Pawtucket

Once a thriving mill town, Pawtucket went through tough times before artists discovered its old mills and low rents. The city remains the world headquarters of the toy manufacturer Hasbro, creator of Mr. Potato Head, and has a thriving arts and cultural scene. A visit to the engaging Slater Mill Museum, America's first successful water-powered factory, provides a sense of Pawtucket's pivotal role in the American industrial evolution. Inside a converted mill, the Hope Artiste Village hints at the future with its mix of art studios, lofts, retail shops, light-industrial workshops, and the Met music venue.