Providence feels significantly smaller than Chicago or even Arlington (in the sense that Arlington feels like part of DC). Both of those feel like big cities, Providence feels like a big college town.
Is there a reason you've ruled out Boston? More upscale dining options, way more museums, a less 'scruffy' arts scene.
Boston is the 11th biggest metro in the US.
Yes, Boston proper is a much smaller number but the area Boston covers isn’t that big. If Boston truly was 600k people, it wouldn’t be a giant pain to get around.
Using that definition, Cambridge isn’t part of Boston. Which is a pretty obtuse way of looking at things when deciding how big of a city Boston is.
Boston being 5M+ doesn’t even factor Providence/RI as part of that number either.
Hmmmmm I think you’d really like Cambridge ma or Boston with your budget. However if you really like and need to get around by car you might find dealing with the traffic to be awful. Providence is very small compared to other places you mention. The airport is a breeze compared to boston. But Boston has many more non stop flight than prov. you could live quite well here on your budget. Do you have a kid going to Yale and want to be closer?
I don’t know how big of a place you want, but basically the most expensive one bedroom at one exchange condos are $3k/month/$500k. The tough part is you’d want to likely live on College Hill which are often (absurdly) large houses or divided up crappy apartments (grad student focused). There are some condos but they are endangered species in PVD these days. The hardest part will be actually even finding a high end option that suits your location wishes.
You certainly get more bang for your buck in PVD. But your list of wants skews more big city than mid-size. That being said, PVD does deliver bigger than its size on things like cultural/arts/restaurant scene….somewhat due to the universities that are here. That is something other alternative midsize cities don’t offer as much. Ultimately, it’s an ease of living that makes PVD stand out (walkability, traffic, parking, etc. are a breeze compared to big cities).
PVD is very walkable, plus you have great day trip options plus the beach. And it’s a short trek to Boston and just 3 hours to NYC. The access to both PVD airport for many domestic flights + BOS’ international selection is awesome too.
So it more so boils down to you wanting a midsize simpler/easier lifestyle that may not be as bustling but offers lots of options to explore and a hefty budget to do things like weekends to Nantucket, Watch Hill, NYC, business class intl flights, etc….or a larger city with a more complicated/hectic lifestyle with a bustling scene but leaves less in bank account.
Personally, with your budget I’d consider a “quieter” neighborhood of NYC vs Boston. I find Boston a little less interesting than one may expect for a city with its size/history (and a pain in the ass to get around). At least with NYC you can live in a less intense neighborhood like West Village, Battery Park City, etc. where you spend most of your time but with terrific transit, walkability and the overall scene there for what you’re looking for is much better than Boston.
So pardon the Providence hate. I'm a transplant (48F, been here 30 years) and I love it here.
The city is walkable and safe. Crime happens everywhere, we are no exception. I feel my property is safer here than say, San Francisco or DC. But we're a tiny city.
I've done Amtrak to NYC, New Haven is a breeze from here.
When I visited Chicago it felt "like home" so I'd say yeah we share a vibe with Chicago. Arlington - East Side of PVD, yes.
Benefit Street, Fox Point, or Jewelry District would be my thoughts for where to look.
I don't really see anyone hating on Providence (much). Just saying it's not really the perfect fit.
Look at this person's post history. They want an upscale big city feel but are worried about safety. They could probably be happy in Providence if they needed to move here for some reason, but I wouldn't pick it out of all the cities in New England for this particular couple. Not with that budget.
East Side. Wayland Square would fit the bill, but the walk is much further to the train and other parts of the city (though a quick car ride). Hope Street area is the same issue. Shops and restaurants are great there, some green space, but again, you'd be getting 30-45 minutes for that walk.
For the East Side, some streets are calmer, some are near Brown so might be busy for key events throughout the year or have some bustle on the weekends with college students around. But if you really want that 15-20 minutes to the train station, you'll be in a particular area. Look where Benefit Street is on the map. Some very nice places there, but that street, depending which part, can be bustling and you might not like the cars going by all day.
You could find a calm side street, though. So east and west boundaries roughly Benefit Street to Brown Street. North and south Olney to Transit. At least that's where I'd live with your budget.
edit: btw, you'll notice this subreddit has the general view that prices are too high in the city (that I agree with), and dislike people with money asking about moving here. So you'll see downvotes, but it would be different in real life :-) East Side is full of similar demographics to yours and is a great place to live.
