Despite the steep trek back to campus and a seeming scarcity of street signs, the Renaissance City still seems to appeal to Brown students - most undergraduates leave College Hill to dine, shop, work or travel in the rest of Providence at least once a week, according to a recent Herald poll.
A third of undergraduates polled said they leave the Hill once a week, while 20 percent said they go several times a week. Another 31 percent said they venture away from campus a few times a month, and 15 percent of respondents said they go just a couple of times a semester.
The poll, conducted Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, had a margin of error of 4.7 percent with 95 percent confidence.
City leaders and business owners credited the city's stores and restaurants for drawing students away from campus.
Bethany Costello, director of public relations at the Providence Chamber of Commerce, said she was not surprised by the results of the poll. "I think it's pretty clear we have a lot going on in the downtown area, a lot of places to see and visit," she said. "We have worked really hard to rebuild Providence - not only its businesses, but its retail section as well."
Costello said attractions like WaterFire, the Bank of America skating rink and the Dunkin' Donuts Center - with its college basketball games and concerts - draw students downtown. She also noted the "variety of great restaurants that are affordable for students."
Going to a restaurant downtown "makes it more of an occasion than just going to Thayer Street," said Jason Chen '07. "There are a lot of restaurants out there I want to try out."
Local businesses appreciate the student traffic.
"We're pleasantly surprised by these figures," wrote Joelle Crane, project manager at the Providence Foundation, in an e-mail to The Herald.
"Students clearly boost business downtown," Crane wrote. "When they return to school for the fall and spring semesters, merchants usually notice increased sales and foot traffic. They add so much vibrancy to the city, and their presence has certainly been a significant factor for many businesses who've located here."
The opening of the Providence Place Mall in 1999 was an added convenience for students.
Donald Eversley '80, now the president of the Providence Economic Development Partnership, remembers having to take a bus to Warwick to go to a mall when he was a Brown student. Though he called the downtown mall a "net improvement," he said, "We would love to direct students to locally owned businesses and individual retailers."
But for many students, the Providence Place Mall remains the biggest draw in town.
"Stores are all in one location" at the mall, said Laura Snizek '07. "It just makes life easier if you are looking for something in particular."
Jeanne Johnson, a manager at J. Crew Providence Place, said 12 to 15 percent of her monthly sales are to college students. The store gives a discount of 10 percent to college students when they show an ID card, Johnson said.
It is cheaper for stores to operate off the Hill. "Rents on Thayer Street are astronomical," Eversley said. "It's become very difficult to make it, but there are people who are prepared to pay a premium."
"We have a great location, a location with tons of foot traffic," said Hope Van Sciver, a buyer for Berk's Shoes at 278 Thayer St. She said she doesn't consider downtown retailers serious competition. "If you have a product that people want, (going out of business) is not going to happen. Keep it fresh and young, and that's it."
"We definitely cater to students," Van Sciver said. "We try to do things like special nights for students, 20 percent off and we close the store for them. I think you have to do stuff like that if you are going to be in a college area."
But there's more to Providence than shops and restaurants.
"There is a huge difference between students going downtown to shop once a month and those that go downtown to get really engaged in the community," said Roger Nozaki MAT'89, director of the Swearer Center for Public Service and an associate dean of the College. "The Swearer Center is focused on finding out how students can integrate community work into their intellectual and academic development at Brown."
Nozaki estimated that 600 to 650 students are involved in the Providence community each semester through Swearer Center programs. Other students volunteer in Providence through athletic teams, Greek houses and student groups such as Habitat for Humanity and Oxfam, he said.
"In my view, one of the best ways to really achieve (the) basic goals of the Brown curriculum is to engage in the community," Nozaki said.
In January, for example, Brown students divided into groups to work on issues like affordable housing, homelessness and voter registration in Providence, said Emma Tai '07.5, who coordinated the project.
For some students, the project was "their first time quote-unquote 'leaving the Hill,'" Tai said.
"You don't want to just take and take from what Providence has to offer," Tai said. "It's really important to enter Providence with the goal of developing a mutualistic, long-term relationship that is going to be enriching for everyone involved."
