Thinking about moving to Providence?

[americabizarro]

No, by all means. I'm not picking on you. Most people don't even know how an I/O loan amortizes, never mind an option arm. Suffice it to say, payments spike higher than they realize. Matt is right about home ownership, it does help a community, but when people are stretching to own, and the barrier (read down payments) is taken down people will spend what they've "qualified" for. Sorry for taking this thread off topic.

As for the transaction costs you not only have realtor fees, but home inspection, closing costs on the loan, appraisals, attorney fees. Just because some of these are wrapped in the purchase price, doesn't mean you don't pay them. I only responded because I would hate a young man who is currently renting comfortably,to tie up his finances for 10-15 years without hearing both sides of the equation.

I guess I just believe that people should stretch a little to own and can still get stable mortgages and pay-off equity and avoid PMI and have all the benefits (and responsibilities) of ownership now and in the future. People say, well I can only afford bad neighborhoods. To that I say...become an activist in this bad neighborhood, get your friends to buy inexpensive homes in the neighborhood, start a neighborhood organization or neighborhood watch, fix up your house, help your friends and neighbors fix theirs--you'll see how contagious it is.

[runawayjim]

while i still think on average that owner occupants have a greater sense of neighborhood than landlords and renters, i do hear you and understand. that's all great to hear. i wish tenants had a greater stake in their neighborhoods. i wish landlords would incentivize them to in some way; i wish tenants would trade work cleaning a property for a discount on the rent. i wish more renters were like your gardening downstairs tenant. i wish we could all work to live better together and for the growth of our neighborhoods.

a lot of landlords do trade a reduced rent for yard work and stuff. i've gotten discounts on my rent for helping with that stuff. the issue is that the only people who really get that kind of discount are the people who stay in one place for a long time and develop a relationship with their landlord. i love my landlady, she's awesome. she doesn't do the best job of keeping up with mowing the lawn and keeping the grass looking nice, but she's done a great job keeping my apartment running well (she lives next door, so she does have a stake in the neighborhood).

it really depends on the tenant. i bet there's just as many tenants in the city who really care as their are owner occupants who just don't give a crap.

[Velo Fellow]

I'm expecting to move to Providence this fall, and I'll be commuting to Boston most days (working elsewhere other days, or at home).

Anyone have opinions of the trains between Providence and South Station? Can anyone give me an idea of what a monthly or yearly rail pass costs? It seems that Amtrak doesn't publish prices on the net.

Any input appreciated!

[Griswald]

I've never commuted to Boston for work, but I take the commuter rail once in a while and it's a great way to go. Doesn't take very long, enough time to read the paper or get a little more sleep. Not sure about the prices. There was an article in the paper a few months ago about how the number of people commuting to Boston by train from RI has increased a lot in the past few years...

[Jenkins]

I'm expecting to move to Providence this fall, and I'll be commuting to Boston most days (working elsewhere other days, or at home).

Anyone have opinions of the trains between Providence and South Station? Can anyone give me an idea of what a monthly or yearly rail pass costs? It seems that Amtrak doesn't publish prices on the net.

Any input appreciated!

Hi, I've been commuting to Boston from Providence for 3 years now. Living in the north end of Providence it is actually easier, faster and cheaper for me to take the train out of South Attleboro, Massachusetts, which is the first stop on the trip. My monthly pass is $191; out of Providence would probably be a bit over $200. See if you can pay for the ticket through your job because you may be able to get a tax deduction on the cost. The trains take varying amounts of time, but if you take the express train it is probably just over an hour. In general the train is reliable and clean, not a bad trip at all. Certainly beats driving

[runawayjim]

I'm expecting to move to Providence this fall, and I'll be commuting to Boston most days (working elsewhere other days, or at home).

Anyone have opinions of the trains between Providence and South Station? Can anyone give me an idea of what a monthly or yearly rail pass costs? It seems that Amtrak doesn't publish prices on the net.

Any input appreciated!

my fiancee used to travel to work in boston taking the commuter rail (see www.mbta.com). that's the best way to do it. i think it's like $6 or $7 each way, but monthly passes and i think 10 trip passes are available with a savings.

don't bother with amtrack, it's like $20 each way i think. the commuter rail starts in providence, but also stops at south attleboro (which is where my fiancee took it), which has cheaper parking (if you need parking). it's about an hour from providence to south station on the train (maybe a little longer). it sure beats driving during rush hour, which can take at least an hour and a half.

