Providence, RI, circa 1975

[@johnhiram1207]

I lived in Providence from 1973 to 1989. Loved that downtown so much. It was nice to see this film.

[@gkprivate433]

One of my Great Aunts was a big shot with the Outlet when it was in its prime. As a kid I remember the elevators in there had operators that worked the cage door and the elevator controls. Remember the talking Christmas tree around 1970? Cho's Tae Kwon Do on Washington Street I started at when I was 15 in 1972, and to which I owe my health and strength today. The cars hanging around the square at night, complete with what were called tricked out Pimp Mobiles of the time. The Providence Library really was fantastic though. I would take the bus from Rumford, just across the river and through the bus tunnel to down town. Haven brothers did not do much for me as I prepared the gaggers AKA weiners all the way from the Greek place on Washington St.

[@MrPitch-bz4sg]

If this was around 1975, I was a five year old kid growing up here. I remember it this way until around 1996 when they started putting that stinking mall and stuff. That's when Providence started transitioning into a whole new place.

[@massmurker]

This is great; thank you so much for sharing! I often find myself wishing I'd taken more photographs of the city as it was then, but I was too shortsighted to realize that all those everyday sights would be what I'd miss forty-odd years later. I miss it all, the downtown Chinese places, the elevated tracks, the endless expanses of parking lots, the Arcade, the old Union Station, multiple downtown cinemas, the red "Hospital Trust" letters on top of the Hospital Trust building, and an honest-to-God downtown retail district. This is the Providence I love, the way it's forever frozen in my mind. I've been to Providence countless times since, but never to that Providence again.

[@gabrielnoonan5081]

I took a Amtrak train out of that train station in the 80s. That was the train station until the one near the state house was built. There were tons of pigeons inside the station!

[@pollyfoofoo8703]

0:30 from inside the parking garage that lead to the outlet co. 2:40 the walkover from garage to outlet.

[@forgottengrooves6073]

I grew up in Providence in the mid-'80s; can still remember some of the businesses downtown in those days: Starship Excalibur, Strand's, Woolworth's, Geller's, the Arcade, CW&T, etc. It lost it's hometown vibe once the mall went up, pretty soon most of those businesses would be replaced by gentrification.

[@flannagan11]

This is priceless. Thank you for sharing it.

[@dothat7480]

Boy, that is funny, just the other day I was thinking about Mee Hong's restaurant & how we used to eat there on Friday nights during Lent. Old Tyler school on Point & Plain street. Even went to Point street school with my grandparents living across the street next to Henry's market.

[@MMed2472]

Priceless. If you have anymore please share.

[@gkprivate433]

hell yeah. My Dad bought murphy's deli on Union Street in 74, just around the corner from the Providence Journal building. Remember the sleazy little joke shop on that street?

[@leeannenewman8791]

I was working at the Outlet. Best part was finishing the shift, clocking out via a true & real time clock with our cards to punch in & all. After being released from our work, awaiting the bus inside of the doors to the outlet was the thing to do if you didn't posses a vehicle. Too cold or rainy, dinply wait inside, too hot, it was cool enough to wait inside. We would literally sell a variety of items, or just about everything in that store back then was of good quality at what was considered as low cost yet made with quality. I was a teenager & it was a good job yet lot's of work, (women were paid less than men, i remember being upset about that) so we hadn't come such a long way as "Virginia Slims would have us to believe😊.

[@ma2566]

The shots would have been better without the telephoto

[@stevenfarias7241]

Would you happen to have any other videos of downtown Providence from the late 70's, early 80's?

[@thepogue]

very cool!!

[@myusernameissoobnoxiouslyl1466]

Wonderful! Do you know if Kresge was still open at that time?