>> Providence East Neighborhoods

[Frankie811]

Supposedly the McD's has the best restrooms in New York though. The restaurant spans the block to 41st Street. It also has WiFi so you can surf the net and eat your fries. It's in an old theatre. Here's a photo.

Holy cow!!! What a waste of a beautiful building. They can't be using the upper floors, or can they? I'm due for a NYC visit, even though I've seen just about all there is to see and do there. But I would like to stay for just one night in the Marriott Marquis hotel on Broadway.

[gregw]

Got the following email. Looks like they're trying to make the Brown bookstore situation into a hot button political issue. I got a kick out of the mention of slavery and brutality at the end of the email.

I say give me latte and armchair and if that means Barnes and Noble so be it.

Anyway, here it is:

They're looking for folks interested in an action early next week

as well as people willing to give their names as supporters of keeping

the bookstore independent. Email contacts are in below message. -az

www.savethebookstore.org.

> We'd really like to solicit your support for this action. We are planning a public protest

> early next week, and we are working this week to gather names of supporters from the community

> who would add their support to this action. I do apologize for the short-notice of this action,

> but this small window of opportunity has been forced upon us by the administration, leaving us

> very little time to react to their proposal. If at all possible, we need responses to this call

> for support within the next 24 hours! In order to gather names of supporters, we have set up an

> email address, ([email protected]). All you have to do is send us an email, with your

> name (and a phone number, if possible), and we'll make sure you are kept in the loop about the

> planned action.

>

> Would you be willing to add your name to our list of supporters? Furthermore, we would love it

> if you could forward the information about our website to anyone else you think would be

> interested in this issue. Are you part of a group or collective that might add their support?

> Ideally we'd like to have your names on the website, so everyone can see that this is a vital

> and important issue that affects everyone on the East Side and in the greater Providence

> community.

>

> Thank you very much for your consideration in this matter. I do hope you'll join us in our

> efforts to keep the Brown Bookstore independent.

>

> Yours truly,

> Sian Roberts

> Save the Bookstore Coalition

>

QUE SE VAYAN TODOS

***************************************************************

"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice, and that

socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality" -Bakunin

***************************************************************

RESIST MUCH, OBEY LITTLE - Walt Whitman

[Dan]

Bookstore privatization spells doom for Thayer.

"corporate superpower" would "jeopardize the jobs of bookstore employees, reduce the selection... increase the prices of books and threaten to drive up rents."

It's the end of the East Side as we know it!

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo_2...6.18057cb5.html

[Garris]

Bookstore privatization spells doom for Thayer.

"corporate superpower" would "jeopardize the jobs of bookstore employees, reduce the selection... increase the prices of books and threaten to drive up rents."

It's the end of the East Side as we know it!

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo_2...6.18057cb5.html

Again, give me a break.

The solution to fighting this kind of hyperbole is to tell Brown directly what you think:

http://www.brown.edu/web/bookstore-committee/feedback.html

You don't need to be related to Brown to give feedback, as they welcome comments from the community.

- Garris

[damus]

Bookstore privatization spells doom for Thayer.

"corporate superpower" would "jeopardize the jobs of bookstore employees, reduce the selection... increase the prices of books and threaten to drive up rents."

It's the end of the East Side as we know it!

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo_2...6.18057cb5.html

I don't get that. If anything a bigger bookstore should sell the books for less. They have purchasing power, and can thus get the books for a lot less than a smaller store. Reducing the selection I guess is a valid point, as well as the jobs, though isn't that more of a "job" than a "career"? I don't see people, other than maybe the managers, losing sleep over the potential loss of a job there. Plus people my age for the most part seem to shop at chains more; I guess because they know what to expect?. I think they're just making this a much bigger deal than it really is...

Ceding operation of the store to "a corporate superpower" such as Barnes & Noble, would be, as Brown professor and author Robert Coover said, "a betrayal of Brown's innermost principles."

That's terrible. Brown is anti-capitalist?

"Without some strong oppostion, it will ultimately lead to outsourcing," said Brian Sweeney, a third-year graduate student.

Outsourcing of what? Truck drivers? Cashiers? For the most part the books will be made in the same place that they probably were when they were made for the Brown Bookstore, so it can't be the book manufacturers.

I guess it does take away from the character of the bookstore and Thayer, but it seems to me like it'll do little else. They'll probably try to fill these positions with people who currently work there, and are thus familiar with the clientele. Am I being too short-sighted or is this just the elitists b*tching and moaning again?

[Garris]

I guess it does take away from the character of the bookstore and Thayer, but it seems to me like it'll do little else.

