Olneyville - A Neighborhood in Transition

We love our new home in Providence and are trying to make our neighborhood, Olneyville, something special. A student from Brown as part of the Public Policy Engagement Project interviewed us earlier this Spring to hear about our plans for our new home. 

An excerpt from the interview:
"Jim Schatz and Peter Souza are the new kids on the block. A couple that just moved in January, they're the owners of a Wonder-Certified™ ceramic ware business at the edge of Olneyville. Located in a block-long studio inside of a refurbished, previously vacant industrial mill building, this is the first retail location that they’ve been able to open. They have made many fast friends already around the City, and are especially grateful for the wonderful support they’ve received from City officials and friends who helped them to settle in.

They chose Olneyville not only for its strong sense of community, but also for Providence’s current boom in creative growth. A major appeal for them was the City’s new zoning ordinances geared to encourage the creative community.

Well aware that their neighborhood is on the brink of gentrification, they see themselves playing a vital role in strengthening Olneyville’s current community. A vision of how artists, colleges, and other city players unique to Providence can work together to create a more integrated cityscape, full of creativity, that gives back to its underserved citizens."