South County

[ontheroad]

Coming late to the party, I am surprised to see a post on the literacy and educational level of South County residents. As a former academic at Brown Medical School, I happen to know that we shared students on all levels with URI, many of whom are now world, not nationally, renowned in their respective fields. And certainly every one I encountered could speak English

Also my own extended family lived in SC for more than 20 years, and I would hardly call them unschooled, unfriendly or unsophisticated.

[RI Beachgoer]

Crazyhands,
That sounds very bizarre to me. Maybe you had a bad experience? I am not Italian and have never felt "unaccepted" here in RI. People have always seemed to me to be friendly for the most part. I think you get what you give though, and that's anywhere.
South County isn't predominantly Italian by any means. The only part of the state that I have found, after living here for 10yrs, one could call predominantly Italian is Cranston, which by the way, is a great place for dining and shopping! I find folks to be friendly there as well.
With that said, I dont understand your hang up on Italians? I don't see them being any different than any of the Irish, German, French, English, African American, American Indian, or any of the many other races / ancestries who live in the area. People are people after all.
As for South County being uneducated, that is absolutely false. For the population over age 25 on average 50% has a Bachelor's degree or above, many have Professional / Advanced degrees.

[GaryConsidine]

You didnt know that because ITS NOT TRUE.

Southern RI is as "well educated" as anyplace. There are so many nuances, and cultuiral tradition here that it would be impossible to describe in a single post, or even a large book.

Southern RI is growing rapidly lately, and that is watering down what it always was. In ways that is sad, but in other ways I guess it helps. More places to work, more to do.

The crime rate is VERY low, the schools are good. Housing costs are quite high, but you can scare something up for $250-300,000 with patience.

The commute to points north is not bad. NK to Providence 30-45 mins usually. There will soon be commuter rail to NK, and later, URI (SK) as well, that will take you all the way to Boston. (Not sure if you have to trade trains in Prov)

Originally Posted by arel

Wow, I didn't know that. I lived in the Wakefield/Narragansett area, with forays into Charleston. I thnk I made only one trip to Westerly. The friends I had there were largely ex-New Yorkers, people from other states and a few native Rhode Islanders. I met people from URI (University of Rhode Island), who are often out-of-staters and often in Rhode Island only temporarily. I had no idea that such a huge level of illiteracy existed nearby. I never heard or read of it.

[cf201]

I've been in RI for 15 years...first in Newport, then Warwick, South Kingstown and now Narragansett - on Great Island. I have loved my time here - but when I became a parent three years ago - my attitude toward the state changed. While I have seen great development in South County, you can still feel a bit isolated...that being said, I bet that within the next 10 years, there will be more commercial areas negating the need to travel to Warwick to accomplish normal household shopping. My greatest concern is the school departments and the mind set of the vast majority of the residents I have come into contact with. All nice people, mind you, but a bit too close minded - still think it's 1950s, for my taste...perhaps I need to run with a different crowd. We will more than likely be relocating in the next few years so our children can have the opportunity for a better education...and so I will have a better marketplace when its time for me to return to the workforce. However, if you are not raising a family, it is a beautiful place to live.

[Apple Annie]

That is unfortunate CF having had your experiences in South County. Many people would relish an opportunity to live in a more laid back atmosphere away from the big city, and be near the shore. Why do you have to go into Warwick for shopping? Wakefield has some very nice shops and markets.

Too bad you didn't choose to live in northern RI where you would have quick access to the larger malls and to Providence or Massachusetts. Anything north of Rt. 295 is very nice and has all the convenience.

So many cannot even afford to live in South County anymore, they have to live in the lower property value areas like Warwick, Cranston etc. Maybe East Greenwich would be more amenable for you.

[cf201]

I do agree - life in South County can be a privileged one - and before I had children, I knew I was one of the luckiest girls in the world to live where I did. My boys have changed my perspective on everything - as I'm sure happens to everyone after they have children. We live in a very safe community, can practically hear a pin drop even in midday, and own a small piece of land on the coastline - its storybook perfect in some respects. But the perks of living on the water can diminish quickly. When we first moved down there, I was commuting to Warwick 35 minutes each way. Just before my son was born, the commute had grown to 50 minutes each way. I was actually in the process of looking for another job just before I became pregnant - and all of the opportunities were in Providence which would have made the commute even longer. I don't want to sound like I don't like to drive - but when you have to rush home for dinner/cub scouts/soccer games, etc - spending 2 hours a day driving isn't so great. We live in a beautiful vacation land - it's just not well equipped with job opportunities or first rate education - and that is just my opinion, certainly not intended to offend anyone. Wakefield has dozens of cute shops and markets - but that cuteness isn't what I need at this point in my life. I need a discount place to buy diapers, milk and all the other necessities children require. In 30 years when my children are grown and I'm retired - Great Island will be the ideal spot - as would any other neighborhood in South County. But for an on-the-go, growing family, it's not our perfect match. We may keep this house and rent it out so we can come back from time to time. It will be hard to say goodbye - but I know it's for the best. There are miles and miles and miles of coastline in this great country, and some of those miles are much better situated so a career and family life can co-exist beautifully and flourish.

[traceyr13]

I spent 7th-12th grade in Matunuck (South County area) and in some ways it was idyllic (the summers rocked!) but in many ways it was really boring and isolated. As a mother of 3 little ones myself now, I would find it too small and far away from major stores and a bigger selection of restaurants, but it's all what you are looking for.

As far as education, I'm would never classify people in South County as uneducated or illiterate (although I guess that is referring to the "Swamp Yankee" designation?) but I do think the school system has gone downhill since I graduated from high school in the early 90s. My brother is a senior in high school now, and my mom pays for him to go to Bishop Hendricken HS in Warwick because she does not care for the high school at all (but liked it when my sister and I both went through it).