Tag Archives: East Side

The future of Providence

Posted on January 15, 2020 by

Dire. That’s a good word for the bad future of Providence if the erosion of its historic character continues at its current pace. In “Say no to ugly buildings,” an Oct. 28 oped for the Providence Journal, I listed the … Continue reading →

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A history of Thayer Street

Posted on March 17, 2019 by

I’ve been invited to read from my book Lost Providence during an open-mic session this Friday, March 22, at the Brooklyn Coffee, Tea & Guest House, 207-209 Douglas Ave., at 6 p.m., $5, in Providence. But I think instead that … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile, on Blackstone

Posted on December 17, 2018 by

A third effort to transform a historic Providence estate into a collection of big cheesy houses has emerged along Blackstone Boulevard. Readers will recall when neighborhood opposition in 2014 thwarted a division of the Granoff estate into ten lots, at … Continue reading →

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Two attacks on the East Side

Posted on January 27, 2018 by

These two really ugly new buildings on Providence’s storied East Side reveal a thoughtlessness and lack of consideration on the part of two highly respected private schools. People walking or driving by Moses Brown or the Lincoln School must wonder … Continue reading →

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The next Blackstone battle?

Posted on August 14, 2016 by

The headline refers to the failed effort, in 2014, to divide up the Granoff estate. The property behind it, 25 Balton Rd., has the same dark cloud gathering over it. Many people are familiar with the Bodell mansion from having … Continue reading →

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Blackstone rebuffs bumps

Posted on December 18, 2015 by

Joan Slafsky sent me word this morning of a response by the city to the neighborhood’s expression of unified dismay at its plan to put speed bumps on Blackstone Boulevard. Here is part of the city’s letter: The City Traffic … Continue reading →

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Speed bumps on Blackstone?

Posted on December 14, 2015 by

Speed bumps punish the innocent for the sins of the guilty. Most people do not speed down Blackstone Boulevard. I know. I’ve been behind many of them in my time. People who obey the law are the ones who suffer … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Landscape Architecture, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Granoff showdown

Posted on December 11, 2014 by

At Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Blackstone Neighborhood Organization, at the Central Congregational Church, some attendees reported they’d seen surveyors at the Granoff estate. This suggests that Paula and Leonard Granoff may attempt to complete their supposedly incomplete application for … Continue reading →

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Girding against the Granoffs

Posted on November 11, 2014 by

A neighborhood meeting I had thought might blow up in anger last night instead displayed a steely determination to resist a sneaky subdivision of the Granoff estate behind a stone wall at Blackstone Boulevard and Rochambeau Avenue. Last week’s meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Development, Landscape Architecture, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment