\u27Down City\u27 has Gone Downhill

There is essentially only one downtown in this city-state of Rhode Island, and it is accessible to the entire state in less than one hour\u27s driving time. Yet over the past 10 years the Providence downtown has been in a steady decline, with a limited selection and lowered quality of goods offered from fewer shops. The familiar names of a few years ago, such as Shepards, Gladdings, City Hall Hardware and others, no longer serve as retail focal points in the captial city\u27s central business district (CBD)