Narragansett

Better known as a bay, beer, and Native American tribe, Narragansett was once America’s first seaside resort, drawing Gilded Age tourists to frolic ’til dawn at its swanky beachfront casino. After the casino burned down in 1900, the community underwent a slow decline that left it overshadowed by neighboring Newport [1]. (In an odd twist of fate, the Narragansett tribe is currently lobbying to open a new casino.)

The town still draws scads of tourists for its beaches and restaurants, but apart from the obvious draw of the Towers [2] and picturesque Point Judith, it’s hard to avoid feeling that its best days are behind it.