>> Providence East Neighborhoods

[AriPVD]

It's Paolino. What do you expect?

[Garris]

It's Paolino.

[Cotuit]

I was driving by this area today (the @ease cafe was packed) and thought I noticed a new looking door in that below street area Cotuit was mentioning above with a "for lease" sign in it.  Did this indeed become new retail space as we suspected?  If so, they didn't do much detailing.  Just a wall and a door...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That space isn't done yet, they've put in a new wall, but the area below sidewalk level isn't completed yet, just bare earth.

What time were you there when @ease was packed? I was there the other day around lunch time and it looked pretty slow, of course it was the first day of Brown students moving in, so all the customers weren't here yet.

[Garris]

The Wayland Square bloodbath continues... Bigs sales now at East Side Framing (which is a good store), which is closing soon...

That's three closures in less than 2 months! What's going on here??

- Garris

[Garris]

Minor updates:

After a looong period of time, the restaurant Tokyo on Wickenden now has a new sign to replace its fractured and half-missing old one. Also, the new fascade on the building housing Sakura looks to nearing completion and looks nice, fitting perfectly into the streetscape.

- Garris

[Garris]

Minor updates:

After a looong period of time, the restaurant Tokyo on Wickenden now has a new sign to replace its fractured and half-missing old one. Also, the new fascade on the building housing Sakura looks to nearing completion and looks nice, fitting perfectly into the streetscape.

- Garris

[Liamlunchtray]

Minor updates:

Also, the new fascade on the building housing Sakura looks to nearing completion and looks nice, fitting perfectly into the streetscape.

- Garris

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I'm having a hard time with this one - It looks like the new facade is fake Shoji screens made partially out of hollow core doors, and it's all attached to a very old colonial building. Im not feeling it.

Liam

[kinematix]

Sakura is apparently taking over their neighbor for expansion as well. The place that's leaving is Ice Cream/Del's Lemonade joint. Don't know when they'll be closing but I hope to get down there for another cone if we get another warm day

[Cotuit]

The place that's leaving is Ice Cream/Del's Lemonade joint.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[mr2448]

The Wayland Square bloodbath continues...  Bigs sales now at East Side Framing (which is a good store), which is closing soon...

That's three closures in less than 2 months!  What's going on here??

- Garris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wayland Square has always had business turn over. In fact you would be hard presses to identify many businesses that were there 25 years ago. At one time the Wayland Square businesses would advertise as a cooperative for Thursday night shopping. Businesses weren't always open every evening. They would be open until 9 PM and this would give shoppers a chance to shop after work. I can remember taking the 41 Elmgrove bus with my mom on these Thursday evening adventures. We would get on at the Savoy turn around and meet friends who also took the bus there. Newport Creamery, food shopping at Weybosset Pure Food Markets and then clothing at the many retail store available. Oh yeah, Wayland Bakery was also open that night for a dessert purchase. Different time and place.

Providence has always moved slowly and unfortunately Wayland Square never attempted to keep up with the suburban shoppers. I mean, noone and I mean noone, ever thought the property where Starbucks now stands would ever be developed. Starbucks is the first structure EVER on that property. I am 57 and my grandfather remembered that property always being vacant.

Mark

[Garris]

Wow, thank you for the more longitudinal perspective. Some comments...

At one time the Wayland Square businesses would advertise as a cooperative for Thursday night shopping. Businesses weren't always open every evening. They would be open until 9 PM and this would give shoppers a chance to shop after work.

You know, they still aren't open... It frustrates me coming home that such things as Daily Bread, Wayland Bakery, Runcible Spoon, etc aren't open when I get home. Thankfully, things are improving, as CVS, the wine/beer store, Books on the Square, Starbucks, and the Laundry Club are all open to 9 or later, not including the restaurants.

Providence has always moved slowly and unfortunately Wayland Square never attempted to keep up with the suburban shoppers.

As someone who knows this area over a far longer period than I, any theories as to why this is?

I mean, noone and I mean noone, ever thought the property where Starbucks now stands would ever be developed. Starbucks is the first structure EVER on that property. I am 57 and my grandfather remembered that property always being vacant.

Interesting... I got a bit different history from my neighbors who are long timers. They said that an old (and decrepit) Victorian was there and was knocked down, with that lot being vacant for a while. They said that the neighborhood really fought tooth and nail (and they should know, some of them were apparently the ones who did) to prevent the Starbucks from opening, that it was "the beginning of the end" (I had to keep a straight face when I heard that one).

Kind of like a mini-Hartford, I heard that before Wayland Sq was a retail area, back in the 40's and 50's it was actually a big insurance business area, with the largest remnant of that now being the United Way building (which they are soon to leave for South Providence), which belonged to an insurance company before.

Here was a historical photo of Wayland Square I found from 1934 online in the PPL archive... This is where the Haruki's/Fred's/Farmstead retail intersection is now, attached to the buildings pictured in the photo, spanning and connecting them...

- Garris

[Garris]

I'm having a hard time with this one - It looks like the new facade is fake Shoji screens made partially out of hollow core doors, and it's all attached to a very old colonial building. Im not feeling it.

Liam

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, you're right... I guess what worked for me is that the face of the building is closer to the street than the old one, which was set back a bit, and the design is somewhat funky, which fits into the street's off-beat character...

There was an artist's studio located in that space above Sakura. Does anyone know if he's moving to another site?

- Garris

[Liamlunchtray]

No, you're right...  I guess what worked for me is that the face of the building is closer to the street than the old one, which was set back a bit, and the design is somewhat funky, which fits into the street's off-beat character...

There was an artist's studio located in that space above Sakura.  Does anyone know if he's moving to another site?

- Garris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not real big into full on colonial architecture, but I always felt kind of bad that the Sakura building had been so beotchized over the years. From the looks of it, it seems to be much older than most of the other buildings around it. I was kind of agast when I saw the pieces of what appear to be doors from Home Depot being incorporated into the new facade. Im hoping it will look better when its completed, but right now it looks like we have a stellar entry for the "Remuddling" feature in the back of Old House Journal.

Liam

[mr2448]

Interesting... I got a bit different history from my neighbors who are long timers. They said that an old (and decrepit) Victorian was there and was knocked down, with that lot being vacant for a while. They said that the neighborhood really fought tooth and nail (and they should know, some of them were apparently the ones who did) to prevent the Starbucks from opening, that it was "the beginning of the end" (I had to keep a straight face when I heard that one).

Kind of like a mini-Hartford, I heard that before Wayland Sq was a retail area, back in the 40's and 50's it was actually a big insurance business area, with the largest remnant of that now being the United Way building (which they are soon to leave for South Providence), which belonged to an insurance company before.

I don't know what they mean by "vacant for a while"? And since I can remember riding a bike on the path that went through that property back in the early 50's, when I was 5 or 6, I guess I will have to redefine " awhile".

Many of the Doctor's offices in the Wayland Square area were formerly insurance offices, but they were mixed with the retail that was always in that area.

Mark

[Garris]

The new Providence Monthly reports that Farmstead, the cheese shop at Wayland Square, is expanding (yeah!!). I wonder if this explains some of the recent closings of other businesses in its retail building.

- Garris

[Garris]

Update:

Driving by two places today, it appears the new retail location down in the @ease building on Waterman near Thayer is a youth oriented clothing store.

The former Synergy "power yoga" studio space in Wayland Square now has a sign sort of stuck in the ground outside it with some nice graphics saying, "Right @ Home: Flooring, cabinets," and something else I can't remember along with a phone number. I don't know if that's what that space is becoming, or if that's a company working on gutting the interior. Either way, work continues in that space. I think a home improvement company would be a good use for that building, as none of the two or three previous businesses in that space have lasted all that long...

In the really minor update aspect: The Laundry Club in Wayland Sq, a highly useful (a dry cleaners and laundrimat open to fairly late hours) if somewhat unattractive neighborhood staple, has just thrown some landscaping out in front of its parking (some nice, colorful flowers with mulch). It's not much, but any effort in this regard deserves to be applauded...

I also take back my scathing rant against Providence regarding the work being done under the sidewalk across from the Laundry Club. I rightly complained about the miserable condition of the replacement sidewalk there they poured, but they just recently upgraded that replacement to a full blown, "real" sidewalk segment. Good work!

- Garris

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20...3.1847800b.html

[Garris]

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20...3.1847800b.html

Brown should absolutely give the bookstore over to B&N. Yale's bookstore, 10 years ago, was run down, inefficient, expensive, and unattractive. The new Yale bookstore, run by B&N, is dripping with Yale flavor, from the architecture to the tapestries on the walls. It's beautiful. The prices are better overall, and the selection is wonderful.