[Cotuit]

South Attleboro, Massachusetts, which is the first stop on the trip. My monthly pass is $191; out of Providence would probably be a bit over $200.

Monthly pass from Providence, Zone 8 is $198.00.

[Cotuit]

There is a multi-ride fare available for Amtrak, there are many people who take MBTA to Boston, and Amtrak back, being as Boston is the first station southbound, trains are generally ontime, delays can build up on northbound trains by the time they reach Providence. This page kind of explains the fares, but you cannot buy online, call 1-800-872-7245 for details about multi-ride fares between Boston and Providence.

[Velo Fellow]

There is a multi-ride fare available for Amtrak, there are many people who take MBTA to Boston, and Amtrak back, being as Boston is the first station southbound, trains are generally ontime, delays can build up on northbound trains by the time they reach Providence. This page kind of explains the fares, but you cannot buy online, call 1-800-872-7245 for details about multi-ride fares between Boston and Providence.

Thanks everybody - much appreciated. $200 per month doesn't sound too bad! Much much cheaper than the British Rail and London Underground, that's for sure!

[Velo Fellow]

And this brings up a whole other issue--do we really want new urbanism to work? Do we want everything within walking distance? Will we ever leave our neighborhoods? We will all become a bunch a homogenous boobs experiencing only our own culture's or our own economic bracket's food, shops, people? I think the neighborhoods the way they are are excellent--just enough to spend a Saturday walking and looking in windows, grabbing morning coffee and scones, restaurants and parks to see neighbors and friends, etc, but not everything so we're so insulated in our busy worlds that we forget we're a part of a greater culture.

I think many of the latest incarnations of so-called new urbanism give it a bad rap. Often, they do seem to be trumped-up (if not Trumped-up) gated communities, which encourage people to be insular as Amerabizarro suggests. New urbanism as it was originally conceived is meant to create real community like you see in centuries-old European cities (and, of course, Manhattan). That just means that the stuff you really need is easily accessible and doesn't require use of a car. Reducing car use helps generate a sense of community by making outdoor spaces more inviting and encouraging people to engage one another (not to mention the environmental benefits).

Diversity and inclusion is another basic tenet of new urbanism, I believe, but this is the one most often flouted by planners under pressure to keep property values up.

My view is that one of the best ways to improve neighborhoods is to invest in non-car modes of transport - including public transport and cycling infrastructure.

Edited April 24, 2006 by Velo Fellow

[Griswald]

Monthly pass from Providence, Zone 8 is $198.00.

I'm actually kindof surprised by that price. If I fill my car with gas once a week, it's probably around $40...soon it will be $50...which means that the rail pass is about the same price. If I took the train to work, I would have to get up a lot earlier, and I would need a ride from the Mansfield station to work.

I would much rather commute by train than car, I absolutely hate working in an office park in Foxboro...but given the logistics I pretty much have to drive.

Hopefully I'll switch careers soon and base my job search around a walking/biking/train commute.

[markOne]

Thanks everybody - much appreciated. $200 per month doesn't sound too bad! Much much cheaper than the British Rail and London Underground, that's for sure!

My wife commutes to Boston every day. If you are really lucky your workplace will subsidize your monthly pass. We pay ~$50 a month with the agreement that she can

[Cotuit]

I pay WAY too much to drive to Newport. I

[Jerry2]

I'm actually kindof surprised by that price. If I fill my car with gas once a week, it's probably around $40...soon it will be $50...which means that the rail pass is about the same price. If I took the train to work, I would have to get up a lot earlier, and I would need a ride from the Mansfield station to work.

I would much rather commute by train than car, I absolutely hate working in an office park in Foxboro...but given the logistics I pretty much have to drive.

Hopefully I'll switch careers soon and base my job search around a walking/biking/train commute.

What about car repairs, oil changes, tune-ups, etc? Also, many people have car loans and auto insurance in this city is one of the top5 highest in the whole country.....More reasons that public transportation is better.

[Frankie811]

I pay WAY too much to drive to Newport. I

[Recchia]

What about car repairs, oil changes, tune-ups, etc? Also, many people have car loans and auto insurance in this city is one of the top5 highest in the whole country.....More reasons that public transportation is better.

I calculated that I spend about $300 a month on my car. This includes driving 120 miles total to work four days a week, general maintenance like oil changes and tune-ups, and insurance. $300!!, and I drive a small sh!tty Saturn that gets 32 mpg and I don't have a car payment. I only wish I could take a bus to work, I'd save $255 a month, money I could spend on booze and donuts damnit!

