The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger William’s Park Zoo displays a Rhode Island autumn in all it’s glory. This year’s presentation of Halloween bliss features over 5,000 carved pumpkins that describe a “Journey Around the World.” That’s the theme. The scenes are set to music, and spectators can enjoy designs of everything from the Seven Wonders to representations of nations around the world.

This is one of those Rhode Island traditions I can’t help but love, and apparently, I’m not the only one—the event attracts over 80,000 visitors each year. There’s nothing that says ‘welcome to autumn’ quite like the bold glow of a Jack-O-Lantern, and the intricate carving on display at this event doesn’t hurt either. The Spectacular can’t quite be defined; it’s at once artistic, spooky, and agricultural, but incredibly goofy and light hearted at the same time. This may explain the mass appeal—it speaks to that je ne sais quoi at the heart of Rhode Island culture. The birthplace of Pauly D, H.P. Lovecraft, and Mr. Potato Head, the state also bore the World’s Biggest Pumpkin in 2006 and 2007.

And that is what the Roger Williams Park Zoo asks us to remember at this year’s “Journey Around the World.” Diverse populations can exist in harmony, with the help of the pumpkin medium. Perhaps Rhode Island is something of a pumpkin itself? Regardless, the October-long Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is definitely worth the trip.

If you happen to be walking around College Hill this holiday weekend, you may notice the architectural magnificence and overwhelming character that allows it to be one of American Planning Associates “Top 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2011”. The area is a wonderful place to live – home to Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, and the many eclectic shops and restaurants of Thayer Street.

The character of College Hill can certainly be seen through the buildings and structures that exist in this historic area, but the community is what sets it apart from other locations. The recognition of being a “Top 10  Neighborhood” by APA comes from the cultural and environmental awareness. College Hill is constantly finding innovative ways to create a sustainable area, while preserving the historical and architectural characteristics that make it unique.

The University culture of Brown and RISD make the importance of these concepts obvious as they integrate refreshing ideas into the community every day. Exploring the vast mix of restaurants, shops and scenery of College Hill provides for a rich cultural experience. With so many things to do and see, this arsty neighborhood is universally appealing. Checking out the reasons why College Hill is a “Top 10 Neighborhood” would be the perfect way to spend an afternoon, or weekend.

As a company who markets the atmosphere and architecture that make College Hill so original, this has almost become second nature to us.  As we take a step back, it is fascinating to see the significance of this neighborhood and how it has developed to be a cultural identity for the city of Providence.

This Sunday, Residential Properties Ltd. is throwing a luxury open house event on the East Side of Providence and Edgewood. Agents will be opening up 13 very special properties between the hours of 11:30AM and 3:30PM, and we’ve created  some interactive maps to help you customize your tour.

Open Houses on the East Side:

View East Side Luxury Condo Event in a larger map

Open Houses in Edgewood:

View Edgewood Luxury Condo Event in a larger map

Individual open house times and details may be viewed either on the map or at ResidentialProperties.com, for a list of all open houses in the Edgewood and East Side areas.

Our Cumberland office recently underwent a service upgrade for internet. In the process of this effort, we’ve discovered that the house (that is our office) was formerly the home of Ray Mullin, owner of Ray Mullin Music. His popular store was founded in 1929 and originally headquartered in Pawtucket next to the LeRoy Theater. In fact, there was a tunnel between the theater and the music store, so when big acts performed, they could sneak out through this passage. Sandy Soares got her first guitar (a Les Paul) from Ray Mullins and Debby Smith used to babysit his grandchildren. Today, both the Pawtucket store and the LeRoy Theater are gone; the Company has relocated to Swansea.

This got us thinking. Time works differently in Rhode Island. Instead of living by that clock thing hanging on the wall, nostalgia seems to be the dominant rhythm of life here. While new construction may change the terrain, the Rhode Island conscious is embedded in the past. Just ask a true Rhode Islander for directions. Instead of street names, they will most likely be given by landmark. And usually this landmark will be outdated, like where the old I-195 used to be. With this trait in mind, we’ve created a list of some famous Rhode Island Used-To-Be’s that are important to our culture.

If you live in the Ocean State and are over the age of 20, there’s a really good chance you have some childhood memory of Rocky Point Amusement Park. This Warwick Park, established in 1847, grew quickly in popularity, and from the 1850’s through the 1980’s it was the most popular attraction in New England. Tom Flanagan remembers spending Saturdays there, full of laughter and cotton candy. The park closed in 1995 and was demolished in 2007. The town of Warwick is currently looking to make the land into a public park.

Much like Rocky Point, Crescent Park in East Providence (named for the crescent shape of the Riverside beach) was renowned in its time. Founded in 1886 by George Boyden, the venue was known as the “Coney Island of the East”, with hot air balloons and extravagant carousels providing the Park’s main attractions. Tom Flanagan also remembers the delicious candy apples he enjoyed here (there is a theme here with Tom about amusement venues). The park closed in 1979, and the surrounding area was developed. The only remnant of these sweet roots is the Crescent Park Carousel, which remains open to this day.

Today, The Towers set the backdrop to the Narragansett social scene, but they once provided entrance to the Narragansett Pier Casino, another source of turn-of-the-century entertainment. The Casino was completed in 1886 and provided a refuge for the areas social elite, offering a variety of recreational opportunities, such as boating, tennis, billiards, bowling, cards, and shooting. The venue also had restaurants, stores, reading rooms, a theater, a bandstand, a ballroom, and a beautiful beach. While Residential Properties Ltd. has been around for a long time (this year is our 30th anniversery!), none of us were there to enjoy the pleasures of The Casino, since the building burned down in 1900. However, locals like Anita Langer cherish The Towers for uniting a community with their granite walls.

Our final used to be is much less romantic, but is a part of Rhode Island history none-the-less. In the 1980s, Providence was included in the Guinness Book of World Record for holding the distinction of World’s Widest Bridge. Known as the Crawford Street Bridge at 1,147 feet, the structure grew when several normal sized bridges were covered with decking and turned into a parking lot. Oh yeah, this monstrosity was located across the Providence River. Ed Hardy remembers thinking this bridge was gross in his youth. This monstrosity has since been dismantled; the river has been moved; Waterfire caldrons line the center of where the bridge was; and the whole transformation turned the area into an asthetically pleasing area. While this demolition was integral in developing our Capital Center, we just couldn’t let you erase this Used-To-Be from your memory. So, remember, you can get to the downtown area from the East Side by crossing over the river where the world’s widest bridge was.

Admittedly, we’ve left out numerous landmarks that could be used for directions, so you can expect another Used-To-Be compilation in the near future.

Meeting a mate is difficult for some folks.  I was lucky to meet the husband of my dreams, but have always been willing to help others match up to the right person.

Recently, the Jewish Voice and Herald talked with me about the matchmaking I have done over the past 30 plus years.  Selling real estate is my career, but I’ve had this sideline all these years.  Sharing the story with everyone came to mind, and with this being Valentine’s Day, why not publish a video.

Here is how I described it to my marketing manager: