I have lived here all my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I’m 22 years in and no regrets.

Username might check out

I love Providence. I’m a transplant from MA and prefer life here. I don’t think this sub represents the city very well at all, to be honest. The people I meet throughout the city are very friendly and welcoming, and this sub is definitely not that.

I’ve lived here for 2 years after being in Cambridge, MA. It feels small after living in bigger cities my whole life. The food culture is good for how small it is but it isn’t as good as in bigger cities. Like people say how much better food culture here is better compared to Boston but I disagree. Saying that shows to me they haven’t really lived in Boston and it’s environs or know the abundance of international/ethnic food that flourished in Boston that you can’t find here or is simply so-so in PVD. It’s a transient city, feels like a lot of yuppies and grad students that come here and have no plans to stay. Pricier than you’d think it is. RI is really cute during the summer and I think has everything you need as does PVD in terms of being a small/medium sized city. It’s very segregated and I feel like much less diverse than other cities on the East Coast.

After living in the NYC area most of my life I think the food here is good for a smaller city, but doesn't really impress me. I know I'm very spoiled.

I like it. It has enough of the city perks to feel better than being out in bumfuck while not being big and overwhelming.

edit: Also the location of the city is nice as it makes it very easy to travel to bigger cities for day and weekend trips if wanted to.

it's definitely ratchet as a mfr now but I still love it whenever I'm there lol

Boston? As in the Massachusetts capital where a great night out is eating at the Pru food court? And the segregated transit system?

Yeah it owns

I lived in Boston for 10 years, there are plenty of great restaurants there but I find the general quality here much better.

Do you realize that only tourists and people in Southie eat at the Pru? I’m talking about the abundance of fresh and delicious Latinx food from East Boston to Somerville. GOOD Korean food in Union Sq and Allston. Thai food that is delicious and can be Nothern or Southern Thai depending on your preference. Good Spanish food. The difference is huge. Also, you think RIPTA’s structures aren’t also enmeshed with segregation? The lack of critical thinking about Rhode Island’s issues is so odd to me. 70% of RIPTA stops don’t even have awnings for people because towns like Warren and Bristol don’t care about people taking public transport. Learn introspection.

Plenty of good Latino and Thai food in Providence as well. I have not had good Korean here, but the same goes for Boston as well.

Most Boston food is “meh” at best and only impressive if you’ve never had the real article. Most food critics recognize that Boston doesn’t really have much of a culinary scene. Even places like Miami and Atlanta crush it in that regard.

And I’ve had plenty of “good nights at the Pru” with actual Bostonians. Legal Seafoods, oooooh. Or if you really want to get fancy, Eataly! 🤣

I won’t even mention all the locals lamenting the closure of Top of the Hub. Yikes!

Cambridge can’t compete with PVD on pizza.

Love it here. Transplant from CA via MD.

Love it. Have lived on both coasts and internationally. Reddit is a very very very small subset of any given population. I will say Rhode Island as a whole breeds a special sort of online crank (peruse the comments section on globe Ri section or Dan McGowans ri politics page). So there’s that. But the scale of the city is great. Arts / food scene. The ocean. Slightly more parochial In the suburbs than I’d like? Sure. But that’s why I’m in the city.

Moving to Providence may be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. People here may be tired of me constantly saying this place is wonderful, but this place is paradise compared to a lot of places in the south.

Now I’m not saying there isn’t a lot of work that can be done to improve this place, but what I am saying is this is in the top 10% places you could across the country.

The issues here can be fixed as well. The community can work together and make the changes they want to see. Laws need to be changed, housing needs to be built, some cops need to be fired, the list goes on. I feel better about the state of things here compared to where I came from in Florida.

Born & Raised in Washington Park. I left RI for almost 12 years, and it was 10 years too many. Been back since 2010 and I'll never leave again. I was homesick every day I lived in the Midwest

Eatily at the Pru is quite all right. I’ve lived in Newton, Lexington and Concord for large portions if my adult life. Since 1990, I always advocate a trip to Federal Hill over the North End.

I chime in on /boston to try to tell transplants to the Western sector of BOS to try to commute from Pawtucket or Providence.

Having lived in lots of different places I can’t think of anything worse than providence. I’ve seen war torn cities look better. The politics, the people, the culture it’s just in another level of horrid. And nobody realizes it I’m guess because they have never been anywhere else. No reason why it takes 5 plus years and going to fix a freeway. No excuse other than the politics. Anyway hard pass on providence need a real city.

If you really care about something, you want to improve it. I think a lot of criticism comes from people who see room for improvement, which is great. There’s just a few too many people who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Get involved with your community people.

