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Yeah, we plan on visiting in Jan. of Feb. for about a week or longer to get us enough time to check the place out and find out what area's we'd like to live in.
Thanks for the information, I found someone condo's downtown online and yeah, those look a bit pricey. I'll check out the Westminster street area, thanks for that.
Walking distance, at least in my opinion is like three times one way.
We also plan on getting jobs before we move, or at least get interviews set up for the day after we arrive, that's what we were able to do when moving from San Diego to Phoenix so that would be great. My fiancee will be fine finding a job, shes been doing sales for at least 5 years now and is great at it so she should find one no problem, i tried the whole sales thing and didn't do to well at it, then again the product I was selling, which was people trade in there timeshares for discounts on a cruise, well, those discounts were horrible and only getting worse, therefore it made it real tough unless you lied your butt off and I wasn't going to do that. But right now I work for that same company but sell insurance to the people going on the cruises and doublecheck the information to make sure the booking agent got it all correct. I hear you can make good money selling insurance of course with my company you don't, only $5 extra every time you sell it and when I sell the insurance and if it cost $88 for the trip the company charges $176 so they are making a huge profit, out of that i get only $5, i know, it's stupid.
Try the Projo.com website for listings of apartments,might help,you two definetly sound "East Side" so look around RISDI or Brown areas,I have NEVER heard Hawaii and Providence mentioned in same sentence as relocation possibilities!Thanks for the dog rescue!You guys ROCK!!!
Try the Projo.com website for listings of apartments,might help,you two definetly sound "East Side" so look around RISDI or Brown areas,I have NEVER heard Hawaii and Providence mentioned in same sentence as relocation possibilities!Thanks for the dog rescue!You guys ROCK!!!
Hah, I know. We kind of went to exstremes on our relocation possibilities. I went with all warm weather places that really dont have any seasons because that's what I'm use to being from San Diego, but my Fiancee really wants the snow and I really want the ocean so Providence seems like a nice compromise. Everyone I've talked to who has been there, not to many though, most went there A LONG time ago, but I got a friend at work who grew up in New York and Philidelpha and has been all throughout that area and he said he thinks Providence or Maine would be great choices for us. We're so going providence though, I've wanted to go to Providence since I was 18 and randomly looked places up online.
I've been to the east coast while in the Army and was in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia and visited Maryland but thats it and I'm glad I went there, I always thought I'd love Virginia but it wasn't as great as I thought it'd be.
I also heard from my friend at work who lived in the area up there that he said, in his opinion people get more laid back when you get past New York. That's AWESOME with me considering I'm from San Diego and it's real laid back there.
So anyone know what minimum wage pays? I don't intend on making minium wage but we'll see. No college degree. I've worked in politics back all during high school (well, volunteered and was the top volunteer guy there but in California it's so tough for political parties to raise money and the party I was for the congressional office definately was the underdog) so they couldn't pay me. Personally I loved it a lot, was great at it, and a fast learner, but it didn't pay. If I could get a paid job in politics that'd be great but I bet the pay isn't so good, and long hours (which is fine with me) and without a college degree I bet I couldn't get one.
Where at work at now is a company where people can trade in there timeshares for discounts on a cruise. The company actually does a lot more stuff but the departments I've been in was actually selling the cruises but I wasn't good at it, the savings people got for giving up a timeshare week either weren't availible or rarely were they ever worth it and some of the top sellers in that department have been there since the company opened and have clients calling them back every day to book something or they are great at lying and will lie about how much they save or about what they can get or will find someone gullible and rip them off and I just cannot get myself to do that no matter how much I can make, I just can't do it because I wouldn't want someone to do it to me so I wont do it to someone else, it's not right.
So now i'm in a department where I validate the information the booking agent did, so tell people about the passport requirments, etc and record it so they can't come back later and say no one told them and get there money back, and I double check the spelling, bdates, etc. Main thing i do is sell insurance to those people which I'm a bit better at, it really is a great product and worth getting, of course our company rips people off too making 100% profit. if insurance cost $50 for the total cruise cost in shows in the booking that only our company sees, that the insurance cost was $50, company profit was $50 for a total of $100. Now every time we sell insurance we get and extra $5, not to bad, but considering the amount of money they make, first off its not right they make such a large profit, 2nd we employees who actually sell it should make more money off it since they make anywhere from $50 to about $300 profit on each and we get only $5 of that.
