Thinking about moving to Providence?

[DrStink]

Just wanted to let everyone know that MrsStink and I have officially arrived.

We couldn't sell our place in CT in time to make buying feasible, so we're renting a 2nd fl apt on Rochambeau for the next 12 months. We're staying in the Hotel Providence for one more night and then we're unpacking our POD tomorrow and moving in to our apt. Good times!

Anyway, I look forward to putting faces to names at the next UP GTG.

Cheers.

Stink.

[Garris]

Just wanted to let everyone know that MrsStink and I have officially arrived.

We couldn't sell our place in CT in time to make buying feasible, so we're renting a 2nd fl apt on Rochambeau for the next 12 months. We're staying in the Hotel Providence for one more night and then we're unpacking our POD tomorrow and moving in to our apt. Good times!

Welcome! Enjoy living in Hope Village/Summit. It's a great neighborhood.

How are you enjoying the Hotel Providence and being downcity? Any initial Providence impressions?

- Garris

[Inkdaub]

So it's pretty feasible to rent an apartment downtown Providence...downcity as you all say? I'm a downtown sort of fellow and will not have a car. I like the pedestrian way of things. I look on Craigslist and have seen some pretty good places...they look good inthe pics of course...for very decent prices for the East Coast. Reminds me a little of Seattle financially to be honest.

So this Federal Hill hood is how close or far from Downtown? I think I'll get a map today to help me with the logistics of all this.

[FiftyTwoSouth]

I've been living in Federal Hill for almost a year now (thanks for your help back then, guys; I found a great place right off Atwells!). I'm a student and my campus is in the middle of downtown. It's about a 20 minute walk for me right past some really good bakeries.

Some of the area is trying to gentrify itself by converting old multifamilies into "luxury" condos (hardwoods, granite, stainless appliances, etc.), but many of the rental prospects are still very reasonable.

Plus it does have that coveted "community" feel with almost everything within walking distance.

Hope that helps!

~ 52S

[Cotuit]

So this Federal Hill hood is how close or far from Downtown? I think I'll get a map today to help me with the logistics of all this.

On this map you can see Downcity (Downtown). It's about 1 square mile and Federal Hill borders it. I live on Federal Hill and work on College Hill and it takes me 20 minutes to walk to work. The city is really tiny.

See ProvPlan for a wealth of information about the neighborhoods including size, density, wealth, crime, open space...

For car free living in Providence, I'd focus on Federal Hill, College Hill/East Side (Wayland Square), Fox Point, Downcity, and the Jewelry District. Maybe also the southeastern most sections of Smith Hill. The West End is nice, but there's a dead gap between the nicer areas of the West End (Armory) and Downcity which would be annoying to have to walk with any regularity. I live car free on Federal Hill.

[Garris]

I had an idea for a "UP moving to Providence guide" so the same questions don't keep getting asked over and over (and thus we don't have to give the same answers over and over, 30 pages of posts is a lot for someone to go through!).

We could each do certain neighborhoods and keep it to a certain format. I suggest the following:

- Neighborhood Name

Summary: 6 sentence paragraph at most describing the overall flavor of the neighborhood.

Pros: One-two sentences at most at the biggest upside of the area...

Cons: One-two sentences at most at the biggest downsides to an area...

Future Issues: Biggest issues ahead for the neighborhood, 1-2 sentences at most...

Walking Distance to Downtown: Amount of time...

Driving Distance to Downtown: Amount of time...

Mass Transit Connections/Time Connects, time to get downtown

Housing Stock/Prices: Prices in low/medium/high

Safety Issues:

Links:

This would be my sample Wayland Square entry:

- Wayland Square

Summary: One of Providence's original "Streetcar Suburbs," Wayland Square today is a pretty, leafy residential area surrounding a denser retail and residential core. The "Square" itself is centered around the intersection of Angell St and Wayland Ave and is one of Providence's few completely walkable neighborhoods for its residents without the need for a car. 2 food markets (including a Whole Foods), a CVS pharmacy, 2 bookstores, 4 upscale restaurants, 2 coffee houses, multiple boutiques, and doctor/dental/vet offices are among the many offerings within a compact 8 square blocks. While made up predominently of large, expensive (and many historic) single family homes and condos, there are many starter condos and medium priced apartments that are home to many young professionals and graduate students, making for a more economically diverse neighborhood than many would expect at first glance. The Seekonk River and its many parks and the Blackstone walking path (see "Blackstone Neighborhood entry") are blocks away.

