[2] Thayer Street is located in the College Hill neighborhood on the East Side of Providence.

Similar to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Nassau Street in Princeton, New Jersey, and Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California, Thayer Street hosts independent shops and restaurants that serve as a communal center for students and locals.

While Harvard Square has long been dominated by chain restaurants and stores, many businesses on Thayer remain independent, such as Avon Cinema.

[3] Neighborhood residents and some other community members argue that landlords should try to lease space to retail stores instead of new restaurants.

City zoning regulations require far fewer off-street parking spaces for retail businesses than for restaurants.