That's the big issue in my mind. The current bookstore has no character and contributes nearly nothing in architecture, Brown flavor, or vibrancy to the Thayer streetscape. It's hard to contribute much to the Thayer street life when it's closed so much!

Again, if you look at the transformation of other underperforming and disappointing college and Ivy League bookstores (I'm most familiar with the Yale one), you'll see virtually all of them are better (and more college specific atmospheric) than their preceeding independent stores.

- Garris

PS: This may have been brought up before, but does anyone know what is being renovated next to the Avon on Thayer?

[brick]

PS: This may have been brought up before, but does anyone know what is being renovated next to the Avon on Thayer?

About 6 months ago, it was going to be a boutique of some kind. I talked to the owner for a bit while he was inspecting some stuff and I was waiting for friends to see a movie. At that point, he was going to be open "before XMas." I'm not sure if his funding fell through or if he changed his mind and decided to do something else.

that's the long road to me saying "I have no clue."

Thayer could use another consignment store, though, which is what was there before. Or, at least, Providence could, whether it is on Thayer is a different question.

[bloodyrocker]

that's the long road to me saying "I have no clue."

I heard Andreas is expanding into that space.

[Recchia]

Will the store actually be called "Barnes and Noble"? The store at my school in Albany was a B&N, but it still said "SUNY Albany Bookstore" on it. What's the big deal if B&N runs it behind the scenes? Or are they worried about having a big chain store sign on Thayer St?

[Garris]

Will the store actually be called "Barnes and Noble"? The store at my school in Albany was a B&N, but it still said "SUNY Albany Bookstore" on it. What's the big deal if B&N runs it behind the scenes? Or are they worried about having a big chain store sign on Thayer St?

I imagine there's a degree of ignorance here amongst opponents... There certainly wouldn't be a big B&N sign on the street, and Brown I'm sure would have leverage over all kinds of elements, from decoration to architecture to name...

Yale's Bookstore, for instance, got a complete (and gorgeous) physical makeover and the name went from "The Yale Co-op" (which had all the charm of a Flea Market inside, and was about as well organized) to "The Yale Bookstore." The banners of Yale's historic residential colleges line the grand entrance to the store and there are stenciled black and white classic Yale scenes on the walls. The cafe is festooned with Yale momentos, and there are photos of classic sports scenes and big "Y's" up all over the place. It feels "Yale," while the old Co-op felt "Family Dollar."

I imagine that Brown could ask for the same kind of conditions, and we could have a really "Brown" and Providence character bookstore on Thayer, vs the kind of "kids running a lemonade stand" feel of the current bookstore...

- Garris

[Dan]

I imagine there's a degree of ignorance here amongst opponents... There certainly wouldn't be a big B&N sign on the street, and Brown I'm sure would have leverage over all kinds of elements, from decoration to architecture to name...

This topic should be in the YIMBY thread. 10 had a report on the bookstore Thursday morning. I really don't see any willingness to compromise in the eyes of those protesters. One student interviewed said he thought the selection and atmosphere inside would improve if B&N came in.

Ceding operation of the store to "a corporate superpower" such as Barnes & Noble, would be, as Brown professor and author Robert Coover said, "a betrayal of Brown's innermost principles."

That's terrible. Brown is anti-capitalist?

[Garris]

I'd actually accept keeping it independent if they promised real hours (open to 9 or 10 7 days a week) and doing the kind of architectural and capital improvements that the building and interior needs in order to meet modern expectations for bookstores.

Unfortunately, all I've read indicates that independent = status quo. Has anyone heard or read any opponent of B&N or similar entity taking over the bookstore discuss how the bookstore would improve if kept independent? I haven't...

- Garris

[DrStink]

Yale's Bookstore, for instance, got a complete (and gorgeous) physical makeover and the name went from "The Yale Co-op" (which had all the charm of a Flea Market inside, and was about as well organized) to "The Yale Bookstore." The banners of Yale's historic residential colleges line the grand entrance to the store and there are stenciled black and white classic Yale scenes on the walls.

Just wanted to agree that Yale's B&N run bookstore is a great anchor to Yale's Broadway revitalization efforts. It seems to have found a nice balance between B&N resources/purchasing power with a unique collegiate flavor.

I won't claim to know Thayer at all other than having eaten dinner at Paragon once and having gotten lost several times on my way to Meehan for Cornell-Brown hockey games, but in general, the anti-B&N crew would be well served to visit Yale's B&N run bookstore before throwing the baby out with the babywater.