Then there’s also a group of trolls and conservatives who sow discord and act like the sky is falling every day. That’s where I see the worst of the negativity.

I didn’t realize people view this sub as being that negative. It’s a very active subreddit compared to the overall population of the city, and was a huge reason why I came to visit the city when I was looking around the country in 2021.

I feel that way about virtually all location subreddits. They’re mostly collections of the most bitter and overly-analytic people in an area.

Just curious… you are currently subscribed to this subreddit because…?

It really does feel like a barren concrete desert, and the layout of the city is totally nonsensical. Having lived in various parts of the country, I'd say RI and MA have the worst drivers and Providence has the worst roads. With a government that wants to increase police presence and decrease funding for schools, this place is way more conservative that I expected. Planning to leave asap.

Love it here! It's diverse, and progressive, but somehow still townie and old school. And the food is top notch. As well as the friendly banter from strangers. I've never heard so many people crack random jokes when I'm out and about.

I’ll be closing on a home in RI on Tuesday! I’m excited to be there. I’ll also be a transplant from worcester and so excited to have things within a 15 min drive max

Curious , what brought you to want to live in the Midwest?

I moved to Providence after initially living in NYC. Been here as a freelance writer & journalist on/off since 2001. I keep coming back to Rhode Island because it's my kind of quirky. People can be individuals without the drama, solitary without the angst, and creative without the ego. And any time you get down about anything here, you can just go to the ocean and chill with water that actually smells like ocean instead of pollution.

NYC can just make you a hard person. I had to do my time there as a creative to earn my stripes and all that, but I was extremely glad to leave. On Staten Island, they actually have sprinklers on the beach for the kids to play in because the ocean water is too polluted to swim in. The smells alone in parts of the Tri-state area during the summer are horror-worthy. Sometimes NYC seems just covered in a film of....something. So anybody saying Providence is grimy -- I seriously don't get it.

I moved here from right outside of Worcester, so I get that feeling a lot! I actually recently went carless this past summer (much to the demise of my MA family who cannot fathom this at all) and feel so much better not being car dependent like I was while in MA. I can walk to most places that I need to go from where I live currently and it’s the best feeling.

It wasn't always this way. A decade ago both this and the state sub were much smaller, but, oddly enough, more reflective of the residents of RI, albeit skewing younger, college educated, and middle class.

I used to put together meetups on a regular basis, sometimes with up to 50 participants, and attendees had a great time. I'm not sure I could pull that off now.

Love it here! Moved here from Boston 16 years ago and never looked back. Best city. ❤️

It’s fine not great. Boring as fuck compared to New York.

I was posting here then under a different name. Left Reddit for a while and came back for a bit when COVID first hit and again recently. It had become alarmingly toxic around the COVID time, but seems to have settled down some now. Definitely not the same though.

If all of the people on this sub complaining about how much they hated providence just got up and left, we wouldn't have a housing crisis anymore.

> anybody saying Providence is grimy -- I seriously don't get it.

The vast majority of people who are the loudest complainers about Providence never travel further than Attleboro

So true! I am always asking them why they don't actually explore more. It's a short drive to just about anywhere.

COVID really kicked the hostility into high gear. I've been a mod on the sister sub for nearly a decade, and prior to COVID, moderator actions could often be counted in the low double digits for an entire year. Needless to say, that is no longer the case.

I'm currently overseas, but I've had the thought of putting together another meet up upon my return. One of the reasons I did so in the first place (other than wanting an excuse to drink beer with new and interesting strangers) was to remind the community that there is a physical person behind each username. Of the dozens of gatherings I organized, I can't recall a single serious argument/fight, despite the fact that there were people of all race/class/sex/political affiliation attending. Disagreements, sure, but civil ones.

People think twice about saying nasty things when they recognize the humanity of the person behind the screen.

People who say this always amuse me. I lived in both. People like to reference the thousands of restaurants they never ate at, the hundreds of bars and clubs they never went to, all the concerts happening every weekend they never bought tickets for. Truth is, your clique is only so big, and that can exist in any city. And so often it thrives much better in a tighter community like Providence than it ever can it a major metro like NYC.

Love both. Prefer Providence.

Providence food scene blows Boston out of the water. Not even close.

Unless you love your specific fucking sushi pop style restaurant in the new bland soulless commercial hellscape that is your new loft living building more than the other exact same thing down the street.

Boston used to be cool. Had a chance with the seaport and Cambridge developments. Ruined both.

