Tag Archives: Downtown Providence

Keep Kennedy Plaza central

Posted on September 12, 2019 by

The master planners of Providence and Rhode Island have figured out how to screw up Kennedy Plaza again. In 2015 they removed its four elegant, Art Nouveau-inspired waiting kiosks, replacing them with sterile plasticky kiosks. Now they want to dig … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Signs of a city walkabout

Posted on June 28, 2018 by

My friend Maria Ruggieri and I went walkabout – as Crocodile Dundee would say – in downtown Providence yesterday evening. We popped into a number of new restaurants, the first being Layali, a restaurant/bar (opened by owners of the late … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A new Kennedy Plaza plan

Posted on September 1, 2017 by

A new plan for Kennedy Plaza is described in this morning’s Providence Journal. “Kennedy Plaza plan envisions ‘true civic heart’,” by Donita Naylor and Jacqueline Tempera, describes a proposal that makes a lot of sense. It does not seem to … Continue reading →

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“Rear Window” trailer trash

Posted on August 30, 2016 by

Here is a marvelous set of factoids from the website Mental Floss, called “12 Thrilling Facts about ‘Rear Window,” the 1954 movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, who investigate a murder through his rear window. And I will assure … Continue reading →

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Peter Thornton’s Providence

Posted on March 30, 2016 by

Tomorrow evening at City Hall, some of the buildings of Providence that I love and have photographed over the years will be on display as buildings loved and painted by the artist Peter Thornton of our fair city. His show … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Our Downcity walkabout

Posted on November 21, 2015 by

On a clear, modestly chilly evening that just about defines New England in November, hundreds were out on the streets of downtown Providence. No doubt thousands more were inside on the seats of downtown’s robust round-robin of local restaurants and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Preservation, Providence, Uncategorized, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Shots of Westminster Street

Posted on August 8, 2015 by

Victoria, Billy and I adventured to Westminster Street to see a friend, Elaine Ostrach Chaika, speak about her book, Humans, Dogs and Civilization, at a bookstore, Symposium Books. Afterwards, we walked up Westminster to Empire, where we dipped into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Snow graces Providence

Posted on February 9, 2015 by

Here are a few shots I’ve taken over the years during and after snowstorms in downtown Providence. To read the text accompanying the photos, please visit my slide show at GoLocalProv.com, entitled “Dr. Downtown’s Snowy Providence.” I’m not sure I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Photography, Providence | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments