Thinking about moving to Providence?

[dgreco]

that was cotuit... mine involved a cop.

[Dozer]

Hey everyone - I am finally in the market to buy a condo here in Providence, and I have a general question about condo conversions. A great deal of the condo market here in Providence seems to be large houses converted in to condos. Does anyone know the pitfalls/benefits of these types of condos? Things I should look out for? Resale of these? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks..

-Bob

[runawayjim]

Hey everyone - I am finally in the market to buy a condo here in Providence, and I have a general question about condo conversions. A great deal of the condo market here in Providence seems to be large houses converted in to condos. Does anyone know the pitfalls/benefits of these types of condos? Things I should look out for? Resale of these? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks..

-Bob

[jencoleslaw]

i think one of the pitfalls of these kinds of two and three condo unit conversions is that the condo fees are either astronomical, or not nearly enough to pay for the kinds of things that might need to happen to a house of this age, like a new roof, or a paint job. I think some have been done shoddily, too, and that would compound my anxiety regarding how all house repairs would get done, thus protecting my investment.

[basachs]

i think one of the pitfalls of these kinds of two and three condo unit conversions is that the condo fees are either astronomical, or not nearly enough to pay for the kinds of things that might need to happen to a house of this age, like a new roof, or a paint job. I think some have been done shoddily, too, and that would compound my anxiety regarding how all house repairs would get done, thus protecting my investment.

[urbie]

I live in one of these and am happy to share my experiences on this.

[snip]

Since there are a limited amount of people, the condo association can work more easily, or harder. In a condo complex with hundreds of units, it is easy to fade into the background and let the association take care of things. When you only have three or four units, with a max of 6 or 8 people, this is much harder to do. Everyone needs to be involved in the decisions that affect the house. Again a good or bad thing depending on the person.

[basachs]

That's one of the things we've been wondering about. Also, do the existing owners have any control over who buys a unit? I'm picturing a difficult-neighbor situation where someone moves in who makes a lot of noise, doesn't keep their place up, or otherwise does things that PITA neighbors do -- is there any way of avoiding that, if one of the owners wants/needs to sell out?

Urb

[Dozer]

Thank you all for your insights and advice. I put in an offer on a 1-bedroom condo on Westminster Street and it was accepted, and I feel more confident after reading your posts, and I know this is the right decision. Thank you all.. and maybe I will have a special house-warming just for UP people! I have to buy some furniture first, of course... but I think you would all love it.

You guys are awesome.. thank you.

-Bob

[Cotuit]

Welcome to Providence!

[runawayjim]

Thank you all for your insights and advice. I put in an offer on a 1-bedroom condo on Westminster Street and it was accepted, and I feel more confident after reading your posts, and I know this is the right decision. Thank you all.. and maybe I will have a special house-warming just for UP people! I have to buy some furniture first, of course... but I think you would all love it.

You guys are awesome.. thank you.

-Bob

[jencoleslaw]

you should do it before furniture. we're a wild bunch. welcome to providence, you'll like it here.

[matt]

Fantastic! Welcome! I hope you enjoy Providence as much as we do!

May I ask what neighborhood you are moving from?

[Dozer]

Fantastic! Welcome! I hope you enjoy Providence as much as we do!

May I ask what neighborhood you are moving from?

Edited December 24, 2006 by Dozer

[sillyboy]

Anyone have any thouhts about the Imperial Place Building?? My fiance may be commuting to Boston day or two per week, and I was wondering if it would be safe to walk from that neighborhood to the train station early in the am or after dark. Thanks.

[Cotuit]

Anyone have any thouhts about the Imperial Place Building?? My fiance may be commuting to Boston day or two per week, and I was wondering if it would be safe to walk from that neighborhood to the train station early in the am or after dark. Thanks.

[runawayjim]

Anyone have any thouhts about the Imperial Place Building?? My fiance may be commuting to Boston day or two per week, and I was wondering if it would be safe to walk from that neighborhood to the train station early in the am or after dark. Thanks.

[matt]

A friend of mine owned a condo in Imperial Place, and I have to say, it was BEAUTIFUL. Plus, Garris forgive me, one of my favorite restaurants is downstairs, Cav. 5 years ago, I would've said not to walk around this area, but now I am quite comfortable there. The walk to the train station may be a bit far, however; especially on days like today. brrrr.

[Cotuit]

You guys are p*ssy's. I used to walk from Federal Hill to Point Street every day.

[matt]

You guys are p*ssy's. I used to walk from Federal Hill to Point Street every day.

[sillyboy]

Thanks for the responses. She is originally from Boston, me from Maine. For the last four years we have been living in NYC's Upper East Side. I'm looking for a condo downtown that would be convenient for her to take the train to Boston 1-2 days per week. I'd like a place with some charm and character, which led me to look at converted factories.

Also, with the whole 195 construction, what will the effect be on the general area of the imperial place building? There is another condo around there someplace for sale....Other places I've considered looking at

1.) renting at Promenade, though the nice units are pricey, and the cheaper units are junk.

2.) Pearl Street Lofts

3.) A pricey place in the Cosmopolitan-probably more than I want to spend, though compared to NYC prices, not out of the question

4.)903

5.) Riverside in pawtucket--

and still looking at other places.........

anyone got any thoughts on those places, or know of any other great places up for sale in the downtown area?? ALso, I'm heading back up Thursday, though with mother nature bringing in a frost, I may hold off...but a couple of great coffee shops in downtown area???

[runawayjim]

Thanks for the responses. She is originally from Boston, me from Maine. For the last four years we have been living in NYC's Upper East Side. I'm looking for a condo downtown that would be convenient for her to take the train to Boston 1-2 days per week. I'd like a place with some charm and character, which led me to look at converted factories.

Also, with the whole 195 construction, what will the effect be on the general area of the imperial place building? There is another condo around there someplace for sale....Other places I've considered looking at

1.) renting at Promenade, though the nice units are pricey, and the cheaper units are junk.

2.) Pearl Street Lofts

3.) A pricey place in the Cosmopolitan-probably more than I want to spend, though compared to NYC prices, not out of the question

4.)903

5.) Riverside in pawtucket--

and still looking at other places.........

anyone got any thoughts on those places, or know of any other great places up for sale in the downtown area?? ALso, I'm heading back up Thursday, though with mother nature bringing in a frost, I may hold off...but a couple of great coffee shops in downtown area???

[Cotuit]

Also, with the whole 195 construction, what will the effect be on the general area of the imperial place building?

[Cotuit]

and cotuit... there's a difference between a long walk to work and a long walk to the train to boston to a probably walk and then the reverse at the end of the day.

[eltron]

1.) renting at Promenade, though the nice units are pricey, and the cheaper units are junk.

2.) Pearl Street Lofts

3.) A pricey place in the Cosmopolitan-probably more than I want to spend, though compared to NYC prices, not out of the question

4.)903

5.) Riverside in pawtucket--

and still looking at other places.........

anyone got any thoughts on those places, or know of any other great places up for sale in the downtown area?? ALso, I'm heading back up Thursday, though with mother nature bringing in a frost, I may hold off...but a couple of great coffee shops in downtown area???

[Garris]

Everyone's already jumped on this topic with completely accurate replies, but I'll add my $0.02...

I've known people who've lived in the Imperial Place building, and the units are indeed beautiful and large. The sunsets they get are fantastic. That said, they aren't cheap...

And Cotuit is right that there's just not a "there there" to that neighborhood yet. No services, no center, no purpose yet. It's shoehorned between 195 (as has been pointed out, that will change after 2012) and 95 (separating it from the sprawling industrial and medical complexes). It's dead after 5, save for the restaurants here and there that, being all of the someone-had-to-tell-you-about-it, hole-in-the-wall variety don't add much to the streetscape in the evening.

I know several people who live there and walk to the medical complexes (very easy), but it's not a walk I'd love to do at midnight from the train station. Cotuit is right that once the highway work is done and Brown figures out how and what they want to do with that neighborhood down the road (they just bought much of it), it could be utterly transformed in the next 5-8 years, but that's some time...

As for the project in the parking lot across the street from Imperial Place, I could have sworn Thom said at one point (in a post or a UP gathering, I forget which) that this idea was dead, but I very well could be wrong...

Depending upon when you're coming, renting (at Avalon, the 903, Promenade, or future Capitol Cove) and then waiting for all of the condo towers to finish might be the best way to go...

- Garris

Edited January 23, 2007 by Garris