Best Places to Live in Downcity for Boston Train Commuter (Providence: apartment complex, rentals)

[Concentrist]

I am considering moving to Downcity Providence and commuting the surprising 40 minutes to the Boston Financial District via Amtrak. Could anybody provide some recommendations regarding condos and townhomes to buy or apartments to rent within a 5 or 10 minute walk from the train station. The Waterplace Condos look nice and affordable, but, the $1,000 monthly HOA fee for a 2br is a show stopper.

Also, if there are any Boston commuters lurking here, I would love to hear about your Providence living and commuting experiences.

[beth98]

Originally Posted by Concentrist

The Waterplace Condos look nice and affordable, but, the $1,000 monthly HOA fee for a 2br is a show stopper.
.

Lord. No wonder they can't sell them.

Sorry, I have nothing productive to add.

[QuilterChick]

Originally Posted by Concentrist

I am considering moving to Downcity Providence and commuting the surprising 40 minutes to the Boston Financial District via Amtrak. Could anybody provide some recommendations regarding condos and townhomes to buy or apartments to rent within a 5 or 10 minute walk from the train station. The Waterplace Condos look nice and affordable, but, the $1,000 monthly HOA fee for a 2br is a show stopper.

Also, if there are any Boston commuters lurking here, I would love to hear about your Providence living and commuting experiences.

You may want to consider Mass. Towns like Foxboro, Norton, Attleboro. There are train stations in downtown Attleboro and also in South Attleboro off Rt 1. on the RI border. Otherwise if you need to be "downcity", an apartment near the Providence station might be your only option but expensive.

[Hollytree]

It used to be that downcity Providence was an affordable option for commuting to Boston. After the 2008 economic collapse this all changed. Boston became more affordable and people stopped doing it. At the same time, Providence attracted attracted more artsy types moving in from neighboring areas. There are many artists, film makers, photographers, etc. living there now and it has become very desirable. Rentals are scarce and expensive and condos are also expensive. Pressure is also on that rental market from the many college students in the area. Now, of course, Boston is still expensive and so is Providence, so, unless you particularly prefer our city, you won't get much financial advantage from the commute anywhere near the train station.

If, however, you want to be nearby, you could walk from Federal Hill or the Benefit St area of College Hill if you can find a nice place.

[mr2448]

There are rentals in The Foundry and The Jefferson within 5-10 minutes of the station. I don't know the pricing though. University Heights might also be a choice, but that has changed over the years. It does have a Whole Foods Market within it's shopping area. University Heights is a 10 minute walk, but there is frequent bus service on North Main Street. There may also be rentals on lower College Hill; Pratt Street, Congden, Star, etc. Also, check with Rhode Island School of Design. They have the rights to "The Cove" apartment complex almost adjacent to station. While they do put up grad students there, perhaps it doesn't fill and units would be available for renting. Commuting from the city station is done by 2500 pax on a daily basis from Providence and Amtrak, though more expensive then the MBTA, is one stop service to Boston. Much better than the locals that stop 6-8 times before reaching Boston. Although one commuter train now makes only 3 stops after Providence.

[Hollytree]

The Cove is J&W and they fill it up!

[GermanSpy]

Five minutes walking distance will be rough. Ten minutes gets you into Downtown and 903 territory. You could try the Westminster Lofts Downtown for rentals. Not the worst place to be in. I have no idea what's out there for condos these days, sorry.

[mr2448]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

The Cove is J&W and they fill it up!

I stand corrected, but it too bad that everything down city was built to be condos rather than apartments to meet the need we constantly see in this forum. Other mid sized cities have high rise rentals that many of the 20 and 30 year olds seem to want in Providence.