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.
He really should have a car if he is going to work in Pawtucket. That opens up a lot more housing possibilities for getting around. I can't even imagine taking a RIPTA bus at night !
times are a changing Quilter, at least in Providence. My son and his girlfriend, in their 30's, choose bus transport over car ownership. They Zipcar and do longer rentals when needed, but think of the money they save by not owning a car. Amongst loan payments, insurance and taxes they feel they save at least $600 a month. This type of thinking makes urban, and high tax areas, more affordable for the young professionals or otherwise. It is why they choose to live in a Providence, Boston, NYC, etc. The 20 and 30 year old urbanites really don't want to drive like our generation did.
times are a changing Quilter, at least in Providence. My son and his girlfriend, in their 30's, choose bus transport over car ownership. They Zipcar and do longer rentals when needed, but think of the money they save by not owning a car. Amongst loan payments, insurance and taxes they feel they save at least $600 a month. This type of thinking makes urban, and high tax areas, more affordable for the young professionals or otherwise. It is why they choose to live in a Providence, Boston, NYC, etc. The 20 and 30 year old urbanites really don't want to drive like our generation did.
It's not only the young who are going carless. I have never owned one and have never understood the allure of having one. I knew only one person in Manhattan who owned are car and he might as well have had three heads when he told people. Among my circle of friends in Providence, none own a car. Now granted, we all live downtown or in neighborhoods touching downtown, like College Hill or the near East Side, and I suspect part of the reason we live in these neighborhoods is to be able to live very normal lives without owning one. Boston has a "walkability index" of 89 (some specific neighborhoods like Chinatown have an index in the high 90s, like Chinatown). Downtown PVD is 93 and College Hill is 90. Over 61% of College Hill residents walk or bike to work.
So, the answer for alt-j, the OP, is yes, in the right neighborhood, you can do quite well without a vehicle, though I suspect living in Pawtucket without a car would prove both a challenge and a hassle.
Sure, it's fine to live there. But if he wants art, music, culture, food, nature and night life, I don't think he should be in Darlington.
But that is where he would be working, he can go out exploring the fun stuff on his days off.
Come to think of it, this doesn't really sound like the most promising move (working in Pawtucket, no car, but wants to live in a "happening area" and experience the best of RI).
OP, I would reconsider your No Car desire. Otherwise, I think this is not the best move for you and you'll probably agree with me once you see for yourself.
Route 35 (Rumford Bus) which goes all the way down Newport Ave might be a better choice. The route goes thru the Wayland and College Hill part of the East Side in Providence.
78 also takes Newport Ave to College Hill via Waterman.
78 and 35 are similar except 78 gets into Pawtucket via
Prospect St and 35 goes Cottage St.
But that is where he would be working, he can go out exploring the fun stuff on his days off.
Come to think of it, this doesn't really sound like the most promising move (working in Pawtucket, no car, but wants to live in a "happening area" and experience the best of RI).
OP, I would reconsider your No Car desire. Otherwise, I think this is not the best move for you and you'll probably agree with me once you see for yourself.
What's so complicated? He moves to the East Side, takes a bus to work. Works eight hours. Takes a bus home and he's in the city.
wow, thanks so much everyone for the helpful answers. This definitely gives me a sense of direction of where to start looking and researching further. So far I've been seeing that living in Providence and commuting to Pawtucket would be the way to go .
Having lived in Richmond, VA (a small city but packed with music, art, food, fashion scene) I've seen a ton of good/bad areas (in some neighborhoods the pizza delivery ended at 6pm while in others, I would be fine walking home alone past midnight). I'm not sure how bad some parts of RI are compared to RVa, but I think as long as I'm smart about it then I should be fine, which Providence looks to be.
So I've narrowed down my choice areas in Providence to:
1. Wayland Square (although some people say its too quiet at times)
2. College Hill (right in the middle between downtown and east side)
3. Downtown (a bit hesitant since its right next to J&W uni)
4. Federal Hill (might be difficult to commute to work...)
I'll be visiting during a weekend towards the end of the month so let me know if anyone wants to grab food or drinks!
But that is where he would be working, he can go out exploring the fun stuff on his days off.
Come to think of it, this doesn't really sound like the most promising move (working in Pawtucket, no car, but wants to live in a "happening area" and experience the best of RI).
OP, I would reconsider your No Car desire. Otherwise, I think this is not the best move for you and you'll probably agree with me once you see for yourself.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate that. If worst comes to worst, would it be a bad idea to get my way around using a motorcycle or ruckus?
Thanks for your input, I appreciate that. If worst comes to worst, would it be a bad idea to get my way around using a motorcycle or ruckus?
Might not be a bad idea at all (but do keep in mind that the roads and drivers will be much worse than you are used to). You always have the bus as a back up when the weather aint nice. I just don't think riding RIPTA back and forth from Providence would be an enjoyable routine.
Most of the neighborhoods you are talking about are fairly safe for a young male at least (taking usual precautions of course). Providence has a lot of sketchy areas, but overall it's much less dangerous than Richmond.
alt-j, there is no reason to rule out Federal Hill if you decide
you like it. You could catch the 92 bus to Kennedy Plaza which
is the bus hub then get the 78/35 to Newport Ave. It's less than
5 minutes to KP, and probably only 10 minutes until you transfer
to a Pawtucket line.
Most of the neighborhoods you are talking about are fairly safe for a young male at least (taking usual precautions of course). Providence has a lot of sketchy areas, but overall it's much less dangerous than Richmond.
And you base your opinion on what facts? Fact is, you are, as is often the case, quite wrong.
I know that you think you are giving valuable advice to potential Rhode Islanders, and that you think you have a great handle on the state -- a state you do not live in. But that fact is, you more often than not give bad information, and I think you should know this, and I think posters should be aware of the quality of information you provide. I'm not slamming you, I'm making an observation based on your posts, and I mean no offense. But it's important to set the record straight.
Richmond Va. has a lower crime rate than Providence. The annual crime rate per thousand in Richmond is 7.08; it's 11.85 in Providence.
If you are truly interested in helping people who are considering Rhode Island as their next destination, if you don't have the facts at hand, perhaps you should, you know, not say anything.
Last edited by CaseyB; 10-12-2013 at 05:30 AM..
Reason: link to competitor site
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.
