House and then through Newport’s Easton Point neighborhood as we discuss Newport’s Quaker community and its role in shaping the city’s society in the 17th and 18th centuries.
11am: Elmhurst/Glen Manor House Then & Now
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90 min (.5 mile walk on unpaved paths)
Stairs, Hills/Elevation, Uneven surfaces, Long period of standing, Wooded area
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Join local residents and historians to discuss Glen Farm's past and the local advocacy to preserve it.
2pm: Explore Green End's Green Spaces
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75 min
Uneven surfaces
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Ramble through side streets, parks, and farms with views of the Sakonnet river.
4pm: A Normal Neighborhood with Unique Features
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60 min
Uneven surfaces, Long period of standing
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Behind Bellevue: a 'regular' neighborhood surrounded by Guilded Age mansions.