At least once a year, Cleary Squared makes a point of traveling down to Providence, because it's a refreshing change from Boston:
Rhode Island's singleton Ivy League school, Brown University, isn't swarming with hipster doofuses, nutty conspiracy theorists, bums, and other poseurs. I walked up and down Thayer Street - Providence's equivalent of Harvard Square - without being accosted, jostled, harangued, or being passed by as if I weren't there. You felt as if you were part of the neighborhood, not as someone you though was going to freakin' slow and if you had the power, you'd lift the damn sidewalk.
He also shows how to get there for a lot less than taking commuter rail or Amtrak from South Station - in a route involving the Orange Line, a bus trip to Cleary Square and then commuter rail from Hyde Park.
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Comments
Sigh. Thayer Street used to
By Amy
Sun, 06/01/2008 - 10:49am
Sigh. Thayer Street used to be so cool. Now, much like Harvard Square, it's become an outdoor shopping mall. Urban Outfitters, Starbucks, Coldstone... Most of the cute, funky shops have left which saddens me. Thayer was *the* place to hang out back when I was in high school.
Also: Mmm. Dels.
Lucky breaks
By bumptoe
Sun, 06/01/2008 - 11:07am
I'm not sure what days/time of year you go down to Provi, but having gone to school there some 15 or so years ago (not Brown), with regular trips down since, I can tell you that I've never been able to walk up (or down) Thayer Street on either side without someone getting in my face. And heaven forbid you might actually stand in one place for more than 30 seconds, because you become prey for a never-ending stream of weirdos, tweakers and homeless who want to talk, sell you drugs, ask you for money, a cigarette (even if you're not smoking)... I'm saddened by the mallification of the strip which does make it feel more like another Harvard Square. For now there are some holdouts, but with the arrival of the chain stores, I'm afraid they're going to get priced-out.
Aside from that, I agree that Providence is a really nice change from this area. There are a zillion schools in Providence, but it doesn't have the same student-heavy feel that I get here walking around in an area like Allston. A lot of the architecture is amazing from the East Side and beyond, and also across the now uncovered Providence River downtown. And a yummy Del's frozen lemonade after a long walk is always a good idea!
Accosted
By Gareth
Sun, 06/01/2008 - 1:59pm
Yeah, Thayer's a good place to be accosted by the well-meaning.
Last time I was there I got the Lubavitchers. "You Jewish? You Jewish? You Jewish?"
I used to live on the same
By Lyss
Mon, 06/02/2008 - 1:18am
I used to live on the same street as one of the Chabad rabbis. If you politely refused him once or twice, he'd get the picture that you weren't into living the Chabad lifestyle. (His wife was very nice, not pushy at all.)
Yes, I'll try to get Del's the next time...
By Cleary Squared
Sun, 06/01/2008 - 2:58pm
Thanks for the comments so far.
I didn't have the chance to have a Del's, but I did have it once and it was great. They have a shop in the Providence train station that has all things Rhode Island.
I also got a couple pictures of the Firewalk, but I'm not sure how keen the Providence police are on photography, even if it was my cell phone.
The Providence Place mall is not more than 100 yards from the train station: just like Cambridgeside without the hordes of people running for Lechmere.
There IS a kit from Del's in which you can make your own fresh Del's lemonade with a blender...go to http://www.dels.com/ to the online shop. (They even have Del's Hard Lemonade, for those of you who like their Del's Lemonade with an adult kick. They don't sell it online, but I can bet a liquor store on the border might.)
Skip Del's, go hit East Side Pocket
By MadMax
Sun, 06/01/2008 - 8:40pm
Isn't Del's lemonade just a yellow dye and ice slush?
With a token lemon wedge? Am I wrong?
If you are on Thayer St, I'd say hit East Side Pocket. But the
options abound. Greek, Indian. What's the name of that 2nd floor
lounge where you can light up a bong with rose tobacco?
I second East Side Pockets
By Marc
Sun, 06/01/2008 - 10:38pm
Not just the best falafel and kabob pitas you can find, but also just really nice people.
Firewalk?
By Lyss
Mon, 06/02/2008 - 1:16am
Waterfire?
Waterfire
By Ron Newman
Mon, 06/02/2008 - 9:27am
And if you do mean Waterfire, why would the Providence police care about your photographs of it? There are tens of thousands of Waterfire pictures on the web already.
Love Del's. It's one of the
By Lyss
Mon, 06/02/2008 - 1:14am
Love Del's. It's one of the things I miss greatly about RI. If you want the original Del's, head down to the shop at their HQ on Oaklawn Ave. in Cranston.
How to get to Providence
By Fred R
Mon, 06/02/2008 - 9:33pm
Taking Commuter Rail from Hyde Park, though it may save a few cents, is risky. Many Providence trains do not stop there.