Brown's bookstore now is exactly where Yale's was 10 years ago. It's a fairly unattractive building that feels neglected, especially inside. The organization and displays there feel almost random, and you almost always have to find someone who knows the store to track something down. The hours are very limited as well.

Brown would do well to give the bookstore owner to a company that knows how to operate such things far better than Brown itself. If they choose not to do that, then they at least have to get serious about improving the place.

- Garris

[Frankie811]

Brown should absolutely give the bookstore over to B&N. Yale's bookstore, 10 years ago, was run down, inefficient, expensive, and unattractive. The new Yale bookstore, run by B&N, is dripping with Yale flavor, from the architecture to the tapestries on the walls. It's beautiful. The prices are better overall, and the selection is wonderful.

Brown's bookstore now is exactly where Yale's was 10 years ago. It's a fairly unattractive building that feels neglected, especially inside. The organization and displays there feel almost random, and you almost always have to find someone who knows the store to track something down. The hours are very limited as well.

Brown would do well to give the bookstore owner to a company that knows how to operate such things far better than Brown itself. If they choose not to do that, then they at least have to get serious about improving the place.

- Garris

I was hoping for a B&N in the GTECH building. I believe one was planned for the previous project over at parcel 2, where GTECH is going up. Or was is at the old train station on Exchange Terrance.

[Frankie811]

http://riroads.com/archive/thayerstreet.htm

http://www.avoncinema.com/

[Frankie811]

http://home.flash.net/~ral1/starbucks/bigimages/DSCN6488.htm

[Frankie811]

http://www.kartabar.com/html/k.htm

[Frankie811]

From East Side Monthly

Thayer Street Issues

It was noted that Thayer Street is soliciting quotes to expand its sidewalks and bury its utilities. Brown has repeatedly said it would like CHNA input into that process, but to date no one has contacted the Board designees as to the process. We're more than willing to help.

In other issues, CHNA filed a formal letter of protest to the possible conversion of the old Wings to Go space on Thayer Street into a dancing area. LaLuna, the restaurant above the space, is currently looking to expand into the space. Zoning prohibits dancing on Thayer Street and CHNA would like to see this ordinance enforced. Our position remains that Thayer Street is in the middle of a residential area and to allow people to drive through the neighborhood at 2am, often on roaring motorcycle undermines the residential character of our community.

We were particularly upset to learn that LaLuna, Liquid Lounge, and others are actively soliciting students with offers of free drinks and dancing. Offers of free drinks are specifically prohibited by City ordinance. The CHNA is frustrated as we watch Thayer Street deteriorate into a late night hang-out for motorcycles and bar-hopping. This is our neighborhood too and some balance must be found along Thayer Street that's fair to students, businesses AND residents.

[Cotuit]

Brown should absolutely give the bookstore over to B&N.

It's funny to come back after a week and a half and read all that time's worth of posts at once, some people have very conflicted views on chains.

But I hear ya on this one. The Brown Bookstore is a great asset for the city as a whole, but it's far from living up to it's potential. I've never been to Yale's B&N but BU's B&N in Kenmore Square is great. I'd love to see somehing like Harvard's Coop (particularly the Longwood one), but Harvard has a much larger operation than Brown.

Has anyone ever been to the Brown Bookstore website? Has anyone ever been to it twice?

With Brown buying to Old Stone Bank Building, now might be time to move the offices out of the B.O.B (Brown Office Building, which the bookstore is in) and renovate that building, expanding the bookstore. They could grab Starbucks from down the street and put it in the gound floor along with more loungy areas, a Wi-Fi spot, and the gift store items, moving up through the building for books, music, housewares, technology stuff... It could really be awesome, and I think Brown needs someone to come in and take it over, the University has more pressing concerns.

We were particularly upset to learn that LaLuna, Liquid Lounge, and others are actively soliciting students with offers of free drinks and dancing. Offers of free drinks are specifically prohibited by City ordinance.

Expect a crackdown on this soon.

[Liamlunchtray]

Zoning prohibits dancing on Thayer Street and CHNA would like to see this ordinance enforced.

It's just like Footloose!!