Best neighborhoods have been discussed ad nauseam in this sub, do a search and you'll find lots and lots of threads.

If you're going to live in the city, work at Brown, and you have kids - I would suggest living on the east side of Providence (not East Providence which is a different town). Anything in the Wayland Square or Mount Hope area will most likely be good. This is a city, but it feels more like the suburbs on the east side. Crimes of opportunity are everywhere though, all parts of the city - because it is a city still - but overall you will be very safe. You won't find trouble unless you go looking for it. If you leave stuff in your car, visible, expect it to be stolen. Basic common city sense applies anywhere.

As far as schools go, if you're living in Providence you will want private schools, the public schools are terrible. Moses Brown, Wheeler, and Lincoln all usually get high marks, but you will pay big $.

The top public schools in the state are consistently in Barrington and then East Greenwich. You will obviously have to drive into the city for work if you live in one of these towns, but it won't take long at all.

From what I've heard most left leaning people end up in Barrington and EG can be more right leaning. Of course one size does not fit all.

Agree with all of this but I’d add Elmhurst and Mount Pleasant as quiet and (mostly) safe residential neighborhoods that are far more affordable than the East Side. No idea what OP’s financial situation is of course but I do know that real estate is vastly cheaper in Texas than it is here unless you live in the heart of Austin. Many people who move here from non-coastal states get sticker shock when they look at real estate listings. The trade-off is you can typically make a higher salary here.

As for suburb options, I’ve always really liked the stretch of Cranston and Warwick from Edgewood down to Gaspee. Lots of nice older homes, some good shops and restaurants in Pawtuxet Village, close to the water, and still within 15-20 minutes of Providence. Oak Hill in Pawtucket is really nice, too, and basically an extension of the East Side but a little cheaper. Rumford and Riverside in East Providence are good options, too.

Oh, and OP – definitely come visit before you make any decisions! Rent a car, drive around some of the neighborhoods or towns you're eyeing, get the feel for the vibe/density/etc. and see what aligns with what works best for you. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people on this sub post "moved here sign unseen from Oklahoma or whatever, why does it suck so much in [insert cheapest part of the city where it can be a little rough around the edges here]?"

Copying from previous post about safety:

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/u48qqq/is_washington_park_a_relatively_safe_area_to_live/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/53v3u9/wondering_what_providence_is_like_for_mid_30s/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/2xx0kl/relocating_to_providence_at_the_end_of_the_month/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/nfq7lp/living_near_the_vavalley_area/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/mn698j/apartment_hunting/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/i114g2/advice_for_possibly_moving_to_providence/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/fnvwta/safe_places_in_providence/

From another post about neighborhoods and apartments:

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/p0q2h4/hey_im_a_single_female_in_my_late_20a_thinking_of/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/nfuqi7/if_you_could_tell_someone_moving_to_providence/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/kuvq8w/moving_to_providence_whatre_your_thoughts/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/lhx5yd/moving_to_providence_this_summer/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/idibb5/considering_moving_to_providence_down_the_line/

https://www.reddit.com/r/providence/comments/qh5065/moving_to_providence_in_the_spring_2022/

How competitive are Brown's salaries when compared to other private and R1s?
I assumed the prestige + competitiveness in academia/higher ed is a lot of the draw and that maybe the salaries weren't amazing for the CoL difference unless candidates are in hard to staff fields or famous academics. I'd be interested to know from someone with more insight. Like even high 5 figures here isn't comfortable with a family anymore.

Also, the private school tuition is next level. It's like sending your kid college for 13 consecutive years. I think 35-55k a year is unheard of for Texas, but it's the going rate here, OP. The only "affordable" private high school is Catholic.

Brown’s salary info is public so you can look it up pretty easily. Put it this way: I make a lot more in the private sector than I would if I had a position with more seniority at Brown. The non-profit world doesn’t pay that well.

It should be pointed out that if your child tests into Classical High School, (which is a Providence public school) it is considered the best High School in the state.

Elementary and Middle though are a crapshoot.

Having a child in the schools - who didn’t get into Classical - I can confirm that the academic standards aren’t as high as I’d like them - but the exposure he’s getting to people from very different backgrounds is richer than any other place here I can imagine.

>make a lot more in the private sector

Worked at Brown for 17 years, having come from the private sector. This was too true: wages and annual raises were crazy low at Brown by comparison. And while people think Brown offers great benefits, this stopped being true by the 90s!

That said, likely OP is an upper-level administrator. So, especially if they are comparing a state university in TX to an Ivy, salary should be adequate to live on the East Side or Barrington.

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 🍀

Yep, my mom worked at Brown for 35 years before Ruth Simmons unceremoniously laid her off because she made more than her more junior colleagues. We always used her health insurance plan because it was much better than my dad’s. But she never even cracked six figures despite being a very senior member of her department. It’s kind of crazy.

Moved here from NYC 20 years ago and never looked back- I love Providence! I've raised two kids here, used both public and private schools for two very different kids and both are doing great. Growing up in PVD has been pretty idyllic for them- running around with friends in the neighborhood, playing at local parks and playgrounds, enjoying walkable neighborhoods, always a lot to do and see, being a part of a diverse community. You can look up crime stats for the various neighborhoods, but some of that is misleading because it can combine very safe and unsafe areas in the same neighborhood. I've lived in two great family friendly areas- Elmhurst and the East Side (there are many nice neighborhoods on the East Side). Elmhurst is more affordable, but doesn't have the fun shopping areas of the East Side. On the other side of the city, it is a 15 minute drive to Brown- that's how big this city is! Coming from NYC I've learned to be mindful of potential crime, teaching my kids the same, and take precautions (security cameras are widespread here). Negotiating schools for your kids takes some work. The public schools have a history of problems and poor performance on standardized tests (and now under control of the state), but there are some publics that I have sent (or would send) my kids and there are charter schools that can be good options as well. There are also quite a few private schools with varying tuition (I think 18K to 43K)- financial aid is usually available. I'm middle class and was able to send my kids to two private schools with aid- one attended Community Prep for middle school and one went to Providence Country Day for high school. Of course, you can avoid such hassles and live in a town like Barrington, East Greenwich, Lincoln, Cumberland... but we like small city living!