Bill Mountford knows Newport from the inside out. As Director of Tennis at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, he spends his days on some of the most historic grass courts in America, in a town where tennis, Gilded Age history, and summer social life have been intertwined for nearly 150 years.
And this August is a particularly big one. Roger Federer arrives in Newport to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on August 29, alongside broadcaster and journalist Mary Carillo, making the city the center of the tennis world for one very exciting weekend.
So, what does Newport look like when you know it this well? Mountford gives us the lay of the land, on and off the court.
THE BEST…
BREAKFAST: The Franklin Spa
MUSEUM: ITHF Museum. Tennis history, Gilded Age, Federer!
LUNCH: Cru Cafe. There might be a long line, but it’s always worth it.
PLACE TO UNWIND: Fitness 500 in the morning or a long walk on Second Beach in the evening.
DINNER: 22 Bowens
PLACE TO STAY: The Chanler
COCKTAIL: Lemonace
DATE NIGHT: Castle Hill Inn, sitting in Adirondack chairs nearing sunset.
VIEW: Rooftop bar at The Vanderbilt
KEPT SECRET: The menu at Pour Judgement.
BETWEEN US…
WHERE YOU ALWAYS RUN INTO SOMEONE YOU KNOW: Bellevue Avenue or nighttime on Bannister’s Wharf.
DRESS CODE: Khakis, linen shirt, no socks.
SHOES: ON Roger Federers or Adidas Stan Smiths.
NEWPORT DIET: Lobster roll.
ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Play on the grass courts of the ITHF Hall of Fame Tennis Club (the finest grass courts in North America!).
WHAT’S NEW IN NEWPORT THAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT: The Tennis Wave on Bowen’s Wharf from August 24-26. You’ll see!
SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR LIFE HERE: For me, it is always a Pogues song. Every time I walk by those Irish pubs…
HOT TAKE: Jane Pickens Theater is a hidden beauty!
Slim Aarons ‘Newport Casino’, 1987
