>> Providence East Neighborhoods

[jencoleslaw]

what left so farmstead could expand? not the candy store, i hope.

[Garris]

what left so farmstead could expand? not the candy store, i hope.

No, the candy store is still there (and still great). Caroline's Boutique (clothes for pregnant women?) closed several months ago. It's the space right next to farmstead.

- Garris

[Cotuit]

The "Cargo" store across from CVS closed.

[mr2448]

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

- Garris

Curious, do you mean reopened? Is there a new owner? Or is the second coming of Spats at this location?

Matrk

[bloodyrocker]

The "Cargo" store across from CVS closed.

wow. I saw that one coming.. though the place hung on for far longer than I thought they would.

[basachs]

With Cargo and OOP! gone, that north end of Thayer is very dead.

I walked Thayer last night to get some fudge and my wife and I really enjoyed the vibe going on in the street. lots of people, a good mix too. However, the street ends so abruptly and is so short. Makes me wish for at least three more blocks of shops....

[jencoleslaw]

With Cargo and OOP! gone, that north end of Thayer is very dead.

I walked Thayer last night to get some fudge and my wife and I really enjoyed the vibe going on in the street. lots of people, a good mix too. However, the street ends so abruptly and is so short. Makes me wish for at least three more blocks of shops....

Fudge, you say? Is that candy store boasting decent fudge?

speaking of fudge, does anyone remember incredible edibles? used to be on Thayer street (maybe where details is now?) and then moved to davol square when davol was a "shopping" destination. Man. that was the best fudge. I worked my way through college there and lived almost entirely on fudge and truffles.

those were the days.

And i'm not surprised that Cargo closed. the price point was a little high even for thayer street and i suspect the rent was very high.

[basachs]

Yes fudge. JJs I think the name is right?

They actually have decent fudge. We go there a lot to get it. About 10 varieties, they advertise it as homemade and it tastes like it. It not the best I have ever had, but it is very good and not outrageous pricewise. They run little specials too, like yesterday if you spent 10 dollars you get a free ice cream cone.

[Garris]

With Cargo and OOP! gone, that north end of Thayer is very dead.

I walked Thayer last night to get some fudge and my wife and I really enjoyed the vibe going on in the street. lots of people, a good mix too. However, the street ends so abruptly and is so short. Makes me wish for at least three more blocks of shops....

All true... The "Made in RI" shop taking over the OOP! space sounds promising, though, and with all the Brown students and families shopping there, it might have a shot...

I too wish the Thayer retail area was a few blocks longer. But in the almost inexplicable anti-retail climate of the East Side right now, I don't think it's happening in our lifetime.

- Garris

PS: Spats is, I think, resurrecting an old name for a new sports/pub-ish type of restaurant owned by the Paragon folks, if I recall correctly.

[brick]

All true... The "Made in RI" shop taking over the OOP! space sounds promising, though, and with all the Brown students and families shopping there, it might have a shot...

I too wish the Thayer retail area was a few blocks longer. But in the almost inexplicable anti-retail climate of the East Side right now, I don't think it's happening in our lifetime.

I thought they were against retaurants because they wanted more retail? this is very confusing to keep up with. Wait, that was services they wanted, right? hgmm.

Anyway I don't think you can really extend Thayer St. retail along thayer itself. Extending south would break up Brown's liner park and I think that would be a shame and anyway you'd have an empty block where the tower is because you can't deck over their mechanicals, etc.

Extending north would mean demolition of some historic houses. I mean, I guess that's not bad in an of itself, but I can't see doing it just to do it. I think it would be better if they went in the direction they are going which is to flesh out the roads between Brook and Thayer with more things.

[bikerdriver]

I just heard that Brown is launching a "house to own" program for its faculty.

Brown owns some old (some of them historical) houses in disrepair on College Hill.

They want to sell them to interested faculty at a discount, help them get a

loan for renovation, and in a few years buy them back at a discount when

those faculty move away.

That sounds like possibly a good way to improve the neighborhood, doesn't it?

All these big old houses that you pass on the street and that look like they

could be nice if they were taken good care of...

[Garris]

I just heard that Brown is launching a "house to own" program for its faculty... That sounds like possibly a good way to improve the neighborhood, doesn't it?

We actually discussed this a couple of weeks back (in the Brown vision of the future thread in the Prov economics area, I believe). It sounds fantastic, and is a great idea.

