I'd appreciate some neighborhood suggestions! (Providence, Cranston: home, middle school, high income)

[sandsonik]

I would vote against Barrington for a few reasons. As the richest town in the state, median house price is well over 300,000 and you'll get much less return on your dollar than you could elsewhere. Also, Barrington is overwhelmingly white and probably the least diverse town in the state. I have a friend who lives there and she dislikes that aspect of it, as well as the fact that most of the other moms are stay at home moms with wealthy husbands, who make her feel guilty for having a successful career. They would schedule PTA meetings during the day, for example, clueless to the fact that people work. They have good schools, but depending on where you work, it's a horrible commute.

Otherwise, I think you could find neighborhoods that fit the bill in most RI towns and acceptance shouldn't be a problem anywhere. In Providence you might try Elmhurst, Fruit Hill, Mt Pleasant, Edgewood but people did make some good points about the reputation of PVD schools. Cranston and West Warwick are two compact towns, where it's easy to walk for a gallon of milk. Same with the southern part of Cumberland and Pawtuxet village in Warwick is good for having some interesting shops and restaurants in a walkable neighborhood. Renting first is the way to go.

[ormari]

Originally Posted by sarahcvega

Hi,
I'm looking to make a move from Brooklyn, NY to the Providence area in the next year and would appreciate some advice as I get to know the different neighborhoods.
We are a lesbian married couple in our late 30s with two young boys, ages 6 and 2.
So, a progressive neighborhood, LGBT friendly, where our boys won't feel ostracized is a must.
My wife and our kids are Puerto Rican, so some ethnic diversity is appreciated as well.
Decent schools are important; but decent means different things to different people and we value diversity and progressiveness over test scores.
We also VERY MUCH appreciate walkability- I'm probably spoiled from Brooklyn but I really don't want to have to get in the car for a gallon of milk. And maybe a walkable park and a few restaurants and shops would be nice as well...
Can you help me? Does this neighborhood exist? Any suggestions and comments would be very helpful!
Thanks,
Sarah Vega

It sounds like you are open minded enough to explore schools beyond the ratings that so many blindly follow. In Providence, Providence's Classical High School is the top rated public high school in the state, though admission is selective. Other Providence high schools aren't highly rated though that does not necessarily mean your children won't get a good education there. You'll have to look to see if you can navigate the schools before that, which some claim are in the midst of a minefield, and others say are fine.

Originally Posted by IaminRI

Providence schools are pretty bad in general, and as always, you need to be aware of areas with high lead levels with kids in PVD, its in the water supply, and all over the housing stock. If you still haven't ruled out Providence after that, then Elmwood is a great area. Broad St is a walkable area with lots of Latino businesses, and Elmwood is next to Roger Williams Park. It also has great highway access, and certainly is LBGT friendly.
But again, with 2 kids, I would steer clear of Providence totally due to bad schools, lead problems, and gang issues.

Elmwood is very diverse and very LGBT friendly. The armory/west broadway neighborhood of Providence is also a good spot for someone from Brooklyn. I differ with IaminRI about the severity of the lead concern, though it is a concern; it wouldn't stop me from choosing Providence.

[independent man]

^^^^Since your children are 2 & 6, I wouldn't focus too much on Providence in order to get them into Classical High School, even if it is one of the top high schools in the state.

You may ask yourself, how much quality education do you want to sacrifice for the ethnic & income diversity Providence has to offer? As far as being an LBGT family, you should find Barrington very welcoming. Your Barrington sacrifice would be in housing. For $300,000 you'll get a small cottage which will likely need a bit of work. But, you'll still be in a nice, clean, safe, accepting hood with some of the best public schools in the state. Sometimes choices are never easy!

[mp775]

Originally Posted by sandsonik

As the richest town in the state, median house price is well over 300,000 and you'll get much less return on your dollar than you could elsewhere.

There are a surprising number of houses in Barrington under $300k, mostly near the East Providence line.

Originally Posted by independent man

Your Barrington sacrifice would be in housing.

And walkability, and probably commute time.

