Federal Hill Restaurant/Retail

[Cotuit]

The only reason I tried the place is its in the city and close enough to the highway to appease my suburbanite family. The food is ok.

I can make it there in my slippers so I went relatively frequently. I actually have to put shoes on to get to Nick's.

I hope your prediction's right. It's probably the right time to say goodbye to the 70s wood-panel walls and get some snazzy menus to replace the "price list" which hangs on the wall in the middle of the dining room.

I think they're actually open again, though the outside is still being worked on. We walked by last night and you could see in and their were people in there, may have just been serviing family/friends for a soft-re-opening. I didn't really peer in to try to see what it looks like.

[Dan]

I consider Federal Hill a point-to-point eating destination. I never stroll it.

Could this be the reason why it's acceptable to knock down "The Back of the Hill" for more parking? God forbid patrons have to walk 3 blocks to the entrance of the restaurant. These are the same people who will drive into PPM, park, walk 50 yards from their garage space to the building, go up (or down) a bunch of stairs and then walk another 100 yards to whatever shop to buy a pair of shoes. But they can't park somewhere on the street and walk a few blocks to eat a nice dinner.

[Cotuit]

These are the same people who will drive into PPM, park, walk 50 yards from their garage space to the building, go up (or down) a bunch of stairs and then walk another 100 yards to whatever shop to buy a pair of shoes. But they can't park somewhere on the street and walk a few blocks to eat a nice dinner.

I hate those people.

[jencoleslaw]

I hate those people.

i think all the valet parking up on the hill just fuels the sense of entitlement that some people have.

[Garris]

i think all the valet parking up on the hill just fuels the sense of entitlement that some people have.

I've never used valet parking... Too many horror stories (and it's really not that hard to find parking anywhere in Providence if you go, oh, a block in from a main street...).

Moving to a different topic, what's the latest on Adesso on Federal Hill?

- Garris

PS: Wouaah! Jen, what is your new avatar? Is that a Red Sox, um, flea?

[brick]

PS: Wouaah! Jen, what is your new avatar? Is that a Red Sox, um, flea?

the Red Sox Lorax, to be specific.

[jencoleslaw]

the Red Sox Lorax, to be specific.

yes, thank you Brick.

A flea? Nice, Garris. sheesh.

[Garris]

A flea? Nice, Garris. sheesh.

Well, I am a Yankees fan...

Isn't a lorax a Dr. Seuss character? Why is there a Red Sox lorax at all?

- Garris

[jencoleslaw]

Well, I am a Yankees fan...

Isn't a lorax a Dr. Seuss character? Why is there a Red Sox lorax at all?

- Garris

a friend of mine made it for me as I am the tree person and a "bornintoit" red sox person (have the tattoos to prove it) but since you're a fan of the evil empire i can understand how you couldn't possibly get it.

[Frankie811]

PBN article

Gianfranco Marocco at Mediterraneo

Restaurateur sees bright prospects for Federal Hill

http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/121808

[Garris]

PBN article

Gianfranco Marocco at Mediterraneo

Restaurateur sees bright prospects for Federal Hill

http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/121808

Here's a quote from the PBN article. He and Cotuit think alike...

"MARROCCO: I think the worst thing right now on Federal Hill is us not being able to get along and promote ourselves as a Little Italy. …"

- Garris

[Jerry2]

They have one of those 'non-transparent' store fronts like MuMu. It's hard to tell if they're open half the time. It hasn't helped that the building they're in has been covered with scaffolding the last few months. Also, not many visitors venture very far beyond DePasquale Square, the west end of Atwells is sort of a no mans land. Hopefully 333 Atwells will help to draw visitors further down Atwells. It would also help if there were more shops on Atwells encouraging people to stroll (this is my boyfriend's problem with the area, he doesn't tell people to go to Federal Hill unless they are hungry).

That's what I don't understand about some of the negative perceptions of Federal Hill. FH was always an Italian enclave from the early 20th century. The area was always a dining destination and never a retail district. What little retail existed was neighborhood service oriented places like pharmacies , bakeries, and little convenience stores. In this transition period over the last decade or so, it's been more or less transformed to a generic pseudo-hipster area. It is losing its identity as Providence's Little Italy and has become known for a place to eat and maybe get a tattoo. Promoting the area as a Little Italy like in Cianci's days when the Italian flag was painted down Atwells and it had the only actual working lampposts in the city( at least in his day)would serve to better identify the area and give it some character. What little character is left has been displaced by this false image that the area should reflect Providence's "renaissance" and in turn has attracted generic "urban attracting"enclaves like Sikar, Lili Marlenes, and West Side Eyewear Boutique. The end result is a messy retail area with virtually no identity.

