Water Street curves into Dodge right at the Surf Hotel, which re-opened last year after a five-year hiatus. It offers food, cocktails and amazing views from its back deck. Opposite is the Island Free Library, the best (and almost the only) rainy day activity for kids. It boasts a treasure trove of books and other activities aimed at younger readers, as well as plenty to keep adults happy, including a well-stocked periodicals room. Bird’s Nest and Watercolors are next; both charm with eclectic home goods. A little further down lie Red Bird Liquor Store, which keeps up with the times with pre-mixed cocktail options and a small but well curated selection of wines; and Juice ’n Java coffee shop, which does the same with pay-as-you-go WiFi, Hawaiian shaved ice and to-die-for fresh smoked bluefish.
At Bridgegate Square sit two icons of modern-day Block Island: on one corner, Diamondblue Surf and Kiteboarding, with beginner-friendly stand-up paddle-boarding lessons as well as surf and kite-board rentals; and kitty-corner across from it, the Block Island Historical Society, an approachable window into the island’s unique past stuffed with fascinating curios and attended by friendly and knowledgeable staff.
This intersection marks one corner of the island’s Bermuda Triangle of late-night fun. Captain Nick’s Rock ‘n Roll Bar and Poor People’s Pub lie straight ahead up Ocean Avenue (think sushi and live bands at one, good pub grub and outdoor patio at the other), while to the right, Yellow Kittens Tavern and The Old Island Pub offer live music and frozen drinks vs. pool tables and a locals scene.
If you’re more about the food than the Mudslides, be sure to check out Winfield’s on the Neck for fine dining, and the freedom to finish that nice bottle of wine on the deck of Kittens next door. Just around the curve from the bars, where Corn Neck settles into a straight and sand-duney aspect, lies The Beachead restaurant, with consistently executed, straightforward but never dull fare that, admirably, does not trade on the restaurant’s amazing surfside location. Come here to catch a breeze on the hottest days, and come back during a fall hurricane to sit at the bar and watch the waves wash right up on the road outside.
WHERE TO FIND
The Beachead
Corn Neck Rd. 401-466-2249
thebeachead.com
Bird’s Nest
Dodge St. 401-466-5080
Block Island Historical Society
Old Town Rd. 401-864-4357
Captain Nick’s Rock ‘n Roll Bar
Ocean Ave. 401-466-5670
captainnicks.com
Diamondblue Surf and Kiteboarding
Dodge St. 401-466-3145
diamondbluebi.com
Kimberly’s Own
Ocean Ave. 401-466-8600
Island Free Library
Dodge St. 401-466-3233,
islandfreelibrary.org
Juice ’n Java
Dodge St. 401-466-5220
Marye-Kelley
Dodge St. 401-466-8833
Yellow Kittens Tavern
Corn Neck Rd. 401-466-5855
yellowkittens.com
Old Island Pub
Corn Neck Rd. 401-466-2400
Poor People’s Pub
Ocean Ave. 401-466- 8533
pppbi.com
Red Bird Liquor Store
Dodge St. 401-466-2441
Surf Hotel
Dodge St. 401-466- 2241
Watercolors
Dodge St. 401-466-4538
Winfield’s
Corn Neck Rd. 401-466-5856
winfieldsrestaurant.net
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