Above: Greenwich Bay Oyster Bar has created a lovely atmosphere behind their building – the town hopes to recreate that for other establishments on Main Street Sundays into the fall.
Things almost feel normal on EG’s Main Street these days. There’s lots of activity and more outdoor dining than ever. But, as Town Manager Andy Nota reminded the Town Council Monday, winter is coming. As we all return indoors, that probably means fewer patrons for dining establishments and less foot traffic downtown.
The scene in front of Mainstreet Coffee earlier this summer.
Town Manager Andy Nota and Chamber of Commerce head Steve Lombardi, however, have cooked up a plan they hope will create some excitement and give local businesses a little boost before the cold weather sets in. The idea is to shut down Main Street on Sundays from early afternoon until around 8 p.m., creating larger dining areas for local restaurants and places for local shops to set up outside.
The details are still being worked out but the idea is similar to the closures that have happened at Main Street Strolls the last couple of years, with the closure probably stretching from Queen Street to King Street.
“We’re hoping this will be a kick start leading into the fall and winter seasons,” Lombardi said. While it’s not possible to close down the entire stretch of Main Street, Lombardi said he thought restaurants and businesses on the periphery would benefit too, because the event would attract people from around the state to East Greenwich.
“We’re hoping for good weather so people can enjoy Main Street in a safe and socially distanced way deep into October,” said Lombardi.
Nota said the first Sunday could be as soon as Sept. 6.
“We’re excited about the initiative and we’re hoping to create a little excitement,” he said.
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I live on Marlborough Street, which means if I go anywhere on Sunday I can’t park when I get home. What a mess. EG should have a seafood festival, but instead they dicker around these inconvenient once a week street walks. So unmemorable.
Yes Phil, how horrible that you would have to be inconvenienced for 8 hours a week while the Town of EG tries to help out the establishments that were inconvenienced for months.
You near Main? Every weekend is a mad house. Drunks screaming, urinating , fighting and no police presence. Just what we need, another reason for inconsiderate drunks to socialize. A main street sea food and art fair once a year would be considerate to the Main street residents.