Should I move to Providence, RI, to save on rent, or somewhere else?
October 23, 2018 6:31 PM Subscribe
I've lived in Boston for several years and would love to stay if it were not for the fact that I need to live alone for my mental health but only make 40k annually. I have heard from several friends that Providence is like a "mini Boston" with cheaper rent and I'm strongly considering moving. On my salary, would I actually be able to live alone, are rising rents there making this a pipe dream, or should I expand my horizons?
I have finally realized that living with roommates is having a poor effect on my mental health.
It has nothing to do with if someone is a bad or good roommate or not (I have definitely had my fair share of both), or how much I have or haven't communicated, but simply the fact that they're there. I'm tired of wearing earplugs for noise, dealing with boyfriends and regular friends, sharing common spaces with people who just quite can't keep up with my cleanliness standards, or even smelling other people's shit after they take one--all the normal stuff you put up with with roommates, the little annoyances that don't mean much by themselves but kind of erode on your consciousness after several years of the game. Then there are the more serious grievances that just...make me tired of them in general.
I desperately want my own space without having to share it, but I also love New England, the weather, the history, the politics. I've been here most of my life.
I have a few friends who are absolutely in love with Providence, RI, and I admit I haven't been yet, but I'm considering moving there. From my research and from how friends describe it, it seems like it would be a good fit with a cheaper coast of living. I like beaches, I like food, I like art, I like walkability, and I could go for another city down-sizing anyway (I'm actually from NYC--haHA!).
If I move, I would get a new job first, since I don't think I could handle the commute to Boston everyday. But what I don't know is, am I casting my net too small? Are there other New England small-cities that fit this bill? I refuse to move anywhere considered to be the South (mostly because HEAT), the PNW is painfully hyper white in my experiences, and the Midwest I am mildly considering, but it would take me much longer to save and move out there because of the distance (and I feel like finding a job would be much more difficult, too, for the same reasons).
Also, are rents in Providence going up? I pay $1000 in Boston, utilities included for a REALLY old house and 3 roommates, and I'd say $1200 would be my absolute upper limit at the salary I'm at/would expect to get for what I do...but if rents are generally increasing, it may not make sense for me to move at all (for the record, I like my current job, but I just CANNOT live with other human beings anymore...and telecommuting is not an option).
...Help?
I have finally realized that living with roommates is having a poor effect on my mental health.
It has nothing to do with if someone is a bad or good roommate or not (I have definitely had my fair share of both), or how much I have or haven't communicated, but simply the fact that they're there. I'm tired of wearing earplugs for noise, dealing with boyfriends and regular friends, sharing common spaces with people who just quite can't keep up with my cleanliness standards, or even smelling other people's shit after they take one--all the normal stuff you put up with with roommates, the little annoyances that don't mean much by themselves but kind of erode on your consciousness after several years of the game. Then there are the more serious grievances that just...make me tired of them in general.
I desperately want my own space without having to share it, but I also love New England, the weather, the history, the politics. I've been here most of my life.
I have a few friends who are absolutely in love with Providence, RI, and I admit I haven't been yet, but I'm considering moving there. From my research and from how friends describe it, it seems like it would be a good fit with a cheaper coast of living. I like beaches, I like food, I like art, I like walkability, and I could go for another city down-sizing anyway (I'm actually from NYC--haHA!).
If I move, I would get a new job first, since I don't think I could handle the commute to Boston everyday. But what I don't know is, am I casting my net too small? Are there other New England small-cities that fit this bill? I refuse to move anywhere considered to be the South (mostly because HEAT), the PNW is painfully hyper white in my experiences, and the Midwest I am mildly considering, but it would take me much longer to save and move out there because of the distance (and I feel like finding a job would be much more difficult, too, for the same reasons).
Also, are rents in Providence going up? I pay $1000 in Boston, utilities included for a REALLY old house and 3 roommates, and I'd say $1200 would be my absolute upper limit at the salary I'm at/would expect to get for what I do...but if rents are generally increasing, it may not make sense for me to move at all (for the record, I like my current job, but I just CANNOT live with other human beings anymore...and telecommuting is not an option).
...Help?
Have you checked out Acton/West Concord if you're interested in smaller towns? I think it might be still in your budget (I see rentals on Zillow ~$1200), but would be closer than Worcester or Providence if you are working in Boston proper and the towns seem to have a nice vibe with lots of renters.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:51 PM on October 23, 2018
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:51 PM on October 23, 2018
You should go visit, but I really liked living in Providence during my undergrad. Great food and a small but active arts/music scene. Pretty neighborhoods.
posted by kylej at 6:57 PM on October 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by kylej at 6:57 PM on October 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: $1000 in Providence can get you a nice 2 bedroom in a medium neighborhood. Or it can get you a studio in a super nice neighborhood. It's doable, though. I've lived here for 20 years. Message me if you have questions about specific neighborhoods.
