Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
East Providence is a separate city east of Providence- don't think you mean EP because it wouldn't be the best commute to Smithfield.
I believe you mean the east side of Providence which would be a relatively easy commute to Smithfield. It also has much to offer in the way of restaurants, museums & other cultural venues, libraries, etc.
I'd like to know where those 40 and 50k houses are too- doubt the neighborhood would bear looking at!!!
I'd say, realistically, low 200s to be livable as a starter home....
East Providence is a separate city east of Providence- don't think you mean EP because it wouldn't be the best commute to Smithfield.
I believe you mean the east side of Providence which would be a relatively easy commute to Smithfield. It also has much to offer in the way of restaurants, museums & other cultural venues, libraries, etc.
I'd like to know where those 40 and 50k houses are too- doubt the neighborhood would bear looking at!!!
I'd say, realistically, low 200s to be livable as a starter home....
Those two towns/areas are confusing. I meant East Providence not the East side of Providence, I thought I would like to try the East Side as I've always been suburban and the thought was mildly appealing to live in town where I could walk to everything for a change. But them I looked at the base for the car taxes and thought I would look elswhere I mean really how nice could it be that I would want to spend THAT much when I could easily spend much less and head into Providence if I wanted to for the culture. The job is in Canton MA which is where I would be commuting to, I'm thinking anytime I'm trying to get through a big city/town during rush hour it would be a bad thing which is one of the reasons I was looking closer to Smithifled/North Smithfield though I am open to other suggestions all of which I'll check out when I come in for the interview.
Then look at Rumford, a section in East Providence. You can specify Rumford as a neighborhood when you look at RILiving.com. Rumford Center lofts would be a great choice for a rental. House prices in Rumford are reasonable- decent place for 250-400K. Close to shopping, quiet, very safe, and 5 min to the East Side.
Those two towns/areas are confusing. I meant East Providence not the East side of Providence, I thought I would like to try the East Side as I've always been suburban and the thought was mildly appealing to live in town where I could walk to everything for a change. But them I looked at the base for the car taxes and thought I would look elswhere I mean really how nice could it be that I would want to spend THAT much when I could easily spend much less and head into Providence if I wanted to for the culture. The job is in Canton MA which is where I would be commuting to, I'm thinking anytime I'm trying to get through a big city/town during rush hour it would be a bad thing which is one of the reasons I was looking closer to Smithifled/North Smithfield though I am open to other suggestions all of which I'll check out when I come in for the interview.
George.
George, if you are going to work in Canton MA, you don't want to make that commute from RI into MA on Rt. 95, especially from East Providence which means crossing the "Washington Bridge" and getting by the malfunction junction of heading into MA at the state line. Smithfield/No. Smithfield is not going to get you to Canton easily; you have to go too far out of your way to get to an interstate. If you are thinking "Rt. 495", that is a bear to use for a commute. Try to be closer to Rt. 95 into Canton directly.
Take a good look at Attleboro MA, and Foxboro MA. Norton MA is also a nice town within an easy commute. All urban, walkable towns, lots of charm, It could take at least 1.5 hrs. to commute to Canton from Providence. Rt. 95 can be a nightmare for commuters. Many just drive to Attleboro MA and take the train. Rents in Foxboro an Attleboro will be reasonable compared to what you get in RI for the same money; plus you can be totally entrenched in the state you are working in avoiding fiscal issues in both states. Cumberland RI is a stone's throw from Attleboro MA. No need whatsoever to live in RI after you do your homework on the taxes and higher cost of living in RI. In the distant past there was a $$ reason commuters who worked in the Boston area lived in RI. But not anymore, RI is not where you want to be for several reasons. Best to do some more homework George; and it is important to ask your employer where the majority of employees live. Instead of comparing Chicago to RI, try the comparison between Chicago to the suburbs over the border in MA; and then compare RI to MA. Also, there is no easy way to get from the Rumford area in East Providence to Rt. 95. The best to you in your relocation.
Last edited by QuilterChick; 11-25-2012 at 04:56 PM..
George, if you are going to work in Canton MA, you don't want to make that commute from RI into MA on Rt. 95, especially from East Providence which means crossing the "Washington Bridge" and getting by the malfunction junction of heading into MA at the state line.
