[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

What do you guys think about Conrad Building (pro and cons)? Reason I ask is because my agent offer me one in that building, I believe it's on Westminster street (downcity)?

I thought getting info from you guys who has been in providence a while is better than me going there learning the place in 1 day

thank you all

[Lil' Rhody Lounge | Off-topic posting]

Here's a question for all of you...

Are there any good Wi-fi spots anywhere in the city?  With some of my more freeform work time, I'd love to take my laptop around town to work, rather than be tethered to my house or hospital.

Free is, of course, preferred .

- Garris

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Free WiFi

Have you consider Verizon's EDVO? broadband speed almost anywhere (at least they claim to be)

[Lil' Rhody Lounge | Off-topic posting]

My question is, are there even that many one-bedroom apartments in Providence? I remember having a hard time finding one in Boston.

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I find CraigsList to be very useful, they got tons of 1 bdrm

And of course the map you posted was really helpful

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Have you ever tried Enterprise? Their on Weybosset St and are much cheaper than Avis, especially on weekends where they have $ 9.99/day specials.

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this is such an awesome price, thanks. Where is weybosset st anyway? providence?

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

I have just typed a whole posting and lost it :'(

Oh well, lemme try again

  <a href='http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13892' target='_blank'>http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13892</a> Sorry, they're called Lofts at the Strand, not Lupo's, and it sounds like they might be almost all sold out....

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Thank you, it was a great info. Too bad that most good ones are spoken for :'(

And I meant Quonset is actually one of the only diverse areas of South County...unless you were sighing because you don't like diversity?

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I misunderstood your posting. diversity is good

You can buy Newport bridge tokens (a ten pack I beleive) and that saves you a little money but not much. 

This is what I would do:

If I wanted something urban and didn't care about driving at all, I would definitely live either in a cheap condo downtown or an apartment on Federal Hill near the downcity end (close to 95 south service road).

If I wanted a somewhat urban feel without a long commute (not that Providence to Quonset is bad anyway) I would buy up a condo in downtown East Greenwich or rent for the time being until I could buy something. 

...

Hope this helps, but then, this is just me.

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Thank you, that was a really great advise. I will probably look into Newport again if everythings falls apart. I'm very much into downtown again thanks to the postings from you guys yesterday and this morning (what a pushover )

Wickenden/Fox Point is extremely safe, and extremely convenient for highway access. There are a lot of houses with FOR RENT signs on them right now, the best thing to do is just walk around the neighborhood and take down phone numbers. Buying here would be really expensive, unless you want to buy a 3-family and have some rental income. The rent isn't too bad, and once you realize how convenient the location is, whatever you're paying will be worth it. Like everyone has said, it's a lot easier finding a 2 bedroom to rent, at least cost-wise. Did anyone mention the listings in Coffee Exchange on Wickenden?

I wouldn't say that Downcity feels cramped with construction, maybe that will change once 110 Westminster breaks ground. Plus once the commute is over, you'd probably walk to most places. I imagine that most places in Downcity don't include parking though, so that could be an extra expense.

In my opinion, if you don't mind commuting, I would stick to the city - more to do, more people to meet, etc. Good luck......

Yes, I think I should stick with the city. I don't mind paying extra for parking in downcity, but for foxpoint/wayland/etc I expect that to be included in the rent; I think this is reasonable expectation.

I really think I need to fly there again to do more in person hunting.

Does anyone has good tips to do this economically? I can't spend hundreds of dollars in hotel everynight + rental car + airfare everytime I want to check out another place/listing. I don't mind spending $$ for rent/downpayment but for this... probably not. Anyone knows economic temporary rental for weekends? alternative car rental?

Thank you for all the helps and info. You guys are awesome

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

It's true that Benefit street doesnt really have a full service neighborhood associated with it, but the great thing about Providence is that almost everything is accessible by foot. On one end of Benefit, you have University Heights which has some of the retail staples (no pun intended), and on the other end you have Wickenden St. Thayer is close to the east, and downtown close to the west.

  And as far as the "only really fully realized neighborhoods" on the East side, I would have to include Wickenden/Fox Point, which is where I live. I have a ton of great restaurants within a 3 minute walk, and it definitely feels like a neighborhood. Plus I can walk downtown easily (walked to RiRa last weekend in about 10-15 min).

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I guess if there's one for rent on Benefit and close to thayer, this should be the closest to what I like/prefer

How close/far the highway entrance from this area? how's the traffic in/out during rush hour?

