I’ve been complaining about the demise of Thayer Street since the dawn of the new millennium, but it’s now officially, finally, once and for all dead.

I said it when In Your Ear closed, and when Tom’s Tracks closed. And when Ocean Coffee Roasters closed. And when the College Hill Bookstore closed. I could have also seen the signs when silly Oop! closed, or when Esta’s closed and nothing ever replaced it.

But now, and this is freaking crazy, Spike’s is closing.

Spike’s, people. The original location of the ten-restaurant hot dog chain. The one adorned with pictures of people that could eat a dozen hot dogs–buns and all–without puking. The place even Mark Patinkin recommends, even though it’s more than two blocks away from his house. Spike’s was the one place that could unite Thayer’s disparate population of college students, Eurotrash, bikers and teenagers.

Of course, Thayer’s also lacking the bikers and teenagers these days, since motorcycles aren’t allowed to park on most of the street anymore* and the teenagers have no reason to hang out there anymore since all the record stores, the comic book store, and the skate shop have all gone the way of the dodo. Hell, this is a street where even a freaking Dunkin Donuts can’t stay open.

Anyway. Spike’s will be there until the end of the month.

(*But don’t get me started on that.)

Welcome to this year’s freshman class… Brown, RISD, J & W… everyone.  You will find Providence is a wondrous but sometimes mystifying place.  If you are reading this then you have already discovered that the Providence Daily Dose is the go-to blog for ‘what to do’ and how to think.  We try to keep you posted on what bands are playing in what clubs, how to watch television, where to buy vegetables, who to vote for, and all things Muppet.

Yang’s, the fabric store that’s been on Thayer Street since about 1642, shut its doors the other day.  Wedged in that weird, flat strip mall building that also houses Foreign Affair, Morrison’s, the convenience store and the optometrist, Yang’s was surprisingly large (two floors) and had all kinds of fancy fabrics and whatnot.

Hopefully a new tenant will move into that space.  Personally, I’m hoping for a motorcycle shop.

(Photo by Melissa Powers, whose flickr page I just spent half an hour perusing.)

The Sunday ProJo had a nice piece by Charles P. Whitin about the rhythms of life on College Hill and the simple pleasures to be found there. And, like me, he is a people-watcher —

An amazing amount of pulchritude unveils itself as the weather warms, most evident in the young women of the Hill, while the men, by and large, go incognito, relatively hidden in a ubiquitous uniform of athletic shoes, baggy shorts and visored caps, less commodities on display than diamonds in the rough. Or is this just because I am a heterosexual male, and fail to notice, being otherwise distracted?

Nope, you are absolutely correct Mr. Whitin, and I’m a heterosexual female. The other day I had a cup of coffee outside at Blue State and took in the passing scene. Almost all of the guys looked like they had walked straight out of a gym (except for the irrefutable evidence that they had clearly never walked into a gym). Most were wearing crappy tees and flip flops and those nylon athletic shorts. Guys… you don’t look casual… you look ’special’. This would be fine I suppose if their female counterparts were similarly attired, but they are not. The girls are pretty stylish and put-together. This disparity was weirdly on display with the couples — real cute girls who appeared to be on a community service project with their ’special little fella’. Come on ladies, it’s time to go Lysistrata on their sorry asses. No nookie until they shape up. (And end the war while you’re at it.)

So, one of my co-workers just asked me if I knew when the Geoff’s on Thayer had closed. And, truth be told, I hadn’t actually noticed, despite spending eight hours of every day directly across the street from it. I actually only went in it two or three times since it moved off the corner into its new (or, I guess, old) location. They had taken my favorite sandwich (the Starvin’ Marvin) off the menu and then yelled at me when I asked if I could have one anyway.

Anyhoo, it turns out, nobody else I work with had noticed that the place closed either. Anybody out there know? Is the Benefit Street location still open? How about Cafe Zog?

(PS–This picture, which was ganked from the Geoff’s website, creeps the heck out of me. But more so on the website, because the eyes are blinking on that one.)

No need to worry about the rice shortage when human flesh is so plentiful — good source of protein too — so let’s get zombified.

8:30 PM — Preparations for the third annual Zombie Day invasion take place in the Upper Quad at RISD, 55 Angell Street, where an experienced team will apply makeup and blood. Your clothes will get messed up, plan accordingly.

10:00 PM — From there, the zombies will swarm down Thayer Street, lurch around Brown, and back to Angell Street in search of slow-moving yuppies and pie-throwing commies, vegans and freegans and out-of-town mommies. And please — I am begging you — get that guy who plays the saxophone. This is being organized (a relative term when speaking of zombies) by Andrew Fogel and a gang of RISD students who must insist that you be at least 18 years old to take part for reasons of liability. (Oh right, almost forgot, get the lawyers!) A donation of a buck or two is requested to support the purchase of the Z-Day supplies. You can even RSVP on Facebook.

11:00 PM until whenever — The Undead After-Party at Studio Blue, 271 Bullocks Point Avenue, Riverside — of which, more later.

… and every Friday. The Spot on Thayer is located where ‘In Your Ear’ used to be (waaaa) and for those of you new to the area, that’s how we give directions in these parts. On the other hand, we don’t want jonesing tango addicts roaming the East Side — they’re a depressed lot by definition. The Spot is on the second floor above Kartabar and, my favorite late-night falafel source, East Side Pockets. The Spot is an art collaborative and event space — they also offer yoga, massage, and even guitar lessons with Spogga! Known to many as that fire-guy from WaterFire, Spogga is a very cool musician as well. (Call for an appointment.)

Beginner tango class at 7PM/stay for the tango social 8 - 11PM/286 Thayer Street/401.383.7133