A new generation of Brown University students crops up every four years, so the quarter-mile stretch of Thayer Street that is the campus's commercial heart is an always-evolving mirror of the fickle culture of youth.I first laid eyes on the street as a high school sophomore, back in the days when Ladd's Music had the White Album, Jone Pasha's was where you went to get your flower-child dresses, Rascal House was where everyone went after last call, and IHOP was where to go for pancakes the morning after.
At that time, the older generation still had Thayer Market for carriage-trade groceries, E.P. Anthony pharmacy, Mills Sisters for dresses, Mark David for men's suits, Ms for hostess gifts, and Clarke's for flowers.
These days, Thayer is all about youth. People who remember it as it used to be are always wringing their hands, saying the street has become too punk or too full of motorcyclists and panhandlers. But there is no denying that it is one of the busiest streets in all of Providence. There is always foot traffic on Thayer, from early morning to the wee hours of the next day.
I took a stroll along Thayer recently, walking north from the corner of Waterman Street up to Cushing Street, just to look at what's there right now. Leaving out services like banks, salons and optometrists, here's what's on Thayer today:
First block: Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks. Other side: Yang's (Asian gifts and T shirts) and Foreign Affair (Euro clothing).
Second block: Viva Paragon restaurant. Other side: Au Bon Pain cafe, Pie in the Sky (jewelry and gifts), Juniper frozen yogurt, and Tealuxe tea shop.
Third block: Brown Bookstore. Other side: Roba Dolce (gelato), Geoff's (sandwiches).
Fourth block: Spectrum (Indian clothing and gifts), Gordito Burrito (Mexican food), Antonio's Pizza, the Avon Cinema, Andrea's (Greek restaurant). Other side: Kabob & Curry (Indian food), Nice Slice pizza, Rock Star (body piercing), Johnny Rockets ('50s-theme restaurant).
Fifth block: Berk's (shoes), Shanghai (Chinese restaurant), Blaze (fusion restaurant), East Side Pockets (Middle Eastern), Kartabar restaurant/bar, ZuZu's Petals (dresses), Bagel Gourmet, J&J's Candy, Beadworks, Second Time Around (consignments). Other side: City Sports, Spike's (hotdogs), Shark (sushi, coming soon), Details (accessories), Army & Navy Surplus, Shades Plus (sunglasses), Sushi Xpress, Urban Outfitters (clothes and dorm stuff). At the corner of the last block is Blue State Coffee.
That's 24 restaurants and 16 stores, plus a movie theater and services like CVS and Store 24 all in five short blocks of one street. No wonder Thayer so busy it's hard to find a place to park nearby: No other street in Providence is that densely packed with stuff to buy and do.
Because the street is such a reflection of its times, revisiting it can make you feel your age. Of all the places listed here, only the Avon, Andrea's and Spectrum remain from 1968, and Spectrum is in a different building.
IN THE PHOTOS , Tealuxe (in the curved-front brick building) is where Mills Sisters dress shop used to be, and Roba Dolce is in the Tudor-style E.P. Anthony Drugs building at right.