Jesus Christ where are you talking about? The food is horrible. Frozen food section has better options. I’ve had better pizza in Tulsa. Seriously. Have you been across any borders?

For anyone that’s eaten anywhere else it’s obvious the food is horrible

I lived in NYC for 15 years, most of my adult life. And I moved to Providence last year to be closer to my husband’s work. I am still back in NYC all the time for work, social, and family reasons, so I don’t really miss it. I appreciate the relative affordability of Providence, and I have found people to be so much more open here than Boston, where I have lived for two separate stints. My only real complaint is that too many people in Providence like to drive too fast on residential streets. I wish it were a bit more bike and pedestrian friendly here.

The thing is I sincerely went to all those bars, ate at all those restaurants and danced in all those clubs. I love exploring my city that way. I used to take myself out to dinner somewhere new by myself every Friday night when I was single living there. Now, I’m very happily engaged with someone I followed to PVD to support their career since I could get a remote job in mine. We still go back to NYC for my birthday. So, if you’re a person who truly loves and explores their city, providence can get boring compared to new York. I’m not dumping on anyone else’s taste. It’s very presumptuous of you to lump me into whoever these people are you’re generalizing.

Also - I support this city the best I can. I eat out often. We make friends with and get to know the owners of our favorite businesses. We have family that have opened businesses here that employ great local people.

Be as open minded as you think you are.

There’s also thousands of restaurants and bars here though. Obviously you didn’t actually go to that many bars or restaurants or other places in NY, but have you gone to all of those in Providence? Probably not?

I've lived in Orlando and Boston and Providence is better than both. Moved here in September and loving it so far. Can't wait for summer!

Completely telling on yourself if you think Providence doesn’t have great pizza. Just admitting you know nothing or have truly horrible taste.

Coming from someone who’s never stepped a foot out of the state.

I see you’re as unserious as your opinions. Cool have fun with that.

I’ve had better pizza in Arizona.

Check for yourself. Is providence on the list?

https://news.yahoo.com/50-best-pizzerias-america-ranked-200000183.html

I never leave rhode island.

You cannot be seriously linking a Yahoo article to me.

Look I’m not going to pretend providence gets the recognition it deserves by unserious people linking unserious publications.

My anecdotes are that every single person I’ve brought to Providence, and Al Forno in particular, whether from NYC or Chicago or New Haven, have left reconsidering their most deeply held pizza beliefs about what is and isn’t great pizzas.

If you can’t relate, you haven’t been. Simple as.

And that’s ignoring the other 10 places in RI that give every other 10 places in a different state a run for their money.

Love it

Rest my case

Got to be a parody account. Someone with ass salad username critiquing on culinary aspects of any city. What a joke. Good laugh though. Thanks

Don’t rest your case near me, I’ll steal it.

If someone said “hey this very unserious person with unserious opinions is going to very unseriously attack you ad hominem because they are that unserious” I would have said “oh shit yeah that checks out”

I like living close to the city but not in the city.

It’s becoming less and less accessible for automobiles and the public transit isn’t always reliable.

The city has changed significantly over the past decade. Some of it was good but some of it has been pretty meh.

OMG the Korean restaurants in Allston are the TITS

Are you meeting other transplants though? I think the pandemic made the worst parts of Rhode Island even worse.

I can’t speak for other Rhode Islanders but between the pandemic and our most recent election it feel like the state just took a giant step backwards.

Moved from Boston 8 years ago and haven’t looked back!

i have never lived in a city that seemed to hate its own citizens more.

Thinking of moving to the area from SoCal. Anything you miss out there compared to CA?

How would compare Orlando to PVD? I'm considering moving to both cities

War torn cities…get a grip lol

Family. Pretty much all of my family is in the Monterey/SF/Central Valley area.

Also, good Mexican food. You'll see recs for places here but it's not the same and it's overpriced.

I love providence whole heartedly. The only other city that comes close is Portland, Maine. The food, the bars, the little locally owned shops, the flea and outdoor spaces and parks, are all so wonderful!

Love this city. How many cities can you pull up and park next to your favorite downtown restaurant for free? The culture, food, townie vibe ... anytime I visit another city I just want to come back to Pvd.

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No. I used to. Now it’s a cesspool. Disgusting filth.

Ur a gentrifier, you only seek to take from providence. Ppl like you are contributing to the economic inequality in the city, and have the nerve to complain. Move anywhere else and never return .

What I loved about nyc was being able to walk around all the time and enjoy the energy of the place. Providence has a more suburban feel, and although you can walk some places, depending on where in pvd you live, it’s not the same kind of thing.