ANyways, I like it, not a big fan of how the company charges but nothing I can do about it but I do like it, and i'm good at it, so if there is a job like that in providence or the area that'd be great.
Anyways, i'm getting way off topic. So yeah...
I should be getting, on this check, a $500 bonus that they said I'd get after my 90 days and its been 90 days so I SHOULD be getting it this paycheck, or so i'm told by some people I went through training with. So I plan on using that for airline tickets!
I've looked at southwest.com, I can get two roundtrip tickets from Phoenix, AZ to Providence, RI for a bit under $500. So I'm going to use that money for the tickets but what we'd really like is a hotel in or around the downtown area that's cheap, I did a bit of looking online at work today but the best price Icould find in that area was like $102 a night, a bit more then i'd like to spend.
I'm also considering maybe getting a rental car (if I can, I think you have to be 25? Not sure, but i'm 23) and get a cheaper hotel further away, only problem...How are the roads in Jan.?
Being from San Diego and living in Phoenix, heck i've never even seen the snow so if I've never seen it how can I really drive in it? I'm a good driver but throw in snow which I've never even seen before, I bet i'd do horrible...so I don't know..
I've looked at southwest.com, I can get two roundtrip tickets from Phoenix, AZ to Providence, RI for a bit under $500. So I'm going to use that money for the tickets but what we'd really like is a hotel in or around the downtown area that's cheap, I did a bit of looking online at work today but the best price Icould find in that area was like $102 a night, a bit more then i'd like to spend.
I'm also considering maybe getting a rental car (if I can, I think you have to be 25? Not sure, but i'm 23) and get a cheaper hotel further away, only problem...How are the roads in Jan.?
Being from San Diego and living in Phoenix, heck i've never even seen the snow so if I've never seen it how can I really drive in it? I'm a good driver but throw in snow which I've never even seen before, I bet i'd do horrible...so I don't know..
RI minimum wage is about 7.40$ I believe. It'll be very hard to make it here on that kind of wage, cost of living is quite high. But maybe you do find a better paying job. On hotels I would suggest that you take a look at places in Seekonk, Mass. If you do get a rental car it's about a 10 min drive from Seekonk to Providence and it seems to me that Seekonk's got more hotels than anything else. Maybe you find a deal there.
On the weather and driving questions - that's tough to answer. This is New England, the weather does what it feels like. Some of our winters here in RI are mild, sometimes it gets really cold really quickly. Sometimes we don't get much snow, sometimes we get so much we don't know how to deal with it.
I found though that the main roads are usually pretty clear and driving is not too much of an issue. It gets a bit tricky with the parking if there's tons of snow and parking on the streets isn't allowed because of it. My guess would be that you'd be ok in January, but again...don't quote me on it.
You shouldn't have to worry about actually having to plough through the snow with your car, usually, things don't get that bad on the main roads. Black ice and all that crap, that's another story.
Actually, the minimum wage here is about $6.75. The record snowfall for Providence is less than 3 ft. So compared to the rest of the country Rhody doesn't get much snow.
But I agree with GermanSpy that it can get very cold very quickly. You usually only get about one blizzard each Winter. Last year we never even really had a real one.
Actually, the minimum wage here is about $6.75. The record snowfall for Providence is less than 3 ft. So compared to the rest of the country Rhody doesn't get much snow.
But I agree with GermanSpy that it can get very cold very quickly. You usually only get about one blizzard each Winter. Last year we never even really had a real one.
Check Labor Standards Minimum Wage (http://www.dlt.ri.gov/ls/minimumwage.htm - broken link) for the minimum wage. Still not enough to make a living on but it's 7.40$.
Yeah, I think we've got one of the highest minimum wages in the US. As sad as that is at 7.40$.
