>> Providence Downtown Area

[Cotuit]

ProJo article about yesterday's press tour.

[Garris]

ProJo article about yesterday's press tour.

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Two interesting quotes:

"Lucie Searle, from AS220, announced that the owner of the Trinity Brewhouse will open a pub and bar at the site."

Good news. Did we already know this? And...

"Mark Van Noppen, a partner at Armory Revival Co., said the city is about 20 years into a lengthy period of recovery. "Providence is walking around on crutches," Van Noppen said. "We are a long way from being a city that functions the way it should or could.""

Nice to read some realism injected into the optimism.

- Garris

[AriPVD]

I moderated the panel. Believe me, there was alot of realism. Most candid press event I've ever been involved with.

[Emily]

What brings you here from Chicago? Work?

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Hi Frankie811,

Sorry for the delay in responding - I missed your post.

I moved here because I needed to do a year's internship at a hospital to finish off my training in clinical psychology. All students looking to go on internship participate in a "match" process that uses computerized rankings to assign interns to sites. I matched at Brown [always wanted to add an Ivy League school to my CV ].

[Emily]

"Lucie Searle, from AS220, announced that the owner of the Trinity Brewhouse will open a pub and bar at the site."

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How is the Trinity Brewhouse? Is it Downcity?

I went to the Union Station Brewery and was pleasantly surprised.

[gregw]

How is the Trinity Brewhouse? Is it Downcity?

I went to the Union Station Brewery and was pleasantly surprised.

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Love Trinity Brewhouse. It's right behind Trinity Rep on Fountain St. Great selection of brews as well as excellent burgers. Unlike Union Station, which I believe is now part of the John Harvard chain, Trinity is locally owned.

[gregw]

You might also try some of the places in my neighborhood up Hope St. There's 729 cafe, the Rochambeau Library, Seven Stars Bakery (one of the best bakeries in the area easily), Ivy Tavern, Not Just Snacks, a nice little area.

Garris might point out a few spots in Wayland Square.

Both Hope St and Wayland Square are a little less youth oriented than Thayer St. Lots of 20 to 30 somethings.

Emily,

If you want something different... Keep your eyes open for shows at AS220.

[Frankie811]

Love Trinity Brewhouse. It's right behind Trinity Rep on Fountain St. Great selection of brews as well as excellent burgers. Unlike Union Station, which I believe is now part of the John Harvard chain, Trinity is locally owned.

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Their calamari is the worst I ever had.

[CtownMikey]

Just wondering if anybody has heard of the "J ALEXANDER'S" restaurant chain?? I hear they are upscale and are looking to expand nationwide.. (they are only in about 10 or so states right now)

their website claims to only seek out putting locations that exceed 1.5 million in metro. and prefer the area to be close to the "higher-end" market.

any chance they might scope Providence out?

[Garris]

You might also try some of the places in my neighborhood up Hope St. There's 729 cafe, the Rochambeau Library, Seven Stars Bakery (one of the best bakeries in the area easily), Ivy Tavern, Not Just Snacks, a nice little area.

Garris might point out a few spots in Wayland Square.

Both Hope St and Wayland Square are a little less youth oriented than Thayer St. Lots of 20 to 30 somethings.

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Does the Hope and Rochambeau Library have wireless internet access? It's a very nice space, actually, and while the exterior of their new addition doesn't sit well with me, the interior is undeniably nice.

I love 729... Great gourmet sandwiches. I much prefer them to Geoff's. You know, I haven't had great luck with Seven Stars. I've heard too many people singing their praises, but what I've had has only been OK. I much prefer Daily Bread in Wayland Sq, which I also think is a better "hanging out" space.

Good call on "Not Just Snacks." Decent, cheap Indian food. Jogging by there of late, I've noticed a lot of people (20's, 30's, 40 somethings) sitting, eating, or just hanging out (probably waiting for take out) in the evenings on their patio. It's good to see them doing well.

I also like Apsara Palace (not related to the more famous Apsara in South Providence on Public St). For a neighborhood SE Asian, it's pretty good, and far superior to the nearby Gourmet House. Don't forget Garrison Chocolates, Hope St Pizza (pretty good), and for more pricey Italian, Restaurant Pizzico. The Davis Deli there has some of the best bagels, lox, and whitefish salad in the area as well.

I obviously like the Hope/Rochambeau area a lot. The only negative, as I see it, is there aren't many "hanging out" cafe type places, and virtually no sidewalk/outdoor "people watching" seating... Too bad...

- Garris

[Garris]

any chance they might scope Providence out?

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E-mail them and let them know about us!

- Garris

[Liamlunchtray]

I love 729...  Great gourmet sandwiches.  I much prefer them to Geoff's.  You know, I haven't had great luck with Seven Stars.  I've heard too many people singing their praises, but what I've had has only been OK.  I much prefer Daily Bread in Wayland Sq, which I also think is a better "hanging out" space. 

- Garris

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Maybe I have just had bad luck, but literally every single time I have gotten a baked good at 729hope it has been stale. My wife used to work at the consignment shop next door and if I stopped in with the kids to visit I would usually end up going next door for a coffee and a cookie or something. Everything looked great, but tasted day old. 7stars on the other hand I adore. The cleintel can be pretty obnoxious (I just LOVE the people who will occupy tables for hours on end writing a term paper while there is a line out the door of people waiting to sit.) Their pastries are bar-none though. The raspberry cheese danish with the fresh berries is just awesome. White Electric sells 7stars pastry, which is great, but it seems that by the time I get there they are ususally already out of the good stuff.

Liam

[gregw]

Definitely agree. 729 is a pleasant place to get a cup of coffee and read the paper. The food is kinda hit or miss. On the other hand, Seven Stars is a truly first rate bakery. Love the almond croissants as well as those danishes.

