teaching and living in rhode island (Providence, Cranston: mortgage, credit, lender)

[eslteacher]

My boyfriend and I are considering moving to somewhere in rhode island. I have been teaching 2nd grade in NYC for three years and I'm ready for a change. My Masters is in Teaching English as a Second Language, so I would need to work somewhere with a significant immigrant population. What schools/ areas have a lot of English Language Learners? How about in the Providence? How is the pay compared with the cost of living?

I am in my mid 20s and would love to live somewhere with other people my age. We are looking to rent an apt. or condo. Are there places that have affordable apts with some amenities?

[Signora]

Hello,
Well, I grew up mostly in RI and am now living in East Providence. Since you are coming from NYC the prices shouldn't shock you too much. It is pretty expensive to live here. I am in an ok apartment with three small bedrooms. There is an outdoor (unheated) pool, a fairly run-down tennis court, and a laughable putting green... for $1,500 per month. You can find cheaper rents through private parties, but you never know what will happen in those situations when it comes to repairs....

As for ESL teaching.... The area I am in has a lot of people whose first language is Portuguese. There is an elementary school nearby that buses in all the ESL elementary students. The local library also offers free English conversation courses run by volunteers.

Providence has a TON of young people and a lot of things to do. There are several higher education institutions in the city alone. Apartment and condo prices are lower outside the city (and there are definitely some areas you want to avoid in the city). The bus line from where I live in East Providence is convenient to get to the city, though I mostly drive now because I have small children. There are several new condo and apartment areas in the city and the course of one of the major highways into the city (195) is being altered (right now construction is kind of a pain), which will open up more land (though I don't know what the time tables are on construction).

I have enjoyed living in RI, though I found life in the midwest more do-able with chilren and we will probably be moving soon.

I hope that this helps a little....

[eslteacher]

Thanks. What areas of providence should I avoid? Also, what are some nice suburbs?

[Chris M]

The elimination of stress in my life is a high priority. Because of that, I wouldn't want to live in the city of Providence.

I really wouldn't want to work in the city unless it was worth the headache. I am sure if you are fancy-schmancy television reporter or a business person with a private parking spot, it might be bearable. But honestly, there is minimal parking, and you have to pay for it.

There is an overnight parking ban in the streets of Providence. If it snows, you are also prohibited to park on the street even in front of your house.

The main highway running through Providence is also a nightmare because it bottlenecks the intersecting Route 146, Route 6, 195, and Route 10. It is literally bumper to bumper around the "s" curves where the big Blue Bug is.

Providence is beautiful, but I wouldn't live in the city.

I would suggest staying away from South Providence.

I have lived in Cumberland, North Providence, and Cranston, and Cumberland would be my choice to return to.

For a one bedroom apt, you looking at atleast $800-1000. Two-bedrooms are $1000+.

I wish I had my master's degree. Assuming your credit is good, I would look into purchasing a home. A lender like you see on tv during the commercials is easier to obtain financing from than your typical bank. The interest you pay on a mortgage is a write off decreasing your overall tax burden when you file.

Also if you buy a house or condo, there is a good chance that when you go to sell you will make money. My mother bought a house in Cumberland in 1997 for $100k, and in 2004, it sold for $254k.

Congratulations again on the Master's.

[Signora]

Yes,
The traffic is horrible. My husband lives about 5 minutes away from his job and it sometimes takes him 45 to get home. Of course, your original message says that you are coming from NYC... so it might not seem so bad to you....

Other areas to stay away from are Central Falls, near the hospitals, and near the beautiful capital building. There are more, but it's morning and my brain isn't quite awake, yet . The best thing to do if you are really set on living in Providence is to come take a look. You should also drive the road from the place you are thinking of living to where you would be working. I have actually changed my route to take my kids on a certain play date because every time we drove he old one past the capital building someone was being throw down and cuffed. Explain that to a five-year-old!

There are some nice areas outside of Providence as the previous message states. Cranston, Cumberland, Westerly (a bit far), East Providence (parts), Lincoln, etc.... The East Side in the city is nice, too (but expensive!)

If you were coming from the midwest, I would say that the stress factor is a part of life (traffic, road rage...), but again... I think you find similar situations on a grander scale in NYC. It took us some time after moving back from the midwest to get used to the "rudeness" (which often is NOT meant to offend) again.

As far as real estate, this might actually be a good time to buy. There have been places that have been on the market forever and prices have been reduced a little. You might find people a bit more ready to bargain....

I hope this has helped.

[ProvGuy]

If you're in your 20's, you'll probably want to live in Providence. The rest of the places around it are quite boring, all the good nightlife is in Providence proper. The entire East Side is nice and close to everything Providence is about. Also, Federal Hill is very cool with tons of Italian restaurants and bakeries, etc. Or, you could always live right downtown depending on your price range. The Elmhurst neighborhood is nice if you like more suburban areas still close to nightlife.