Pros: Beautiful, safe, and containing all the amenities of a completely walkable neighborhood.

Cons: Too sleepy and suburban for some. It's generally expensive, with some of the region's priciest housing stock.

Future Issues: Several expensive condos are about to come online, the future of the large United Way offices are uncertain...

Walking Distance to Downtown: 25 minutes, but note that much of the walk back is uphill at first. The Thayer Street retail area at Brown University is a 10-15 minute walk away on the way to downtown.

Driving Distance to Downtown: 5 minutes or less along Angell St. Highway 195 entrance is 5 minutes down Gano St.

Mass Transit Connections/Time The 35, 40, and 78 RIPTA lines go through the square are take about 7-10 minutes to reach downtown.

Housing Stock/Prices: Single family homes tend to be large and very expensive. Condos tend to be converted homes and range from medium to very expensive. Apartments range from large apartment buildings to converted SFH's, and range from medium priced to expensive.

Safety Issues: One of the (if not the) safest neighborhoods in the city, and residents feel safe walking or jogging at all hours of the day and night. The wealth does attract burglary and petty crime. Graffiti has been a problem for retailers and some condos.

Links:

The key is to be as honest as possible, and we could put our posts up here for others to critique. I could do the East Side Neighborhoods of College Hill, Fox Point, Blackstone, and Oak Hill. How about others volunteer for the following?

- Mount Hope

- Summit

- Downtown

- Jewelry District

- South Providence

- Armory

- Broadway/West End (I get a bit fuzzy on the neighborhoods here)

- Federal Hill

- Valley

- Olneyville

- Smith Hill

And maybe someone could do North Providence and East Providence as separate entries. Preferably, the people doing the entries should live in or very near to the neighborhoods in question. Maybe Cotuit or I could then format entries along with a photo of the neighborhood and a map with location in only the way Cotuit can (nice of me to volunteer him ). That way, people would have a resource we can update without having to go back through like 300 posts...

Any takers for neighborhoods?

- Garris

Edited June 16, 2006 by Garris

[JJK5]

The key is to be as honest as possible, and we could put our posts up here for others to critique. I could do the East Side Neighborhoods of College Hill, Fox Point, Blackstone, and Oak Hill. How about others volunteer for the following?

- Mount Hope

- Summit

- Downtown

- Jewelry District

- South Providence

- Armory

- Broadway/West End (I get a bit fuzzy on the neighborhoods here)

- Federal Hill

- Valley

- Olneyville

- Smith Hill

And maybe someone could do North Providence and East Providence as separate entries. Preferably, the people doing the entries should live in or very near to the neighborhoods in question. Maybe Cotuit or I could then format entries along with a photo of the neighborhood and a map with location in only the way Cotuit can (nice of me to volunteer him ). That way, people would have a resource we can update without having to go back through like 300 posts...

Any takers for neighborhoods?

- Garris

I live on Nellie St, right on the Pawtucket Border off of Smithfield Ave. I thought I had read that it was called "Charles" neighborhood or something, but you don't have that listed so I'm not too sure. What is my neighborhood called?

EDIT:

I use this map to try and learn where different neighborhoods are when you guys mention them (still new to the city), but some aren't on it that get mentioned a lot: Summit and Armory off the top of my head. Which neighborhoods are those?

Edited June 16, 2006 by JJK5

[citybuilder]

I had an idea for a "UP moving to Providence guide" so the same questions don't keep getting asked over and over (and thus we don't have to give the same answers over and over, 30 pages of posts is a lot for someone to go through!).

Any takers for neighborhoods?

- Garris

Garris, this is a good idea. A wiki would lend itself really well to this, incidentally, but would take us off the UP board, so maybe more trouble than its worth.

I'll volunteer for Summit, though I can't complete it until I return from vacation the week of the 26th.

[runawayjim]

you forgot elmhurst! but i can volunteer for that one... i won't be able to do it until next wednesday or so when i get back from ohio...

