Private Schools in Providence Area/Commutes/Soccer Clubs (Warwick, Coventry: homes, neighborhoods)

[tennisgrl]

Hello. What a nice forum you Rhody's have.
We may have the opportunity to relocate for my husbands job to the Providence area. I have done a search of old threads and found some great info.

Any advice on private schools? Our children are 9 and 12? Have heard a little about Lincoln for girls, any others?

My husbands office would be in North Kingston. What would a commute from Barrington be like? We love the idea of being on or near water(guess that is a perk for all residents though). Would Newport be a desirable location for year round living? What would that commute look like?

Are there any neighborhoods that you might think specific for us:

Moving from Austin, TX
Early 40's couple and our 2 children, very outdoor active, love good restaurants, good music.
We are looking forward to visiting your pretty state to see if it would be a good fit.

Our son is extremely passionate about soccer. Any suggestions on competive(called select in TX) clubs in the area?

And finally, could anyone please suggest a tennis club. I play regularly and hope I could continue that in Rhode Island.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. Best to all of you.

[Hollytree]

If your husband is working in North Kingston (URI I assume) you might as well look close by for a house. "South County", which is what the southern part of the state is known as, is very charming. Public schools are quite acceptable.

Wickford is an adorable village, Narragansett, Peacedale, or North Kingston itself. You could also take the toll bridge in and out of Newport if you want to live in a city. I would not advise commuting to Barrington! Also, no need to go as far as Lincoln School. Newport has private schools if you really want private- but frankly, as long as you're away from the urban core of the state- no real need to go for private.

Also, look at Jamestown (a gorgeous community) which is right next to Newport. I would imagine most of the public schools have soccer and/or lacrosse teams. Check out Newport's grass tennis courts at the Tennis Hall of Fame.

You may miss Austin's endless summer but I think the quaint charm of this part of NE and all the boats and the ocean water will more than make up for it.

[CoventryDude]

Rocky Hill School is in East Greenwich, just north of North kingstown, it's a country day school, pretty expensive.
That kind of private school? Moses Brown is in Providence, similar cost, highly thought of.

Most towns have leagues, there's an inddor league that plays in Warwick, after texas everyhting here will seem so close by lol....

[tennisgrl]

Originally Posted by CoventryDude

Rocky Hill School is in East Greenwich, just north of North kingstown, it's a country day school, pretty expensive.
That kind of private school? Moses Brown is in Providence, similar cost, highly thought of.

Most towns have leagues, there's an inddor league that plays in Warwick, after texas everyhting here will seem so close by lol....

**Yes. We have heard of and looking at both Rocky Hill and Moses Brown. Any thoughts? Also Lincoln School for Girls.

What kind of commute from Newport to North Kingston?

Soccer is so important to my son, I would think there is quite a bit of competitve soccer clubs in New England(Hope).

Thanks to you and Hollytree for the replies.

[Hollytree]

North Kingston to Providence is 40 minutes in good traffic- once you hit Providence add another 10 to 15 minutes to get to Lincoln School. That sounds like a lot to me to drop kids off at school and pick them up everyday!

Like I said, if I were you I'd locate close to hubby's job unless you're going to be working in Providence? There are private schools in South County. NK to Newport is not bad- maybe 20 min?

I think there is no shortage of soccer in RI: Welcome to Soccer Rhode Island

[tennisgrl]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

North Kingston to Providence is 40 minutes in good traffic- once you hit Providence add another 10 to 15 minutes to get to Lincoln School. That sounds like a lot to me to drop kids off at school and pick them up everyday!

Like I said, if I were you I'd locate close to hubby's job unless you're going to be working in Providence? There are private schools in South County. NK to Newport is not bad- maybe 20 min?

I think there is no shortage of soccer in RI: Welcome to Soccer Rhode Island

Love the Link. Thank You!

No, I do not want to drive 40 minutes. I will take a much closer look to private schools in areas closer to where we will live and work.I think a visit and learning the locations better will be a huge benefit.

Do you think Newport is a reasonable choice from the description of our family in the first post? A year round place and good, fun, close knit neighborhoods?

Thanks Hollytree

[lrfox]

Newport is a VERY small city, that being said, the neighborhoods do vary. You can find, small, comfortable and close-knit neighborhoods, but again, it varies. There are some good values in Newport off of the beaten tourist path (some super charming homes close to the center of town too). Newport is VERY busy in the summer due to tourism. While you have access to great beaches and activities, you have to deal with summer crowds. The outdoor activites you enjoy can be had just as easily in the other recommended towns. Furthermore, Newport public schools are far from wonderful... If you do Newport, go private. If you can spend a little more, Jamestown or Middletown would be nice alternatives (anything REALLY nice in Newport is sure to cost a fortune). The suggestions of East Greenwich, North Kingstown and others were all good too.

If you live in that area (Newport), St. Philomena School is good (it's in Portsmouth). St. Georges or the Portsmouth Abbey are good high school options (they have boarding and day programs). I actually attended St. Philomena's, and enjoyed it. It's a small school (about 50 students per grade, k-8) with a good family. My mother is a Lincoln Alum (graduated with Merideth Viera from NBC) along with her sisters. Her brothers and many of their children were all Moses Brown kids (way back when it was all boys). They have nothing but good things to say about their respective schools. I just hired a recent Moses Brown grad too ... he loved it. If you can manage the commute each day, Moses Brown and Lincoln are worth it. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about Wheeler School to comment on it.

[tennisgrl]

Thank you lrfox

That is really helpful information. Will look into Jamestown and others you mentioned straight away.

[CoventryDude]

I have direct experience with Rocky Hill, it's not far from North Kingstown. My kids had an excellent experience there, and as parents we did too (tuition excepted ).
At RHS my kids had soccer, lacrosse, and sailing as elective sports (others are offered, too).

All of the other schools mentioned have excellent reputations, too.

[tennisgrl]

Originally Posted by CoventryDude

I have direct experience with Rocky Hill, it's not far from North Kingstown. My kids had an excellent experience there, and as parents we did too (tuition excepted ).
At RHS my kids had soccer, lacrosse, and sailing as elective sports (others are offered, too).

All of the other schools mentioned have excellent reputations, too.

Thank you CoventryDude. What part of town exactly is Rocky Hill School located?
I have sent away for information and should the offer be finalized, we will be out for a look-see.

Our kids are really into soccer. Much of a soccer climate in Rhode Island?

Best to you.