Federal Hill Restaurant/Retail

[Cotuit]

I've been throwing things off topic so I'll let Centre de NE refocus itself.

Of course, but...

O Square?! For the hip and fresh new Broadway crowd that's the wild west - way down there on the other side of the highway. I think many would rather zip down to Lowe's than venture over and beyond the Route 10 bridge.

Federal Hill needs retail! I think a hardware store would be a wicked big hit on the hill or somewhere in the Armory neighborhood.

[runawayjim]

Then there's those of us who live on Atwells and think the Armory might as be Connecticut. I swear I walked to Nicks and thought maybe I should have brought my passport along.

[Garris]

Federal Hill needs retail! I think a hardware store would be a wicked big hit on the hill or somewhere in the Armory neighborhood.

[Cotuit]

Hehe... Let's just keep things simple for those people who aren't big travellers and just put one hardware store in each neighborhood...

[Frankie811]

Joseph

[basachs]

Where is my fish market - Atwells and Dean?!

-D

[ruchele]

Cotuit: Maybe the "grocery store" portion of this thread can be moved to the official "grocery store" thread for clarity. Thanks.

Not going to happen....

[misterchlo]

Not going to happen....

[runawayjim]

i could've called this one by now. that fish market sign has been hangin on my one nail flappin in the breeze for many many months now...

i never really felt like the fish market would work there anyway. somethin like fish needs to move quick and i never pictured enough fish sellin on atwells on a day to day. but i guess this as strayed pretty off topic from ALCO

[ruchele]

if 3 italian markets can last (2 which are across the street from each other), then i think a fish market (something the city lacks) will do just fine. i know i'd be buying fish there regularly if it happened.

[misterchlo]

the sign has been completely gone for a few weeks now. but i disagree with you on the market working. if 3 italian markets can last (2 which are across the street from each other), then i think a fish market (something the city lacks) will do just fine. i know i'd be buying fish there regularly if it happened.

[runawayjim]

this is where i disagree. while atwells is thriving with people on the weekends, most of whom come from outside the city, it also thrives during the week with people all over. surely, it isn't always filled with people who don't live in the area. also, if there was a good fish market, do you not think people from outside the city would shop there? they shop in venda, roma, and tony's for italian stuff, why not shop at a fish market for good fish?

i don't know where you live on the hill, but i live about a block from atwells right near where the fish market was supposed to go. it gets a ton of foot traffic at all times of the day from tourists and residents alike. i doubt it would fail if it actually went in.

atwells is also becoming more than just italian. the newer restaurants - mumu, 242, etc. - aren't even italian (though you can get italian at 242 if you so choose). even siena isn't strictly italian. there's also the oyster bar and don jose's that have been there a while that do great business while not being italian. i think of atwells more of a restaurant mecca now rather than the strictly italian mecca that it used to be, but it's even more than just that... the shops do great business as well with people buying stuff to take home with them to the suburbs. i think it would thrive, especially if we got more markets like that on atwells with other various food items.

[basachs]

this is where i disagree. while atwells is thriving with people on the weekends, most of whom come from outside the city, it also thrives during the week with people all over. surely, it isn't always filled with people who don't live in the area. also, if there was a good fish market, do you not think people from outside the city would shop there? they shop in venda, roma, and tony's for italian stuff, why not shop at a fish market for good fish?

i don't know where you live on the hill, but i live about a block from atwells right near where the fish market was supposed to go. it gets a ton of foot traffic at all times of the day from tourists and residents alike. i doubt it would fail if it actually went in.

atwells is also becoming more than just italian. the newer restaurants - mumu, 242, etc. - aren't even italian (though you can get italian at 242 if you so choose). even siena isn't strictly italian. there's also the oyster bar and don jose's that have been there a while that do great business while not being italian. i think of atwells more of a restaurant mecca now rather than the strictly italian mecca that it used to be, but it's even more than just that... the shops do great business as well with people buying stuff to take home with them to the suburbs. i think it would thrive, especially if we got more markets like that on atwells with other various food items.

[misterchlo]

this is where i disagree. while atwells is thriving with people on the weekends, most of whom come from outside the city, it also thrives during the week with people all over. surely, it isn't always filled with people who don't live in the area. also, if there was a good fish market, do you not think people from outside the city would shop there? they shop in venda, roma, and tony's for italian stuff, why not shop at a fish market for good fish?

i don't know where you live on the hill, but i live about a block from atwells right near where the fish market was supposed to go. it gets a ton of foot traffic at all times of the day from tourists and residents alike. i doubt it would fail if it actually went in.

atwells is also becoming more than just italian. the newer restaurants - mumu, 242, etc. - aren't even italian (though you can get italian at 242 if you so choose). even siena isn't strictly italian. there's also the oyster bar and don jose's that have been there a while that do great business while not being italian. i think of atwells more of a restaurant mecca now rather than the strictly italian mecca that it used to be, but it's even more than just that... the shops do great business as well with people buying stuff to take home with them to the suburbs. i think it would thrive, especially if we got more markets like that on atwells with other various food items.