[Jenkins]

I live on Nellie St, right on the Pawtucket Border off of Smithfield Ave. I thought I had read that it was called "Charles" neighborhood or something, but you don't have that listed so I'm not too sure. What is my neighborhood called?

Hi neighbor. I live on Smart Street, just a couple blocks from you. We do indeed live in the Charles neighborhood. Things are pretty clean and quiet around here, although I wouldn't mind a few more businesses around.

[Frankie811]

To JJK5:

Summit is in the Mt. Hope area, and the armory district is in the West end

[PVDJack]

To JJK5:

Summit is in the Mt. Hope area, and the armory district is in the West end

Actually Summit is another name for the Hope neighborhood, which is adjacent to the Mt. Hope neighborhood. Yes, confusing...

[gregw]

Summit is Hope. Mt Hope is south of Rochambeau.

[Inkdaub]

Right on! This is what I'm talking about!

Thanks for the info everyone, this is all very helpful. That hood map Cotuit posted is perfect...thanks. Providence is small it seems. I guess it would have to be to fit in Rhode Island and leave room for anything else. Twenty minute walks make even shorter bike rides. I wonder about walking in the snow...just have to suck it up I guess...haha.

Edited June 16, 2006 by Inkdaub

[Inkdaub]

Downtown is one square mile? I wonder how big Portland is...probably about the same. Portland's downtown is pretty small and easy to walk around in.

Fiftytwosouth...that's good info and just what I like the hear. Thanks. It makes Fed Hill sound like my own hood and that suits me fine.

[Cotuit]

Downtown is one square mile?

Actually, it's Half a Square Mile.

I use this map to try and learn where different neighborhoods are when you guys mention them (still new to the city), but some aren't on it that get mentioned a lot: Summit and Armory off the top of my head.

Maybe I'll work on somesort of map for the non-standard neighbourhoods. Though if someone has some real mapping talent, feel free to put something together. I usually just use the paint brush function in Photoshop to make things like that.

[damus]

Actually, it's Half a Square Mile.

Also, don't forget to mention that true "city life" extends into the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, they're just not categorized as "downtown". The Jewelry district, while pretty barren today, is poised to become a vibrant qualifyable downtown section in its own right in the coming years.

Edited June 16, 2006 by damus

[Cotuit]

(nice of me to volunteer him ).

Yes, very nice.

But that does sound like a good idea. If people want to right things up send them to me and I will format them into a thread.

Guess Garris has a lot of photos to be taking!

[JJK5]

Hi neighbor. I live on Smart Street, just a couple blocks from you. We do indeed live in the Charles neighborhood. Things are pretty clean and quiet around here, although I wouldn't mind a few more businesses around.

Yes, it's very quiet up here but I like that. It definitely would be nice to have more businesses though, there's not much to walk to.

To JJK5:

Summit is in the Mt. Hope area, and the armory district is in the West end

Actually Summit is another name for the Hope neighborhood, which is adjacent to the Mt. Hope neighborhood. Yes, confusing...

Thanks for clearing it up, trying to learn as much as possible. One more: Is University Heights the same as College Hill?

Edited June 16, 2006 by JJK5

[Cotuit]

One more: Is University Heights the same as College Hill?

University Heights is a specific housing project. On Olney street just south of the shopping plaza on North Main where Staples and Whole Foods is.

LiveLocal view

[Frankie811]

University Heights is a specific housing project. On Olney street just south of the shopping plaza on North Main where Staples and Whole Foods is.

LiveLocal view

They just sold the property this week.

[damus]

They just sold the property this week.

I hope they clean that place up and hire some security or something.. it's a hot bed of annoying kids and petty teenage crinimals.

[JJK5]

University Heights is a specific housing project. On Olney street just south of the shopping plaza on North Main where Staples and Whole Foods is.

LiveLocal view

Cool, I think that covers all my confusion...for now I'll get to know this city sooner or later.

[jencoleslaw]

i think we need a thread called "thinking about moving AWAY from Providence."

[Jerry2]

i think we need a thread called "thinking about moving AWAY from Providence."

It's very frustrating living here at times. You find a nice quiet street and then one day...in a city full of transients....you get the neighbors from hell! I wish it was so easy to ignore it, but how can you when everything is right in your face? It's a fact that you can't ignore. There is still widespread poverty here and that itself brings a bevy of problems.