Please look at Attleboro MA, and Foxboro MA. It could take at least 1.5 hrs. to commute to Canton from Providence. Rt. 95 can be a nightmare for commuters. Many just drive to Attleboro MA and take the train. Rents in Foxboro an Attleboro will be reasonable compared to what you get in RI for the same money; plus you can be totally entrenched in the state you are working in avoiding fiscal issues in both states. Cumberland RI is a stone's throw from Attleboro MA. No need whatsoever to live in RI after you do your homework on the taxes and higher cost of living in RI. In the distant past there was a $$ reason commuters who worked in the Boston area lived in RI. But not anymore, RI is not where you want to be for several reasons. Best to do some more homework George; and it is important to ask your employer where the majority of employees live. The best to you in your relocation.
Canton is a 30 minute drive from the Rhode Island line. Extra time is added depending on the place of work and where you choose to live. Living in East Providence does not mean using I-95 thru Providence, it could mean a drive down Newport Ave completely avoiding traffic into Providence. From the center of East Providence it would mean a 10-15 minute drive down Newport Ave to I-95 in South Attleboro, Ma. The "Washington Bridge" traffic never materializes for this commute. Home prices are still less in Rhode Island, but we do suffer thru more foreclosures. Each community charges their own vehicle tax and thus the rates differ from the high of Providence to the low of Little Compton. Insurance rates will be less living outside of the urban areas. Even East Providence has a high insurance rate as compared to North Smithfied.
It should be pointed out that nearly 2500 Rhode Islanders commute to Boston by train every day. The number of train commuters into Providence is nearly 500. In checking out the area you will see heavy traffic in both directions on Route 95. Traffic backups from Providence toward Massachusetts on I-195 and I-95 can sometimes range from 2-5 plus miles. You would not be alone in crossing state lines in your commute to work. Choose to live where you want, not by the dictates of Rhode Ilsand negativity you find on this board that you had already buffered in your original post.
George, if you are going to work in Canton MA, you don't want to make that commute from RI into MA on Rt. 95, especially from East Providence which means crossing the "Washington Bridge" and getting by the malfunction junction of heading into MA at the state line. Smithfield/No. Smithfield is not going to get you to Canton easily; you have to go too far out of your way to get to an interstate. If you are thinking "Rt. 495", that is a bear to use for a commute. Try to be closer to Rt. 95 into Canton directly.
Take a good look at Attleboro MA, and Foxboro MA. Norton MA is also a nice town within an easy commute. All urban, walkable towns, lots of charm, It could take at least 1.5 hrs. to commute to Canton from Providence. Rt. 95 can be a nightmare for commuters. Many just drive to Attleboro MA and take the train. Rents in Foxboro an Attleboro will be reasonable compared to what you get in RI for the same money; plus you can be totally entrenched in the state you are working in avoiding fiscal issues in both states. Cumberland RI is a stone's throw from Attleboro MA. No need whatsoever to live in RI after you do your homework on the taxes and higher cost of living in RI. In the distant past there was a $$ reason commuters who worked in the Boston area lived in RI. But not anymore, RI is not where you want to be for several reasons. Best to do some more homework George; and it is important to ask your employer where the majority of employees live. Instead of comparing Chicago to RI, try the comparison between Chicago to the suburbs over the border in MA; and then compare RI to MA. Also, there is no easy way to get from the Rumford area in East Providence to Rt. 95. The best to you in your relocation.
Thanks, I've look at MA three times and compared to RI each time; I've looked at the guns laws more times than I can remember thinking it wouldn't be THAT bad and I can make it work. But I just can't justify putting myself through the MA laws and all the hoops you have to jump through not when there's an alternative. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't be looking at RI.
I had thought of the train; one of my objectives when I went for the interview was to check the proximity to the train station and pick up a schedule for planning purposes.
Canton is a 30 minute drive from the Rhode Island line. Extra time is added depending on the place of work and where you choose to live. Living in East Providence does not mean using I-95 thru Providence, it could mean a drive down Newport Ave completely avoiding traffic into Providence. From the center of East Providence it would mean a 10-15 minute drive down Newport Ave to I-95 in South Attleboro, Ma. The "Washington Bridge" traffic never materializes for this commute. Home prices are still less in Rhode Island, but we do suffer thru more foreclosures. Each community charges their own vehicle tax and thus the rates differ from the high of Providence to the low of Little Compton. Insurance rates will be less living outside of the urban areas. Even East Providence has a high insurance rate as compared to North Smithfied.