Which brings me to the areas around Atwells....a neighborhood that is run by Councilman John Lombardi. It's obvious that areas undergo change , but what I don't understand is how much a dump the area still looks today. It seems like all the new housing in the area is section 8 low income vinyl sided dumps. They stand in stark contrast to the historical tenements that lined the streets. It's also plain ugly. It's sort of like the Federal St. homes that were destroyed @ 10 years ago to make way for those god-awful townhomes. FH also has to be the dirtiest neighborhood in all of Providence. If a street sweeper can go down my tiny street in Smith Hill, why can't one go down there? Housing....the majority of the housing is run down...partly caused by it becoming the new JW ghetto and partly caused by slumlords. What can be done? You would think with many new people moving into the area with $ snd disposable income, the area would see a turn for the better. I just drove down Ring St. the other day to look at another apt.( thinking that the area may have changed after actually contemplating staying in Pvd.) and lo and behold it was dirty and full of trash. And trashy people. What has councilman Lombardi done in this area? Nothing.....and this is a man that was running for mayor....at least Hassett from S.Hill has promoted Douglas Ave. with urban style developments and fought for urban style housing on Goddard and surrounding streets. So what is FH for you and me? Is it a hipster neighborhood, JWU ghetto, low-income housing project? I don't know and a lot f people, including Gianfranco Marrocco ( ...I worked @ Dolce Vita in 93)don't know what it is anymore......For me, I still like the ambiance of strolling Federal Hill and the plaza @ night...going to Pastiche and the intimacy the area provides. I just wish it come together a little better..but I would never live there....

[Garris]

The end result is a messy retail area with virtually no identity.

Which brings me to the areas around Atwells.... but what I don't understand is how much a dump the area still looks today.

So what is FH for you and me? Is it a hipster neighborhood, JWU ghetto, low-income housing project? I don't know and a lot f people... don't know what it is anymore......

I just wish it come together a little better..but I would never live there....

While I dislike the fact that you were bordering on an ethnic slur in your post above (and may have crossed that line, depending upon perspective), I otherwise have to completely agree that everything you discuss is "What is Wrong with Providence 101:"

- Blurry neighborhood focus...

- Lack of execution...

- Lack of cleanliness...

- Lack of visionary neighborhood leadership...

- Obvious potential left unfulfilled...

I think the powers that be have to have the guts to better define Providence's neighborhoods and then try to execute towards that vision. Some people are going to be off-put by those definitions, some left out all together, but it's necessary for the city to move forward:

- Federal Hill: Little Italy, restaurant district

- Downcity/Capitol Center: Slick, metropolitian, upscale. Arts and Entertainment.

- College Hill: Ye Olde Providence residential, educational.

- Thayer St: Shopping, dining, and drinking targeting the edgy, hip, and young.

- Wayland Square: Upscale and refined shopping and dining

- Hope Village: East Side's eclectic Main Street USA

- Wickenden: Thayer extended South...

- West Westminster: After Cathedral goes, downtown sensibilities serving as the West End's Main St

- Allen's Ave: Club and dance central...

- Valley: Residential outdoor/activity living downtown

- Smith Hill: Affordable, attractive residential life on the edge of the city, focus on connectivity...

- Benefit: Mile of history, preserved...

- West End: Little Dominica/Little Cambodia, where appropriate...

Etc, etc, etc... The city then needs to back this vision up with execution. Federal Hill needs the trappings Jerry discussed above. Wayland Sq needs lighting, signage, sidewalks, and detailing befitting an upscale retail area (which it lacks). Hope Village needs the landscaping, signage, and trappings to give it a Main St Village feel. Thayer and Wickenden need to be allowed to become funkier. Etc etc. This has to happen through policy, zoning, and planning. Downcity may need to unabashedly be allowed to become unaffordable for most while other neighborhoods with strong middle class (the North End, Smith Hill, Valley, Broadway/Armory) and lower class (Olneyville, much of South and Western Prov) potential get strong foci to prevent gentrification there and to promote stability and affordability more than in other areas.

All of this doesn't mean that neighborhoods can't serve their residents. Federal Hill should still have a market and a pharmacy. Thayer should still have a cleaners. Etc, etc. But there should be larger visions attached to these areas.

