Help me learn the neighborhoods

Submitted by jig_is_up_yo t3_10e18ug in providence

Stupid title I know hi.

I was raised in the northeast, recently moved to Austin Texas for nearly three years, but I'm missing the 4 seasons and being close to family, so I'm trying to find the closest thing to Austin in the northeast, I've settled on Providence.

I'm thinking of moving there come September, with spending the month of August visiting and finding a place.

So now I'm in the research phase. I have never been there, so don't know the neighborhoods or price points.

Having lived in Austin, I know things I'd want:

  • Late 20s and single male, looking to rent, <$1,800
  • Would like a "newer" place, modern - so probably a condo/apartment complex, a view doesn't hurt
  • Need to be able to walk to many places with my dog, preferably nice sidewalks/views, city areas, parks, trails, etc - but very close by, within a mile to these places

Basically, this all narrows down to finding the right corner of some good neighborhood. But you can't really tell these things clearly from just Zillow etc. That's where you guys come in!

https://i.imgur.com/Cln3Bdl.png

Feel free to scribble on this. Areas friendly for walking/dogs, "good" and "bad" neighborhoods, etc. Anything worth noting for someone completely new.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks ;)

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chip008 t1_j4ogch2 wrote

I would start by looking around Broadway and Atwells Ave. They are cool neighborhoods with a lot of great restaurants, coffee shops,bars, some shops, as well as The Columbus Theater. Fox Point, College Hill, anywhere near brown are also great neighborhoods with lots to do.

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cowperthwaite t1_j4oo58x wrote

Copying from previous post about safety:

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/u48qqq/is_washington_park_a_relatively_safe_area_to_live/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/53v3u9/wondering_what_providence_is_like_for_mid_30s/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/2xx0kl/relocating_to_providence_at_the_end_of_the_month/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/nfq7lp/living_near_the_vavalley_area/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/mn698j/apartment_hunting/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/i114g2/advice_for_possibly_moving_to_providence/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/fnvwta/safe_places_in_providence/

From another post about neighborhoods and apartments:

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/p0q2h4/hey_im_a_single_female_in_my_late_20a_thinking_of/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/nfuqi7/if_you_could_tell_someone_moving_to_providence/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/kuvq8w/moving_to_providence_whatre_your_thoughts/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/lhx5yd/moving_to_providence_this_summer/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/idibb5/considering_moving_to_providence_down_the_line/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/qh5065/moving_to_providence_in_the_spring_2022/

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Status_Silver_5114 t1_j4p7yku wrote

So many places will have been rented by august because of the influx of graduate and medical students / residents. You should start looking in spring (like april) if possible if you have any interest in east side and west side in particular. Med students go for June and July 1 with PhD and Masters students picking up for august 1. Many many landlords stick to that schedule because it’s like add water and tenant appears based on when their academic support or residency starts. My advice is bumping up your plans a few months you’ll have tons more options. Esp with that budget. It’s a town and gown city esp when it comes to the rental schedule so keep that in mind. Complexes aren’t as common in the city / triple deckers yes. There’s a huge new development by Trader Joe’s but it’s crazy expensive (and ugly imho). The streets immediately around brown will be lots of undergrads - less so as you get away from the area immediately around campus. But still look in fox point with that in mind. Agree with street by street for west side and even elm wood. East side is huge and has lots of rentals.

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Previous_Floor t1_j4pa5v1 wrote

>looking to rent, <$1,800

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>Anything worth noting for someone completely new.

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Ok, what you need to understand is that while you can probably find an apartment in Providence in your price range, you cannot get what you are looking for in your price range. And you really don't have the luxury of being choosy.

Newer/modern is definitely not happening. You'll need to accept that. Newer/modern is mostly downtown, typically $3k+, and generally not dog friendly.

With that reality out of the way, I'll also mention that you are going to find it difficult to find any place that allows dogs.

That said, the best areas in Providence for someone with a dog are on the East Side (not the Mount Hope neighborhood). The Wayland Square area would probably be optimal. In your price range, if you can find something, it will likely be small and outdated.

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Double-Diamond-4507 t1_j4q5e8w wrote

This is going to be extremely hard to find a place in August,when so many students from most of the colleges look for housing. Here in my neighborhood (Washington Park), most apartments get picked up quickly from the Johnson & Wales culinary students. I would suggest looking at Facebook marketplace, but even then, 95% of the apartments listed there say no pets, and might be out of your price range. Students get priority,because they usually have the money to get a place, especially the Brown University and RISD students on the east side. I would say to branch out a bit further, towards Cranston. The Edgewood and Pawtuxet Village neighborhoods are quiet and safe, but might not allow dogs and are higher than your budget. I would also look into East Providence (the city, not be confused with the east side of Providence). I lived in a 3 decker (1st floor) in East Providence for 5 years, and loved the area

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j4q6dlf wrote

Replying to Previous_Floor (#1,383,794)

Absolutely. Increase the budget to 2k, halve the space and make it a studio. Focus on new builds: should be dog friendly, but that might even be even more fees. If you're waiting 7 months, maybe increase rent 100-200. Budget more than you'd expect for utilities and car insurance.

If OP is from Austin, overpriced and below expectations should be second nature and feel very Austin-esque.

