Thanks for all the input.
I went for a nice run from my hotel to Bryant Univ campus and ran all around and on the track. It was after sunset so I found the xc course trails but didn't venture onto them
I also went for a nice run in the city using some of the above suggestions as guidelines. I started at Brown's campus and went south, then north along the length of Benefit St (some tremendous houses, very nice), then over to and around Providence's campus, then to the north end of Blackstone Blvd and down the length of it (what a nice stretch of paths along that blvd), then over to Memorial Blvd and the Canal Walk / River Greenway.
The area on Thayer St near Brown is very lively - good people watching and lots of shops and food options. I ate at a Korean restaurant
I struggled to find decent souvenir shops but did find a couple random things for stocking stuffers.
A different night I ate at Al Forno and had grilled pizza based on the recommendation of someone I worked with. It was good and definitely different from the more traditional pizza I'm used to.
All in all a nice city.