Do all providence suburbs feel the same (Warwick, Cranston: homes, public school)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No need to get snippy with a guest. These aren't manners I'd expect or hope from in a Rhode Islander. Oh! That's right! Still, no reason to go all Caribou Clyde.
Puzzling how you would attempt to discredit my post with my non-RIer status (which I never claimed), while your own credentials as a RIer are severely in question due to major inconsistencies among your past posts as far as where your origins are.
Not that that is even an issue for you (to me), what limits your own ability to helpfully respond to threads such as these (again to me) is the fact that you don't drive and (at least going by your posts) do not get outside your own little zone of Providence very often. For various reasons, I have pretty extensive knowledge of a good chunk of RI. It appears that my mileage in the state is much greater than yours.
Now as for my response, my intention wasn't to be rude at all. I like to give the best possible response to one with a question, and sometimes their help is needed in that. Please note that the OP has yet to return.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
To me, the distinction is whether we are talking about villages with a town center and a sense of place such as Pawtuxet Village in Warwick, versus a true suburb with no center. To me neither Warwick, Cranston, East Providence, Lincoln, Johnston, North Providence, North Smithfield, Middletown, Portsmouth, etc. have worthwhile town centers which makes them fall more into the suburban category. There are nice areas to live in in all these places however.
Whether a place has a traditional town center or not, has nothing to due with whether they are a true suburb today. It is only an indication of its historical function.
Bristol is a suburb (I'd say that is probably closest to what the OP may be seeking, if he/she is still around), and so is Warwick or Cumberland. All very different places, but all suburbs in the true sense.
Last edited by CaseyB; 06-19-2016 at 07:57 AM..
Reason: off topic
For various reasons, I have pretty extensive knowledge of a good chunk of RI. It appears that my mileage in the state is much greater than yours.
I'm certain you know every highway and interchange and gas station and dollar store in the state; I don't. I'm equally inclined to believe you have indeed dined at every DD in the state and had every single variation of a heart attack pill in therm; I haven't. But despite your beater expeditions to the fat stores on all of those RI highway, do you ever get out of your car? Do you ever walk around? Do you ever mingle with locals? I really, really doubt it - you don't strike me as one much for intelligent convo. So you know where the ramps are but you know nothing of what the poster asked:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Surf123
I'm wondering if all of the suburbs down there have a similar feel to other new england burbs. Meaning the quintessential small town feeling with no sidewalks and rather sleepy? I ask because I do love providence but don't love their public school offerings. Wondering if there are any exciting alternatives in RI. Thanks
To understand physical and civic spaces, one has to get out of their car and do some exploring -- Vasco da Gama you most assuredly are not.
Last edited by CaseyB; 06-19-2016 at 07:56 AM..
Reason: off topic
Whether a place has a traditional town center or not, has nothing to due with whether they are a true suburb today. It is only an indication of its historical function.
Bristol is a suburb (I'd say that is probably closest to what the OP may be seeking, if he/she is still around), and so is Warwick or Cumberland. All very different places, but all suburbs in the true sense.
Sez you. What true sense? Depends on the definition of suburban.
Sez you. What true sense? Depends on the definition of suburban.
Maybe there is some new street slang or pop culture lingo definition that I'm not aware of, but this is all I could find:
From Merriam-Webster:
Simple Definition of suburb
: a town or other area where people live in houses near a larger city
Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
Full Definition of suburb
1a : an outlying part of a city or townb : a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a citycplural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town
I read something interesting about Rhode Island and suburbs a while back, I believe in a travel book I bought the first time I visited the state. The writer noted that Rhode Island is unique in that outside of Providence, every place is a suburb and no place is a suburb. Everything is firmly in the orbit of Providence, and Providence dominates the state in a lot of ways. At the same time, every single city and town has a distinct identity apart from "suburb of Providence." This isn't true everywhere. I, for instance, grew up in a suburb of New York that wasn't really anything other than a suburb of New York. When traveling, people from there will invariably tell others they're "from New York," meaning the city. I don't get the sense anyone in Rhode Island tells outsiders they're "from Providence," unless they actually are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71
Really showing your insulation from "real RI" (CH ain't it), otherwise you would understand the irony of what you just said...
There's no such thing as the "real RI," or the real anywhere. It's all real.
