84 replies to this topic

[TheAnk]

Earthen Vessel was a godsend.. The few "replacements" are not up to par with EV.. I miss this more than anything.. I'd stop by there even when I didn't need stuff for units.. The couple that owned it were great, they were the genuine article.. Great for apartments, but also for retro stuff.. They had a few of those rachel ray stoves in there, not sure what they are called but I always wanted one..

[Dan]

jencoleslaw, on Nov 27 2007, 10:08 AM, said:

btw, if this isn't the most damning quote...

ha ha! Notice that no politician dared share in the credit for making this happen. They all wrote it off long ago, and now its "Hey, wow... thats GREAT for the NEIGHBORHOOD"

Quote

It was all many residents ever wanted to talk about, said state Sen. Maryellen Goodwin.
“No matter where we traveled in this neighborhood, the main question was what was going to happen with the Valueland property, and please can we have a market?” she said.

A Christmas miracle, a decade later.

Maybe we can get that green grocer to occupy one of the smaller stores. There's already a CVS less than a mile up the street anyway.

[runawayjim]

Dan, on Dec 2 2007, 12:09 PM, said:

Maybe we can get that green grocer to occupy one of the smaller stores. There's already a CVS less than a mile up the street anyway.

What CVS are you talking about? While the one on Admiral is less than a mile (barely), it's not exactly that close to the people around Valueland (on either side of Smith St.). I think a CVS/Walgreens/Rite Aid will be an excellent addition here.

[TheAnk]

I see that there is some activity @ the ALDI/Valueland site.. I wonder which goes up faster, this or Price-Rite.. Out of all the hoods I always thought Smith Hill was the most underutilized.. (Or least utilized..)

I know this is complete pie in the sky, but regarding the borderline unusable hill plats between The Promenade & Smith Hill upper core on Jewett Street and others.. There's this place in South Boston called Thomas Park where its very hilly, and the buildings on street level are 2-3 stories high, but are built down the hill for a total of 10 stories.. Its damn cool there.. It would be pretty pimped if built something like that on Smith Hill..

I am no architect, so my explanation stinks.. But if you click this link for google street view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...9828584301,,0,5
you can see the buildings.. Damn cool.. So each floor off the back has decks with great ocean views.. And the roofdeck has great city views.. Nice park out your front door.. Borderline Utopia there, except for the fact that SB leads the country in Marshall Rule Melees over parking spots..

[Cotuit]

Something screwy is going on with links, I've posted for help in the Moderator Forum.

[matt]

Serious demolition going on on Smith St about a block east of Valueland. Anyone know whats going on there? I'll try and take a photo tomorrow.

[TheAnk]

matt, on Mar 6 2008, 09:06 PM, said:

Serious demolition going on on Smith St about a block east of Valueland. Anyone know whats going on there? I'll try and take a photo tomorrow.

Next to Chopsticks, right? Yeah, noticed that.. Amazingly no outrage.. I guess no one cares about historic buildings in THAT hood.. No artists there on that part of Smith St Rt 44 apparently..

I think the Smith/Orm/Chalkstone convergence area is the most underutilized area in Providence.. Ripe for redevelopment.. So close to downtown, highway access but shielded from the noise due to the valley 95 runs through.. There are even BED AND BREAKFASTS there.. Yeah, shocking.. But there's too much rent controlled housing through the middle of it, and it lacks the retail necessary for a vibrant hood.. But its got boucoup potential.. I have a landlord mancrush on Smith Hill

I tinkered with idea of renovating the 3 story brick building @ Orms and Chalkstone, that houses the VA club? or some type of club like that when it was for sale 2 years ago.. But I couldn't make the numbers work... Nice little underutilized park there.. I thought, maybe I could pave the whole thing, kill all the green living things.. Maybe 4-5 parking spots??

[matt]

TheAnk, on Mar 6 2008, 10:26 PM, said:

Next to Chopsticks, right? Yeah, noticed that.. Amazingly no outrage.. I guess no one cares about historic buildings in THAT hood.. No artists there on that part of Smith St Rt 44 apparently..

Seriously, this one totally caught me by surprise. I'm outraged!