Maybe I have just had bad luck, but literally every single time I have gotten a baked good at 729hope it has been stale. My wife used to work at the consignment shop next door and if I stopped in with the kids to visit I would usually end up going next door for a coffee and a cookie or something. Everything looked great, but tasted day old.  7stars on the other hand I adore. The cleintel can be pretty obnoxious (I just LOVE the people who will occupy tables for hours on end writing a term paper while there is a line out the door of people waiting to sit.) Their pastries are bar-none though. The raspberry cheese danish with the fresh berries is just awesome. White Electric sells 7stars pastry, which is great, but it seems that by the time I get there they are ususally already out of the good stuff.

Liam

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[Garris]

For Emily (and others like myself who are affiliated with Brown), here is a map of Brown's wireless access points. I wonder if some of them "bleed out" onto Thayer St (so, could you access the internet at ABP on Thayer, for example)?

You need to be affiliated with Brown and have a username and password for their system (same as the Brown e-mail one).

- Garris

[Cotuit]

I didn't realize Brown had so much wireless. RISD is so not jumping on the wireless bandwagon, which is unfortunate. Could you imagine public wireless outside the RISD Store along the Canal, or on the RISD Beach on Benefit? Oh well.

[Garris]

I didn't realize Brown had so much wireless. RISD is so not jumping on the wireless bandwagon, which is unfortunate. Could you imagine public wireless outside the RISD Store along the Canal, or on the RISD Beach on Benefit? Oh well.

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It's a shame RISD isn't a believer. Of course, this would all be moot if either all of Providence or all of RI were to be covered by a wireless network . Wasn't that planned by someone?

- Garris

[gregw]

Maybe it's a matter of what time of day you're there but there's quite a bit of outdoor seating now: Hope St. Pizza, Gourmet House, Pizzico, Rochambeau Library, 729, Not Just Snacks, 7 Stars, possibly Oak as well, all have outdoor seating. The street scene can be pretty lively.

Too bad the developer of the bldg that Apsara Palace is in is such a bonehead and insisted on a drive-up suburban style strip mall. Otherwise there could have been additional outdoor seating there as well.

I obviously like the Hope/Rochambeau area a lot.  The only negative, as I see it, is there aren't many "hanging out" cafe type places, and virtually no sidewalk/outdoor "people watching" seating...  Too bad...

- Garris

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[Cotuit]

It's a shame RISD isn't a believer.

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It's not really that they aren't believers, it's money. That and the fact that their leap into the world of computing was relatively recent by corporate standards, so creating hard wired networks for the entire campus is a relatively recent investment.

[CtownMikey]

It's a shame RISD isn't a believer.  Of course, this would all be moot if either all of Providence or all of RI were to be covered by a wireless network  .  Wasn't that planned by someone?

- Garris

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riedc.com had a lot of info on the statewide wireless network.

And I mentioned it in one of the main forums of this website, I forgot which one, but everyone jumped down my throat saying that their cities would have a wireless city before we had wireless state.

and a little off topic.. ---> from today's projo about MASS reaping and RI sleeping

" Spherics, one of Rhode Island's hottest, biotech start-ups, is leaving Lincoln for Mansfield, Mass., lured by a Massachusetts loan that Rhode Island couldn't match."

IT really angers me that the state failed to keep a company that has such potential, not to mention the type of company --BIOTECH!

Is this a done deal?

[Garris]

The street scene can be pretty lively.

I'm probably just there the wrong times of the day. I love that neighborhood. If I hadn't gotten lucky with my place in Wayland Sq, I'm 100% sure that's where I would have been living.

Too bad the developer of the bldg that Apsara Palace is in is such a bonehead and insisted on a drive-up suburban style strip mall. Otherwise there could have been additional outdoor seating there as well.

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You know, I think the same thing every time I drive by there. That was a historic street developing opportunity missed. That neighborhood will be stuck with that building (and all the traffic hassles it creates) for a long time. How on Earth was he allowed to do that? Was there opposition?

- Garris

[Garris]

riedc.com had a lot of info on the statewide wireless network.

Do you know what the status of this is?

IT really angers me that the state failed to keep a company that has such potential, not to mention the type of company --BIOTECH!

Is this a done deal?

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That's frustrating... It takes a lot of money, a lot of joint ventures, and a lot of infrastructure to nurture independent biotech (ask New Haven and Yale!), but it pays off in the long run. I have no sense at all that RI has a coordinated effort to nurture such an industry.

Minnesota has spent a huge amount of money, and has really reaped the rewards (MN is one of the top biomedical and medical device states in the US as a result). Here's an example of what they're doing.

http://www.mayouminnesotapartnership.org/

"Powerful research to improve life and stimulate Minnesota's economy."

- Garris

[CtownMikey]

as far as the statewide network goes

http://www.masshightech.com/displayarticle...8707&cat_id=272

read that

I think there was one more article that followed up on this saying that progress is being made.

Now, I discovered RIEDC before UrbanPlanet, and read all of the articles there. I've always considered this network to be a huge factor in R.I.'s future. I think WHEN it becomes a reality, and R.I. has the first statewide wireless network.. that the businesses will come a runnin'

[provid]

i just came across this from google: http://earth.google.com/

A really neat way to view downtown providence. You can flip the map and look at providence at eye level. ( boston is in 3d )

[Frankie811]

i just came across this from google: http://earth.google.com/

A really neat way to view downtown providence. You can flip the map and look at providence at eye level. ( boston is in 3d )

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Hahahaha Your about 3 months to late This has alreay been posted

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...ndpost&p=138718

[CtownMikey]

Y'all should check out that Times Square in Boston section.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/20...re_wins_hub_ok/

could we see something along those lines in our theatre DisTrict?