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Old 08-08-2007, 04:05 PM
 
Location: Rhode Island
688 posts, read 2,127,245 times
Reputation: 332

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Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyFan View Post
German Spy -- I'm not opposed to suburbs of Providence by any means, but the main reasoning is just the layout of the land. I'm looking for something more "urban" or dense -- living with large forests in my backyard has been an allergy issue in the past. Still, the Centre of New England development in Coventry looks appealing to me -- I'd definitely be interested in something like that as well. I just don't want a 1/2 acre lot again!
I see. Check out Coventry, Bristol and Warren maybe, too. Warren has some condo development in the old American Tourister building on the table. If that'll happen some interesting changes will be witnessed in that small town.

The more densely populated part of the East Bay area might fit your bill.

Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyFan View Post
GermanSpy -- thanks for the comments and advice. It's interesting to hear your comments on downtown. My next question -- and perhaps this would be best to go over to the other thread (Is Providence for me?)... but do you see the downtown furthering the resurgence, in the fashion of LoDo in Denver or other similar areas, or will it stay more as a commute for entertainment area?
This is the scoop on Downtown Providence. People will often say that Downtown went through a renaissance. They don't really talk only about Downtown though. They think of developments like the Providence Place Mall, the waterpark development etc which replaced a zone of urban blight. Very nice.

Downtown itself though is still in trouble. Granted, lots of old office buildings have been changed into 'luxury' condos or lofts and the owners of these developments try hard to get retail into Downtown. But, unfortunately maybe, retail doesn't live long in Downtown Providence. People don't come here for shopping often. There're parking issues. The Providence Place Mall offers parking and safe 'mall walking' so that's where people go.

Also, Downtown Providence is close to Kennedy Plaza which is the main hub for RIPTA, public transit. Lots of people in RI would rather walk than ride a RIPTA bus, especially after dark. The crowd at Kennedy Plaza is sometimes a bit 'problematic'. Go into the CVS at Kennedy Plaza sometime and you'll know what I mean. This is the reason Downtown will never have a grocery store or deli or what have you. There's no market you can walk to to get some food. No paperbag with french bread and vegetables sticking out of it like in Manhattan. That means people who look for that kind of life don't live in Downtown Providence. Also, rents and property are simply expensive. Remember, 'luxury' is the keyword here. Forget the student/artist crowd, they can't really afford Downtown and choose other areas of Providence to live. So that leaves you with people who can afford to live here but you'll never see their faces.

But anyways, yes, nightlife is very big in Providence. On the weekend nights, 1 AM or 2 AM, there's a crazy horde on the streets as the clubs are closing.
But at 3.30 AM only ghosts walk around in Downtown Providence again.

Last edited by GermanSpy; 08-08-2007 at 04:27 PM..
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Old 08-08-2007, 05:41 PM
 
Location: North Port, Florida
774 posts, read 2,365,577 times
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kennedy plaza is a real trouble spot because RIPTA buses use it as a hub and therefore all the troublemakers, drug addicts, hustlers, from all surrounding parts of the city funnel in there and "get into it " with themselves/others.
The police are at there but it goes on none the less. Most people I talk to don't like riding RIPTA because of problems on the bus or at Kennedy Plaza.

The revitalization of Providence is limited to a rather small area, as
Germanspy mentioned in the previous post.
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Old 08-08-2007, 07:11 PM
 
450 posts, read 1,897,825 times
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Thanks for the information. Certainly, downtown Providence has a somewhat different image than I anticipated, although it does sound like a fun place to be close to -- I've enjoyed it as a visitor in the past.

Just how bad is Kennedy Plaza -- do you have to avoid walking in the area?

What about East Providence? The redevelopment on the waterfront looks interesting, and the crime rates appear low. Also, it's a more urban-style community and close to downtown -- looks like a strong possibility.
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Old 08-08-2007, 09:35 PM
 
Location: North Port, Florida
774 posts, read 2,365,577 times
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Reports on Kennedy Plaza during the day are that when school is in session, students and non-students are all over the place and trouble often finds them. (Students ride RIPTA in Providence).
As for the evening, I used to park near there to go to Providence College Basketball Games but stopped that because walking to the Civic Center from there just didn't feel safe.

East Providence is okay... historically an area in which a lot of Portuguese settled. Working class area if you will.

Keep in mind that Rhode Island is a very small place and except for traffic tie-ups, you can get from Warwick, Coventry, western Cranston, etc to Providence in only about 20 minutes.
There's just not a lot of good reasons to stick yourself in the city unless you really want that.
To the north of Providence... Lincoln and Cumberland are very nice areas as well.
Don't forget that taxes and home prices are very high in Providence, so you can find a much nicer place in the burbs and not really pay more.

Good Luck
Mikey
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Old 08-09-2007, 12:48 AM
 
Location: Rhode Island
688 posts, read 2,127,245 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyFan View Post
Thanks for the information. Certainly, downtown Providence has a somewhat different image than I anticipated, although it does sound like a fun place to be close to -- I've enjoyed it as a visitor in the past.

Just how bad is Kennedy Plaza -- do you have to avoid walking in the area?

What about East Providence? The redevelopment on the waterfront looks interesting, and the crime rates appear low. Also, it's a more urban-style community and close to downtown -- looks like a strong possibility.
During the day I really wouldn't be too worried about walking around Kennedy Plaza. Yes, you'll get panhandled three times, but that's something you'll get used to living Downtown. At night, things change a bit. It gets a bit more edgy and you can get in trouble there. Not a huge risk but I would try to avoid it if possible.