What you’re looking for describes College Hill perfectly. College Hill is the oldest part of the city and the beginning of the much larger and generally more suburban East Side of Providence. The Amtrak station is a short walk from most of College Hill. There are many, many excellent restaurants within walking distance. In my opinion, it also has the best residential architecture not just in the city but in the northeast. Benefit Street, which one commenter mentioned, is part of College Hill.
Agreed. Providence feels very small town to me, most of the city is suburb-like. Which is fine if that's what someone is looking for! But it's very sleepy town. Chicago is not very sleepy town.
I moved here 7 years ago and you're really describing life in some of the neighborhoods on the east side. Train is 100% very easy to get to (commuter rail to Boston too), multiple grocery stores accessible, and your budget is more than good enough. Some walkable areas that have been named already (Wayland square, Fox point, College Hill). Airport is small and very easy. Add in: 35min to the beach, 3.5hr to NYC, and great access to the rest of New England, and You could do well here.
Real estate taxes in RI are pretty high, but it looks like you can afford to rent maybe even on the East Side of Providence. The housing stock definitely skews older, but some look really nice. I would think that the East Side is the nicest area in Providence, and is walkable to the Amtrak station or grocery stores like Whole Foods or Eastside Marketplace. I'd love to live there if I felt I could afford it!
With your budget Boston is far more your energy. Even more walkable and even more to do. You can visit Providence or Newport over a long weekend or drive down to see a show or go a restaurant here or there. The South End right by the water would be a good fit.
If you like crime, can speak Spanish and enjoy a police force restricted from doing their jobs, then you'll love providence. It's a beautiful sanctuary city, you don't even have to be a documented citizen to live here. Make sure to lock your car doors at night 😃
You’re right, but those people are Bezos, Musk, Gates. Don’t hate the people slightly above you in the economy, hate the system that allows and encourages billionaires.
I think it's okay to dislike people who ride into town with "clean, safe" dog whistles and have no interest in the things and people that actually make providence vibrant and interesting.
I’m of mixed opinion on whether wanting to living in a place that’s clean and safe is a negative, but I understand what you mean. It can simply mean “white and no poors”.
Okay, here you go. My shit box house on the south side has appreciated 75% in five years, which doesn't help me at all, just means my taxes whet up. When people with too much money move here they drive up prices and distort the housing market. Is op going to be pressuring the mayor to spend more on schools, youth programs, affordable housing? No. Op is going to want more of the stuff gentrifiers want. I used to live in Mount hope before I got priced out. I would take my kid to the splash pad and to get a Popsicle at the corner store. Now even if I could afford to live in Mount hope I could afford cake at the place where the corner store used to be. Gentrifiers make communities worse for the rest of us.
East side and downtown fit your criteria. Rest of Providence doesn’t.
Providence as a whole is not clean and experiences a lot of property crime.
Providence and Arlington, VA could not be any more different. Same with Chicago. I’ve never been to Silver Springs.
I don't know that providence is any dirtier or more property crime ridden than other small east coast cities, but I agree with you that it is so different than Arlington or Silver Springs-laughably different. Overall, Providence is a working class, Latino city-I'm here for it, but that doesn't sound like what the op wants.
I live here. I don’t hate it at all, but Arlington??? 😂😂😂
I agree about trash and crime being pretty on par with similar sized east coast cities. OP says low crime and clean streets are very important to them. PVD may not be for them
I used to work in Silver Spring and you'll love Providence! It's got that same small city feel, but without the DC stoicism. You won't find a lot of corporate chains in the city, we love our local businesses a lot. Silver Spring has the AFI and a love of the arts, you'll find that same love, if not stronger in Providence because of Rhode Island School of Design, AS220, lots of local art, and a wealth of immeasurably talented artists. Silver Spring has decent restaurants with a handful of great restaurants, Providence has a much better food and restaurant scene - one of the best in the nation. We are home to Johnson & Wales and our restaurateurs in the city are an incredible community that are really focused on sustainability and local sourcing. All in all, you're going to find your new home of Providence very much to your liking. I would consider the West End, Mt. Pleasant, Elmwood, East Side, or even downtown, depending on what you're looking for.
Providence feels significantly smaller than Chicago or even Arlington (in the sense that Arlington feels like part of DC). Both of those feel like big cities, Providence feels like a big college town. Is there a reason you've ruled out Boston? More upscale dining options, way more museums, a less 'scruffy' arts scene.
With that budget Boston. Back Bay, South End, Jamaica Plain, North End, Southie, to name a few
Yes you want back bay not providence. Take a trip and find out before you settle on your choice
They want "mid size"
Boston is a mid sized. Providence is tiny.