[Nightengale212]

Originally Posted by sarahcvega

Hi,
I'm looking to make a move from Brooklyn, NY to the Providence area in the next year and would appreciate some advice as I get to know the different neighborhoods.
We are a lesbian married couple in our late 30s with two young boys, ages 6 and 2.
So, a progressive neighborhood, LGBT friendly, where our boys won't feel ostracized is a must.
My wife and our kids are Puerto Rican, so some ethnic diversity is appreciated as well.
Decent schools are important; but decent means different things to different people and we value diversity and progressiveness over test scores.
We also VERY MUCH appreciate walkability- I'm probably spoiled from Brooklyn but I really don't want to have to get in the car for a gallon of milk. And maybe a walkable park and a few restaurants and shops would be nice as well...
Can you help me? Does this neighborhood exist? Any suggestions and comments would be very helpful!
Thanks,
Sarah Vega

Sarah, I am soon to be age 60, grew up in Bristol where I still reside and one of my closest friends from K-12 was a child of a lesbian couple. My friend's mom and her partner were initially married to men, had 3 children each and blended their families when they partnered. Despite this happening many years ago, I never remember my friend or any of her siblings being ostracized because their moms were lesbians. So, I do not think your boys in this day and age will have any problems with their parentage in any community in R.I.

You may want to take a good look at the town of Warren which borders Bristol where home prices just a tad lower. Warren has a lovely walkable down town which has a variety of shops and several restaurants, a cute town beach with a park, a diverse population, and IMO an all are accepted vibe. Warren has my favorite grocery store Tom's Market which is in walking distance if you were to purchase a home closer to the town center. Bristol and Warren regionalized their schools, and although the schools are not at the top of the R.I. list they are not at the bottom either.

Best of luck with your relocation search, and do take a good look at Warren because it may offer what you and your family are looking for. I will add that property taxes are pretty high in most of R.I., but with you coming from Brooklyn they likely won't be such a sticker shock for you as they would had you been relocating from down South.

[ediet]

Hi Sarah,
My vote would be for the east bay - in particular Bristol. It has a fantastic little neighborhood feel, is very diverse and everything is right around the corner (including the oldest 4th of July parade in the nation). It is well within your budget, has a decent public school system - I would argue that it is better than Providence - and there are many events and things going on.
I live in Warren and would vote for that as well, I just think for the age of your kids, Bristol is a little better for school right now.
Check out the "East Bay Times" to get an idea of the local flavor.
Good luck!

[QuilterChick]

Originally Posted by sarahcvega

Thanks! I was looking at Oak Hill.
Our budget is to buy, under 300,000... maybe rent first to feel it out.
Private schools are not in our budget!
Thanks! Any more suggestions? We will be exploring the area this summer.

Suggest you sign up on www.RILiving.com which is the RI Assoc. of Realtors' website. Put in your criteria for the areas mentioned to check homes for sale in the areas you might be interested in. There is also good information on the link: "All About RI" at the bottom of the main page, with taxes in all cities and towns, etc. Best wishes.

[sarahcvega]

Hi, it's been over a year but we finally have secured the job we were looking for and it starts in two weeks!
All of your advice has been so helpful to us as we studied neighborhood options.
Now, with a sudden job offer we have to rent a place before we buy and hope to choose our neighborhood wisely so that we can settle our kids into school and hopefully not need to move them again.
We are on the fence between Edgewood and Oak Hill. We love both neighborhoods and basically have to decide this weekend!
Because you guys were so helpful originally, I thought some of you might weigh in on the decision.
Thanks again!

[mvpsharky]

I would go with Oak Hill. Great location. I don't know about the schools though.

[independent man]

Originally Posted by sarahcvega

Hi, it's been over a year but we finally have secured the job we were looking for and it starts in two weeks!
All of your advice has been so helpful to us as we studied neighborhood options.
Now, with a sudden job offer we have to rent a place before we buy and hope to choose our neighborhood wisely so that we can settle our kids into school and hopefully not need to move them again.
We are on the fence between Edgewood and Oak Hill. We love both neighborhoods and basically have to decide this weekend!
Because you guys were so helpful originally, I thought some of you might weigh in on the decision.
Thanks again!

Great, congrats! If the kids are going to public school, go Edgewood over Oak Hill. Cranston over Pawtucket public schools. Both neighborhoods are nice, but Cranston public schools are generally considered better than Pawtucket.