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Friday, April 3, 2026 | Edition #22

GOOD MORNING, WARWICK. Welcome to the ‘good-est’ of Fridays. Today, Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is said that on the third day after his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead. Nearly 2,000 years later, that move still stands as the most dramatic ‘just wait for it’ moment in history. If Mary Magdalene dropped that on her Insta feed it would’ve cracked 10 million views by lunch.

I hope you enjoyed the premiere of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island last night as much as my wife did. I’ve already been briefed. Now, onto the stuff that matters…

⏱️ Sunset Time: 7:13PM

🌔 Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

⛽ Avg. Gas Price: $3.91 (Up 10 cents since last edition, per Gas Tracker)

🗑️ Trash Pickup: On schedule (no holiday delay)

💧 Chance of Rain: 10% - Same likelihood as the Bucks beating the Celtics tonight (you’re probably safe)

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I want to make this newsletter as good as it can be.

So I made a quick form where you can tell me what you like, what you don’t, and what I should absolutely stop doing immediately.

👉 [Roast me here]

All feedback is welcome.

For decades, Post Road has been one of Warwick’s most important commercial corridors and one of its most overlooked. Not because it lacks access. If anything, it’s the opposite.

It runs alongside T.F. Green Airport, connects directly to I-95, feeds into the Airport Connector, and links to the InterLink rail station. Rail, road, and air all meet here. Add it up, and you’re looking at one of the most connected corridors in Rhode Island.

And yet, it never really felt like it.

If you stepped off a flight and wandered onto Post Road, chances are you wouldn’t be impressed. Vacant storefronts. Abandoned hotels. A cell phone lot with that one sketchy SUV that is always, and I mean always, sitting there with its high beams on at 3AM for no clear reason.

The “ambience” doesn’t exactly say “welcome, traveler.” It’s more like a quiet, “hey… what are you doin’ here?”

🛣️ Route 2: The Glory-Getter

Meanwhile, Bald Hill Road has been doing the exact opposite for decades. It’s the main event. Warwick’s retail heavyweight. Malls, big box stores, chain restaurants, and a steady stream of regional traffic that turned Route 2 into a destination in its own right.

It’s also a complete nightmare on a Saturday morning, but that’s a separate issue. The point is, that energy didn’t spawn overnight. It’s been building since the 1960s and 70s. Layer by layer. Project by project. Until it became what it is today. (If you want a peek at old-school Warwick, check out What it used to be in Warwick, a blog packed with photos and business history dating back to the 1950s. If you’re a nerd like me, you’ll love it.)

Post Road never stopped mattering, but next to Route 2 it started to feel quieter. More like a reliable old sedan, still running great, just not turning any heads anymore. There was turnover, some vacancies, and long stretches that felt like they were holding steady rather than moving forward.

Lately, though, that feeling has started to shift, and not in a subtle way. And the change is no longer theoretical. It is visible.

🏗️ The Build Is Real

Right on Post Road, you have two real examples sitting within minutes of each other. The Presley Apartment Complex, a former Sheraton hotel converted into roughly 190 middle-income units, is already open and leasing apartments for as low as $1395 per month. According to Zillow, that’s nearly $300 below the average rental cost for a studio apartment in the state.

Just down the road, Alta Altitude, a newly built 200-plus unit luxury apartment complex, is also up and running, bringing a modern residential option directly onto the strip. Leases at Alta aren’t cheap, with rates starting at around $2200 per month.

Two large-scale residential projects on Post Road. Five years ago, that sentence probably would’ve gotten laughed out of a city council meeting. Now it’s reality.

Two different approaches. One common theme. Taking underutilized space and turning it into something people actually want to live in. And when people move in, everything else tends to follow. Foot traffic. Spending. More development.

Then there’s what’s coming next.

The proposed Skye City Centre project on Jefferson Boulevard would add nearly 300 more units, along with retail, restaurant, and coffee space. Not just housing, but a built-in ecosystem. Projects like that do not get this far without real belief in where things are headed. (Full Scope)

🍝 The Street-Level Signals

The biggest shifts do not always show up in press releases. They show up in smaller, quieter ways.

Pat’s Italian Restaurant has opened across from Shannon View Inn, adding life to a stretch that has seen its share of turnover. It also officially puts Warwick back in the fight in the ongoing Italian restaurant rivalry with Cranston. Still a long way to go, but we are on the board.

The former Bertucci’s space might also be back in play, with rumors swirling about what might replace it.

Elsewhere, the old Ann & Hope plaza has been completely reworked. U-Haul has taken over a massive portion, with Taco Bell and Starbucks moving in alongside it. Baja’s Mexican Grille and The Rally Sports Bar both opened in 2024. Even some of the gas stations have gotten noticeable upgrades.

None of these moves are headline-grabbing on their own. But taken together, they tell a different story. Spaces are not sitting empty as long. Businesses are reinvesting. Things are turning over faster. The road feels active again.

Side note. Moment of silence for the old Carvel at Airport and Post. A location so cursed that not even all this momentum has been able to bring it back.

🏢 The Infrastructure Was Always There

Back in 2010, the InterLink train station opened, connecting Warwick directly to Providence and Boston. At the time, some people were not exactly sold on the idea. Those same people probably also said T.F. Green would never be a ‘real’ airport. We don’t invite those people to the clam bake anymore.

Now, that infrastructure looks less like a gamble and more like a long-term setup that is finally starting to pay off. Rail access. A growing airport. Direct highway connectivity. That combination is rare, and it matters. Especially now.

T.F. Green handled more than 4.28 million passengers in 2025 and was also recognized as the fastest-growing hub airport in New England last year. That’s nearly 12,000 travelers per day, and the number is trending upward as new routes and expanded service come online.

That kind of volume does not transform a corridor overnight. But it creates something just as important. Consistency. More travelers. More hotel stays. More quick meals. More repeat visits. And over time, that steady flow starts to show up in the places closest to it.

Which is exactly where Post Road sits.

🛫 A Different Lane

Post Road was never built to compete with Bald Hill Road, and it doesn't need to. Route 2 already owns the big retail experience. Post Road operates in a different lane, one built around convenience. Early flights, late arrivals, nearby hotels, quick stops, and locals who would rather do literally anything else than sit on Bald Hill Road at 5 PM.

It's not driven by one major destination. It's driven by consistent, repeat activity. And over time, repetition builds momentum.

Zoom out, and the bigger picture becomes clearer. Warwick is one of Rhode Island's key transportation crossroads. I-95 runs straight through it. Route 37 feeds directly into the airport strip. Rail connects it north and south. Millions of people move through this area every year. The volume is already there. The infrastructure is already there.

Now it's a question of whether development catches up to it.

Post Road is not all the way back. Not yet. But it's no longer drifting either. For the first time in a while, there are real signs of alignment. Development interest is picking up, airport traffic is growing, and infrastructure that's been in place for years is finally starting to feel relevant.

This isn't the kind of thing that gets a ribbon cutting or a press release with the mayor holding an oversized check. It's just… happening.

Call it a rebuild. Call it a slow burn. Or just call it what it is.

Post Road is loading.

For all my Gen Z subscribers who just powered through this DBQ-length article without jumping ship to TikTok halfway through… if you made it this far, thank you. I’m genuinely impressed.

Let me know if these long-form pieces are appealing, or if you’d rather digest the quick hitters and be on your way.

That’s it for today. Have a tip, a story suggestion, or just want to complain about your neighbor’s questionable fence paint color? Hit reply. I’m a good listener.

Thanks for reading!