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The OP's complaints are, for the most part, not unjustified. RI *is* colder and drearier than many other parts of the U.S. I agree with his/her finding that Rhode Islanders are complacent/sluggish. There does not seem to as much of a competitive ethos here--it is not a place for movers and shakers. There is an very sedentary attitude among people--many don't travel much, don't stray too far from home, and show limited interest in upward social mobility. Taxes *are* high, and there is a lack of awareness or sensitivity to the economic competitive disadvantage that this poses to the state. The roads *are* substandard, and the bridges are even worse--simply appalling. The cost of living is higher than in many (though by no means all) other parts of the U.S. Housing, in particular, is expensive, old, and small. The economy is very mature and population growth is nil, and this makes job growth very slow.
But I will disagree with the author on a few points. For a city its size, Providence actually has a pretty good nightlife and downtown scene (the author note the contributions that higher ed. in the area makes to this, for example). No, it's not New York, Boston, or Chicago. But compared to many sun belt and rust belt cities, Providence is doing pretty well on this front. And I disagree that you have to drive 30 minutes to get anywhere in RI. From most places in RI, you drive 30 mintes are you're in another state! Some places are remote (Little Compton, for example) but I've found proximity to things to be quite good.
So why do people live in RI? For the good points the OP points out. Most people are honest and decent. Except in troubled urban ghettos, crime is extremely low. Community ties are exceptionally strong. There are some lovely towns and suburbs in the state. It is diverse. Providence is an attractive city (at least the downtown and east side areas). The airport is close and VERY convenient. Trains and buses are widely available. Good restaurants, too. But the piece de la resistance is the coastal scenery--picture-postcard scenery abounds; Norman Rockwell-like scenes throughout the state. Natives take it for granted, but newcomers and visitors (during summer and fall) will find scenery that's right out of a Hollywood movie.
The OP's complaints are, for the most part, not unjustified. RI *is* colder and drearier than many other parts of the U.S. I agree with his/her finding that Rhode Islanders are complacent/sluggish. There does not seem to as much of a competitive ethos here--it is not a place for movers and shakers. There is an very sedentary attitude among people--many don't travel much, don't stray too far from home, and show limited interest in upward social mobility. Taxes *are* high, and there is a lack of awareness or sensitivity to the economic competitive disadvantage that this poses to the state. The roads *are* substandard, and the bridges are even worse--simply appalling. The cost of living is higher than in many (though by no means all) other parts of the U.S. Housing, in particular, is expensive, old, and small. The economy is very mature and population growth is nil, and this makes job growth very slow.
But I will disagree with the author on a few points. For a city its size, Providence actually has a pretty good nightlife and downtown scene (the author note the contributions that higher ed. in the area makes to this, for example). No, it's not New York, Boston, or Chicago. But compared to many sun belt and rust belt cities, Providence is doing pretty well on this front. And I disagree that you have to drive 30 minutes to get anywhere in RI. From most places in RI, you drive 30 mintes are you're in another state! Some places are remote (Little Compton, for example) but I've found proximity to things to be quite good.
So why do people live in RI? For the good points the OP points out. Most people are honest and decent. Except in troubled urban ghettos, crime is extremely low. Community ties are exceptionally strong. There are some lovely towns and suburbs in the state. It is diverse. Providence is an attractive city (at least the downtown and east side areas). The airport is close and VERY convenient. Trains and buses are widely available. Good restaurants, too. But the piece de la resistance is the coastal scenery--picture-postcard scenery abounds; Norman Rockwell-like scenes throughout the state. Natives take it for granted, but newcomers and visitors (during summer and fall) will find scenery that's right out of a Hollywood movie.
BRAVO! This is a good post - one that shows the original poster simply has an axe to grind with the state, for reasons unknown to us but obviously obsessive to him. There are curmudgeons everywhere and this forum is no exception, but one can complain and disagree without being insulting and offensive, don't you think?
The OP's complaints are, for the most part, not unjustified. RI *is* colder and drearier than many other parts of the U.S.
Although there will always be debate about one place being better than another for various reasons – climate myths - can be checked with scientific facts (data). Case in point – the statement above is TOTALLY FALSE.
Rhode Island “IS NOT” cloudier or gloomier than many areas of the USA. In fact, most of Rhode Island – has MORE winter sun than vast areas of the USA in winter. Take a look at the sunshine map below.
