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I should point out to the OP that North Providence is a separate city from Providence which is what he asked about.
Correct. North Providence is not the northern end of Providence, but an entirely different town. And, I might add very well run with top city services. The trash is picked up and the snow plowed, as well as, if not better than anywhere in RI.
I'm sort of surprised that someone recommended the East Side. From what I remember that part of town was probably the most educated, liberal, and "yuppified" part of Providence. If you're looking for blue-collar/working-class/"Guido" areas I wouldn't recommend the East Side at all.
Definitely look into Cranston - the area around Park and Reservoir is still a lot of Italians and it's very much a working class neighborhood. There are other areas of Cranston but that is the one I am most familiar with.
Elmhurst in Providence would be a good place also. Especially near Academy on either side of Smith St and on up Smith into N. Prov.
If you don't own a car, that's also a good area for getting around by bus.
So many people come here from NY and expect Providence to be dirt cheap.
I came from New York and I definitely find Providence to be dirt cheap. Not Providence, I know, but I bought a four-bedroom house in the highest-income town in the state. Out of curiosity, I did a search for single-family homes in Queens (the "Borough of Homes") up to around $25,000 more than I paid for my Rhode Island house. While they exist, literally every single one is in a neighborhood that is at best marginal and at worst a gang-infested war zone. Amazingly -- and this kind of shocked even me, who was expecting stark results -- there wasn't even one in the entire northern half of the county, which is on average more middle class. The OP's neighborhood of Howard Beach is in the southern half, but there aren't any there, either.
See the block of modest houses that the OP posted? Those likely average about $700,000. Something I wondered a lot when I was living in Queens in my one-and-a-half-bedroom apartment, with my middle-management office job where I got to boss around vendors from lots of companies with "Net" in their names, was how mechanics and HVAC guys were able to afford $700,000 houses. (When I did some digging, the answers ranged from "inherit them" to "work a second and third job at night" to "go into massive debt and ultimately get foreclosed").
To bring this back to Providence, for $650,000, I just found an immaculate, 3,000-square-foot house on friggin' Benefit Street with off-street parking plus a "parking lot for income."
I came from New York and I definitely find Providence to be dirt cheap. Not Providence, I know, but I bought a four-bedroom house in the highest-income town in the state. Out of curiosity, I did a search for single-family homes in Queens (the "Borough of Homes") up to around $25,000 more than I paid for my Rhode Island house. While they exist, literally every single one is in a neighborhood that is at best marginal and at worst a gang-infested war zone. Amazingly -- and this kind of shocked even me, who was expecting stark results -- there wasn't even one in the entire northern half of the county, which is on average more middle class. The OP's neighborhood of Howard Beach is in the southern half, but there aren't any there, either.
See the block of modest houses that the OP posted? Those likely average about $700,000. Something I wondered a lot when I was living in Queens in my one-and-a-half-bedroom apartment, with my middle-management office job where I got to boss around vendors from lots of companies with "Net" in their names, was how mechanics and HVAC guys were able to afford $700,000 houses. (When I did some digging, the answers ranged from "inherit them" to "work a second and third job at night" to "go into massive debt and ultimately get foreclosed").
To bring this back to Providence, for $650,000, I just found an immaculate, 3,000-square-foot house on friggin' Benefit Street with off-street parking plus a "parking lot for income."
It's all relative.. I live in a 2200 sq.ft. house that last sold for $236K 2 years ago. For $650K, I can find you an 8000 sq.ft., 6 bedroom, 10 bathrooom house here.. I just don't get the cost of housing in the northeast.. Our little 1200 sq.ft. Cape Cod style house in West Warwick was valued at $270K when we bought it 12 years ago.. Supply and demand, I guess... The cost of living differential in this country is simply amazing...
Last edited by Raiderman; 04-09-2015 at 11:00 PM..
I came from New York and I definitely find Providence to be dirt cheap. Not Providence, I know, but I bought a four-bedroom house in the highest-income town in the state. Out of curiosity, I did a search for single-family homes in Queens (the "Borough of Homes") up to around $25,000 more than I paid for my Rhode Island house. While they exist, literally every single one is in a neighborhood that is at best marginal and at worst a gang-infested war zone. Amazingly -- and this kind of shocked even me, who was expecting stark results -- there wasn't even one in the entire northern half of the county, which is on average more middle class. The OP's neighborhood of Howard Beach is in the southern half, but there aren't any there, either.
See the block of modest houses that the OP posted? Those likely average about $700,000. Something I wondered a lot when I was living in Queens in my one-and-a-half-bedroom apartment, with my middle-management office job where I got to boss around vendors from lots of companies with "Net" in their names, was how mechanics and HVAC guys were able to afford $700,000 houses. (When I did some digging, the answers ranged from "inherit them" to "work a second and third job at night" to "go into massive debt and ultimately get foreclosed").
To bring this back to Providence, for $650,000, I just found an immaculate, 3,000-square-foot house on friggin' Benefit Street with off-street parking plus a "parking lot for income."
You're not the typical person who comes here from NY. (nor is Alfie- hi Alfie)
I'm talking about the infestations of NY hip hop and gang influenced types who migrate here in big numbers and populate the slum sections of towns raising the crime rates significantly.
Of course 650k does look cheap to Californians and NY home buyers who are in those price ranges. How do you find the property taxes?
Not surprised that mechanics and HVAC guys make good enough money to buy houses. They can easily make 100k plus incomes. Have you had work done on that Benefit St antique yet?
It's all relative.. I live in a 2200 sq.ft. house that last sold for $236K 2 years ago. For $650K, I can find you an 8000 sq.ft., 6 bedroom, 10 bathrooom house here.. I just don't get the cost of housing in the northeast.. Our little 1200 sq.ft. Cape Cod style house in West Warwick was valued at $270K when we bought it 12 years ago.. Supply and demand, I guess... The cost of living differential in this country is simply amazing...
No offense whatsoever to you Raiderman and I'm glad you're happy there, but most RIders wouldn't live in the desert.
No offense whatsoever to you Raiderman and I'm glad you're happy there, but most RIders wouldn't live in the desert.
Yeah, I suppose.. It was more of a comment about disparity of pricing than location.. RIers do tend to stay put or head to Florida..
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