876 replies to this topic

[Cotuit]

Nyuszi, on Mar 1 2005, 05:40 PM, said:

They're the kind that have a "Town Center" that's just chain stores and restaurants plus office space and all housing is in developments that only differ by which shade of beige they paint the exterior.  See http://www.restontow...r.com/home.html

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Funny yet   scary description.

[Garris]

Nyuszi, on Mar 1 2005, 04:40 PM, said:

Oh no!  The only places I have ever seen Chicos are in horrible little ticky-tacky planned cities in Virginia near Dulles.  They're the kind that have a "Town Center" that's just chain stores and restaurants plus office space and all housing is in developments that only differ by which shade of beige they paint the exterior.  See http://www.restontow...r.com/home.html

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Not encouraging...  We'll see how it works here in Wayland Sq.  The guy who owns all the commerical property here I think would love to turn this area into a Reston Town Center (or a Garden City, to use a local analogy).

- Garris

[Cotuit]

D'Angelos next to Starbucks closed and is being replaced by an ice cream store. I much prefer ice cream!  

[BBascule]

Garris, on Mar 1 2005, 08:13 PM, said:

Not encouraging... We'll see how it works here in Wayland Sq. The guy who owns all the commerical property here I think would love to turn this area into a Reston Town Center (or a Garden City, to use a local analogy).

- Garris

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There isn't really a good Rhode Island analogy to Reston Town Center. Garden City would be a good one if this were 1940. But now it sits comfortably within the infrastructure of urban Providence, and isn't an added strain on resources or utilities. You'd have to imagine a new Garden City somewhere in the middle of South County.

This is especially true of Wayland Square. But in terms of a 'loss of identity' or 'sense of place,' it's always sad to see an area lose the shops that make it unique.

[foxpointer]

Cotuit, on Mar 16 2005, 08:51 AM, said:

D'Angelos next to Starbucks closed and is being replaced by an ice cream store. I much prefer ice cream! 

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Don't fret, Cotuit, a Subway is opening in the space formerly occupied for several decades by Harvey LTD.

[CtownMikey]

:) I want VonDutch and French Connection in Prov

[Garris]

Cotuit, on Mar 16 2005, 08:51 AM, said:

D'Angelos next to Starbucks closed and is being replaced by an ice cream store. I much prefer ice cream! 

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I think it's Cold Stone Creamery, which is yet another chain for Thayer Street.  There was a Cold Stone Creamery in the bland Minnesota city I lived in previously, and it wasn't bad.  I still prefer Ben and Jerry's and, even more, Maximillion's, which is amongst the best I've ever had.  

- Garris

[Cotuit]

foxpointer, on Mar 16 2005, 02:33 PM, said:

Don't fret, Cotuit, a Subway is opening in the space formerly occupied for several decades by Harvey LTD.

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How many Subways per square mile can Providence support? They're getting to be like Dunkin Donuts.

[Soren]

foxpointer, on Mar 16 2005, 03:33 PM, said:

Don't fret, Cotuit, a Subway is opening in the space formerly occupied for several decades by Harvey LTD.

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That is just unbelievably depressing. What a bad trade.

[Cotuit]

Smoothie King?

They have cardboard up over the windows. Closing? Renovating? Anyone care seeing as smoothies are sooo 1996?


There's a new mediterranean place where the Pizza Grill was for two minutes next to Ben & Jerry's. I almost went in for lunch, but opted for Spikes instead.

[Liamlunchtray]

Cotuit, on Mar 17 2005, 01:09 PM, said:

Smoothie King?

They have cardboard up over the windows. Closing? Renovating? Anyone care seeing as smoothies are sooo 1996?
There's a new mediterranean place where the Pizza Grill was for two minutes next to Ben & Jerry's. I almost went in for lunch, but opted for Spikes instead.

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I really loved to see them destroy that space for no real reason and then go under so quickly.    

Liam

[Garris]

Cotuit, on Mar 17 2005, 12:09 PM, said:

Smoothie King?

They have cardboard up over the windows. Closing? Renovating? Anyone care seeing as smoothies are sooo 1996?
There's a new mediterranean place where the Pizza Grill was for two minutes next to Ben & Jerry's. I almost went in for lunch, but opted for Spikes instead.

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Yeah, Pizza Grill was there and gone in the time it took to down a slice.  Also new down that street is a Princeton Review storefront, which is probably a great fit for the area near Brown.  They did a great job restoring that house's facade and they have an upscale, classy-looking sign.  

I'll actually miss Smoothie King if they are indeed gone.  Smoothies may be so 90's, but I really enjoy them.  I could have sworn a sign there previously said they were going to be under new management.  Who knows...

This interesting tidbit was in East Side Monthly:
"...The College Hill Neighborhood Association remains concerned about the unabated proliferation of liquor licenses along Thayer Street. Our fear is that increasingly the area will become all clubs, restaurants and bars. The latest application is for the new Shanghai Restaurant that will be opening in the second floor space above Berk's Shoes. The Board voted to oppose the application. If unsuccessful, we at least hope to insure that liquor cannot be served after midnight, will be limited to beer and wine and is non-transferable."