The whole public transportation across state lines is an issue that really needs to be settled. RI and southeast Mass are part of the same metro, yet our buses cannot run across state lines, except for the one, very infrequent Taunton-Providence GATRA bus. There should be Providence to Attleboro, Taunton and Fall River service.

Edited April 26, 2006 by Recchia

[markOne]

Good choice. But please, excuse all the RIPTA bashing that goes on here and try it for yourself. Form your own opinion. I tried it for 3 months and was very pleased. Ya can't go wrong for $ 45. When you do decide, pay attention to which route goes via West Main Rd vs East Main Rd. It can make a big difference time wise.

I excuse most RIPTA bashing, but I have taken the buss to work about 6 times and sometimes it was great, sometimes it was NOT. I have comments in other threads which touch on this so I'll leave them alone here.

I am choosing to believe that my bad experiences were isolated cases. I hope that my May experiment will support that theory while teaching me the tricks of the trade needed to make the most of what is a VERY affordable service.

You are right that knowing the difference between the West Main vs East Main routes is important. I don

[Recchia]

If you can shrug off the occasional bus breakdowns and the more than occasional bus is stuck in traffic and therefore won't get to Kennedy Plaza to pick you up on time then RIPTA isn't too bad at all. I took it all last summer from North Kingstown to Providence and enjoyed it for the most part.

[Soren]

I commuted to Boston for three years and if you have to do it, the train is far and away the best way to go. The few times I had to drive in rush hour it took me over two hours to get to the Back Bay, vs. a pretty darn consistent 55 minutes by train. Also, because Providence is the first stop you can usually get the coveted table seats on the double-decker trains, but be prepared to socialize.

Now, I had a pretty perfect setup, since I could walk to Providence station and my office was a block from Back Bay station so that definitely contributed to making the train work for me.

Just the same, I was very glad to stop commuting and get those hours back, but for a while the train was my third place (and if you don't get the reference from "The Great Good Place", well, that's for a different post).

[Garris]

I commuted to Boston for three years and if you have to do it, the train is far and away the best way to go.

Hey Soren! I haven't seen you around in a while. Great to see you're still here. You should come to one of the Wayland Sq meetings. Interesting stuff...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

Also, because Providence is the first stop you can usually get the coveted table seats on the double-decker trains, but be prepared to socialize.

Being not prepared to socialize, the few times I've had to commute to Boston for work, I would grab the coveted single seat at the top of the stairs on the double deckers.

[Frankie811]

I'm expecting to move to Providence this fall, and I'll be commuting to Boston most days (working elsewhere other days, or at home).

Anyone have opinions of the trains between Providence and South Station? Can anyone give me an idea of what a monthly or yearly rail pass costs? It seems that Amtrak doesn't publish prices on the net.

Any input appreciated!

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachus...arp_fare_hikes/

[kirsten]

Hi there,

I live in Connecticut and work in Providence, near the East Side. I have been commuting for almost two years and am thinking of taking the plunge and moving. As a single female, would you guys consider the East Side a relatively safe place? Also, I have a dog and can't quite figure out how "dog friendly" the city is. Thanks much!! Kirsten

[runawayjim]

Hi there,

I live in Connecticut and work in Providence, near the East Side. I have been commuting for almost two years and am thinking of taking the plunge and moving. As a single female, would you guys consider the East Side a relatively safe place? Also, I have a dog and can't quite figure out how "dog friendly" the city is. Thanks much!! Kirsten

the east side should be safe enough. if you're planning on living alone, it is more expensive though. the city is pretty dog friendly, i see lots of people walking around with dogs all the time.

that's quite the commute from CT to providence...

[brick]

Hi there,

I live in Connecticut and work in Providence, near the East Side. I have been commuting for almost two years and am thinking of taking the plunge and moving. As a single female, would you guys consider the East Side a relatively safe place? Also, I have a dog and can't quite figure out how "dog friendly" the city is. Thanks much!! Kirsten

I have a hard time answering safety questions because I've never really felt unsafe anywhere. however I know plenty of single women living on the East Side.

There is a dog park behind Hope High if you want to live on college hill. But if you want a really dog friendly place, I would try Blackstone Blvd area. Actually there is a little neighborhood tucked in between Wayland Square and the river right before Blackstone Blvd. starts and there is a little park there in addition.

as far as the overall safety, you still have to be aware.

edit: also, there are other neighborhoods to check out. I wouldn't necessarily fixate on the East Side. It will depend on what you are looking for.

Edited May 3, 2006 by brick