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yajanikos t1_j4q8u51 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#1,382,330)

I love elmwood. Like someone mentioned about providence overall, there are some colorful streets throughout elmwood and even west end, but then there a bunch of lowkey streets that feel ‘safer’ than others. I use ‘safer’ because it’s relative to a person’s comfort and experience

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ProvBroker t1_j4qj5eq wrote

DM me please, I have access to a 1-bed downtown Providence on Washington street for approx $2k let’s talk. Is in quite great shape. Not luxury but it is nice, not a dump

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lightningbolt1987 t1_j4qjxmb wrote

You should absolutely live in West End/Federal near Dexter Park. The Westminster/Broadway zone. It’s the “coolest” neighborhood in Providence, so coming from Austin won’t be as much of a shock, the park is great for walking dogs, plus there’s the bell street dog park. If you’re north of Cranston Street it’s NOT sketchy.

As for the east side: unless you’re RIGHT in Hope Village or right off of Wickenden, the east side is going to feel dusty, lame, and disappointing coming from Austin. Plus, the west side is more affordable.

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macsrecords t1_j4qntei wrote

There’s a few decent places for rent in Warwick (about 10-12 miles south of Providence). I moved here in November for work and it’s a decent area, with a lot of shops and restaurants close by. I work in downtown Providence and it’s never really taken me more than about 20-25 minutes to get into the city! So I think it’s a town worth checking out if you wanna rent for around or less than what you’re asking. The entire area right now is mostly quiet but I imagine things will pick back up during the spring and summertime. The entire Narragansett Bay area has a very Cape Cod-feel to it.

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Amaliatanase t1_j4qvrox wrote

Important thing to point out based on your desires.

Compared to places in the South like Austin, "newer" doesn't really exist in Providence. I can think of maybe at the most 20 buildings/complexes within the city limits finished in the past ten years off the top of my head. There might be more newer (less than 30 years old) builds in suburbs like Cranston, Warwick or North Providence.

Most housing in Providence city limits is two-three bedroom apartment in hundred-year old triple deckers (wooden tenement buildings). I am not kidding about this. When I think back on where I lived and most of my friends lived when I lived in Providence I can think of maybe four people whose place didn't match that description, and only one was in a new building.

One of the reasons Providence is always so high in national rent rankings is that there aren't many one bedrooms compared to most other cities in the US, and those rankings are usually between one bedrooms. If you compare two bedrooms, Providence goes down a bit (though it's still not cheap).

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cMr90 t1_j4rl2x3 wrote

I lived in Halstead Providence (formally The Promenade) for a few years and really enjoyed it. It's an old factory converted into modern lofts with great amenities; right next to the mall and downtown, rooftop terrace, fitness center and pool, connected parking garage, small park area with grills, community garden beds, and a fenced area for dogs to run around. There is also free guest parking which was a huge plus for me since I had someone visiting from out of town most weekends. You can't park on the street overnight in providence without a city parking permit (which only residents can get), so anyone from a different city has to either test their luck with the parking police, or try to find a public garage which gets very expensive.

The location isn't SUPER exciting since it isn't in the middle of downtown, but it's right next to everything and definitely walkable. There is a large overpass next to the mall that you have to walk under, but even as a small 5'4" woman, I never felt unsafe walking downtown alone.

The layouts/interiors can vary a lot (exposed brick, high ceilings, lofted bedrooms, etc.) depending on which building/unit you're in. When I signed my lease in 2018, I was paying ~1850 a month + pet fee, for one of the largest one bedrooms in a great location (next to garage ramp, elevators, laundry room). When I left in 2021 it was $2010, but that was for a month to month lease and would have been less for a normal 12 month lease. I know rent has increased since then so it's possible the only current option under 1800 would be a studio. If you bumped it up a bit that would definitely give you more options. There is also an additional pet fee and a limit of 2 pets, but it didn't seem like there were any size/weight restrictions for dogs.

Someone else commented about competing with med students/residents for spots, and that definitely is true. I signed my lease at the end of April and there were only a few units available for a summer move-in. At the time, there were shorter lease options available including month to month, so there's a chance that some spots will not be listed as available until early fall when you'll be looking.

Overall, I loved my time in PVD and really enjoyed my apartment. Good luck hunting!

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j4rqa3i wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#1,382,819)

Doyle used to have some issues, but I think it has mellowed out a bit since my experiences in 2016ish. A few years back most issues on the East side seemed to cluster on Camp and Doyle/University Heights area. Fewer issues the closer you are to Hope.

I know someone who had their car door broken open with rocks back then (the door--not the window. it was crazy expensive). They said it happened down the whole street overnight. That was the most expensive issue, but also some first floor break ins. Just secure windows in your place and don't wander around late at night, type of stuff, but it's worth mentioning if you're new to the area that it used to have a bit of a reputation in its own right (but this may very well have shifted since then).

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boston02124 t1_j50kxfv wrote

If walkability is important to you, I’d stay as close to downtown as possible. There are newer complexes downtown and just outside of downtown. The east side is walkable but it’s the most expensive neighborhood in the city. I live in the Federal Hill neighborhood. Walking distance to downtown with a lot of restaurants. It’s getting pricey and it’s a little loud. One area on the upswing that borders downtown is the Kinsley Ave area. They are renovating a lot of old industrial buildings over there. Some loft type developments and they do an indoor farmers market. That’s the only area of Providence that reminds me even slightly of Austin.

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