East Providence is a pretty good spot to be, it's quite safe and you can hop over the bridge to the gorgeous Providence Eastside. Keep in mind, just like Mikey said, you can get around quickly in RI if (IF) traffic lets you. And traffic can be really bad around Providence. So choose wisely where you live depending on where you'll have to commute too. You don't want to get yourself in a situation, for example, where you work in Warwick and live in, let's say, Bristol. Everytime you've got to get through Providence traffic during rush hour you'll be cursing up a storm.

So do what everybody does: Find a nice place outside of Providence, come visit Downtown when you want entertainment and go back home when done. But don't fall for the "Oh, Downtown Providence is totally artsy and a cool spot to be' shtick the realtors try to pull off. It's not there yet and after living here for five years I'm not sure it'll ever be.
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Old 08-10-2007, 06:35 PM
 
450 posts, read 1,897,825 times
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Thanks again for the comments! I have to say, I was hoping downtown Providence had progressed more as a living place, but it sounds like suburbs are still the main option. It's not so much particular nightlife, as just the environment of not living in a remote-feeling suburb that I'm looking for. Not sure whether or not the Providence area fits that bill.. I may need to check it out a bit more. Overall, still sounds like a nice place to live though!
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Old 08-11-2007, 11:38 PM
 
Location: North Providence, RI
5 posts, read 39,905 times
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Default North Providence and Cranston

Hello. Just wanted to let you know that North Providence and Cranston are also good places to check out. They are both about 5-10 minutes from Providence. And they have parts that are not full of trees etc. The crime rate is low and they both have a lot of things to do in both cities.
Most of the places around here are smoke-free so all the "smoker's" are now outside in confined areas. I saw someone put a post that related to Broad Street in Providence......It is definatly Urban but not a place that I would move into quite yet. The crime is high in that area. But the city and state is also cleaning up the area. I now this isn't much to go on but I figured some more info would be helpful.
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Old 09-25-2007, 11:54 PM
 
4,202 posts, read 3,083,927 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyFan View Post
Thanks again for the comments! I have to say, I was hoping downtown Providence had progressed more as a living place, but it sounds like suburbs are still the main option. It's not so much particular nightlife, as just the environment of not living in a remote-feeling suburb that I'm looking for.
I think you should definitely check out the East Side of Providence. This is where Brown University and RI School of Design are located and is a safe area - a mixture of upscale, yuppie, old money and young, funky students. There's a lot of history here, and definitely lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance - particularly the closer you get to Thayer St, the main business street that serves the Brown kids or near Wayland Square or parts of North Main Street and Wickendon Street. Honestly, it sounds exactly what you're looking for, and you can walk to downtown, but it comes with a steeper price tag. The lower part of the hill near Benefit Street feels more urban but it gets more suburban near Blackstone Blvd, a divided road with a park through the middle of it that is popular with walkers, joggers and dog owners.

Alternatively, you might want to check out the 903 condos near the Prov Place Mall or the new condo development at Waterplace Park - sorry, can't remember the name. Other areas to check out are Pawtuxet Village, Edgewood, Cranston near Rolfe Square - these aren't Providence but they're not far and they have that neighborhood feel where you can walk to many amenities.
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Old 09-29-2007, 02:38 PM
 
Location: SC
9,101 posts, read 16,385,883 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyFan View Post
Hello everyone -- I know I've posted here in the past regarding housing, and while I'm still open to ideas on that, I thought the best thing to do is describe myself and see if I'd fit in well in Providence.

I'm early 30s, single, straight male and looking for an area where I'm not an oddity -- in other words, something that isn't all traditional families. Diversity and open-mindedness is very important to me. Safe neighborhoods -- in the sense that gunfights aren't a daily occurance -- are important, but it does not have to be a zero crime area.

I'm a sports fanatic, especially hockey, and traditionally meet a lot of people through hockey. I have allergies -- seasonal allergies can be bad, especially to grass and weeds -- but my worst is cigarette smoke. I simply have to avoid any social situations that include cigarette smoke (tobacco allergy to be exact) or risk weeks of infections and doctors visits.

I'm laid-back in the sense that I am open minded and believe people can do whatever they want with their lives, yet I'm a fast-paced type of person in many ways. Not rat-race fast-paced, but just someone who likes to be busy and active 100% of the time. I also enjoy people -- I enjoy conversation, but I also am someone who appreciates my own space.

I'm not a red tape person, and I appreciate trust. When a 50 year old is asked for an ID to buy a beer, I don't view it as vigilance against underage drinking -- I view it as a lack of trust. I also like to do things without a lot of red tape -- my philosophy is I trust others, and hope that is returned.

For housing, new housing is a strong preference (yes, I know this could be the issue). Condos, townhomes, or single family homes on small lots are a strong preference.

I've been to Providence for a couple of days and loved it... is it a place I'd love living? Thanks!
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

Newport is only 30 miles from Providence and is a lot safer and more walkable. Plus you are only seconds from nice beaches and you won't find any beaches in Providence. There are lots of youngish people here too. Many clubs and restaurants, all within walking distance to my townhouse which happens to be for sale. If you are interested, Email me and I will send you website links and details etc.

Last edited by Yac; 01-09-2008 at 05:29 AM..
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Old 10-16-2007, 11:14 AM
 
Location: Lincoln, RI
105 posts, read 404,589 times
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Another great site for apartments is rentprov (.com) for apartments. Don't let the name fool you, they have apartments all over RI.
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