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It depends on your budget and specialty. Basically all of New England will provide an excellent quality of life. The areas closest to Boston and NYC will be the most expensive. The larger interior cities (Hartford, Springfield, Worcester) are generally the most affordable. Each region and city has its own specialty. Going into insurance? Then move to Hartford. Something medical? New Haven or Boston. Finance? Pick Stamford. Paleontology? Go to New Haven for one of the world's best fossil collections at the Peabody. Majored in Lobster catching? Move to Maine.
Unless they are in insurance. Then Hartford, Worcester, Boston.
Lots of 25-ish year olds I know love Providence too.
That's because Providence gives you the best price-to-fun/price-to-vibrancy ratio of any of the major New England cities. And balances grit/arts/culture/refinement the best (or behind Boston IMO).
Although I still think you can surpass Providence's price-to-fun access in pockets of place in Dorchester, Everett, Quincy, Hyde Park, or Lynn.
Depends on your lifestyle. Burlington VT is great if you’re into the outdoors. The best skiing in the Northeast. Great hiking. Water activities on Lake Champlain. A vibrant college town with lots going on. Fairly good job market.
That's because Providence gives you the best price-to-fun/price-to-vibrancy ratio of any of the major New England cities. And balances grit/arts/culture/refinement the best (or behind Boston IMO).
Although I still think you can surpass Providence's price-to-fun access in pockets of place in Dorchester, Everett, Quincy, Hyde Park, or Lynn.
I’m sorry but I just don’t see the hype of Providence. Sure it has some nightlife but it’s really not that big and is mostly limited to college kids and nights when they have WaterFire which occurs twice a month for eight months of the year.
Instead I see a city with significant problems. For example it’s tallest building, the Industrial Trust Building, has sat vacant and crumbling for more than a decade. It’s major shopping mall has lost its upscale anchors and is slowly becoming a cheap run of the mill shopping center even though it has little competition. The city has a long history of questionable politics. You aren’t really seeing improvements beyond a couple neighborhoods like downtown and Federal Hill. The city has the same urban issues most cities have including crime, poverty, poor education, and fleeing businesses (didn’t Citizen Bank just abandon the city?). It’s not great IMHO. Jay
I’m sorry but I just don’t see the hype of Providence. Sure it has some nightlife but it’s really not that big and is mostly limited to college kids and nights when they have WaterFire which occurs twice a month for eight months of the year.
Instead I see a city with significant problems. For example it’s tallest building, the Industrial Trust Building, has sat vacant and crumbling for more than a decade. It’s major shopping mall has lost its upscale anchors and is slowly becoming a cheap run of the mill shopping center even though it has little competition. The city has a long history of questionable politics. You aren’t really seeing improvements beyond a couple neighborhoods like downtown and Federal Hill. The city has the same urban issues most cities have including crime, poverty, poor education, and fleeing businesses (didn’t Citizen Bank just abandon the city?). It’s not great IMHO. Jay
No Providence has always been huge for the inner-city Boston crowd dating back to when my mother was a student at Boston State in the 1980s. That has since expanded to people from all over Eastern Massachusetts.
Providence has PVD Fest and Daytrill. It has way more nightclubs than any city in CT and more strip clubs than any city in New England.
It's also significantlysafer than Hartford or New Haven, and sees a lot more neighborhood-level development. Providence is widely considered to be much better than 20 let alone 40 years ago. Hartford- not so much...The city was nicknamed the Renaissance City for its remarkable turnaround in the 1990s and 2000s.
It also does have Waterfire, yes. And it has Federal Hill 'Little Italy' which is a great place to eat and people watch with tons of options. And A cool festival.
And a nice mall downtown, it doesn't really need the 1/2 upscale stores. Hartford's mall is in West Hartford or East Hartford.
Most people- at least in the Boston and Worcester Areas- have a positive opinion of Providence.
PVD Fest si easily the largest Arts festival in New England in terms of visitors and unlike a similar arts and Ideas festival in New Haven it includes, Fire, light shows, Trapeze artists, Paint, Floats and all types of things and is located in the heart of Providence and its streets, not a park. And it includes late-night programming and theres a lot more coordination with clubs and restaurants throughout the city. As opposed to just like food trucks.
The nightlife is very diverse and definitely more than just college students. Providence is fun mostly because it jsut actually wants to be fun.
No Providence has always been huge for the inner-city Boston crowd dating back to when my mother was a student at Boston State in the 1980s. That has since expanded to people from all over Eastern Massachusetts.
Providence has PVD Fest and Daytrill. It has way more nightclubs than any city in CT and more strip clubs than any city in New England.
It's also significantlysafer than Hartford or New Haven, and sees a lot more neighborhood-level development. Providence is widely considered to be much better than 20 let alone 40 years ago. Hartford- not so much...The city was nicknamed the Renaissance City for its remarkable turnaround in the 1990s and 2000s.
It also does have Waterfire, yes. And it has Federal Hill 'Little Italy' which is a great place to eat and people watch with tons of options. And A cool festival.
And a nice mall downtown, it doesn't really need the 1/2 upscale stores. Hartford's mall is in West Hartford or East Hartford.
Most people- at least in the Boston and Worcester Areas- have a positive opinion of Providence.
