Where to move to in RI hubby works in Portsmouth (Providence: crime, unemployment rate)

[BT65]

Hubby is ex military and has been commuting from Connecticut to Portsmouth RI... a 3 hour round trip... We are looking to move but not sure where, I have found where we live in Ct to be quiet rural and hard to meet people, We are very Social have a 10 year old and 2 older girls . I would love somwhere pretty with a nice downtown... any suggestions?

Thanks.. B.

[Hoxsie454]

Using Portsmouth as a focal point, there are several possibilities to meet your wishes for a nice downtown. Providence, the largest, with full city services, is only about 30 minutes. Even closer, but a much smaller city center is Fall River, Massachustts. Bristol and Newport have small commercial centers and both are very pretty towns and an easy drive from Portsmouth.

[Hollytree]

I second Bristol or Newport. You could live right outside Newport, say in Middletown, and be in Newport in 5 min. Housing is probably comparable to Ct pricing.

[terrasurf]

I'd add Warren and Jamestown, to those already mentioned on Aquidneck Island.

Warren- working harbor, people- active music, arts scene catering to older 40+
Bristol- historic, more upscale, conservative
Portsmouth- residential, family oriented, spacious
Middletown- Navy, lots of people, shopping, close to Newport, beaches
Jamestown- quiet island, small, mix of old-new money, beautiful, nice community

[ocngypz]

Live in Portsmouth!!!!!!!

Schools are pretty decent.

Cute village area.

Get involved with school activities, etc.. and you'll meet lots of people.

[lrfox]

I'd make Bristol my number one, Newport my number two, and Portsmouth/ Middletown my number three based on the criteria you've listed. Most of the suggestions are good. Look at St. Philomena School in Portsmouth if you're not fond of the public options (which, with the exception of Newport, are pretty good). It's a Catholic school, but not too strict from the religious point of view. My siblings and I went to St. Phil's and my family isn't religious in the slightest. We commuted with a couple of non-catholic students too.

I don't know how I feel about the Fall River suggestion. On one hand, this city of 90,000 gets a worse than deserved reputation. The biggest problem is unemployment which won't be an issue if you're moving for a job. Crime is lower than cities like Providence, but many people make it sound like it's Detroit or Camden New Jersey. It's just not that bad. In addition, there are some VERY nice neighborhoods (Upper and Lower Highlands are gorgeous and the North End has a number of nice areas). The commute to Portsmouth is easy. Straight shot on Route 24. The city has no shortage of wonderful restaurants (especially if you like Portuguese food) and a very underrated waterfront area.

On the other hand, Fall River is economically depressed and seems to be declining even further. It was a powerful mill city at one point, but manufacturing and textiles have all but completely left. The city's unemployment rate is higher than most in Massachusetts (may be the highest). Again, this won't directly effect you as you have work lined up, but it affects the entire attitude of the city. Many people aren't working. Fall River's nicer neighborhoods are inhabited mostly by families that have been there forever (I grew up in the area and still visit occasionally I can name names). These families have tight-knit social circles that are VERY difficult to crack into. Even though Fall River has close to 100,000 people, it has an insular, small-town vibe as the social circles at the top are quite small and don't change. I wouldn't want to move to Fall River at this time... it feels a bit like a sinking ship.

[Valnf]

If you husband is lucky enough to work in Portmouth then that is the place to live. They have great schools, one of the best sports programs in the state and beautiful living areas. Close to water and it is just a nice area. There would be no doubt in my mind.

Hope it helps.