Also from East Side Monthly was news about the new Thayer Restaurant:
"Some Changes for Thayer Street
There are two new openings on Thayer Street... with a couple more on the way we're told. The space left by the Gap has quickly been filled. City Sports will be opening this month for the athletic (in appearance or deed) among you. Also opening is a new restaurant/bar called Laluna. Occupying the space where Max's used to be (now how RI does that sound?), the new addition will offer American cuisine, a martini bar and special champagnes and will cater to the student and young professional market. And for you who are under twenty-one, it should be noted that the owner, Simon Sarkison, is also a Providence policeman. Consider yourself warned. "

- Garris

[Cotuit]

Garris, on Mar 17 2005, 01:36 PM, said:

Also new down that street is a Princeton Review storefront, which is probably a great fit for the area near Brown.  They did a great job restoring that house's facade and they have an upscale, classy-looking sign.

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That used to be a pretty good used bookstore.    

Garris, on Mar 17 2005, 01:36 PM, said:

This interesting tidbit was in East Side Monthly:
"...The College Hill Neighborhood Association remains concerned about the unabated proliferation of liquor licenses along Thayer Street. Our fear is that increasingly the area will become all clubs, restaurants and bars. The latest application is for the new Shanghai Restaurant that will be opening in the second floor space above Berk's Shoes. The Board voted to oppose the application. If unsuccessful, we at least hope to insure that liquor cannot be served after midnight, will be limited to beer and wine and is non-transferable."

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I heard they got it, but if they even sneeze, it gets yanked, and it is non-transferable.

[kinematix]

I heard that smoothie king is just closed for the winter... Also I tried laluna the other night for dinner- save your money. It's trying to get in on the Paragon/Kartabar crowd but the food just doesn't stack up. That said I'd still like to see it do well- all they need is some minor improvements made to the menu.

[Liamlunchtray]

kinematix, on Mar 17 2005, 02:06 PM, said:

I heard that smoothie king is just closed for the winter...

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There used to be a sign saying that they were closed for the season, but then that came down and they covered all the windows with cardboard. Nothing would please me more than to see them go under.

Liam
(being petty)

[Cotuit]

Liamlunchtray, on Mar 17 2005, 03:20 PM, said:

There used to be a sign saying that they were closed for the season, but then that came down and they covered all the windows with cardboard. Nothing would please me more than to see them go under.

Liam
(being petty)

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What's your beef with them, just miffed about how they treat the building (which is beef enough, for sure)?

[kinematix]

I'd be happy to see them go too. Mainly because of what they did to that building but also 'cause I don't like smoothies. Still don't love what subway is doing to the old Harvey LTD building either but at least they aren't changing it too much.. hopefully they won't put an awning or something out front which would cheapen the structure even more. A carved wooden sign would have been nicer than the illuminated one they stuck up there...

[Garris]

kinematix, on Mar 17 2005, 02:36 PM, said:

A carved wooden sign would have been nicer than the illuminated one they stuck up there...

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Agreed...  The current sign doesn't look that good...

I'll defend Smoothie King for a minute, and not just because I like smoothies...  First, I don't know what the previous building looked like, so I can't comment on that.  Smoothie King, though, was on a critical and highly trafficed intersection (Thayer and Angell) and was always brightly lit, highly trafficed during the summer, and was open late.  Driving by, I always found it's warm glow (and thus Thayer St) to be inviting me to stop off and walk around at all hours.  I don't think a lunchtime place that closes at 8, for example, would be nearly as dynamic in that critical spot.  Tealuxe is also on that intersection but closes so early that it doesn't have much drawing power.

- Garris

Edited by Garris, 17 March 2005 - 03:11 PM.

[Cotuit]

Garris, on Mar 17 2005, 04:10 PM, said:

Tealuxe is also on that intersection but closes so early that it doesn't have much drawing power.

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Tealuxe is also not open in the morning when I'm heading into work. WTF!? Sometimes, when I'm being super lazy, I'll ride the trolley up to Thayer so I can walk down the hill instead of walking up it from South Main. On those days I'd be all over going to Tealuxe for an iced chai, but they aren't open, this is at 815-830am.

So I usually go to The Pain.

[Garris]

Cotuit, on Mar 17 2005, 03:16 PM, said:

Tealuxe is also not open in the morning when I'm heading into work. WTF!?
[snip]
So I usually go to The Pain.

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And the Pain is expensive...  I don't get Tealuxe.  I remember once my girlfriend and I went in there at like 9:50 PM one Saturday night, and they said, "Oh, sorry, we're closing."  We were like, "What?  We're just heading out!!"  

In most urban areas, especially college oriented ones, the night doesn't start until 10 PM.  In Minneapolis or NYC, the restaurant's "dinner hours" were 8-11 PM.  Not in Providence...  See my "Off Topic" post about this...  

It's kind of frustrating...

- Garris