Thayer Street

Catering to an alternative market, this street is one of Providence, Rhode Island's hippest places. It is near Brown University. The RI 2600 meeting is at Channels Internet Cafe there. Watch out for punks, cops, skaters, hippies and homeless people.

Thayer Street, really, is just another example of the importance of a stoop. It is located very close to two liberal colleges as well as, as BluePlanet says, School One, probably the most liberal alternative school I've ever known. Anyway. Where are all the kids gonna go when they don't have class to attend? Answer: Where there is food, drugs, and other people. And these people need somewhere to sit.

Store 24: One of the only Store 24s that closes is located on Thayer Street. And there is a ledge in front of the store. This ledge is actually very non-utilitarian, and it is only about 6 inches wide. It hurts your ass. Intriguingly, it is probably the most popular of places to sit on Thayer. One can usually find anywhere between 5 and 20 kids hanging outside.

The Gap: Yes, The Gap. They have nice ledge. Maybe 10 inches wide and a perfect height from the ground for sitting. The Gap is the chosen place for lots of aging bikers. On any given Sunday night you can find a very large group of them hanging out here and across the street, in front of Channels.

The Stairs Behind Esta's: These steps are on the corner opposite Store 24, on the same side of Thayer. They are well hidden by shrubbery and provide ample sitting room. They are a popular place to eat. One time, my friends and I sat there and no less than 6 people tried to sell us drugs in under an hour. We just look like that type, I guess.

So that's where to sit on Thayer. Now, Thayer street sucks if you aren't friendly with the locals. So make friends with them. They are generally nice. Find a group of kids who fit your chosen stereotpe. They're all there; emokids, goths, gutterpunks, hardcore kids, artists, hippies...

A place that was formerly the hangout of the traditional "scaries" of Thayer and Brown University. The only area in Rhode Island one could find stores that only sold black clothing or Nine Inch Nails tapes, before either they or CDs were popular. Mostly renowned for the primary annex of College Hill Book Store, plus Pyramid Books, and more shops than you could shake a stick at, Thayer was even once the site of an accidental rave that took place in a tunnel supposedly only for use by public transit. This once proud region is currently rumored to have been reduced solely to "Thayer Street", a shopping district, populated by yuppies, where skate rats and folks sporting mohawks are no longer welcome.