Thoughts on young family moving to Bristol? schools, community, etc (Barrington: house, employment)
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I grew up in Bristol, RI from '53 to '71 and moved away. Visited every year thereafter until about 9 years ago. If I could afford to retire in Bristol, that is where I would go. It's a beautiful town. Winters can be brutal, but so can Chicago winters (lived there, too).
Colt State Park is one of the best parks around, anywhere. This little town gets more popular every year and understandably so.
We are city boys from Chicago! We fell in love with this state! It offers so much that a big city has to offer but you have small town really cute villages, the incredible scenery, great people and location location location! The winters are a piece of cake compared to Chicago and the summers are pretty spectacular. NYC 3 hours by train south...Boston 60 minutes by commuter rail north. All the northeastern states. I don't normally drive and get around pretty much all the state via public transportation (not close to Chicagoland but pretty good).
If we could...the east side of the bay would have been our first choice (my partner is an emergency responder and must by on the west side of the bay). We love living in the center part of the state and eventually will retire in south county (Narragansett/Wakefield area). Food is also pretty incredible here! Providence also has a thriving arts scene. It is a blue state and has all the diversity score cards Chicago has filled are here too!
I have friends who are teachers in the district. They sent their kids to Catholic schools.
You have to watch the neighborhoods..... especially with lower priced properties..... as many are in flood zones. It's nice to be near the water, but it comes with hidden price tags.
A bit awkward commute to Boston from that area though if one of you winds up working there.
I live in Warren. Bristol and Warren have a unified school district. My girlfriend happens to be a teacher and has taught at the Bristol-Warren schools as well as more urban areas of the state. The school ratings in RI are what they are. Barrington and East Greenwich are known for being the best in the state, with most other districts falling behind. With that being said, based on what I have heard about the Bristol-Warren schools, I would have no problem sending my children there. The schools are significantly better than the more urban districts in RI and provide better services for students and lower student-teacher ratios. If you desire the best of the best and are set on the East Bay, Barrington would be your town. Your budget will buy you less house in Barrington vs. Bristol, but you should still be able to find something. Keep in mind what was mentioned about flood zones. Most of Barrington is in a flood zone, along with a significant part of Warren and some of Bristol along the harbor. This means expensive flood insurance, reduced real estate value, as well as constant concern about the next big hurricane, which we will see at some point. Check both the the FEMA maps and the state storm surge inundation maps (Evacuation Information-Emergency Management Agency).
RI has had a bleak employment outlook for some time, although it depends on the sector in which you will be seeking employment. Many manufacturing jobs have left the state. The economy is mostly service-oriented with a large number of healthcare and government employers. Working in Boston is doable and I did it for several years, although the commute can be a headache at times. From the Bristol area you may be looking at 1 hr 30 mins with traffic on a decent day. The nearest commuter rail is going to be Providence or Attleboro which will take you at least 30 minutes to drive to. If working in Boston is a must I would consider a closer border town, either on the MA side off I-195 (access to MA-24) or near the Attleboro line.
Welcome to exploring Rhode Island! I relocated to Providence from New York City. I grew up on the North Shore of Boston (where I can't afford to live!) and felt at home in RI where it is much more affordable. I now have a child and have considered relocating myself to a local town but my standards are high and my money still a bit low... so in Prov we stay for now! My sister lives in Bridgewater by the way and it now has a pretty sweet downtown- I considered it, except it was a little TOO close to that sister! So here are some towns I considered: Bristol and Warren (great downtown areas, on the water, affordable homes, distinctive town character, fine schools), East Greenwich (lovely downtown, good schools, increased snotty factor), Barrington (decent downtown, lovely water, good schools, definite snotty factor), Narragansett (good schools, lovely beach!, lots of tourists in the summer), Wakefield/South Kingstown (beautiful small New England town, good schools- although I don't know much about the high school), Jamestown (gorgeous beach town, great elementary and middle schools- kids then go to North Kingstown which is "ok", I'm priced out of Jamestown but you might not be!), and Portsmouth (good schools, lovely countryside, beaches, but not an interesting downtown). I also have looked at North Attleborough in MA- decent schools and a lovely downtown. Just my two cents! And I'm in the healthcare field- had no problems getting my practice up and thriving. It is all word of mouth here and it works. Even in Prov, there is a town like feel to the place. Come and visit and good luck!
Having lived in Barrington, I can tell you that the town has one of the best school systems in the entire state of RI. With that being said, the taxes are very high. There are currently plans to renovate/build a new middle school soon so this will mean even higher taxes, although I'm sure the school will be top notch and beautiful once it's complete. You can definitely find a property in your desired price range in Barrington. It really depends on how interested you are in renovating and fixing it up to suit your style. Keep in mind that many of the lots are small and close together so if a private yard is your thing, you may have trouble finding it here. There are many older homes in town with great character, but many require a decent amount of work. As for the general vibe in town, there are very nice, down to earth people but also plenty of elitist, snobs. Some, for example, can barely manage eye contact and a simple thank you when you hold the door for them as you are leaving a store. Then there are others who are all about keeping up with the Jones' and who's got the nicest Rover or Porsche SUV, plenty of which you'll see around town.
1. I have immediate family members in Bristol and I have been going there for well over two decades. They have lived in Bristol for over 40 years and live within a walking distance from the Mount Hope High School. They have very low opinion of Bristol schools, and they sent their kids to Catholic schools.