I'm surprised, that is high. Last I checked in California it was 6.75 but I think it's higher then that now. Here in Phoenix it was $5.15 an hour, just went up to like 6.40 an hour in January.
I should be able to get a job making more then minimum wage so i'm not to worried about it, last time I had a job making minimum wage was about 7 years ago when I was in high school.
Well looks like I might not be able to make it in January, I forgot that rumor is at work no one can take time off in the months of January, Feb. and March because it's suppose to be our best time of year for sales. At least last year no one could take time off.
So if I have to I'll wait until April, not too big a deal, or I just plan on going in January during my two days off during the week and call out a few days then once I get back to work send an email to our operations command center requesting to use my Paid Time Off to cover those days, it's a nice way to beat the system.
So yeah, a job shouldn't be to big a deal, I think I'll be alright.
We just about already have our hearts set on moving to Providence, we're still going to visit in the off chance we go and for some reason hate it then we'll just go back to San Diego but I don't see that happening. We're mainly going to go to check out places to find an apartment.
The areas I'm looking at is:
1) downtown providence (but rent is higher then I'd like to pay)
2) College Hill
3) Federal hill
4) Fox Point
5) East Providence
Question...is East Providence a seperate city then Providence? As in a different mayor?
When looking at goolg maps and Providence Neighborhood Profiles (http://204.17.79.244/profiles/index.html - broken link) I get the impression that they are seperate, as in two different cities.
So yeah, a job shouldn't be to big a deal, I think I'll be alright.
We just about already have our hearts set on moving to Providence, we're still going to visit in the off chance we go and for some reason hate it then we'll just go back to San Diego but I don't see that happening. We're mainly going to go to check out places to find an apartment.
The areas I'm looking at is:
1) downtown providence (but rent is higher then I'd like to pay)
2) College Hill
3) Federal hill
4) Fox Point
5) East Providence
Question...is East Providence a seperate city then Providence? As in a different mayor?
When looking at goolg maps and Providence Neighborhood Profiles (http://204.17.79.244/profiles/index.html - broken link) I get the impression that they are seperate, as in two different cities.
Even though I might repeat myself here...but I tell you again: Be mindful of the job market being very tough in Rhode Island. I think you stated above that you don't have any kind of college degree etc. It won't be easy for you to find a good position here and cost of living isn't cheap. Just keep it in mind! If you can somehow arrange for a job before moving please do so.
And about the neighborhoods you're looking at...here's how I would classify them in desirability. Mind you, that's my opinion only.
East Providence
Downtown
Federal Hill
College Hill
Fox Point.
And yes, East Providence is it's own city, not to be confused with the East Side in Providence, which is a very affluent part of town.
I think whether or not you will like Providence, especially downtown, will depend on you and your fiance' and what you have been accustomed to. Here there is a lot of traffic and frequent construction but I seem to manage ok and I grew up in Kentucky although I have traveled all over the country and have also been to three other countries. I don't particularly like the downtown area but I have never been one much for cities although if I felt safer when I do have to go down there I would probably go down there more often.
I have lived here basically since September of 2005 except for leaving for a 4- week travel assignment in Texas as a nurse although I came right back here after vowing I never would so it can't be all that bad.
The I-95 relocation project I believe will be a great addition to the city and as for things to do, if you and your betrothed enjoy getting out and doing lots of different things there is always something going on.
It's warm in the hottest of the summer but I have a feeling, nothing compared with the extreme temperatures Arizona experienced this summer. Overall, Providence is an ok city just like most other big cities as long as you check out where you are going first or use a GPS as some of the streets can be confusing at first. I survived my first 13 weeks doing home health nursing in Providence and if I can do that, anyone can make Providence a positive experience.
If I could choose any place to live in Rhode Island, though, it definitely would not be Providence.
I live in West Warwick and am considering moving next year to a different area of Rhode Island but I'm pretty comfortable in West Warwick so I may not.
The best of luck to you and your fiance' and I'm sure you will be happy to get back to the ocean and there should be enough snow every now and then to keep your lady happy.
Terri
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Opinion from a transplant
