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Hi...just happened across this board while googling for some other info and thought I'd jump in.
I moved to Providence--Armory area, near Westminster--just over a year ago and find it a reasonably good city to live in. I've lived all over the Northeast, and a bit on the West Coast; this wouldn't be my first choice, but it's so much more affordable than the other places without being unlivable (which I would say Hartford is, for instance). Not just Waterfire; there are good restaurants, reasonable neighborhoods (yes, even in the gritty downcity), lots of good music...I'd like to see more independent bookstores, but mostly it's OK for the things that matter to me.
I was in Woonsocket for most of a year, and personally I much prefer Providence. Woonsocket has little cultural life (though Chan's restaurant is cool for blues and jazz evenings) and almost nothing going on. Also, we bought a lovely condo apartment (part of a converted old Victorian) for about two-thirds of what an equivalent place would cost in Woonsocket, and although I haven't researched it extensively it looks like Smithfield, Lincoln, etc. are more expensive. Don't rule the city out, would be my advice.
Did you mean River Lofts At Ashton Mill? Is there another besides this? Thanks
Hey Crossroad ... did you ever make it to RI? Just curious. I made it to MA 3 years ago from the midwest...the town I lived in was beautiful but very click"ish" and costly. Certainly blew Chicago's rents right out of the water but couldn't hold a candle to the quality of the windy city rentals I've ever seen.
I just moved in June to Cumberland and absolutely love it! The people are more welcoming and down to earth than any place I have been on the NE coast in 3 years. And yes....Woonsocket does measure up to exactly what was written as far as a seemingly drug pit and/or old mill town. But if you're streetwise/smart...you'll know how to play your cards right and know that its ok to pass through...so long as you do it quickly (ha).
Surprisingly, CVS HQ's is in a scenic letting and right on the border of Woonsocket and Cumberland and it is literally like night and day. Cumberland is quaint and quiet, not much night life, but you can go into the city or even neighboring towns with small jazzy neighborhood bars for some of that if it gets to boring (depends on what you're looking for).
In RI, there's much to see and the neighboring burbs Lincoln, Manville, Smithfield and N. Smithfield are just as nice. Lincoln has a casino at Twin River and Boston is less than an hours drive. Providence is approx. 15 minutes drive right off the main expressway and has an ENORMOUS mall on your way in (you won't miss it as it takes up a long strip of the expressway) and downtown Providence is really not all that bad either. I grew up downtown Chicago and like any city, you'll find the 9-5 biz. professionals and the creepy crawlers out at night and sometimes on weekends.
Again, for a newcomer, there's much to see...and if you're just passing through for a few months or not in it for a long-term permanant stay...you can actually find many ways to enjoy your stay here...weekend road trips to other scenic NE states, Newport (which is very lovely and has MUCH to see as well as fine dining). The PVD airport has got to be the easiest airport to get to and the parking is not all that bad either....very easy to get around in as well.
Summing it up...Woonsocket ranks "last/worse place" to live on my list and if you haven't made it there "yet"...take a drive through and see for yourself...but in all reality...I must say...there's no place like home...just enjoy your stay and make the best of it if and when you do make it out here. Best wishes wherever you go.
PS...if you're from the westcoast, then the high rents out here won't take you by surprise. You can find a pretty decent 1 BR for $1150-$1300 and a good size 2 BR in the $1275-$1500 price-range. An apartment community holds strong to their maintenance agreement but I can't say the same for a private homeowner...as my last landlord was negligent and not up to code with average safety standards for rental dwellings...and same can be said for all the homes I looked at prior to moving to Cumberland
Last edited by AskMo; 07-06-2007 at 07:14 PM..
Reason: Additional comment re airport
I am a young professional. Yes... I will be working at CVS Corp. I prefer to have a close drive to work, plus a little bit of pedestrian friendly neighborhood to live in where I can walk to restaurants and bars etc. I have been looking at Manville and Cumberland (at Mendon and I-295) - do these two have what I basically what?
I was in the state for job interview - but too short to see anything. But yes, the Mall is huge and I didn't miss it!
Please do not listen to anyone from Conn about what it's like in RI. I was born in Woonsocket, worked for CVS for 22 yrs, my wife worked at CVS HQ in Woonsocket and we live in Cumberland (Cumberland Hill to be exact, which is NOT part of Woonsocket as someone said in this forum).
The east side of Prov is very nice, do you have a million dollars for a house? You don't want to move to down town Woonsocket but the north end and east woonsocket are OK. I used to live on Elder Ballou Rd and it was fine. Cumberland, Lincoln(manville) are very nice and if you want night-life, you have to remember, this is RI. Prov is 15 minutes away down 146. You can enjoy the city and then go home to quite Cumberland.
Jkr, I have lived in Hartford for 10 yrs. I just moved to New Britain. I would not say Hartford is unlivable. Yes it's true that there are certain neighborhoods that are pretty rough and and I would not recommend even my enemy live there, but there are also nice areas. I definetly would never live in the north end because that is where alot of the drive by's and gang activity are going on, but Hartfords west end is very nice. A little pricey though not outrageous. The south end is maybe one step below the crime in the north end and the east end is actually across the river and is a separate town called East Hartford, which isn't so bad to live in. Hartford is cleaning up its city. They are tearing down drug and crime infested projects and planting trees and building huge shopping centers in their place. I guess it is just a matter of knowing where not to roam in the city. And that holds true of any city.
Cumberland Hill and Valley Falls are both in Cumberland. They are just older "villages" from back in the day, but they are still in the town of Cumberland. So, yes, Woonsocket borders Cumberland.
Downcity is Westminister Street, it's more gritty with many empty storefronts, not nearly as livable as some would have you believe. What the future holds for this area is unclear, with the condo market cooling off a number of large projects have been postponed or scaled back and as I said earlier parking is a joke.
I wouldn't say it is that gritty or lifeless. I have seen much more lifeless main streets and downtowns with more empty storefronts in other cities than Westminster Street. Unless you mean the stores that I saw the last time I visited the area (last April) already packed up and left.
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