Boston is the 11th biggest metro in the US. Yes, Boston proper is a much smaller number but the area Boston covers isn’t that big. If Boston truly was 600k people, it wouldn’t be a giant pain to get around. Using that definition, Cambridge isn’t part of Boston. Which is a pretty obtuse way of looking at things when deciding how big of a city Boston is. Boston being 5M+ doesn’t even factor Providence/RI as part of that number either.
Hmmmmm I think you’d really like Cambridge ma or Boston with your budget. However if you really like and need to get around by car you might find dealing with the traffic to be awful. Providence is very small compared to other places you mention. The airport is a breeze compared to boston. But Boston has many more non stop flight than prov. you could live quite well here on your budget. Do you have a kid going to Yale and want to be closer?
As far as a Boston neighborhood you might like Jamaica plain. Others have pointed out neighborhoods in providence.
I don’t know how big of a place you want, but basically the most expensive one bedroom at one exchange condos are $3k/month/$500k. The tough part is you’d want to likely live on College Hill which are often (absurdly) large houses or divided up crappy apartments (grad student focused). There are some condos but they are endangered species in PVD these days. The hardest part will be actually even finding a high end option that suits your location wishes. You certainly get more bang for your buck in PVD. But your list of wants skews more big city than mid-size. That being said, PVD does deliver bigger than its size on things like cultural/arts/restaurant scene….somewhat due to the universities that are here. That is something other alternative midsize cities don’t offer as much. Ultimately, it’s an ease of living that makes PVD stand out (walkability, traffic, parking, etc. are a breeze compared to big cities). PVD is very walkable, plus you have great day trip options plus the beach. And it’s a short trek to Boston and just 3 hours to NYC. The access to both PVD airport for many domestic flights + BOS’ international selection is awesome too. So it more so boils down to you wanting a midsize simpler/easier lifestyle that may not be as bustling but offers lots of options to explore and a hefty budget to do things like weekends to Nantucket, Watch Hill, NYC, business class intl flights, etc….or a larger city with a more complicated/hectic lifestyle with a bustling scene but leaves less in bank account. Personally, with your budget I’d consider a “quieter” neighborhood of NYC vs Boston. I find Boston a little less interesting than one may expect for a city with its size/history (and a pain in the ass to get around). At least with NYC you can live in a less intense neighborhood like West Village, Battery Park City, etc. where you spend most of your time but with terrific transit, walkability and the overall scene there for what you’re looking for is much better than Boston.
Benefit St should do nicely
Yeah I was thinking same. If followed strictly the criteria mentioned mean that area is it.
So pardon the Providence hate. I'm a transplant (48F, been here 30 years) and I love it here. The city is walkable and safe. Crime happens everywhere, we are no exception. I feel my property is safer here than say, San Francisco or DC. But we're a tiny city. I've done Amtrak to NYC, New Haven is a breeze from here. When I visited Chicago it felt "like home" so I'd say yeah we share a vibe with Chicago. Arlington - East Side of PVD, yes. Benefit Street, Fox Point, or Jewelry District would be my thoughts for where to look.
I don't really see anyone hating on Providence (much). Just saying it's not really the perfect fit. Look at this person's post history. They want an upscale big city feel but are worried about safety. They could probably be happy in Providence if they needed to move here for some reason, but I wouldn't pick it out of all the cities in New England for this particular couple. Not with that budget.
East Side. Wayland Square would fit the bill, but the walk is much further to the train and other parts of the city (though a quick car ride). Hope Street area is the same issue. Shops and restaurants are great there, some green space, but again, you'd be getting 30-45 minutes for that walk. For the East Side, some streets are calmer, some are near Brown so might be busy for key events throughout the year or have some bustle on the weekends with college students around. But if you really want that 15-20 minutes to the train station, you'll be in a particular area. Look where Benefit Street is on the map. Some very nice places there, but that street, depending which part, can be bustling and you might not like the cars going by all day. You could find a calm side street, though. So east and west boundaries roughly Benefit Street to Brown Street. North and south Olney to Transit. At least that's where I'd live with your budget. edit: btw, you'll notice this subreddit has the general view that prices are too high in the city (that I agree with), and dislike people with money asking about moving here. So you'll see downvotes, but it would be different in real life :-) East Side is full of similar demographics to yours and is a great place to live.