2. Note that, based on what I was told, the GreatSchools ratings are based on other schools in the state. Thus, a 9 in RI is nothing like a 9 in Boston suburbs. For example, Barrington HS is exemplary in RI with 1800 average SAT, but that's nothing in MA. Take a look at this report from Barrington. In the back (p. 28 or so), you will see scores from Mt. Hope High, too: http://www3.barringtonschools.org/sc...%20Jan2015.pdf I love Barrington but it is more expensive and higher taxes. But they have mostly well educated people who are nice to deal with.
3. Bristol is a beautiful town, a little pricey but if you are used to Chicago and Boston prices, it will look like a bargain.
4. You would get a better bang for your buck in the adjacent town of Warren and Swansea, MA (adjacent to Warren), but their schools are mediocre too. Warren has great restaurants, and Swansea has better shopping options in some ways. $450K will get you a sweet home, and taxes are lower. Portsmouth is very nice, too. All within 5-10 minutes of the Colt State Park and downtown Bristol.
5. If you are going to live in that area, look at St. Philomena School (from pre-K up to 8th) in Portsmouth. . . that's where most of the area doctors send their kids (always a good indication of quality). They charge about $8,000 per year but it is an excellent school, and your kids will be surrounded by nice, well behaved kids which is of paramount importance..
6. If you are getting a job in Boston, be prepared for a 1.5 hour commute each way unless you go way early and come back way late. I know a bunch of people commuting to Boston from the Bristol area, and they all get fed up sooner or later. If a partial telecommute is a possibility, it is doable. Providence could be bad too on I-195 around East Providence.
Good luck. You will love the area if you can put up with winters!!!
Hello!
Bristol is a very quaint town as is Barrington. If you like homes with more character rather than new cookie cutter homes, that is definitely a town to find it. East Greenwich is also nice as is Cumberland, Lincoln, Smithfield. Hope this helps!
Sorry for the delay- I didn't see any of the new responses on here. I just wanted to say thank you so much for this info/analysis. This makes me feel SO much better- especially from someone who gets Chicago (the awesome and the bad). Thanks so much!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicago3rd
We are city boys from Chicago! We fell in love with this state! It offers so much that a big city has to offer but you have small town really cute villages, the incredible scenery, great people and location location location! The winters are a piece of cake compared to Chicago and the summers are pretty spectacular. NYC 3 hours by train south...Boston 60 minutes by commuter rail north. All the northeastern states. I don't normally drive and get around pretty much all the state via public transportation (not close to Chicagoland but pretty good).
If we could...the east side of the bay would have been our first choice (my partner is an emergency responder and must by on the west side of the bay). We love living in the center part of the state and eventually will retire in south county (Narragansett/Wakefield area). Food is also pretty incredible here! Providence also has a thriving arts scene. It is a blue state and has all the diversity score cards Chicago has filled are here too!
This is extraordinarily helpful. Thank you for taking the time to explain all this.
Especially when it comes to the Bristol schools and the great schools analysis...I have been trying to figure out what it means from state to state and this helps. Thank you for sending that link- I am about to look at it right now.
Sounds like a smaller/cheaper home in the Barrington area may be the way to go if we stick with the Rhode Island area.
And I think you are absolutely right about the Boston commute. I love that there is train access there but I grew up in the South Shore of Mass where despite being only 20 or so miles away, a 1.5-2hr commute was in the norm and I am trying everything in my power to not end up in that same situation. That is actually why my husband and I are looking into RI (and employment in Providence) because all the Boston suburbs within a commutable distance (and good schools) are WAY beyond our budget and everywhere in our budget would be a terrible commute. I wouldn't mind if it were once a week or something along those lines of course but trying to be careful of what we set ourselves up for.
Thank you again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MTQ3000
1. I have immediate family members in Bristol and I have been going there for well over two decades. They have lived in Bristol for over 40 years and live within a walking distance from the Mount Hope High School. They have very low opinion of Bristol schools, and they sent their kids to Catholic schools.
2. Note that, based on what I was told, the GreatSchools ratings are based on other schools in the state. Thus, a 9 in RI is nothing like a 9 in Boston suburbs. For example, Barrington HS is exemplary in RI with 1800 average SAT, but that's nothing in MA. Take a look at this report from Barrington. In the back (p. 28 or so), you will see scores from Mt. Hope High, too: http://www3.barringtonschools.org/sc...%20Jan2015.pdf I love Barrington but it is more expensive and higher taxes. But they have mostly well educated people who are nice to deal with.
3. Bristol is a beautiful town, a little pricey but if you are used to Chicago and Boston prices, it will look like a bargain.
4. You would get a better bang for your buck in the adjacent town of Warren and Swansea, MA (adjacent to Warren), but their schools are mediocre too. Warren has great restaurants, and Swansea has better shopping options in some ways. $450K will get you a sweet home, and taxes are lower. Portsmouth is very nice, too. All within 5-10 minutes of the Colt State Park and downtown Bristol.
5. If you are going to live in that area, look at St. Philomena School (from pre-K up to 8th) in Portsmouth. . . that's where most of the area doctors send their kids (always a good indication of quality). They charge about $8,000 per year but it is an excellent school, and your kids will be surrounded by nice, well behaved kids which is of paramount importance..
6. If you are getting a job in Boston, be prepared for a 1.5 hour commute each way unless you go way early and come back way late. I know a bunch of people commuting to Boston from the Bristol area, and they all get fed up sooner or later. If a partial telecommute is a possibility, it is doable. Providence could be bad too on I-195 around East Providence.
Good luck. You will love the area if you can put up with winters!!!
Mick
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