That's my one big fear of the otherwise impressive Providence Tomorrow effort is that committees and groups rarely produce anything of vision. That's usually left to individuals.

Who is the individual at the end of the day who'll filter through the Prov Tomorrow feedback and craft the neighborhood visions?

- Garris

PS: I still have little idea what identity some other areas (such as the Jewelry District) should have, or whether some need any at all (Broadway).

[Cotuit]

If Lombardi wanted to improve the neighborhood he'd buy every shopkeeper a broom.

For me, I still like the ambiance of strolling Federal Hill and the plaza @ night...going to Pastiche and the intimacy the area provides.

See, I don't see why you'd say that. There's really no reason to stroll Federal Hill, the immediate area around DePasquale has a nice vibe (sometimes), but it's really just a collection of valet parking stands and not much more. That's why I'd like to see more retail thrown into the mix. There's no reason to go to Federal Hill aside from eating, and once you've eaten there's no reason to stay, you're not going to eat again. I worry that Federal Hill has a reputation that is much better than it remotely deserves. It's got a national reputation, but people finally come here and think, 'well that's it?' If it's not improved, not just the trash and run down buildings, but actually having more to do than eat, then it's reality will eventually overtake it's reputation, which would be a very bad thing for Providence as it is one of the very few areas of Providence that has a good reputation (however undeserved it may really be).

You would think with many new people moving into the area with $ snd disposable income, the area would see a turn for the better.

This is another unreal reputation that Federal Hill currently carries. I don't know how many times I've heard of 'upwardly mobile gays' moving to the hill. Are there gay people here, yes there are, but people need to realize that 'gay' and 'upwardly mobile' do not automatically go hand in hand (and I'm not saying you said it did, just that's what I've been hearing as for the 'transformation' of the hill, which as far as I can tell, is not actually being transformed). My boyfriend and I rent one of those vinyl sided dumps, we're far from upwardly mobile. The people with disposible income are not moving to Atwells, they are moving to Broadway and the Armory. This is why I'm so concerned about the 'Back of the Hill' area. This area has the potential to become a very attractive owner occupied neighborhood, if only they'd stop tearing down buildings for surface parking.

I'd love to see statisiics for the area between Federal Street and Route 10, I think we'd find that the income and percent of owner-occupation is almost unchanged from 10 years ago.

As for J&W, I'm hoping that as they build up the Harborside Campus, they'll build more housing, and close the dorm up here, and bring more of their students onto campus, relieving pressure up here. The city (and Councilman Lombardi) should be pressuring the school to do this. Though I'd like to point out, two of the 4 apartments in my building are occupied by J&W students and we've had no problems with them, they're good kids.

[Jerry2]

Ok...so I edited the piece where I called Gianfranco Marrocco a _______. It was uncalled for and inappropriate for UP. I worked for him in high school and there is more descriptive words like__________to describe him. Anyways, I couldn't agree more with your piece. Thanks.

[Jerry2]

If Lombardi wanted to improve the neighborhood he'd buy every shopkeeper a broom.

See, I don't see why you'd say that. There's really no reason to stroll Federal Hill, the immediate area around DePasquale has a nice vibe (sometimes), but it's really just a collection of valet parking stands and not much more. That's why I'd like to see more retail thrown into the mix. There's no reason to go to Federal Hill aside from eating, and once you've eaten there's no reason to stay, you're not going to eat again. I worry that Federal Hill has a reputation that is much better than it remotely deserves. It's got a national reputation, but people finally come here and think, 'well that's it?' If it's not improved, not just the trash and run down buildings, but actually having more to do than eat, then it's reality will eventually overtake it's reputation, which would be a very bad thing for Providence as it is one of the very few areas of Providence that has a good reputation (however undeserved it may really be).

See I tend to disagree with you. FH shouldn't be an all night destination with fun things to do all night long. It should be a place to get an exceptional meal, a cocktail, and off to downcity or someplace else either by trolley or walking.( )It's always been that way. There is no need for boutiques and funky stores etc. when you can get that in other parts of the city. I think that's why FH has always had a problem retaining retail tenants. The places that survive like Scialo Bros. bakery, Tony's Colonial and Roma Gourmet are not restaurants per se but cater to the area being known as an enclave for Italian themed businesses. I used to live on Jones St. in the 90's right next to where they demolished those old houses for parking. I would go on dates and walk to Pastiche, downtown, Dolce Vita....it was nice and convenient.