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

I don't know your price range, but there are condos now above Lupo's (theres a thread about it on this site under PVD Projects and Construction) for as low as 129,000, and they're right downtown on Washington St.! 

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Would you mind give me the link? I tried browsing th construction threads and don't know which one im supposed to look into.

Also those EG condos I mentioned.  Main St. (Hill and Harbour District) in EG is pretty cool in the sense that it's not like the other little old towns in RI--it has good restaurants, decent nightlife depending on your age, some practical retail, offices, etc. as opposed to places like Wickford that shut down at 5pm and have nothing more than overpriced tourist shops and expensive "cafe's."  Plus, EG will most likely in the future get a commuter rail station so living without a car could become marginally feasible there.

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I'm actually looking into them. If I can't find some place to rent in providence (or buy?), I probably going to buy one of those condo and rent out the extra room. EG is close to North Kingston and if I do this, it's makes sense from distance point of view. Tho I really dont mind driving from providence everyday if the place is worth it.

The only major thing lacking in EG, and most of south county outside of the Quonset area of North Kingstown, is diversity, both ethnically and racially.  It's pretty much a "white-bread" area and you might find some people there to be ignorant and narrow-minded when it comes to certian things.  You should definitely check it out though given its proximity to North Kingstown.

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I will actually work in quonset area of NK, sigh...

Hum, interesting impressions, and accurate. Have you considered living in the Newport area, looking at it from the 180 degree opposite, or is that farther away for you?

Funny that you ask, because I was initially thinking about Newport before Providence (Probably because I spent quite sometime around that area last year, visiting); does anyone know if one lives in Newport and work in NK, would one needs to pay $2 each way crossing the bridge? because that's $4 everyday at the minimum and adds up everytime one try to go to the other side (providence et al)?

Is Wickenden/Foxpoint also safe neighborhood?

Anyone living in downcity right now and have input? I'm still interested with the idea of living in downcity tho I felt like it's cramped with construction at the moment.

This is too stressful, moving shouldn't be this hard. Or should it?

I don't mind going there again if I can actually find something. But the idea of spending more $$ just for ticket+hotel+car and wandering around myself is not very tempting. I can't just fly to PVD everytime I want to check some craigslist listing. Ideas?

Thanks for all the help so far

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

So where did you stay while you were here? What did you think of the city?

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I stayed at Hilton near airport. RI is beautiful, I had the chance to visit a few times last year but mostly just the beaches and newport.

This time I get to drive around and get lost a little bit throughout providence and rt. 1 toward down south. downcity is small place and like garris mentioned, it's going to be great but not quite yet. I've driven mostly around wayland sq, go up through hope st, down thru main st, a little bit over benefit street, pass thayer a few times. Defi a lot of charming neighborhoods, if my job is in providence, i think i have lots of choices. Having a job in the south, I want the place to be really worth it for me to be willing to drive 25 miles to work everyday plus traffic.

I think I need another visit or some more time before I can actually get the feel of the city. Otherwise, I may end up living in east greenwich or warwick

I heard east greenwich is safe, what about warwick?

However, I'm very sure that I'll discover a lot more after I move there. I've seen the pictures posted in the pics section, and they are beautiful.

Still hunting and inputs are welcome

Cheers

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

I don't think that's true, actually.  Highway access is easy and fast.  I usually leave my condo in the heart of Wayland Sq, during rush hour, blast down Gano St, and I'm on the highway in 4 minutes or less:).  I know this to be true since I've timed it.  I'm in the RIH parking lot 8-9 minutes after leaving my parking garage, and that involves getting onto 195, merging onto 95, cutting over 4 lanes of traffic, and getting off at Exit 18, and then negotiating the parking maze...  Nope, highway access isn't a problem .

- Garris

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got an extra room for rent?

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Well, the Benefit Street area is gorgeous and is, along with Beacon Hill (Boston), Gramercy Park (NYC), and Rittenhouse Sq (Philly), one of America's most beautiful and dramatic "downtown" neighborhoods in my opinion.  But rent wise or condo wise, you're going to pay top dollar and it's not a fully realized "neighborhood."  There's no real walkable shopping or leisure opportunities.  Your "neighborhood" there is really Downcity, and that's still, of course, a work in progress.  On the East Side, Wayland Sq and "Hope Village" are the only really fully realized neighborhoods.

Otherwise, you may, with your working situation, be better off looking at some of the higher density condo, etc. developments near Main St in East Greenwich. 

