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Hi, I have been looking into moving back to my hometown (Boston) but the rent in the areas I would consider living in (safe, quiet, near the city) are upwards of $1,500 a month.
I have been looking at Providence listings and they are so much cheaper for nicer looking places. Is this because it is dangerous or there are no jobs?
Is Rhode Island a transient state (like Florida)?
I've been looking at the picture thread and I love the idea of a New England city/town that is a bit more laid back than Boston.
Why is rent so cheap? It almost seems too good to be true
Also, how far is Newport from Providence and Boston? It seems really nice too. Are there a lot of young professionals there or is it mostly families?
Rent overall is cheaper than Boston because it is a smaller city with fewer job opportunities. A lot of people commute from the Providence area to Boston by rail. Some even consider Providence a far flung suburb (cough, cough).
Before you decide what's cheap, you do need to see the apt in the context of the neighborhood. Read through these threads to see what are good neighborhoods in the city- it's been discussed endlessly.
Hi Pear,
As Holly said, you really want to check out the context of the neighborhood. Some recommendations would either be downtown, east side of Providence (not to be confused with East Providence). If you are looking at Newport, I would not live there if you work in Boston--that would end up being a good 2 hour commute one way. I would suggest looking close to the Amtrak station and take the MBTA in to Boston if you work downtown. It would be much easier than driving. Newport is at least 35-45 minutes on a good day, but it is a great place to go on weekends or for dinner. I love living in Providence because it is so central to everything. I can go to Mass, Aquidneck Island (Newport, etc), I can go to Bristol and I can even get to CT pretty easy.
Good luck!
Providence is cheap for those reasons and the fact that real estate prices dropped dramatically here over the past couple years (still dropping, in fact).
Providence, to many, is still thought of as second class, but that's not the case at all. It's a great city that I've called home for the past 7+ years. It's safe, it's small, but it's got all the amenities of a larger city packed into a small area. All the different neighborhoods have their own characteristics, so before someone suggests one to you based on the fact that you work in Boston, you should check it out for yourself or tell us what kind of neighborhood you're looking for. The train station is easily accessible from pretty much all of Providence.
I would bet that the bargains you see are in areas that are not too habitable. The safer parts of Providence while cheaper than Boston you still pay a premium for. Providence has places like the East Side and South Providence with not much in between.
I would bet that the bargains you see are in areas that are not too habitable. The safer parts of Providence while cheaper than Boston you still pay a premium for. Providence has places like the East Side and South Providence with not much in between.
This is not true at all. There are plenty of affordable safe neighborhoods, including large parts of South Providence. They may not be the most sought after areas because they come with a stigma that has lasted for years, but they certainly aren't unsafe.
There are also plenty of areas "in between". And the East Side has it's own issues with crime.
This is not true at all. There are plenty of affordable safe neighborhoods, including large parts of South Providence. They may not be the most sought after areas because they come with a stigma that has lasted for years, but they certainly aren't unsafe.
There are also plenty of areas "in between". And the East Side has it's own issues with crime.
Wow didn't think things could have changed THAT MUCH in 10-15 years, but I guess it's possible.
Wow didn't think things could have changed THAT MUCH in 10-15 years, but I guess it's possible.
And I agree about the E. Side.
Yeah, anyone who hasn't spent quite a bit of time in Providence in the last few years doesn't really know just how great a city it has become. Yes, 10-15 years ago, it was a MUCH different place.
I've been here 7 years and it's changed quite a bit in that amount of time... for the better.
Yeah, anyone who hasn't spent quite a bit of time in Providence in the last few years doesn't really know just how great a city it has become. Yes, 10-15 years ago, it was a MUCH different place.
I've been here 7 years and it's changed quite a bit in that amount of time... for the better.
Considering that Rhode Island in general has tanked the past few years, you would expect the opposite. Good to hear, I'll have to go check it out sometime.
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