If you're looking for an affordable rental with a pet, you're going to struggle mightily in Providence. Look to Cranston, Pawtucket... East Providence and Attleboro (MA) aren't actually that bad, and you'll secure something fairly easily.

Lived at the intersection of Fox Point, College Hill and Wayland Square for 6 years and I loved it. I decided to leave Providence 2 years ago and moved to Oak Hill aka Providence without the cost. I cut my tax bill in half and the street parking is unregulated.

Renting/buying? Requirements: floor space? outside space? house vs condo? kids? pets? long vs short-term? Lively v quiet? Are you dead-set on Providence proper or would consider a nearby burb? Are you bringing a car? Two cars? Do you like the outdoors? Are you commuting north, south or Downtown?

Look, in the absolute, all the neighborhoods you've listed are mostly good and have a little bit of bad. Everything here is mostly safe.

Downtown/Jewelry: Fun, lively, no houses and expensive apts/condos. Parking is tough. If I was in my 20s and had money or cared about status or the Theater, I would live here.

Mount Hope/Fox Point/Wayland: Kind of similar, both have a mix of single and multi-fam houses and some proximity businesses nearby. Prices are probably comparable too. If I were middle/upper-middle class and dead-set on Providence, I'd live here.

College Hill: If I were rich or a Brown student ok with 400 sqf or roommates, I'd live here.

Federal Hill: Lots of entertainment, a zoo on the weekend. If I still partied a lot and was addicted to Italian food and late night pizza, I'd live here.

Before making a decision, figure out your budget and take a look at Zillow. That's going to beat any information you get from Reddit.

Whole-heartedly agree. It's the best restaurant in the entire state, imo. The problem is OP said 30 minutes, which I think is quite a bit more, depending on where they live.