[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

DO NOT stay at the Radisson, I've never heard a good thing about it, and it's out next to the highway in this weird no man's land.

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That's kind of funny--I have only been to Providence once (for an interview), and I stayed at the Radisson!

Actually, the room I stayed in was quite nice (I swear to god it was)! But agreed, the location is less than ideal, which is why I'm open to other suggestions.

By the way, thanks, cotuit, for the hotel info/link. You are truly a fountain of information!

Judy

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Some cafe suggestions:

Brewed Awakenings in Union Station Plaza, beside the Marriott Courtyard Hotel near Waterplace Park. They have the best Iced Spiced Chai Latte in town. This is actually a good evening hangout as they serve cocktails at night and have great desserts. The inside has comfy chairs and it's a Wi-Fi Hot Spot. When your here they may have the outdoor seating set up, but there are benches if not. People to watch: Skateboarders riding on the steps.

Coffee Exchange on Wickenden Street in the Fox Point area. The best iced coffee in town because they provide simple syrup for your iced coffee drinking pleasure. They also have notice boards where you may find a lead on a good apartment, or used guitar, or yoga classes... The outdoor deck is hopping year round. People to watch: Earthy crunchy Fox Pointers, and "earthy crunchy" suburbanites arriving off of route 195 in their SUVs. 

Olga's Cup & Saucer is a great little cafe in the Jewelry District. Their bread is delicious, the food can be a bit pricey and their coffee can be hit or miss, I usually go with a latte or capuccino because I don't really like their house coffee (maybe they have a lousy house coffee to make people buy the more expensive coffees). The outdoor dining is set in a beautiful garden on the corner of Richmond and Point Streets, get there early because they close at 3pm. People to watch: Office workers from nearby Jewelry District offices.

Cafe Zog Also on Wickenden Street, Cafe Zog has great sandwiches, they make a delicious white mocha (YUM!), and they have a juice bar. The interior is quite nice, especially if you can snag a booth or a table by the window. They have outdoor seating in the back, not so good for people watching. People to watch: East Siders.

Reflections Cafe serves the gay and lesbian community in the Fox Point section of town, but you do not need to be gay or lesbian to enjoy their great wraps, coffees, and desserts. Located at the top of Wickenden Street at the corner of Governor, last stop on the Green Line trolley. People to watch: Gays and lesbians and other Fox Point residents.

Cable Car Cinema & Cafe Yes it's a cinema and a cafe. Yummy food and coffee, outdoor seating on South Main Street during good weather. People to watch: Lots of RISD students.

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Cotuit,

Fabulous cafe reviews!! Definitely enough places to keep my mom and I highly caffeinated during our trip (and entertained!).

Next big question: B&B/hotel suggestions?

Judy

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Hi Judy,

Congrats on the position at RIH, I actually work there too. My personal preference of the places you mentioned in your post is Wayland Square (which on a map would be the intersection of Wayland Ave. and Angell/ South Angell.) Within a few blocks you have two great supermarkets (a Whole Foods and another, Eastside Marketplace), a few coffee shops (including a Starbucks with outdoor seating, some upscale shopping and a couple of bookshops. Also right on a bus route to downtown which isn't too far a walk either. I lived in the wayland square area for a year and liked it a lot. Not too much hustle and bustle but relaxing and safe.

and no you aren't asking too much

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Hey, thanks kinematix! Why did you leave the neighborhood?

Judy

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Hi Everyone,

So I found out this week that I will most definitely be moving to Providence in June. I got the position at RIH that I was hoping for! Based on what I've been hearing from you folks, I think I'm going to love the city.

Thank you to everyone who gave me (and Emily!) advice on neighborhoods--this was very helpful. I'll be coming to Providence in a few weeks to "scout out" the specific areas that I would like to live in. Just a leisurely weekend of walking around and sitting in cafes (my mom will be joining me), people watching, etc...

So here is my question for you folks: in the various neighborhoods that you live in, what are the main commercial areas? Wherever I live, I'd like to live within a few blocks of the neighborhood cafe, dry cleaners, bookstore, corner grocery store, etc. I am specifically asking for street names/intersections. And I am particularly interested in Wayland Square, Hope Village, and Fox Point. I know that I am being anal, and you can let me know if this is an absurd request.

Thank you for your input!

Judy

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Well, I didn't leave Boston for Providence, but I'll tell you what brought me here.  I had acceptances at training programs at UMass (Worcester), Lahey (Boston), and Brown (Providence).  The training programs were actually all fairly equivalent in quality, so the decision for me in large part came down to location. 

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Garris,

I, too, will be moving to Providence for a training program at RIH (well, ok, not 100% certain, but I'm pretty confident, and will know for sure on March 17th). I am hoping to buy a condo, but don't know the area or the real estate market.

Did you buy your townhouse prior to starting your job, or did you rent first, figure out what area you liked, and then buy? It seems like the latter option would make the most sense, given my unfamiliarity with Providence, but I am also not sure that the crazy hours of an intern will allow for condo hunting.

What do you think? Any advice?

Thanks!

Judy