[DavidSegal]

Just wanted to agree that Yale's B&N run bookstore is a great anchor to Yale's Broadway revitalization efforts. It seems to have found a nice balance between B&N resources/purchasing power with a unique collegiate flavor.

I won't claim to know Thayer at all other than having eaten dinner at Paragon once and having gotten lost several times on my way to Meehan for Cornell-Brown hockey games, but in general, the anti-B&N crew would be well served to visit Yale's B&N run bookstore before throwing the baby out with the babywater.

It's not just about aesthetics and hours --

I'm opposed to the conversion, mostly predicated on the pretty striking figures about contribution of an indy bookstore to the local economy. The core of the anti-Barnes group understands that improvements are needed -- and that Brown is perfectly capable of implementing them within the context of an indy bookstore.

The either-or -- Barnes vs. continued shabiness -- is a false choice.

[Garris]

Thanks for posting on this.

It's not just about aesthetics and hours --

I'm opposed to the conversion, mostly predicated on the pretty striking figures about contribution of an indy bookstore to the local economy.

I'm no business person or economist by any stretch of the imagination, but how would a store that would be be open 25-33% more of the time, be more of a local and regional draw for consumers, and allow people like me (members of the Brown community who spend quite a lot of money on expensive medical books and equipment) to actually buy things there (I can't now, I can't make it out of work before it closes) instead of online possibly contribute less to the local economy in sales taxes? I don't get it...

I've read the savethebookstore.org's number about the study out of Austin, but until we know the specifics of that, it's completely impossible to relate those numbers to Providence.

The core of the anti-Barnes group understands that improvements are needed

If you can direct me to a single word or text online or in the print media where the anti-Barnes folks acknowledge or talk about the needed improvements, I'll believe that it's not...

Barnes vs. continued shabiness is a false choice.

Until I read about how greatly improved an independent bookstore would be, I don't see how the choice is anything but...

I wish community activists like those behind the savethebookstore.org site were just as fired up about much bigger problems affecting the retail and residential environment of the East Side, Thayer, and Brown, like the ubiquitous and depressing graffiti. Where's the stopprovidencegraffiti.org website?

- Garris

[Cotuit]

All I know is that there are a lot of people who prefer B&N to Borders and Providence doesn't have a B&N yet.

[damus]

All I know is that there are a lot of people who prefer B&N to Borders and Providence doesn't have a B&N yet.

Turns out JWU's bookstore is run by Barnes & Noble...

http://www.jwu.edu/prov/stu_bk.htm

[DavidSegal]

this is from one of the organizers. they have put out some statements about needed improvements, but are going to make them more prominent.

As to information regarding the improvements needed on the Bookstore, you may have read it in one of our press pieces. Basically, we agree that the Bookstore needs improvement (longer hours, more seating, a greater selection of books, more books from academic presses, etc) - in this regard, we agree with the findings of the Bookstore Review Committee that the store needs an overhaul. We just don't agree with the model they have in mind to make those improvements. We don't want people to think that we're engaged in an "emotional," knee-jerk reaction against chains, but rather our case is based on an analysis of the pros and cons of a corporate model vs an independent model. As far as we're concerned, an independent model simply makes better financial and cultural sense (and our website is strong on those facts).

One of the interesting things we've learned as we've worked on this issue is that a number of the problems we associate with the current bookstore, such as a limited stock, are actually the result of restrictions imposed upon the bookstore by the University. The administration currently charges the Bookstore interest on their inventory, so the Bookstore has to keep the stock limited in order to minimize their expenses. Of course, to the uninitiated, it simply looks like the Bookstore has a pretty thin range of available titles. In fact, it's because they're not given the lee-way to hold more.

In short, we agree that changes need to be made, but a national vendor will create new and bigger problems than the self-operating model or independent outsourcing model will.

[Garris]

..."this is from one of the organizers. they have put out some statements about needed improvements, but are going to make them more prominent."

This would go a long way to making this a real debate, rather than what is, is my mind, virtually a no-brainer, and this is from a supporter of independent bookstores (I've purchased quite a bit at Books on the Square and Myopic Books, two Wayland Sq independent retailers).

Some interesting quotes from what you posted:

We don't want people to think that we're engaged in an "emotional," knee-jerk reaction against chains, but rather our case is based on an analysis of the pros and cons of a corporate model vs an independent model. As far as we're concerned, an independent model simply makes better financial and cultural sense (and our website is strong on those facts).

It certainly looks knee jerk to me (especially when said website says nothing of the recognition of improvements needed). Also, coming from someone in the sciences, I think it's a bit of a stretch to call what's on their website "facts." I'd say informed opinion (bordering on spin) is more accurate.

