Moving to Newport

[jakedog1]

"P.S. My goodness, if anyone on the forum knows how an intelligent, friendly person with a 4-year liberal arts college degree can find a job in Rhode Island that pays more than $7.00/hr., please please please I beg you post some advice here...."

Seriously? The Jamestown library is hiring. Read the paper.

I make no comments on your personality, as I don't know you, but someone who spews vitrol like
"Most people here strike me as uneducated, ignorant, crass simpletons with foul tempers. They have amassed no personal wisdom during their lives nor appreciation for the outside world whatsoever. "
strikes me as neither friendly nor intelligent.

[fish42]

That was quite a rant, and I'm sorry that's how your experience has been here....although maybe your usernamer says it all: POhdNcrzy (PO'd and Crazy is how I read that...)....

I live in Newport, however I am moving because of the high prices of the housing (I want to buy), even in this market. I am neither rich nor poor (monetarily anyway), and there are decent rentals out there if you look long enough and talk to enough locals to hear about 'their friend who used to live in a certain building and thinks there is a vacant apt there now'...with the spring being the best time to look...and you'll get a much better deal on a yearly lease than short term..although the best deals are on winter rentals (of course), but you'd better have a plan for the summer, cause a summer rental can kill ya. The best is to find a place that has been owned for a long time by the landlord - they usually keep the rent much lower than comprable places where the owner has had them for a shorter time - cause yes, the market did go up that much in just a few years - I have friends who also bought in around 99 or so for $185,000 downtown, and now it's worth $850-$1M.

I have found people here to be friendly, I have friends I'm sad to leave and there are definitely restaurants and sunset water views that I will miss...

And 'tis true though, about the rich and poor here, even if that's not all that is here....there are a few affordable housing complexes that are hidden from your average tourist, and the rich summer people can be a bit much. However, I love walking to downtown and to the water, and I feel safe here - check with the local police department, but mostly things are petty crimes around here - and egging on Cabbage Night (night before Halloween - had never heard of that until I moved here) is routine (don't park on the street that night), summer traffic sucks (make sure your apt has off street parking if downtown), but being able to walk everywhere (even to a grocery store) is great!

[Irish48]

Just had to put my two cents in. I loved in Newport or actually Middletown for a year and a half while my husband went to War College. I fell in love with Newport. Being born and raised in Del Mar, Ca I never thought I would say that. I would go back in a heartbeat. As with anywhere it has it's own problems, I mean really it is New England and New Englander's have made complaining an art form. There are many great places, loved Bristol, Jamestown, Newport. If looking in Newport I love the Kay Street area. Yes, it can get crowded (compared to So. Cal) it is a walk in the park.

[SueO]

I moved to Newport(Middletown) 2 years ago after a long search for a place to live near the water in New England. I find the people, the culture, the arts, and everyday life absolutely delightful. There are lots of happy people who live here, and I find many many people from different parts of the world who love living here. And we are not all rich or poor. I would be more than happy to talk to you more about it.

[POhdNcrzy]

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

A little while ago I lived in Hollywood, California for about 9 weeks, having never lived there or really visited before. Now I'm living back in Jamestown, RI, where I grew up before heading off in 1990 for college and post-college in Boulder, Colorado for about the last 16 years. Jamestown is right next to Newport so I'm very familiar with it. It humors me how I actually make some comparisons now between coastal RI and southern California/LA.

Yes, Newport/Middletown seems to be filled with only the rich and the poor, with lots of high visibility minorities, most of whom seem to be poor or low income. Sort of like the LA area in that regard. Beautiful beaches and scenery seem to account for the very high cost of living, just like LA, but also just like LA, in my opinion, there's really very little to offer that makes the very high cost of living worthwhile, unless you are someone who just has money to burn, as they say. Property taxes and rents here are simply outrageous....

Just like LA, if you are wealthy or the kind of person who owns several homes, yes this can be a great place to live and a sure bet good real estate investment. You are close to Providence, Boston and New York City. Not far from good skiing up north. Plus you have all the beaches and the boating.

Rhode Island is a very insular culture in my opinion, there is a certain vibe here that is ubiquitious. Personally I don't care for the vibe or the Rhode Island culture one iota. Most people here strike me as uneducated, ignorant, crass simpletons with foul tempers. They have amassed no personal wisdom during their lives nor appreciation for the outside world whatsoever. This is not a flame, but it is my honest opinion and heck I've spent more than half my life here. The other day after work in a busy retail strip area in Middletown, I needed a quick jump start having already attached and laid out my own jumper cables, because I had left my headlights on after driving to work in the rain and the battery was drained. I asked 4 motorists for help and was rebuffed until the fifth person I asked. Person one: "I gotta get back to work, sorry." Person two: "Sorry, last week someone hit my car and damaged the side, sorry I can't help you with a jump start" (????!!) Person three: "Sorry buddy, why doncha get AAA like everybody else?" (I do have AAA, but I'm not gonna call them for a jump start that takes less than 30 seconds with any friendly human being with a car). Person four: "Sorry, I'm in a hurry". Person five: "Oh, I gotta be somewhere...oh wait my niece is right over there and she could do it." (Yes, the niece gave me a successful jump start which took less than 1 minute to accomplish) Now I'm not the hugest fan of Colorado either, but one thing's for sure, in Colorado I would have gotten a jump start from the first or second person I asked, for sure. That's how they live out West, by the way.

Much like I concluded about southern California, in my personal opinion, Rhode Island including Newport is one of the most horrible places in the world one could possibly live in. Yeah, I'm kindy picky and I hold strong opinions. Personally, I don't mind that I'm that way.