posted by fancyoats at 7:15 PM on October 23, 2018
posted by fancyoats at 7:15 PM on October 23, 2018
If you come up to Portland, ME you can get a nice studio in a nice area for $1200.
posted by pintapicasso at 2:28 AM on October 24, 2018
posted by pintapicasso at 2:28 AM on October 24, 2018
I like Providence. Artsy, access to New York and Boston, walkable. My main gripe was that TF Green isn’t the most convenient to fly out of. I haven’t lived in Worcester but have visited and I prefer Providence’s vibe and atmosphere.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 4:21 AM on October 24, 2018
posted by gemutlichkeit at 4:21 AM on October 24, 2018
Totally doable. You just missed the street painting festival last weekend. If you like art and food, PVD is the place to be.
posted by Ruki at 6:28 AM on October 24, 2018
posted by Ruki at 6:28 AM on October 24, 2018
I work in PVD and live in the 'burbs (so I don't know about rent, sorry). Most of twenty years ago my wife and I were working downtown & in Norwood, MA, and ended up buying a house here because it was too expensive to live in the Boston metro area.
Providence has a few colleges -- Brown, RISD, and Johnson & Wales -- downtown, which means plenty of young people. Different parts of the city are cheaper or more expensive; some neighborhoods have a fancy grocery store (i.e., Whole Foods), while others have a cheaper chain.
On the whole, I like working here (in .edu IT) a lot. Parts of the city are dead at night, but some areas really have a lot going on.
Do you know anyone in the city who you could visit over a weekend night, or anyone in your field who could do an informational interview to give you a feel for the work life here?
posted by wenestvedt at 1:01 PM on October 24, 2018
Providence has a few colleges -- Brown, RISD, and Johnson & Wales -- downtown, which means plenty of young people. Different parts of the city are cheaper or more expensive; some neighborhoods have a fancy grocery store (i.e., Whole Foods), while others have a cheaper chain.
On the whole, I like working here (in .edu IT) a lot. Parts of the city are dead at night, but some areas really have a lot going on.
Do you know anyone in the city who you could visit over a weekend night, or anyone in your field who could do an informational interview to give you a feel for the work life here?
posted by wenestvedt at 1:01 PM on October 24, 2018
Best answer: Hey, I've lived in Providence for the last 7 years. It's a nice little city, very walkable, lots of really good food, artsy, very diverse. A decent amount going on. We also have a lot of great beaches within a 45 minute drive.
You should definitely just come and check it out, MBTA takes an hour from South Station and lets you off right downtown. I'd wander around downtown, (make sure to hit Westminster and Weybosset streets) then over to the east side by Brown University. Check out Fox Point park and walk down Wickenden street. Just west of downtown centered around Westminster and Broadway are the gentrified hipster-y parts of town if that floats your boat. Outside of those areas, Providence is a pretty poor city (~30% poverty rate), and it definitely can feel like a very divided city between the east side and everywhere else.
The commute to Boston is brutal and Providence isn't exactly known for it's thriving jobs market, so that's certainly something to take into account.
I think fancyoats is pretty on in terms of rent-- I would expect to find a studio or one bed fairly easily for $1000 if you're not too picky about where you're at, and $1200 can get you more space or a more upscale 'hood. I would say that rents are rising, in part because of folks coming down from Boston as that market goes crazy, but not that quickly-- when I moved here I was paying $900 for a three-bed and seven years later I'm paying $960 for a one-bed down the street (and a lot of that increase is based on my neighborhood getting trendier).
memail me if you want to ask me anymore questions.
posted by geegollygosh at 5:25 PM on October 25, 2018
You should definitely just come and check it out, MBTA takes an hour from South Station and lets you off right downtown. I'd wander around downtown, (make sure to hit Westminster and Weybosset streets) then over to the east side by Brown University. Check out Fox Point park and walk down Wickenden street. Just west of downtown centered around Westminster and Broadway are the gentrified hipster-y parts of town if that floats your boat. Outside of those areas, Providence is a pretty poor city (~30% poverty rate), and it definitely can feel like a very divided city between the east side and everywhere else.
The commute to Boston is brutal and Providence isn't exactly known for it's thriving jobs market, so that's certainly something to take into account.
I think fancyoats is pretty on in terms of rent-- I would expect to find a studio or one bed fairly easily for $1000 if you're not too picky about where you're at, and $1200 can get you more space or a more upscale 'hood. I would say that rents are rising, in part because of folks coming down from Boston as that market goes crazy, but not that quickly-- when I moved here I was paying $900 for a three-bed and seven years later I'm paying $960 for a one-bed down the street (and a lot of that increase is based on my neighborhood getting trendier).
memail me if you want to ask me anymore questions.
posted by geegollygosh at 5:25 PM on October 25, 2018
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However, according to NPR, Worcester is the new It City. Rents will be far cheaper there, than in Providence. Still only 45 minutes to either city.
posted by heigh-hothederryo at 6:39 PM on October 23, 2018