One of the interesting things we've learned as we've worked on this issue is that a number of the problems we associate with the current bookstore, such as a limited stock, are actually the result of restrictions imposed upon the bookstore by the University...

Which is perhaps another reason why Brown shouldn't be in the bookstore business as a primary venture but should outsource it to someone that knows what they are doing. From what I have read, one of the great trends in organizations over the last 20 years has been to de-diversify and get out of operations they don't know well, aren't that interested in, and are running inefficiently to focus on their core mission.

Brown is a great University, not a great bookstore company. Why should they essentially hire a full staff to learn the bookstore business and oversee operations when they can likely accomplish the same thing more cheaply and effectively by hiring another organization to do so? Brown doesn't have their own in-house architects, doesn't design their own computers, and doesn't run their own hospitals. Why should they run their own bookstore?

In short, we agree that changes need to be made, but a national vendor will create new and bigger problems than the self-operating model or independent outsourcing model will.

Again, I'm unclear what these new and bigger problems are. I asked a friend who was at Yale when the Co-op to Yale Bookstore transformation happened. She's super-liberal (marches in environmental protests, etc) but she says that many of the Co-op employees at Yale were hired to work at the new bookstore and were much happier there, mostly because they had better supervisors and the whole thing was much more efficiently run. She 100% supported the changeover and thought (as I did) that the preceeding Co-op was miserable by comparison.

I've read few "facts" thus far that overrule the opinion of someone like herself who was there for such a change.

Also, those "changes" that they acknowledge need to be made can only be made by one entity in the independent model: Brown. If they don't have the capability, knowledge, management, or resources to make them, what's the next best option?

- Garris

[Randall]

Okay, a couple of facts here:

The report recommending outsourcing repeatedly admits that the bookstore's current prices are low in comparison to stores at similar schools -- and they mention that B&N runs most of the comparable outsourced stores. It never claims that B&N is expected to maintain the store's current low prices. Here's the outsourcing report.

The report also describes the need for longer hours and a redesign, and suggests that all these things can be done (while maintaining the store's profitability) even without outsourcing--this has also been acknowledged more explicitly by the administration in some of its presentations ("We think we can afford it"). It's true the school hasn't emphasized this -- but it isn't a choice between B&N and not improving the bookstore at all.

For a couple suggested improvements, Garris, see this press release from the bookstore supporters. It's been on their website for over a week. But in any case, the school says they plan to make the same kinds of improvements whether they go through with outsourcing or not. We'll get a better-looking, smallish bookstore either way.

The current Brown administration does like outsourcing the bookstore, since they wouldn't have to be as concerned with what goes on there. But that doesn't mean we'll get whatever store is your personal ideal--it doesn't help to imagine a place that's big, designed according to B&N's plans, and still faithfully reflects what we care about. To get a store whose design and policies reflect what we care about, it may be better if the school has to be more involved in hiring and overseeing the consultants who redesign it.

As for economic impact: it's not just a matter of sales taxes, but whether what the store earns goes back into our local economy or goes out-of-town to headquarters. Any economic impact study is careful to explain this, you can find links to two of them here. And regardless of what anyone's ideology says, B&N does raise prices (especially with no competition on College Hill over the students who contribute much of the revenue).

[jencoleslaw]

disclaimer: i don't know anyone who works at Barnes and Noble and perhaps they have an amazing benefits package, but i used to work at Brown and I am pretty sure i'd rather be a brown employee rather than a B&N employee.

[Frankie811]

Hey, that's my favorite Thayer St restuarant. Temper, temper!

http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/medi...gepublisher.com

[Frankie811]

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsbl...r_bro.html#more

[Garris]

I was at the Brown Bookstore today and noticed that "Spats" restaurant on Angell next to the Thayer intersection is now open.

- Garris

[Garris]

One more update, this one from Wayland Square:

Coffee Edge: Work rapidly continues in the former Daily Bread storefront (I didn't believe I'd ever write those words). New paint and detailing is up on the facade and work continues inside.

Milan: According to the latest East Side Monthly (the one with the provocative headline on the cover "Casino Riverboats Proposed for India Point," the site of which must have provoked seizures in numerous neighborhood residents there) the "stylish men's clothing store from Barrington" called "Milan" is opening in the vacant Sara's Baby Boutique space.

Farmstead: In the same storefront row, Farmstead cheese is working on their expanded space which I think may also house a cafe and wine bar (?).

That's all!

- Garris