[Jerry2]

The people with disposible income are not moving to Atwells, they are moving to Broadway and the Armory. This is why I'm so concerned about the 'Back of the Hill' area. This area has the potential to become a very attractive owner occupied neighborhood, if only they'd stop tearing down buildings for surface parking.

"These" people are also coining any area from Atwells all th way to Cranston St. the "West End"....which further perpetuates my opinion of lack of identity. Where is the West End? What is its focal point? Where do you go? I've heard people label Vinton St. the West End!! WTF!

[Jerry2]

"These" people are also coining any area from Atwells all th way to Cranston St. the "West End"....which further perpetuates my opinion of lack of identity. Where is the West End? What is its focal point? Where do you go? I've heard people label Vinton St. the West End!! WTF!

As far as vinyl sided dumps, I'm talking @ the section 8 generic looking townhomes that can be found on Knight, America, and now on Ring as well....I would rather see a 3-family home covered with vinyl siding than a 3-family with peeling paint , rotted columns, and overgrown weeds all over the place.

[Cotuit]

See I tend to disagree with you. FH shouldn't be an all night destination with fun things to do all night long.

I'm looking to bring the Federal Hill experience into the day, it already is a night time destination with the nightclub at Mediterraneo. I was just outside and there are sad tourist walking up and down the street with rather sad and confused looks on their faces, nothing's open yet. People visit the city with this idea that Federal Hill is this great destination, when it's not. But the point about walking is valid, it wouldn't be such a let down if it wasn't so difficult to get here. Waiting half an hour and paying a dollar-fifty for a 2 minute trolley ride, or walking in the hot sun through the currently devoid of life, LaSalle Square and over the highway, dodging cars at the Service Road, Federal Hill better be something special, and it's not, it's not worth the trip right now. It needs to be boosted more to make it more worth the trip, and the trip needs to be made less painful.

[Cotuit]

"These" people are also coining any area from Atwells all th way to Cranston St. the "West End"....which further perpetuates my opinion of lack of identity. Where is the West End? What is its focal point? Where do you go? I've heard people label Vinton St. the West End!! WTF!

Yes, this lack of identity is why Federal Hill is getting this underserved reputation as an area that is gentrifying and receiving an influx of residents with disposible income. Technically "Federal Hill" extends all the way south to Westminster, though most people (inlcuding me) really only think of the Atwells area as Federal Hill, that area is not seeing this influx. The "West End" is, but when you define everything from Route 10 to Broad Street as the "West End" that's too broad an area to assign this influx to. It's really limited to a small number of streets in the Armory, and areas just off Broadway, which most people don't think of as Federal Hill. People should just adopt my personal nomeclature and things will be a lot less confusing.

[Cotuit]

IT'S PINK! I LOVE IT!

Nice sign too, which I believe is a temporary banner, it looks like there's fastening for a more substantial sign.

Imagine trying to get a pink building or a sign that big through the Downcity Design Review Committee? Now, the building Gepetto's is in needs to be painted blue.

[jencoleslaw]

is it staying pink? it looks like colored primer to me. I love pink, btw, and hope it remains pink but it looks just like a primer i've seen before a deeper color goes on.

so is it reopened then? I need cannoli baaaaad, man.

[Cotuit]

is it staying pink? it looks like colored primer to me. I love pink, btw, and hope it remains pink but it looks just like a primer i've seen before a deeper color goes on.

I hope its staying pink, I love it! The shade works very well with the yellow on the hotel.

I'm not really sure if it is open, I was in a heat induced daze when I walked by and wasn't really sure the building was actually pink, or if I was just slipping into a coma. I certainly could not deduce if it was open.

Did they always have breakfast and no one told me, or is this new?

[jencoleslaw]

I hope its staying pink, I love it! The shade works very well with the yellow on the hotel.

I'm not really sure if it is open, I was in a heat induced daze when I walked by and wasn't really sure the building was actually pink, or if I was just slipping into a coma. I certainly could not deduce if it was open.

Did they always have breakfast and no one told me, or is this new?

when you go by today find out. I'd totally hit it for breffest. I remember the epic breakfasts at Plaza grille, early on a sunday morning, when the hill wasn't even awake yet. That's the best time up there i think.

[Cotuit]

when you go by today find out.

I fear I would be in the same heat induced haze, plus I don't need anything from Venda tonight, so I probably won't be walking by today.