I'm currently living in Newport in a one bedroom and I go to Middletown/Portsmouth all the time for various things like Clements Market, my PT, my dentist, shopping, some nice French bakeries, coffee shops, hiking trails, etc. I'd personally vouch for Portsmouth just for proximity to lots of nice areas like Bristol, Newport, etc and it doesn't put you too far out from Providence IMO. I honestly don't even go to Providence very often since there's been plenty to do around here. It's just so scenic and there's so many nice restaurants, shops, cafes, etc. Narragansett is just over the bridges too. Maybe I'm just biased because I grew up in South Country and it's incredibly safe here. We never locked out doors and I never had to lock my bike up if you can believe it.

I don't know much about Riverside but East Providence is very nice yet still wouldn't exactly call it perfectly safe. I don't even leave a small bag or really anything visible in my car when I park in Providence or the surrounding areas and I used to live in Bushwick. Depending on where you move, you'll be off the 60 bus so you could take that around if you're concerned about parking. I take the bus or bike during the summer sometimes to avoid the parking situation.