New Walgreen's on Atwells is open, but

[CtownMikey]

Anyways..I don't think we'll be having this discussion for whichever pharmacy opens up in downcity... too bad that topic wont be brought up for a while :/

[runawayjim]

blah blah philly's great, blah blah.

if you were here, you'd see that the new walgreens is actually a great urban store. we're complaining about the lack of windows (well, they're there, just blocked by white shelving units). we're complaining that they always end up dumping, no matter what walgreens i've been in.

center city philly is not the equivalent of federal hill. it's the equivalent of downcity, where we have a CVS (albeit a dumpy one) that has no parking. my fiancee lived across the street from a CVS in philly (university city) that had a HUGE parking lot, making it just slightly less urban than the new atwells walgreens.

[Patrick Ward]

Is anyone concerned that the introduction of a national chain store will change the character of Federal Hill? I sometimes think of Atwells/Fed Hill as the rough equivalent of Quincy Market. It too was once a nice mix of small local business

[TheAnk]

On a side note about the awesomeness of Philly.. I hit a Phillies game last year there @ Citz Bank Park... Lets just say the area around the parks makes the worst of Providence look like Epcot Center.. I know I jest about barrels on fire and fingerless gloves, but I actually did see them in this area of Philly..

[jencoleslaw]

There was a Rite Aid up there, where Venda Foods is now, in the 80s and it didn't change the "character" of Atwells.

[brick]

Is anyone concerned that the introduction of a national chain store will change the character of Federal Hill? I sometimes think of Atwells/Fed Hill as the rough equivalent of Quincy Market. It too was once a nice mix of small local business

[runawayjim]

Is anyone concerned that the introduction of a national chain store will change the character of Federal Hill? I sometimes think of Atwells/Fed Hill as the rough equivalent of Quincy Market. It too was once a nice mix of small local business

[TheAnk]

Is anyone concerned that the introduction of a national chain store will change the character of Federal Hill? I sometimes think of Atwells/Fed Hill as the rough equivalent of Quincy Market. It too was once a nice mix of small local business

[jencoleslaw]

Atwells could have protected itself by becoming a local historic district but they've fought it in the past, didn't want anyone telling them what could and couldn't be done there, and so now they get what they get.

[Patrick Ward]

Atwells could have protected itself by becoming a local historic district but they've fought it in the past, didn't want anyone telling them what could and couldn't be done there, and so now they get what they get.

[runawayjim]

I can appreciate that sentiment as well. The next thing you know you are being told what color you can paint your house.

I was just thinking that Walgreens could have been located on Broadway and served the same community just as well if not better. Aside from "character" issues Atwells is conjested from morning to late at night. Adding a pharmacy won't help.

I was just suprised that no one had discussed these issues.

[jencoleslaw]

I can appreciate that sentiment as well. The next thing you know you are being told what color you can paint my house.

I was just thinking that Walgreens could have been located on Broadway and served the same community just as well if not better. Aside from "character" issues Atwells is conjested from morning to late at night. Adding a pharmacy won't help.

I was just suprised that no one had discussed these issues.

[brick]

I agree in principal, but I think Walgreen's would have insisted on putting in their suburban model on Broad. I'm thankful to have a relatively urban installation here, although I really do think the windows should have actual transparency.

[Liamlunchtray]

speeding drug dealing valet parking attendants

[TheAnk]

I'm surprised at all the love for Atwells Avenue.

[eltron]

Not to hijack the thread, but have you peeps noticed that Wal-Mart is changing its standard blue in its logo to a nice, earthy foresty green? I'm sure that was well calculated... Wal-mart has also replaced their lightbulbs with high efficiency florescent, too i think, with the help of Prof. Steve Hamburg up at Brown. I'll still not shop there for a million reasons, but they seem to be making efforts...

[CtownMikey]

Is anyone concerned that the introduction of a national chain store will change the character of Federal Hill? I sometimes think of Atwells/Fed Hill as the rough equivalent of Quincy Market. It too was once a nice mix of small local business

[runawayjim]

a chain is good (especially for travelers and college students) b/c all of the pharmacies are now linked together.. so any walgreens or cvs is "yours" meaning they have all the same records.

[jencoleslaw]

not sure about walgreens, but cvs makes you call to move your prescription to a new store. you can't just get it refilled at any store without calling ahead first. i'm pretty sure walgreens is universal in that you can just walk into any location and get it filled without having to call ahead.

[CtownMikey]

thats only with controlled meds .. if I have vicodin in park ave, then transfer it to atwells.. the refills have to remain at atwells.

Some state laws dont allow transfer of controlled substances at all...

But if you dont have a controlled substance...then you can go from here to vegas to florida and keep transferring you're script... at least with walgreens its all done right away through the computer.. i dont know if cvs requires you to call. thats a waste of time if so

[brick]

if I have vicodin in park ave,

[CtownMikey]

I am Britney Spears' biggest fan.. thats all you need to know

[Garris]

With Pvd, the urbanity might be there but there is not enough people on the street.

[jencoleslaw]

I think there's some Atwell's love because it's one of the few places people come to Providence to experience. It's actually got character, a "center" in the Square, and destination eateries. We as a city have done and continue to do a terrible job at exploiting our positives to economic advantage. Why isn't Wayland Square planned and developed as more of an upscale shopping district in a Newburyport type of fashion? Why isn't there a consortium of folks trying to "brand" and market the ethnic eateries on Broad to the larger region? Why isn't Thayer being groomed for growth and expanded with new retail frontage and a parking structure rather than its weak "improvements?" Only the Downcity folks are even trying right now... Other cities have done similar things to the above with huge success. It's really a shame...

Providence is letting "fear of development/gentrification/planning/fill in the blank" prevent so much realization of potential...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

The developer of the walgreens in Silver Lake said they didn't want to do landscaping since it just acted as a catch for all the trash in the parking lot. I didn't even know what to say after that. I may have been speechless. Seriously