My former ex-husband. He was from Indiana. We met at J&W

You been to sura in Johnston?

What are you talking about? I've been to 30 different cities and 4 countries. The food scene here is really good. Some amazing restaurants and food producers reside here. Johnson and Wales is a very highly regarded culinary school with many of their chefs staying and influencing the restaurants.

Below are some amazing Providence restaurants: Oberlin, Aguardente, Massimo, Slow Rhode, Chilangos, Los Andes, Slow Rhode, Nick's on Broadway, Broadway Bistro, Gracies, Aleppo Sweets, Jahunger, Bayberry, La Pinata, Rouge Island

We cultivate plenty of awesome local grocery items here too. Check out the new hope and main market.

Have you been to pizza Marvin, nice slice or Annas Vesuviano?

Even the food pop ups are next level here. Hanju kitchen, masa taqueria, trap box, etc

Sounds like you haven't explored Providence enough

Ok now this is just getting ridiculous….

Great state, crappy government

Area Four is on the level, wood fired pizza and hipster appeal. Providence has a lotttttt of pizza but honestly not many that I crave…

And your last line is exactly why we left and came back home. Why the fuck would I pay $2500 in rent during a pandemic to have the privilege to pay $25 for a lousy burger at some mid “modern American” restaurant (seriously every other restaurant is this pretentious upscale gastropub bullshit). The two things I miss that I can’t get here are good bagels and Nepalese dumplings (momo).

I agree, Boston people need to get off their high horses

Not sure I agree with concrete desert, some good looking buildings around the city. The layout dates back 100s of years to when the mode of transportation was horses and they moved cattle and other animals around the city. With regards to the horrible roads and other infrastructure your gripes are well said. They waste taxpayer money elsewhere, zero accountability.

The food here in general is great, but I'll agree on the pizza. There are very few places that are above average - Sicilia, Vivaldi's, Providence Coal Fired, and of course the Frank Pepe's location in Warwick are the ones that come to mind. Then again I moved up here from the New Haven area, so my standards are high.

This is such an insane perspective tbh. Almost no one outside of Providence residents will say this.

...or maybe he's tried quite a few of the "good" pizza joints in the city and realized they're actually awful or just passable, like I have?

I wouldn't say horrible. The food in Providence is great for how small the city is. But it's also just that.. small. Any moderately sized city is going to beat it just due to pull alone.

Not everyone in the city can afford Al Forno every weekend chief. And I am from New Haven.

> Boring as fuck compared to New York

That's a positive in my book! I need some breaks from the constant activity and FOMO.

Lmao this is the funniest thing I’ve read this week, thanks for the laugh

For whatever reason, I just can’t get into Pepe’s. As a native, do you think the other classic NH places (Sally’s, Modern etc) are better? I’ve been to the original Pepe’s twice and came out thinking I had just eaten a burnt saltine cracker with cheese. Just curious if it’s not my cup of tea or if Pepe’s is overrated compared to the others.

I personally preferr Sally's out of that trio. I like a little char on the crust but Pepe's does tend to take it too far.

Gotcha! Next time I'm in New Haven (rare) I'll have to give Sally's a try

I lived in PVD for 18 years but moved to Little Compton in 2021. Mostly because I went through a bad breakup with my long term partner and the city seemed too small for both of us to stay. It’s what I use to loved about living in PVD, it’s smallness. I could ride my bike around the city, go out for dinner and drinks and run into people I know, and have most everything I need within a mile from my house. I do miss it sometimes, but the beauty of RI is that nothing is really far. I come up and go out in PVD at least twice a month and I like that I see so many new faces around town. I get to enjoy the best parts of the city still and love it from a far.

This comment is really myopic. Providence is a small city, NYC is the largest city on the east coast. There WILL BE no direct comparison. That's like saying "This burger is good, but it's boring compared to this dry aged steak I had once"
Is it a GOOD burger? How does it compare to other burgers?

Judge it for what it is, no one is trying to lump Providence into a list of cities that include London, Paris, NYC, etc. Those are entirely different entities with different experiences.

My complaint is not so much with the speed but with the noise. Why are people driving around in loud ass cars like they are extras for the 1st fast and the furious. Time to move to the 21st century and get a quiet car that will be faster than your loud ass car anyway. Also of your windows are rattling and car is shaking that is not good bass that is distortion. End rant.

I agree that it can't compare to the number of things available in NYC but calling it boring as fuck is hyperbole in my opinion. I think for its size Providence has a lot of things to do. Also doesn't hurt that for the price of like nosebleeds at Broadway I can get mezzanine or even orchestra seats at Providence's venues.

