The sun rises, Thayer Street awakens, and the soft hustle of students and businessmen begins to unfold. The crisp air and aroma of freshly brewed coffee wake you, pulling you into the morning light. Clad in your only pair of clean jeans and t-shirt, you practically float to the sweet smell. Striding onto Thayer Street, Starbucks stands before you, teasing you, nudging you to enter their domain and fall victim to their endless assortment of Frappuccino's, Cappuccino's, and all the other -chino's that you could possibly think of. With coffee in hand, you're off to see what the Upper East Side has to offer.

You move forward and find yourself surrounded by cafes. The variety leaves you speechless, Café La France, Channels Internet, Dunkin Donuts. From crepes to curlers, anything can be found.

Enjoy the shopping and people watching Dan Aurelio Digital Photography

Eyes wide open, and stomach churning; you look at your coffee, and notice it's lacking that little something to make your morning complete. You walk in, and set eyes on the endless assortment of bagels, muffins, and croissants. The cashier looks at you with a warm smile, eager to take your order. Raisin bagel, please – to go.

Walking along, The Garment District sign catches your attention. You walk up the narrow flight of stairs, and discover the room the rainbow exploded in! The brightest of yellows and pinks and oranges are overwhelming. Racks and racks of vintage clothing brings you back to your childhood where your favorite past time was sneaking into your parents closets and trying on their bell-bottom jeans or their favorite butterfly collar shirt.

Moments of tempation turn into hours of exploration... until your stomach reminds you that playtime is over. Lunch awaits you.

Your minds eye eagerly takes note of the array of stores that fill the street. Oops! Gift Gallery taunts you with its display of sushi candles and flamingo lamps. And let us not forget Angel Street Curiosities that stands a few feet away, desperate to get noticed and eager to please.

Thayer Street restaurants and cafes Dan Aurelio Digital Photography

Fighting the urge to stray, you continue walking. And again Thayer Street acts like "the Piped Piper" luring with its cafes and stores. Like a child in a candy store, you gaze. Italian, Asian, Indian, Greek, what to eat, where to go? Kabob-n-Curry pulls at you with its zesty spicy scents and La Creperie with its pâtisseries délicieux make the decision impossible to make.

But you settle on Greek, and take a step towards Andrea's. The waitress seats you under the large canopy, and the soft spring breeze remind you that summer is on its way. Sitting in the cool shade, the abundance of people that walk up and down the streets is amazing – all shapes and sizes, from the most conservative, to the most avant-garde roam the street. The patchwork of people causes hunger to be momentarily forgotten.

Lunch arrives, and you're ready to dig in when the soft sound of a guitar interrupts you. Like shadows, musicians emerge from the woodwork. Voices entwined with melodies, they come out, and give voice to their emotions, making you feel like you're in the middle of a Humphrey Bogart movie. The sound of jazz is hypnotizing, and reminds you of the In Your Ear record shop a few feet away.

Again, hours pass when you notice that the sun begins to disappear, and dusk starts to settle. The night slowly begins to fill with laughter and radiance as crowds envelope the streets. People begin to turn their quick pace to a mellow stride, as you fall witness to the birth of Thayer Street nightlife. The cafes, bookstores, restaurants are all filled to the brim.

Thayer Street's "Art Theater", the Avon Dan Aurelio Digital Photography

Couples walk hand in hand toward Avon Cinema to check out the latest in international movies, friends reminisce, all eager to forget the day and live the night, at Basha restaurant.

As the night moves on, lights start to flicker, doors starts to close, and people start to leave as the sun begins to rise. When you notice doors start to open, and people start to hustle preparing for a new day. The night is over, your ready to go home, when your taste buds awaken to the redolence of fresh bagels that begin to creep from behind closed doors.

Ziomara Hernandez is a soon-to-be graduate of Florida International University where she has been studying journalism and broadcast media. She is a Providence native that enjoys everything and anything that has to do with living!

She's added this postscript to her article: "Remember, Thayer Street doesn't just mean 'Thayer Street'. It also means Angel Street, Meeting Street, and Waterman Street. And don't forget that lurking in the shadows are museums and theaters eager to show-off their local talents."

Photos by Dan Aurelio Digital Photography

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