PVD Fest si easily the largest Arts festival in New England in terms of visitors and unlike a similar arts and Ideas festival in New Haven it includes, Fire, light shows, Trapeze artists, Paint, Floats and all types of things and is located in the heart of Providence and its streets, not a park. And it includes late-night programming and theres a lot more coordination with clubs and restaurants throughout the city. As opposed to just like food trucks.
The nightlife is very diverse and definitely more than just college students. Providence is fun mostly because it jsut actually wants to be fun.
I never said Providence didn’t improve since the 80’s but it was a pretty bad city back then. I still stand by what I said. The fact is a major employer downtown left for the suburbs and the city’s tallest building has been abandoned for a decade and is falling apart. The heavily state subsidized Providence Place mall has lost its upscale anchors, Lord &Taylor and Nordstrom, as well as J C Penney. It’s left with Macy’s and discount retailer, Boscov’s. I just do not want someone going there thinking they are getting a mini Boston or New York. It’s nothing like that.
Providence has some very nice festivals to visit but most major New England cities do too. You can find YouTube videos of them online as well and they look equally fun.
You are wrong that Providence is “significantly safer” than Hartford and New Haven. According to City-Data’s crime data, Providence’s Crime Index is 304.0. Hartford’s is 379.9. That’s not really a significant difference. Also note that Providence had 13 murders in 2019. Thats the same as New Haven that year. I can’t say that’s significant either.
Don’t get me wrong Rhode Island is a beautiful state with great places to live. The coastline and water of Narragansett Bay is stunning. It might be a great place for the OP. They just should know the facts of living there. Jay
I never said Providence didn’t improve since the 80’s but it was a pretty bad city back then. I still stand by what I said. The fact is a major employer downtown left for the suburbs and the city’s tallest building has been abandoned for a decade and is falling apart. The heavily state subsidized Providence Place mall has lost its upscale anchors, Lord &Taylor and Nordstrom, as well as J C Penney. It’s left with Macy’s and discount retailer, Boscov’s. I just do not want someone going there thinking they are getting a mini Boston or New York. It’s nothing like that.
Providence has some very nice festivals to visit but most major New England cities do too. You can find YouTube videos of them online as well and they look equally fun.
You are wrong that Providence is “significantly safer” than Hartford and New Haven. According to City-Data’s crime data, Providence’s Crime Index is 304.0. Hartford’s is 379.9. That’s not really a significant difference. Also note that Providence had 13 murders in 2019. That's the same as New Haven that year. I can’t say that’s significant either.
Don’t get me wrong Rhode Island is a beautiful state with great places to live. The coastline and water of Narragansett Bay is stunning. It might be a great place for the OP. They just should know the facts of living there. Jay
1) None of the bolded ahs to do with fun. Whatsoever
2) Providence is culturally very very similar to Boston sans the high-end new money.Not perfectly the same but in terms of a neighborhood feel there's not a major city iN New England that feels more similar. That's little bro.
3)Of course you omitted your dear New Haven at 431. And 304 vs 380 is very significant. That's over a 20% difference, nearly 30%. That of course obscures the fact he year before that it had a rate of 481 and 520 the year before that compared to 304 the year before for Providence and 320 the year before that. Its not even close. In fact, Providence was closer to Boston at 257.8 than Hartford.
4) Lol okay compare Providence to New Haven and Hartford in 2020 and 2021. Hartford had 35, New Haven had 25 (22 went unsolved) Providence had 23 despite having 33-35% greater population than either city.
Providence has had 5 homicides as of September 22nd this year this year
New Haven has had 8 Hartford has had 30. As in the Homicide rate is well over 6x Providence's this year.
5) Please share any festival that looks that fun, immersive and diverse in another New England city thats not Boston. Ill wait, because it doesnt exsit.
1) None of the bolded ahs to do with fun. Whatsoever
2) Providence is culturally very very similar to Boston sans the high-end new money.Not perfectly the same but in terms of a neighborhood feel there's not a major city iN New England that feels more similar. That's little bro.
3)Of course you omitted your dear New Haven at 431. And 304 vs 380 is very significant. That's over a 20% difference, nearly 30%. That of course obscures the fact he year before that it had a rate of 481 and 520 the year before that compared to 304 the year before for Providence and 320 the year before that. Its not even close. In fact, Providence was closer to Boston at 257.8 than Hartford.
4) Lol okay compare Providence to New Haven and Hartford in 2020 and 2021. Hartford had 35, New Haven had 25 (22 went unsolved) Providence had 23 despite having 33-35% greater population than either city.
Providence has had 5 homicides as of September 22nd this year this year
New Haven has had 8 Hartford has had 30. As in the Homicide rate is well over 6x Providence's this year.
5) Please share any festival that looks that fun, immersive and diverse in another New England city thats not Boston. Ill wait, because it doesnt exsit.
Overall, if someone wants to live in the city proper, Providence offers more. If they want to live in a suburb, Hartford offers more. If they want a higher paying job and a short commute, Hartford would probably be better. For more higher paying jobs in Providence, you really have to commute to Boston. I think Hartford has a better single art museum but Providence has a better art community overall. Having a few nice colleges intermixed with the city really helps with that.
I think overall, Hartford provides a more stable lifestyle. The best thing would be to live in Providence when you're young and single and then move to a Hartford suburb when you get older and have a family.
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