P.S. My goodness, if anyone on the forum knows how an intelligent, friendly person with a 4-year liberal arts college degree can find a job in Rhode Island that pays more than $7.00/hr., please please please I beg you post some advice here....

I'm constantly getting reps for this post, so I find myself re-reading it. I do wanna make some clarifications, especially now that I've been back in RI for a couple weeks short of 2 full years now....

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

Beautiful beaches and scenery seem to account for the very high cost of living, just like LA, but also just like LA, in my opinion, there's really very little to offer that makes the very high cost of living worthwhile, unless you are someone who just has money to burn, as they say.

Ha ha, that sentence makes me chuckle now. I think LA has a TON of good things to offer. The point is that someone who is low-income or from humble means will really, really suffer and struggle living in LA (until they find a way to handily increase their income somehow, like for example by starring in DVDA scenes in the Valley). I think a similar dynamic exists for life in Newport / Middletown / Portsmouth. I think RI (including Newport) also has a lot to offer for those living there (just not many things/stuff that I'm personally interested in or excited about.)

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

Most people here strike me as uneducated, ignorant, crass simpletons with foul tempers. They have amassed no personal wisdom during their lives nor appreciation for the outside world whatsoever.

I think a significant segment of the RI population meets this unflattering characterization.

However, there are all sorts of wonderful and friendly people in RI of all types and persuasions. There are a goodly number of well-educated and worldly people here. Newport especially (and Providence) have people from many different US states and also all kinds of foreigners, which really helps keep things interesting and counterpoints RI's insular "swamp yankee redneck" culture.

I see of lot of "pay it forward" sentiments and actions expressed on a daily basis here.

I think part of this has to do with living in a state with a high concentration of older people. Older people generally are more mature, sophisticated, and have learned a lot over the years about how to live comfortably and peacefully with others.

Here's what I get riding my road bike around RI that really impresses me (when it doesn't annoy or scare the heck out of me):

--- At dusk or night overtaking drivers follow me slowly and light up the road with their highbeams for me.

--- People slow down and cheer me on, and offer compliments! (Wow!!)

--- People give me room and go out of there way to drive safely around me.

--- Every bike ride in RI you get passed by at least two vehicles doing an obvious imitation of "Cheech & Chong"-style hotboxing, including a reeking odor of massive marijuana cigarettes and trailing plumes of cannabis vapors. I don't know how educated or polite or old these folks are, but I can assure you that they are really, really stoned! When you are riding a bike and working your ass off, it's really great to be pleasantly interrupted by funny going's on!

--- I always wave and say "Hi" to people, and they always return it. Amazing how you can live in places where it's not like that!

By the way, I don't ride my bike in Newport, that would be certain death!

[Fudgecopper]

Wow, pretty amazing how you feel you are worthy enough to comment on Southern California after living there for a whopping 9 weeks. You must know all about living there!
EDIT: Just saw your recent posting. I agree with the last post. YOur first post just seemed extremely biased and negative.

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

A little while ago I lived in Hollywood, California for about 9 weeks, having never lived there or really visited before. Now I'm living back in Jamestown, RI, where I grew up before heading off in 1990 for college and post-college in Boulder, Colorado for about the last 16 years. Jamestown is right next to Newport so I'm very familiar with it. It humors me how I actually make some comparisons now between coastal RI and southern California/LA.

Yes, Newport/Middletown seems to be filled with only the rich and the poor, with lots of high visibility minorities, most of whom seem to be poor or low income. Sort of like the LA area in that regard. Beautiful beaches and scenery seem to account for the very high cost of living, just like LA, but also just like LA, in my opinion, there's really very little to offer that makes the very high cost of living worthwhile, unless you are someone who just has money to burn, as they say. Property taxes and rents here are simply outrageous....

Just like LA, if you are wealthy or the kind of person who owns several homes, yes this can be a great place to live and a sure bet good real estate investment. You are close to Providence, Boston and New York City. Not far from good skiing up north. Plus you have all the beaches and the boating.

Rhode Island is a very insular culture in my opinion, there is a certain vibe here that is ubiquitious. Personally I don't care for the vibe or the Rhode Island culture one iota. Most people here strike me as uneducated, ignorant, crass simpletons with foul tempers. They have amassed no personal wisdom during their lives nor appreciation for the outside world whatsoever. This is not a flame, but it is my honest opinion and heck I've spent more than half my life here. The other day after work in a busy retail strip area in Middletown, I needed a quick jump start having already attached and laid out my own jumper cables, because I had left my headlights on after driving to work in the rain and the battery was drained. I asked 4 motorists for help and was rebuffed until the fifth person I asked. Person one: "I gotta get back to work, sorry." Person two: "Sorry, last week someone hit my car and damaged the side, sorry I can't help you with a jump start" (????!!) Person three: "Sorry buddy, why doncha get AAA like everybody else?" (I do have AAA, but I'm not gonna call them for a jump start that takes less than 30 seconds with any friendly human being with a car). Person four: "Sorry, I'm in a hurry". Person five: "Oh, I gotta be somewhere...oh wait my niece is right over there and she could do it." (Yes, the niece gave me a successful jump start which took less than 1 minute to accomplish) Now I'm not the hugest fan of Colorado either, but one thing's for sure, in Colorado I would have gotten a jump start from the first or second person I asked, for sure. That's how they live out West, by the way.

Much like a concluded about southern California, in my personal opinion, Rhode Island including Newport is one of the most horrible places in the world one could possibly live in. Yeah, I'm kindy picky and I hold strong opinions. Personally, I don't mind that I'm that way.

P.S. My goodness, if anyone on the forum knows how an intelligent, friendly person with a 4-year liberal arts college degree can find a job in Rhode Island that pays more than $7.00/hr., please please please I beg you post some advice here....