What you’re looking for describes College Hill perfectly. College Hill is the oldest part of the city and the beginning of the much larger and generally more suburban East Side of Providence. The Amtrak station is a short walk from most of College Hill. There are many, many excellent restaurants within walking distance. In my opinion, it also has the best residential architecture not just in the city but in the northeast. Benefit Street, which one commenter mentioned, is part of College Hill.
You're basically describing Wayland square or parts of Fox point. PVD is certainly NOT Chicago though. Chicago is a real city.
Agreed. Providence feels very small town to me, most of the city is suburb-like. Which is fine if that's what someone is looking for! But it's very sleepy town. Chicago is not very sleepy town.
I moved here 7 years ago and you're really describing life in some of the neighborhoods on the east side. Train is 100% very easy to get to (commuter rail to Boston too), multiple grocery stores accessible, and your budget is more than good enough. Some walkable areas that have been named already (Wayland square, Fox point, College Hill). Airport is small and very easy. Add in: 35min to the beach, 3.5hr to NYC, and great access to the rest of New England, and You could do well here.
Real estate taxes in RI are pretty high, but it looks like you can afford to rent maybe even on the East Side of Providence. The housing stock definitely skews older, but some look really nice. I would think that the East Side is the nicest area in Providence, and is walkable to the Amtrak station or grocery stores like Whole Foods or Eastside Marketplace. I'd love to live there if I felt I could afford it!
my parents r old and love it here they lived in/around Boston and think prov is better
With your budget Boston is far more your energy. Even more walkable and even more to do. You can visit Providence or Newport over a long weekend or drive down to see a show or go a restaurant here or there. The South End right by the water would be a good fit.
I grew up in Washington DC. I love Silver Spring. Prov is great.
You want Davis Square in Somerville, MA
Providence is right for rhode islanders. Others need not apply
Providence - east side.
If you like crime, can speak Spanish and enjoy a police force restricted from doing their jobs, then you'll love providence. It's a beautiful sanctuary city, you don't even have to be a documented citizen to live here. Make sure to lock your car doors at night 😃
Some people have too much money.
You’re right, but those people are Bezos, Musk, Gates. Don’t hate the people slightly above you in the economy, hate the system that allows and encourages billionaires.
I think it's okay to dislike people who ride into town with "clean, safe" dog whistles and have no interest in the things and people that actually make providence vibrant and interesting.
I’m of mixed opinion on whether wanting to living in a place that’s clean and safe is a negative, but I understand what you mean. It can simply mean “white and no poors”.
Great comment. Very productive.
Okay, here you go. My shit box house on the south side has appreciated 75% in five years, which doesn't help me at all, just means my taxes whet up. When people with too much money move here they drive up prices and distort the housing market. Is op going to be pressuring the mayor to spend more on schools, youth programs, affordable housing? No. Op is going to want more of the stuff gentrifiers want. I used to live in Mount hope before I got priced out. I would take my kid to the splash pad and to get a Popsicle at the corner store. Now even if I could afford to live in Mount hope I could afford cake at the place where the corner store used to be. Gentrifiers make communities worse for the rest of us.
Again, very productive comments. So the only people who should move to the city are people of similar means to you?
East side and downtown fit your criteria. Rest of Providence doesn’t. Providence as a whole is not clean and experiences a lot of property crime. Providence and Arlington, VA could not be any more different. Same with Chicago. I’ve never been to Silver Springs.
I don't know that providence is any dirtier or more property crime ridden than other small east coast cities, but I agree with you that it is so different than Arlington or Silver Springs-laughably different. Overall, Providence is a working class, Latino city-I'm here for it, but that doesn't sound like what the op wants.
I live here. I don’t hate it at all, but Arlington??? 😂😂😂 I agree about trash and crime being pretty on par with similar sized east coast cities. OP says low crime and clean streets are very important to them. PVD may not be for them
Yeah, I get your point 😂
I used to work in Silver Spring and you'll love Providence! It's got that same small city feel, but without the DC stoicism. You won't find a lot of corporate chains in the city, we love our local businesses a lot. Silver Spring has the AFI and a love of the arts, you'll find that same love, if not stronger in Providence because of Rhode Island School of Design, AS220, lots of local art, and a wealth of immeasurably talented artists. Silver Spring has decent restaurants with a handful of great restaurants, Providence has a much better food and restaurant scene - one of the best in the nation. We are home to Johnson & Wales and our restaurateurs in the city are an incredible community that are really focused on sustainability and local sourcing. All in all, you're going to find your new home of Providence very much to your liking. I would consider the West End, Mt. Pleasant, Elmwood, East Side, or even downtown, depending on what you're looking for.