[Garris]

TheAnk, on Mar 6 2008, 10:26 PM, said:

I think the Smith/Orm/Chalkstone convergence area is the most underutilized area in Providence.. Ripe for redevelopment.. So close to downtown...

lacks the retail necessary for a vibrant hood.. But its got boucoup potential..

I couldn't agree with you more... Huge potential.

Just like the area farther on down Chalkstone, I could easily see this one day being one of the funkiest and coolest places in the city. The access, the bones, and the urbanism is all there, but it's currently just dead...

- Garris

[runawayjim]

matt, on Mar 6 2008, 10:38 PM, said:

Seriously, this one totally caught me by surprise. I'm outraged!

is it that brick building that's next do the smith hill tap?

[matt]

runawayjim, on Mar 7 2008, 07:07 AM, said:

is it that brick building that's next do the smith hill tap?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this building (thank you Google!). I'll try and snap a pic on my way into work today.

[FjmArch]

matt, on Mar 7 2008, 07:35 AM, said:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this building (thank you Google!). I'll try and snap a pic on my way into work today.

I don't know what that building is coming down for but I do know that an ALDI grocery store is planned for the value land property.

[matt]

I apologize for the quality of the pictures, but here are a couple shots of the demolition on Smith St.
I still don't know the story, but its the building just east of Little Chopsticks

[runawayjim]

FjmArch, on Mar 7 2008, 08:39 AM, said:

I don't know what that building is coming down for but I do know that an ALDI grocery store is planned for the value land property.

there was a former wholesale furniture place in there, but it's been boarded up for as long as i can remember (4 years, though it might've been open when i first moved here).

matt, is the little brick building next door coming down as well? i know that is one of those _______-american clubs (i don't remember which nationality, but i wanna say armenian).

[matt]

runawayjim, on Mar 7 2008, 08:49 AM, said:

matt, is the little brick building next door coming down as well? i know that is one of those _______-american clubs (i don't remember which nationality, but i wanna say armenian).

No that appears to be uninvolved with this project.

[TheAnk]

Garris,
How far down Chalkstone and which way?

Look at that gorgeous smokestack.. That has to be historical, right? How come no protestors tossing red paint on the workers symbolic of the blood sweat and tears put into building this terra cotta beauty?

The inconsistency with these things is kind of tough to get my arms around..

http://providence.ia...php?id=11077273

Turno' the century.. Solidly constructed.. Seems worth saving, no?

[runawayjim]

TheAnk, on Mar 7 2008, 01:50 PM, said:

Garris,
How far down Chalkstone and which way?

while i can't answer for him, i imagine he's talking west down chalkstone until about academy ave or mount pleasant ave. it's quite the melting pot of cultures down there with all sorts of restaurants and shops.

[TheAnk]

runawayjim, on Mar 7 2008, 01:54 PM, said:

while i can't answer for him, i imagine he's talking west down chalkstone until about academy ave or mount pleasant ave. it's quite the melting pot of cultures down there with all sorts of restaurants and shops.

I reccomend trying the Bolivian joint there.. Good stuff.. I think I got the Boliv-equiv of southern fried steak.. Comes with an egg on top, maybe some salsa.. Delicious..

On my list to do are that thai place and the self proclaimed "king of pupusas", el salvadorian place.. That type of brashness guarantees at least one patronage from TheAnk.. Plus, am I the only one who feels good and filthy eating pupusa?

[runawayjim]

TheAnk, on Mar 7 2008, 02:07 PM, said:

I reccomend trying the Bolivian joint there.. Good stuff.. I think I got the Boliv-equiv of southern fried steak.. Comes with an egg on top, maybe some salsa.. Delicious..

On my list to do are that thai place and the self proclaimed "king of pupusas", el salvadorian place.. That type of brashness guarantees at least one patronage from TheAnk.. Plus, am I the only one who feels good and filthy eating pupusa?

what's teh bolivian place called?

the thai place is awesome, it's called thai star. i love it and they're super fast (i get take out from there a lot and they tell me it'll be ready in like 10 min, i barely have enough time to get there). what's a pupusa?

[TheAnk]

I think its called "Bolivian Restaurant".. A pupusa is a gordita.. I guess its a puffy taco of sorts..

Cotuit, your frustration with me is equal to my frustration with the state of things.. Both rightfully so... I'll tone down my hippie angst for you..