Can you clarify if you will be renting or buying?

- Garris

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I guess my budget is quite flexible, I don't mind paying more for place like benefit street, but you're right, there's not much neighborhood. I did expect a bit more from westminster loft based on what I see on the internet but looking at them in person, they're not that attractive at all (i.e. what's going on around them).

I do like Wayland sq, the nice shops near whole food and starbucks, but it seems like not a convenience location to highways? Probably not true, I just didn't find one that grab my attn

I probably didn't go around the right spots but I didn't see much in Hope Village.

Thayer is nice tho, but I bet there's no parking spot @ that area's house/apt.

I was planning on renting, but looking at the price Recchia's link takes me, I might as well buy and rent out the extra room. Or is it going to be a lot of headache? (being landlord). Plus, investing @ providence would probably easier to rent out in the future than @ east greenwich? (if I decide to leave RI)

4 new condo units left in downtown East Greenwich in a new building near First and Main.

http://www.sellri.com/condo_detail.cfm?mls=545853 I think this is the link to it.

Thank you so much for the info

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Any luck on your trip to Providence?

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I think I get pretty good perspective of the area, but I haven't found a place to live yet

I like the benefit street with view to the city but I didn't see any for rent. I checked out the Regency but it's a bit old and creepy. I'm not sure when I can fly there again to see more places, but if I'm going to live in some house with not much going on around it, I might as well live close to work, probably looking into east greenwich since statistic shows that it is a safe neighborhood.

more inputs?

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

thanks a lot for the many inputs. I'm very excited to fly in tomorrow and drive around saturday+sunday. hopefully I get better perspective by then and find something this weekend itself

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

d2Lw,

Trader Joe's is looking at the Prov area I've heard, but nothing yet...

Regarding traffic in commuting to Wayland Sq, perhaps it would add, at most, 10 to 15 minutes in the Northward PM commute at worst vs no traffic at all, but I frankly consider traffic around RI to be a non-factor in general...

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Hello all,

thank you for the inputs, more are welcome

Recchia, does the traffic on the other direction worse/better? Cause you pretty much drive the opposite traffic that I will have to deal with everyday if I choose to live in Providence.

Garris, how bad is driving home from south to ur place in the evening? Cause seems like Recchia indicate that PM rush hour is the problem, not really the AM.

I'm trying to avoid Cranston and Warwick because I heard they are not very safe neighborhood, no?

I was looking at some posts in craigslist but I'm pretty much blind in knowledge regarding safety of the places. (Because I read it varies road by road even within same neighborhood?). Reading the this thread I pretty much get the feeling that you guys kinda "rank" areas like this (please correct me): downcity, wayland sq, blackstone blvd, ... ?

how do you think I should rank my preference among these areas:

east of downcity (brown univ + wayland sq etc)

north of downcity (hope st, N main st, etc)

west of downcity

south of downcity

Because seems like it's hard to find place within downcity itself, correct? I think I only saw the lofts as option within downcity (alice, peerless, etc)

I was intrigue by some description in the beginning of this thread (helping Emily in finding place); about the cafe and "hip" place

I guess a good question would probably be: what streets should I check out to find place to live if I fly to RI next weekend to do apt hunting? tips/insider info from the locals? (such as those flyers in the cafe you guys mentioned )

My budget is very flexible, kinda depends on what I get in which areas (definitely willing to shell out more for downcity and less for east greenwich). Basically, best bang for the buck

Off topic question: is there Trader Joe's in RI?

Thank's a lot for all the inputs

anyone volunteering in accompanying me hunting for place to live?

[Thinking about moving to Providence?]

Hello,

I'm considering to accept a job in North Kingston, RI, thus I need to look for a place to live. I'm juggling between the idea of living close to work in a safe neighborhood (east greenwich?) or in providence area (slightly far from work but I won't be bore to death/feel like living in the middle of nowhere). I have quite a few questions:

how bad is traffic during rush hour between providence and North Kingston? (primarily I-95 I believe?)

I'm very interested with a few areas mentioned in this thread. However I read that safety is vary by roads within an area. Would anyone help me with Do's and Dont's in roads selection within the famous areas? (downcity, wayland sq, federal hill etc).

I'm very keen on wayland sq but seems like it's nowhere close to highway, I wonder how bad is the local traffic?

beside wayland sq and downcity, which areas should I consider if safety is my main concern (I'm young female and don't know anyone in RI)?

Is pawtucket safe?

thank you in advance for all input/help