Moving to Providence in April (23F) - Have a few questions!

Submitted by Electrical_Force7322 t3_ydy4t6 in RhodeIsland

Hello! I am a 22F from Massachusetts (so I have gone out in Providence/general RI quite a few times and am a little familiar with the area), but I will be moving to Providence in April for work! I had a few questions and would appreciate any help (:

#1 - Which specific areas would one recommend looking at to live? Ill be working in Providence itself but wouldn't mind looking at the surrounding areas so long as the commute is no more than 20 mins.

#2 - What bars/restaurants do you recommend! I go to the "popular" ones since im from out of state and dont know many others, but I'd like to get to know the more locally known ones.

#3 - What are some good ways to meet people? Obviously bars are a place to start, but I'd like to meet people while being sober as well lol.

#4 - Any advice/miscellaneous thoughts you might have for me! Feel free to recommend things to do/see, best local bakeries, favorite bookstore, anything really lol

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boulevardofdef t1_itw368v wrote

Fun younger areas in Providence include Federal Hill and Fox Point. College Hill and Wayland Square will be a bit pricier, but I don't know what your budget is. Outside Providence, try Edgewood in Cranston, which is right at the border and has a young vibe -- you'll be 10 minutes from downtown.

For bars, keep in mind I'm old, but the bar at the Dean Hotel is very cool from my perspective, as are the Avery and the Eddy. And don't forget Free Play, a huge barcade with dancing upstairs -- that might be a great way to meet people!

Restaurants, I love Den Den Korean Fried Chicken and all the Plant City restaurants. Durk's Barbecue is legit. Those just came to mind immediately, but of course Providence is a great restaurant town and there are endless options.

I know a lot of people use Meetup for meeting new people.

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bungocheese t1_itvbbaa wrote

what types of bars and restaurants do you like? We have something for every vibe but if you want generic answers just search the sub.

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nocturnalrats t1_itxlivw wrote

In terms of commute, it can take 20 min just to go down a couple streets in Providence during rush hours so …. good luck with that. Honestly, try and find a place for a decent price. The commute’s gonna suck no matter what.

A lot of classic chain restaurants are pretty good (and standard in comparison to their other locations). There’s also many good taco & sushi places here if those things interest you, as well as my favorite hot pot ever (Lamei).

For meeting people, join Facebook groups related to your interests. And go to a bunch of events. It’s hard because a lot of people have very closed knit friend groups, and aren’t looking to branch out.

Riffraff is an excellent bookstore/bar combo, there’s a million fun things to do on Thayer, and Providence drivers are a million times worse than MA 😔 all in all, good luck with the move!

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_itxxaqy wrote

Agree on the price thing. It's probably going to go up again on renewal, so try to be somewhere you can afford to take a raise so you're not hunting again in a year.

Also, if moving isn't your favorite, you may want to avoid subleases or the kind of living situation where someone is renting their house on a sabbatical of some sort. I know it sounds rare, but I know a number of people who have rented their house/subleased a condo or family home and that situation is very temporary.

Vacancy is so low these days that its worth avoiding moving at all costs once you rent somewhere.

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MarlKarx-1818 t1_ityasac wrote

Misc thoughts. Check out the local music scene. A lot of great bands and venues (Fete Music Hall, Dusk, the Met in Pawtucket, AS220)

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cowperthwaite t1_iu16v62 wrote

I'd suggest posting in the Providence subreddit.

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bambooboi t1_itxemg9 wrote

The greater providence area has been on the decline for the past ten year period. Federal Hill has seen more stabbings and muggings than I would like to mention, as it used to be very safe.

I say this as a native rhode islander.

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MarlKarx-1818 t1_ityanjv wrote

That's actually incorrect. Violent crime is the lowest in 2022 than it'a been in 6 years in Providence. Check out the city's crime statistics webpage. We have not had this low a murder rate since 1972. Only aggravated assaults (without a weapon) went up 6%, everythint else has decreased.

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