In mid winter (January) - Rhode Island receives MORE sunshine than wide areas of the USA , places like the northern interior states (Minnesota to Maine), and much of the interior upper South (Kentucky, Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, Alabama..ect), and of course the gloomy Pacific Coast (northern California, Oregon, Washington). If you want sun in winter – go to southern Rhode Island! Places like Newport or Westerly have more sun in January than 54% of the land area in the USA. A climate FACT.
Temperatures
Rhode Island is located in the climate type know as “Mild Temperate Rainy” . This climate type extends across most of the East Coast from Virginia to southern Rhode Island. Subzero cold is “rare” in Rhode Island.
Look at the mean temperature map for January (the coldest month of the year). The 30 F line is along the Connecticut/Rhode Island coast (Long Island, NY has mean above 30 F). The mean temperature in Providence in January is 29 F (only one degree away from the 30 F line). In fact, much of southern Rhode Island and southern Connecticut have January means of 30 F (New Haven, New London, Westerly, Newport…etc)…….. Now look at the vast areas of the northern states, upper Midwest, and Western Mountain states – where mean temperatures are below 30 F, below 20 F, ……..even below 10 F!
Using the mean January temperature of 29 F in Providence (northern Rhode Island, too)…………. 53% (according to NOAA) of the USA is as cold or COLDER…. in January than Rhode Island is. The 30 F isotherm reaches northern AZ and NM. Northern Arizona is no warmer in January than most of Rhode Island is. A climate FACT.
One last point to remember. People love to hype the weather. The syndrome of my life not going well, and I hate everything about this place (including the climate), runs rampant from coast to coast. I have heard people say the weather stinks in Florida and California. People can create their own senses of reality to justify their feelings or pain. So be warned - GET THE FACTS. There are many sites (I us NOAA) with factual information.
I must agree, this state is rotten to the core. Why? TAXES! As a bussines owner I am being forced to relocate to the south so that I can retain my standard of living and pursue my economic ambitions. Forget about the nightlife and historic houses and river fire... blah blah blah. What the hell are young kids graduating from brown or URI going to do once they receive their diplomas. Answer - go to where the work is TN, SC, NC, KY, IN, MS, etc. Georgetown KY has a new Toyota facility, Indiana a new Honda facility, Alabama a new KIA facility ... what the hell does RI have - insurmountable state debt, corrupt politicos and a line for welfare recipients. Yeah I'm angry. And now I'm going to be cruel. I live in Westerly and I hate to travel 30 miles past Narragansett ... why? I hate to see all the filth of Cranston and Warwick. I hate to see the Italianos in their wife beaters with the gold around their necks. I hate to see the dependent latinos with their six kids in tow. I hate to see the filthy winos and pimps with their hands out asking for a couple of bucks. I hate to pay for this human garbage and its only goin to get worse folks. People,like me, with money, and ambition are leaving for good. Good luck Rhodies, and have fun paying for the dregs of society.
I must agree, this state is rotten to the core. Why? TAXES! As a bussines owner I am being forced to relocate to the south so that I can retain my standard of living and pursue my economic ambitions. Forget about the nightlife and historic houses and river fire... blah blah blah. What the hell are young kids graduating from brown or URI going to do once they receive their diplomas. Answer - go to where the work is TN, SC, NC, KY, IN, MS, etc. Georgetown KY has a new Toyota facility, Indiana a new Honda facility, Alabama a new KIA facility ... what the hell does RI have - insurmountable state debt, corrupt politicos and a line for welfare recipients. Yeah I'm angry. And now I'm going to be cruel. I live in Westerly and I hate to travel 30 miles past Narragansett ... why? I hate to see all the filth of Cranston and Warwick. I hate to see the Italianos in their wife beaters with the gold around their necks. I hate to see the dependent latinos with their six kids in tow. I hate to see the filthy winos and pimps with their hands out asking for a couple of bucks. I hate to pay for this human garbage and its only goin to get worse folks. People,like me, with money, and ambition are leaving for good. Good luck Rhodies, and have fun paying for the dregs of society.
WOW!!! Most of the kids at Brown are from out of state and the URI kids will end up finding jobs as the college has a good placement service. You mentioned moving to other states, NC included,...sure hope for your sake that you don't bring that attitude and your extremely high expectations to NC as, even though there are lots of transplanted northerners down here, you will find yourself ostracized.