It should be pointed out that nearly 2500 Rhode Islanders commute to Boston by train every day. The number of train commuters into Providence is nearly 500. In checking out the area you will see heavy traffic in both directions on Route 95. Traffic backups from Providence toward Massachusetts on I-195 and I-95 can sometimes range from 2-5 plus miles. You would not be alone in crossing state lines in your commute to work. Choose to live where you want, not by the dictates of Rhode Ilsand negativity you find on this board that you had already buffered in your original post.
I doubt you would want to commute every day Mr2448 from the center of East Prov. (Broadway at City Hall). Would you commute from Chepachet RI to Canton MA? Doubt it.
It takes a minimum of 15 mins. just to get to Newport Av. from the center of East Prov.. Then, you still face one traffic light after another on the two-lane Newport Av. before getting to the entrance to Rt. 95 over the So. Attleboro line, you're frazzled before you even get on Rt. 95 -- every dayround trip. The only other way from Rumford would be to go through Seekonk from Ea. Prov., and down Newman Av. Rt. 152 into Attleboro. Another stop and go trip which anyone will tire of quickly just to get to an interstate.
The general public comes on these forums looking for honest advice, which includes the positives and the negatives. Relocation is a major life change, and both sides of the equation need to be studied. It is obvious that the OP has never visited either Canton MA or East Providence RI. Or northern RI for that matter. As a Realtor who specialized in relocation in RI for several years, mostly in northern RI is the reason for my point about people employed in MA wanting to live in northern RI; not south of Providence. It just makes sense. Anywhere north of Rt 295 in RI would be a better choice for the OP than choosing the high traffic areas south of Providence if they really don't want MA.
Why not just give people unbiased advice. Once someone gets through the interview process and gets reasonable orientation about the area from the new employer, then they are ready to take each drive separately during commuting hours both ways to get a true experience of actual day to day commuting and residing in either state. Then they can consider the economics of such a relocation; and in this economy, the best advice is to rent for one year. One year is plenty of time to judge an area, make a decision and weigh the advice given on this thread If people want to be validated by others and only hear positives, they won't get a fair idea of the area until they can weigh the positives vs. the negatives.
One mile in RI is measured the same as one mile in any other state. A mile is a mile. It's the high population density that makes the difference in commuting. Folks have to find out for themselves ultimately.
Canton is a 30 minute drive from the Rhode Island line. Extra time is added depending on the place of work and where you choose to live. Living in East Providence does not mean using I-95 thru Providence, it could mean a drive down Newport Ave completely avoiding traffic into Providence. From the center of East Providence it would mean a 10-15 minute drive down Newport Ave to I-95 in South Attleboro, Ma. The "Washington Bridge" traffic never materializes for this commute. Home prices are still less in Rhode Island, but we do suffer thru more foreclosures. Each community charges their own vehicle tax and thus the rates differ from the high of Providence to the low of Little Compton. Insurance rates will be less living outside of the urban areas. Even East Providence has a high insurance rate as compared to North Smithfied.
It should be pointed out that nearly 2500 Rhode Islanders commute to Boston by train every day. The number of train commuters into Providence is nearly 500. In checking out the area you will see heavy traffic in both directions on Route 95. Traffic backups from Providence toward Massachusetts on I-195 and I-95 can sometimes range from 2-5 plus miles. You would not be alone in crossing state lines in your commute to work. Choose to live where you want, not by the dictates of Rhode Ilsand negativity you find on this board that you had already buffered in your original post.
The one thing I have a real hard time researching online is the local shortcuts for commuting; it would have taken me a year or so to learn this route thanks!! Depending on the difference in travel times and taking into account the insurance rates it may make more sense living in a more urban area if it means a real time savings in traveling.
Thanks, I've look at MA three times and compared to RI each time; I've looked at the guns laws more times than I can remember thinking it wouldn't be THAT bad and I can make it work. But I just can't justify putting myself through the MA laws and all the hoops you have to jump through not when there's an alternative. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't be looking at RI.
I had thought of the train; one of my objectives when I went for the interview was to check the proximity to the train station and pick up a schedule for planning purposes.
George.
No need for an explanation on the gun thing George; I just am at a loss to understand what guns have to do with where folks live. There are a heck of a lot of states with gun laws; that should not be a deciding factor on a life changing relocation. I know plenty of friends as well as family in MA who have guns and have permits etc. Not a big deal whatsoever. No big deal here where I live now either .... everyone and his cousin has at least one gun, and they are used mainly for hunting here, not *protection or crime. *We have plenty of "dawgs" for protection.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