- Garris

[Garris]

Wayland Square's loss, North Providence's gain:

Pastry Goumet is moving from the cute historic retail area (built 1922) on Wayland Ave in Wayland Square and moving to Mineral Springs Ave in North Providence.

In happier Wayland Square news, the new Ronald Markoff law offices on Medway Street (the space formerly occupied by a "Power Yoga" studio for about 15 minutes) finally removed the graffiti from their building, which was previously one of the most tagged spaces on the East Side. My condo also painted over some graffiti this past weekend.

Wayland Square crime alert: Just a reminder that a city is a city is a city, we had a car in our condo parked in an outside space last week have a window shattered and whoever did it ransacked the car's glove box. I'm unsure if the radio/airbag was taken.

Be alert.

- Garris

[Garris]

Two more Wayland Square updates:

1) It looked like there was a core sampler out in the K.Gibbs parking lot yesterday. I wonder if demolition can't be far behind...

2) The new sign above the coming Milan clothing store is up...

3) The Robert Markoff law building continues to make great strides getting graffiti off their property. I'm going to pop in there and ask how they are doing it... Their building was hugely tagged and I can barely tell now that there was previously a mark there...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

Brown to keep its bookstore independent. The decision reverses a recommendation in March that the Thayer Street store be run by a national retailer. ProJo.com

[Garris]

Brown to keep its bookstore independent. The decision reverses a recommendation in March that the Thayer Street store be run by a national retailer. ProJo.com

Well, too bad... I hope we don't just get a cosmetic upgrade... You know, some new paint, new carpet, new signage, and maybe a 30 minute or 1 hr extension of hours.

The bookstore needs to be reimagined. It's one of the only entities on Thayer that takes up an entire block, and for too much of the day, it's a near invisible, empty hole...

This is the key part of the end of the article: "Public meetings about ways to improve the Brown Bookstore will be held Tuesday from 5 to 6 p.m. in room 001 in the Solomon building, and Wednesday noon to 1 p.m. in room 115 in the MacMillan building. Suggestions can be emailed to bookstorereview.brown.edu."

In all the celebration by some over this decision, I hope the commision remembers there's a substantial portion of the Brown community that feels it isn't being served by this move.

I'll certainly be there...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

I was on Thayer this afternoon, up the northern end of the business district and I was looking at the new science building and the B.O.B. The B.O.B. is a total dog, there's an upper (I assume hiding mechanicals portion) that is peeling paint. Peeling paint so bad, that I can see it from blocks away. And the building is just a grey blob. Up close it has absolutely no relation to the street. From a marketing stand point, the window displays, if you notice them in the shadowed recesses in which the windows sit, are horrid. There's out dated computer equipment in one window. A shapeless blob of random Brown gear in another...

The whole building is very high on my list of buildings that should be imploded. They should move the bookstore, blow up the B.(L)O.B., and start over.

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/ri/providence/content...7.17c76578.html

[brick]

http://www.projo.com/ri/providence/content...7.17c76578.html

It's really annoying that everytime something gets set up, people take advantage and ruin it for others.

I'm sure the original people who conceived of using that place as a dog park were considerate of the parks dept. concerns and attended to their dogs and cleaned up after them. Now people just assume "hey, a dog park I'll leave my dog there while I go walk Thayer St."

[Frankie811]

Er, ok!!!!

http://www.theskyscrapers.org/content3229.html

[DavidSegal]

I hear OOP is moving ito Ives St. (First floor of the triple-decker I'm in, right under my bedroom.)

Also, looks like we might be getting a dog park off of Gano St. -- about an acre of land between the basketball courts and the river.

[jencoleslaw]

I hear OOP is moving ito Ives St. (First floor of the triple-decker I'm in, right under my bedroom.)

Also, looks like we might be getting a dog park off of Gano St. -- about an acre of land between the basketball courts and the river.

where i wanted to plant the apple orchard?!!!

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/ri/providence/content...6.1296d497.html

[MichaelQ]

After an unsuccessful venture into Federal Hill to find an apartment (no parking...), I just moved into a place off Ives on Power St. Anyone know if there's a neighborhood association for that part of the East Side? I've been looking around and haven't come across one. Thanks.

[jencoleslaw]

After an unsuccessful venture into Federal Hill to find an apartment (no parking...), I just moved into a place off Ives on Power St. Anyone know if there's a neighborhood association for that part of the East Side? I've been looking around and haven't come across one. Thanks.

Fox Point Concerned Citizens represents that area, i think...and we have a new community garden right at the end of power, on the other side of Gano where you'll find a lot of community members so come down and say hi.