I must agree, this state is rotten to the core. Why? TAXES! As a bussines owner I am being forced to relocate to the south so that I can retain my standard of living and pursue my economic ambitions. Forget about the nightlife and historic houses and river fire... blah blah blah. What the hell are young kids graduating from brown or URI going to do once they receive their diplomas. Answer - go to where the work is TN, SC, NC, KY, IN, MS, etc. Georgetown KY has a new Toyota facility, Indiana a new Honda facility, Alabama a new KIA facility ... what the hell does RI have - insurmountable state debt, corrupt politicos and a line for welfare recipients. Yeah I'm angry. And now I'm going to be cruel. I live in Westerly and I hate to travel 30 miles past Narragansett ... why? I hate to see all the filth of Cranston and Warwick. I hate to see the Italianos in their wife beaters with the gold around their necks. I hate to see the dependent latinos with their six kids in tow. I hate to see the filthy winos and pimps with their hands out asking for a couple of bucks. I hate to pay for this human garbage and its only goin to get worse folks. People,like me, with money, and ambition are leaving for good. Good luck Rhodies, and have fun paying for the dregs of society.
After a post like this - I start to think China has something when they prevent humans from reproducing.........
What the hell are young kids graduating from brown or URI going to do once they receive their diplomas. Answer - go to where the work is TN, SC, NC, KY, IN, MS, etc. .
Forget about the rest, but I must say I find that there's some truth in above. I graduated from URI not too long ago and, while of course I don't have any empirical evidence, I find that a lot of the people I knew from URI have been forced to move out of state to find employment. There's some kind of general consensus amongst graduates that unless you've got family/ connections it has become increasingly difficult if not impossible for new grads to find a decent job placement in RI. Lots of young talent leaves. I find it very unfortunate.
So far no one has disputed the basics of my post. Yeah you might not like the way I state things, perhaps a little to gruff and too realistic, but the facts remain the same. As for the fella from NC, I lived in Roanoke VA for 3 years and felt accepted. I never thought of myself as a native because I was not. Here are the facts as I live them. The economy of New England and and the rust belt suffer from two main problems. One - taxes and regulations are high. Two -Right to Work, unions are shoved down the throats of eveyone. These two issues, along with others, contribute to the overall economic decline of states like RI. Take it from a business owner, if I find it more profitable to move my industry elsewhere who suffers the most. My employees loose their jobs, the town where they and I live loose tax revenue, the state looses my portion of my income.... and so on. There is a solution - elect fiscal conservatives - but in a state like this it will never happen. More section 8 housing and tax the ambitious.
I'd like to take a shot at disputing your take of Rhode Island from a native Rhode Islander's point of view...
Nov - April can be cold here in Rhode Island...there are definitely colder places elsewhere. On the up-side, what isn't wonderful about having four seasons to enjoy? Summer brings us to the beautiful beaches, Fall brings us to the wholesome apple orchards, Winter brings us to skiing and skating, and Spring brings us to fresh air and ample gardens to visit and walk through.
Cloudy weather or weather to make you appreciate the sun even more? Unfortunately, Rhode Island could use a little MORE rain in the summer and fall months. We've all had to tend to watering our lawns on designated days during the summer because rain has been so scarce. Lawns this year were on the brown-side because we had a bit too much sun and not enough clouds.
From your remark about driving 30-minutes to any place, all native Rhode Islanders know you can drive from one end of Rhode Island to the other in an hour...30-minutes is required if you drive like a snail.
Whole Foods grocers is a nice place to shop if you are impressing the "Wendy Wasps" or the like. There are plenty of other shopping opportunities here in Rhode Island.
I've lived here most of my life except for some time I spent in Vermont. Most Rhode Islander's are often confused with being aloof and hesitant when in fact we bust-butt to get the job done and spend a little time thinking over the correct way to do things as opposed to jumping in and doing whatever. I do admit that the politicians here are purely that - political manipulators who know how to use their prominent jobs to increase their own comfort zones and pad their friends pockets but these individuals are NOT the typical.
Rhode Islanders are typically not meek and mild. We are a breed of hard-workers and endurers of much...adjusting to the ever changing job-market, the change in weather, etc. Some of the best colleges are here in Rhode Island (e.g. Brown, URI, Bryant University, etc.). There is a lot of welfare here but that, again, is because of political inaptitudes.
Yes, taxes are high but they're getting high everywhere out there. We pay for road repairs because we have the change in weather. We pay for roads because our politicians appropriate funds elsewhere. What our State calls one tax is called something entirely different in another State...we all pass our earned monies over to one fund or another.
The job market isn't wonderful here but for those who are go-getters and not whiners, there are plenty of opportunities. We have some very large corporations that call Rhode Island "home".