[runawayjim]

i'm not sure a fish market would succeed at this point in time on the water. there's very little spaces on the waterfront in providence that attract a lot of people. that's part of the reason why federal hill would have been a good place.

as for the fish market, very little work was done on it. i heard through the grapevine that the guy who planned on opening it was an actual fisherman with little business experience. summer came and he had to fish to make a living. the market would have served everyone in the neighborhood as well as the people who work in the area. again, it's always busy and i know people who work in the city do shop here and bring stuff home, especially if they can't get it in their own town. So they might stop by the hill and pick up stuff at one of the italian markets or, if the fish market existed, fresh fish (which you can't really get at any supermarkets... at least not the quality that a fish market would have).

mumu may not be busy, but it's doing just fine from what i can tell. the food is excellent and i would strongly recommend it. another i left out is bombay club. 242 also doesn't really have an italian influence. and the korean/sushi place i heard is not that good (my fiancee went there and said that all their sushi is pre-made ahead of time and sits there until someone buys it).

so while federal hill is known as an italian destination, it's more than that. and that's just the tourists. there are a lot of people who live around atwells and would shop there regularly. if the prices were a bit better, i'd regularly shop at the italian markets for most things. the way it stands now, i'll probably be doing that in combination with the convenience stores and walgreens once that opens to do the majority of my grocery shopping. the only thing really missing is produce.

[basachs]

i'm not sure a fish market would succeed at this point in time on the water. there's very little spaces on the waterfront in providence that attract a lot of people. that's part of the reason why federal hill would have been a good place.

as for the fish market, very little work was done on it. i heard through the grapevine that the guy who planned on opening it was an actual fisherman with little business experience. summer came and he had to fish to make a living. the market would have served everyone in the neighborhood as well as the people who work in the area. again, it's always busy and i know people who work in the city do shop here and bring stuff home, especially if they can't get it in their own town. So they might stop by the hill and pick up stuff at one of the italian markets or, if the fish market existed, fresh fish (which you can't really get at any supermarkets... at least not the quality that a fish market would have).

mumu may not be busy, but it's doing just fine from what i can tell. the food is excellent and i would strongly recommend it. another i left out is bombay club. 242 also doesn't really have an italian influence. and the korean/sushi place i heard is not that good (my fiancee went there and said that all their sushi is pre-made ahead of time and sits there until someone buys it).

so while federal hill is known as an italian destination, it's more than that. and that's just the tourists. there are a lot of people who live around atwells and would shop there regularly. if the prices were a bit better, i'd regularly shop at the italian markets for most things. the way it stands now, i'll probably be doing that in combination with the convenience stores and walgreens once that opens to do the majority of my grocery shopping. the only thing really missing is produce.

[runawayjim]

Tina's is there too...I do agree that it is still predominately italian. But it is funny that if you want some good Indian or Jamaican, you need to go to the italian district.

[basachs]

i knew i'd forget another... don't forget good chinese and good mexican as well.

[runawayjim]

Chinese I cant speak to, I have never been to MuMu...but Don Jose's strikes me as rather americanized. Chilangos my man, Chilangos.

[misterchlo]

i'm not sure a fish market would succeed at this point in time on the water. there's very little spaces on the waterfront in providence that attract a lot of people. that's part of the reason why federal hill would have been a good place.

as for the fish market, very little work was done on it. i heard through the grapevine that the guy who planned on opening it was an actual fisherman with little business experience. summer came and he had to fish to make a living. the market would have served everyone in the neighborhood as well as the people who work in the area. again, it's always busy and i know people who work in the city do shop here and bring stuff home, especially if they can't get it in their own town. So they might stop by the hill and pick up stuff at one of the italian markets or, if the fish market existed, fresh fish (which you can't really get at any supermarkets... at least not the quality that a fish market would have).

mumu may not be busy, but it's doing just fine from what i can tell. the food is excellent and i would strongly recommend it. another i left out is bombay club. 242 also doesn't really have an italian influence. and the korean/sushi place i heard is not that good (my fiancee went there and said that all their sushi is pre-made ahead of time and sits there until someone buys it).

so while federal hill is known as an italian destination, it's more than that. and that's just the tourists. there are a lot of people who live around atwells and would shop there regularly. if the prices were a bit better, i'd regularly shop at the italian markets for most things. the way it stands now, i'll probably be doing that in combination with the convenience stores and walgreens once that opens to do the majority of my grocery shopping. the only thing really missing is produce.

[Cotuit]

Some Atwells updates:

The spot that was Dina's next to MuMu now has "Forbidden City Tea House" written on the awning. Work continues inside, I'd venture to guess that it is an offshoot of MuMu itself.

The spot that used to be Sikar/Federal Hill Pizza (next to Atwells Mini Mart) is undergoing some serious interior renovation. Owners say simply "Restaurant" no word on what genre of restaurant it will be or when it will open.

Bradford Variety is being renovated. Bradford Variety has opened and closed more times than I can count at this point. With Atwells Mini Mart, Prov-Mart, and soon Walgreens, I would personally *not* try another convenience store at this location.

[runawayjim]

Some Atwells updates:

The spot that was Dina's next to MuMu now has "Forbidden City Tea House" written on the awning. Work continues inside, I'd venture to guess that it is an offshoot of MuMu itself.

[Garris]

Don't also forget Bombay club, some of the best Indian in the city is also on Federal Hill...

- Garris

[chemgeek]

you forgot lovino's and judith's (is this like a small grocery store?) on depasquale. i'd like to see a deli that makes sandwiches (though competing with ricotti's would be really difficult) and sells meats. the italian shops tend to be a bit pricey with their deli meats (and also seem to concentrate on the italian style meats).

[misterchlo]

also, i just went by yesterday and noticed that spezia foodsmiths has closed and there's already a new sign up saying "walter's" something or other. that walter potenza guy owns the bldg. i liked spezia but there was never anyone in there. they had a good amt of organic & healthy stuff. i tried to support the business when i could as the mobs headed across the street to venda. but i always left thinking what a better deal i could've gotten at venda!