It sounds to me like you are looking "down" from greater Boston. Is this the case?
I also take it by your search term exciting alternatives that you are a city dweller who would choose Providence if not for your perception of the school quality. It sounds like you don't actually care for sleepy suburban spaces, and want something with more life but higher ranked schools. Am I warm?
I suggest looking into East Greenwich. It has good schools, and there is actually life in the town center. East Greenwich was at one time the state capitol. But not all of East Greenwich has sidewalks. That might be as exciting as the "suburbs" get. Another alternative with highly regarded schools is Borington, er, um, Barrington. Damned exciting!
While East Greenwich & Barrington may win in the RI's Best Public Schools category, I doubt either town center trumps Jamestown Village for excitement or liveliness - especially in the summer!
I read something interesting about Rhode Island and suburbs a while back, I believe in a travel book I bought the first time I visited the state. The writer noted that Rhode Island is unique in that outside of Providence, every place is a suburb and no place is a suburb. Everything is firmly in the orbit of Providence, and Providence dominates the state in a lot of ways. At the same time, every single city and town has a distinct identity apart from "suburb of Providence." This isn't true everywhere. I, for instance, grew up in a suburb of New York that wasn't really anything other than a suburb of New York. When traveling, people from there will invariably tell others they're "from New York," meaning the city.I don't get the sense anyone in Rhode Island tells outsiders they're "from Providence," unless they actually are.
There's no such thing as the "real RI," or the real anywhere. It's all real.
There is a tremendous migration from 'New York' natives right here in the bucolic mountains of NC, who quickly say they are from State of New York. Or are 'halfbacks' from NY via FL. They like to point out that they are not from NY City, and will say exactly which NY area they are from -- and feel the need to define "NY'ers" out of embarrassment due to the reputation of many NY'ers to be rude, loud, pushy and brash know it alls. It takes them a long time to assimilate here into a slower, kinder lifestyle, if they ever do. That goes for the NY'ers who move to FL too, and end up coming here as 'halfbacks'.
The RI'ers who have migrated here, and there are 3 in my subdivision alone, are quite all happy to be here. Sometimes though, when asked where they are from, they are asked "RI? is that part of Long Island"? lol!
I read something interesting about Rhode Island and suburbs a while back, I believe in a travel book I bought the first time I visited the state. The writer noted that Rhode Island is unique in that outside of Providence, every place is a suburb and no place is a suburb. Everything is firmly in the orbit of Providence, and Providence dominates the state in a lot of ways. At the same time, every single city and town has a distinct identity apart from "suburb of Providence." This isn't true everywhere. I, for instance, grew up in a suburb of New York that wasn't really anything other than a suburb of New York. When traveling, people from there will invariably tell others they're "from New York," meaning the city. I don't get the sense anyone in Rhode Island tells outsiders they're "from Providence," unless they actually are.
There's no such thing as the "real RI," or the real anywhere. It's all real.
Yes, yes. A thousand times YES! No Rhode Islander
considers their town a suburb of Providence. It's a real town that stands independent, has its own identity. It's one thing I learned when travelling; in other parts of the country, if you ask people where they're from they name the nearest known city, even if their town is 30 minutes to an hour away.
A person from Coventry, Warwick or Cumberland would never tell a stranger they are from Providence. They are not. They may not have a problem with being called suburban but it would raise their hackles to hear they are a suburb of Providence because it implies 'just' and it robs them of their identity. When a town has been around for a few hundred years, alongside Providence, and families have roots that go back generations in that town, it's weird to hear it being spoken of only in relation to Providence.
But in other parts of the country with very large cities, there do seem to be bedroom community suburbs that sprung up to serve city workers where that is their identity and it doesn t seem to bother them. Their pride and allegiance may be different.
I am both surprised and very happy that you get this about RI. A lot of out of staters never grasp it.
Really showing your insulation from "real RI" (CH ain't it), otherwise you would understand the irony of what you just said...
.
Please tell us all you know about "real RI", and how you learned it. Which parts are not real? Are they mirages, tricks done with lights and mirrors or what?
Is it only the Rhode Islanders in the unreal portion of Rhode Island who are capable of intelligent conversation? What do "real" Rhode Islanders talk about and why isn't it 'intelligent conversation'?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
), otherwise you would understand the irony of what you just said...