Some people don't mind that our Capital is small...Rhode Island, after all, IS the smallest State in the Union and our quaint Capital City is an icon to that. Providence has some beautiful historical areas. It has water-fires, concerts, down-town parks and skating rinks, and other home-town type atmospheres. Native Rhode Islanders remember the history behind the City and appreciate where we are now. I have visited other State's Capital cities that struck me as the "Emerald City".
While most people go through phases that make them think grass is greener elsewhere, when we grow-up, most of us take on a sense of pride about where we live or where we grew up...for those of us who don't, we move on. Rather than taking your education here and using the community to support your ventures, why not venture out into the world and see that Rhode Island or any other State is what YOU make of it. With such a negative attitude about our State, you aren't going to be an integral part of the State's success nor are you going to be anyone that lends a benefit to anyone here.
Best wishes finding your perfect place to live!
Quote:
Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy
I grew up in RI and recently moved back here with the intention of going back to college for a second BA or BS. I can live rent free with my aging parents who live here. Just wanna say I don't know if I can hack it here. Quite frankly, Rhode Island blows. If someone is really into sailing, boating and fishing, I can see why they would like it here. But for everybody else, why in the heck do they live here? I don't get it. I think it's people who've lived here their entire lives without travelling around much, they just don't know about better places to live.
The Rhode Island whiners and haters gripe list:
1. November-April you are freezing your cahunas off day in, day out. Stiff breezes blow in off the Atlantic all day long with a severe bone-chilling cold. 40 dF here feels like 16 dF in the Midwest.
2. 5 days of clouds, clouds, clouds, finally a little sunshine maybe.
3. You have to drive for 30 minutes or more to do anything in RI, whether it's commuting to work, driving to Providence for a little nightlife, or driving to Whole Foods market.
4. People here are humble, down-to-earth and friendly, but there's a sort of complacency and sluggish-energy that irks me. The movers and shakers of the world do NOT live in Rhode Island. It could be summed up as: "Yeah, there's nothing to do around here and the place hasn't changed in fifty years, but who cares".
5. The people of Rhode Island: a. Exclusive rich elitist WASP-ish types going to their fancy events in their fancy cars. If you are not one of them, they don't want ANYTHING WHATSOEVER to do with you. b. Small-town middle-class types. Down-to-earth and simple. They don't get much out of life and don't ask much of life, and they like it that way. c. Some real rough-around-the-edges callous ornery working-class people, many of them daytime drunks and pill-poppers. These peoples' kids were the ones who tortured me when I was a little kid (yes, literally tortured me (and got away with it every time too)).
5. Taxes are real high but all the smaller, local roads are full of cracks and potholes, like roads in Afghanistan or worse, geez.
6. Cost of living in RI is real high, from taxes to food in the grocery stores to real estate. Are there any positives that justify such a major negative factor? (....uhh, nice scenery and beaches just doesn't cut it for me anyway.)
7. The job market in Rhode Island is absolutely horrible. Just horrible. Nothing more to say about that.
8. Providence, RI. Is Providence the smallest city in the US or what? A couple little strips with some night-life, a teeny-tiny downtown skyscraper section mostly abandoned at night. Can anyone say "lame, lame, lame".
The few positives:
1. A nice place to raise a family. Lots of tight-knit, safe friendly communities.
2. The air is fresh most days, thanks to all the sea breezes.
3. It sure is pretty. Beautiful beaches and coastlines, nice foliage, historic buildings n stuff.
4. Lots of higher ed schools packed in a small area, i.e. Brown, Prov College, RISD, many others... This helps promote a healthy amount of cultural offerings: live music performances of every style imaginable, interesting art exhibits, theater, etc., most all of it classy and high-quality.
5. Nice ethnic diversity. Every color and race imaginable here.
Overall though, I don't like living in Rhode Island one bit. Can't wait to leave this place again, hopefully sooner than later !
Excellent and factual post, Wavehunter007!
Your research supports my sensory experience in RI- sunny and mild even in the mid of January on lot of days, having a cup of morning coffee on the deck outside and taking in fresh, clean air.
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- one that shows the original poster simply has an axe to grind with the state, for reasons unknown to us but obviously obsessive to him. There are curmudgeons everywhere and this forum is no exception, but one can complain and disagree without being insulting and offensive, don't you think?
Agree
I grew up in RI and recently moved back here with the intention of going back to college for a second BA or BS. I can live rent free with my aging parents who live here. Just wanna say I don't know if I can hack it here. Quite frankly, Rhode Island blows. If someone is really into sailing, boating and fishing, I can see why they would like it here. But for everybody else, why in the heck do they live here? I don't get it. I think it's people who've lived here their entire lives without travelling around much, they just don't know about better places to live.
