Good luck OP with making good your escape from TX 🤞

Not sure you can grasp how a native RIer views what constitutes a reasonable commute vs what a native Texan would.

To a RIer, commuting to Brown from Barrington would be onerous; to a Texan it would be a heartbeat away. Lots of Brown staff live in Barrington, which has among the top public schools in the state, and is lovely but boring -- its nickname is Borington. That said, it's pretty idyllic for families. As is its neighbor Bristol. And both are on the ocean.

During my time at Brown, one Provost chose the opposite direction, west to Foster. That's woodsy, sparsely populated, "away from it all" -- but during the occasional bad winter, a difficult commute because they get the most snow in the state out that way.

Another provost lived in the College Hill neighborhood on the East Side, 5 min walk to the main green. Also close to the city's three good private schools for kids, Wheeler, Moses Brown and Lincoln.

Just depends on what you prefer: living in the woods, a seaside bedroom community, or in the city.

Good luck with getting the job 🍀