kbd77 t1_jaxe27a wrote on March 4, 2023 at 8:24 PM

Sorry, I don’t think this area is a good fit for you based on your description. I’m from here but lived around the Boston area for 10 years during and after college, including Somerville for 3+ years. I like Providence better than anywhere I lived up there (which is why I moved back) but if you’re looking for a like-for-like comparison, this ain’t it.

Pawtucket is a run-down old mill town with a lot of great restaurants and breweries and a cool art scene, but it doesn’t really feel like a city. The only transit here is the bus system (which is fine, but often unreliable) and the commuter rail which isn’t very useful for getting around within RI. If you like the feel of Brookline and Somerville, I would suggest living in Brookline or Somerville. You won’t find what you’re looking for here.

unsolvedelizabeth t1_jaxeeb2 wrote on March 4, 2023 at 8:26 PM

Thank you for the advice! This is helpful. To clarify, I’m not looking for places LIKE Somerville or Brookline but used those as examples of towns close to a major city that are still walkable and easy to get into city. Sounds like transportation is tough in the area though so thanks!

kbd77 t1_jaxf0c9 wrote on March 4, 2023 at 8:30 PM

Gotcha! Yeah, walkability and transit are probably two of the most commonly discussed/ranted-about topics on this sub lol. It's a real problem.

sticksnsnails t1_jaxtva4 wrote on March 4, 2023 at 10:15 PM

Rhode Island is small enough that we don’t really have towns close enough to providence that are their own thing (Tm) while still having good walkability, transit, etc.

lightningbolt1987 t1_jazbvuk wrote on March 5, 2023 at 5:52 AM

The only real equivalents here to Somerville are Fox Point and the “West Side” (between Cranston Street and just north of Broadway), full stop. They are bikeable to downtown, walkable, have things going on but are residential and neighborhood feeling. Everywhere else feels more suburban or less vibrant.