Do you have good Thai food recommendations in Providence? Because what I have tried so far is not it. I'm surprised about Korean food tho, Providence has so many good places. But maybe it is my taste since I prefer the mild Korean food which I know is not the norm

43% cheaper then living in Boston

The does seem to be a lack of green spaces in Providence, even concrete jungle capital NYC has huge central park. India point isn't really enough.

chaos will be anywhere you go as it is the natural order of the universe and while providence has its ups and downs as does any city, i think we are really lucky to experience providence and its people and all the city has to offer. its special, unmimicable, and full of life! how bout that food tho? 😏 yeah the drivers suck and the roads suck all over this state but this state is one of a kind and theres so much beauty to be found everywhere you look.

Apsara and Apsara Palace are both pretty good choices.

I’ve never had good Korean anywhere east of the Mississippi, but I lived in Seoul for a couple years back before the Great Recession, so am picky. Gotta go to LA or SF for the good stuff.

Because populist opinion is always correct?

Unbiased foodies would say Providence gives Boston a run for its money.

Every weekend lol, you mean once? Once is plenty enough to know you’ve been missing something your whole life. As I said, every out of towner I’ve brought there rethinks their assumptions about what makes good pizza. They still love their NY thin or apizza or deep dish or whatever, but grilled pizza wedges itself at the top with the best of them.

Don't know about others but I definitely don't to talk up Providence too much on reddit, would like my rent to stay somewhat affordable (got very lucky on my current apt) we already have too many people living here and commuting to Boston, which saves them $ on rent but drives it up for the locals who work in RI and tend to make less $ than those working in Boston.

I’ll see your Warren and Bristol, and raise you a Red Line that artificially creates and maintains two “branches” based on race.

And let’s not pretend that Wellesley, Weston or Scituate are bastions of racial equality, while we are cherry-picking affluent suburbs.

I have not. Will have to try it (my Korean palate is picky after years in Seoul.) For the referral, I say samida!

I just moved her after having lived in California, the PNW, and Texas. Providence is by far my favorite place I’ve ever lived, for all the reasons you mentioned.

>Unbiased foodies would say Providence gives Boston a run for its money.

No, they won't lol.

These types of claims are ridiculous to me. Where do you come up with this? Who says this besides people on this subreddit? I've lived here almost 3 years and barely hear Providence natives make these claims.

Sad I have to explain this but apparently I do.

Cities like Providence fly under the radar of most people. How can you get an unbiased opinion of a city or it’s food scene if most people haven’t experienced it? Therefore “a lot of people don’t think that” doesn’t mean jack shit.

But the ones who know, know. And that includes a ton of food writers, celebrity chefs, and critics.

>But the ones who know, know. And that includes a ton of food writers, celebrity chefs, and critics.

I mean I'm asking who actually says this and all you respond with is "it just is and people do." I've never seen anyone say the Providence food scene is on par with the Boston food scene except on this subreddit lol.

Uhhh, awfully tiny city with weird ass people? Only here for school then out ASAP.

Valid point. Putting a highway through in the 60s was a bad idea

Not sure how to tell you this but “I’ve never seen” isn’t the flex you seem to think it is…

Do you even know how ignorant you sound ? Spare yourself further embarrassment and stfu.

You have an opportunity to link something to back your claims. Otherwise you're just kinda speaking with unbacked authority.

Edit: bro replied then either blocked me or deleted the account? Interesting

Just google Providence food scene, plenty of articles from the globe, NYT, eater, Forbes etc. Travel and Leisure readers voted it the #1 food city in the country 5 or so years ago. I don’t think that’s true, but obviously it has a foodie reputation outside of the state.

It is a lot easier to live here than Jersey City.

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"Maybe it's just the tone of this sub, but I see a lot of self-deprecation here and I wanted to see what everyone really thought about living in Providence."

From this, I knew you weren't originally from New England, but from the way you ended your post I understand that you've been here long enough to get it. There's a lot of that self-deprecation of the city you live in and love. See also: Worcester, Fall River, Boston. Often it takes the form of "No one is allowed to complain about or make fun of our city but us."

To answer your question, I loved living in Providence for a decade before I moved last year. The good and the bad are all part of it. I lived in Worcester for 5 years and loved that too but there was also PLENTY to make fun of. Conversely, I lived in Westerly for a few years and had nothing really bad to say about it but couldn't wait to get out because it was so boring.

Your comment about how your daughter pronounces drawing warms my heart. I was told that I say it weird when I was in Alabama on business.

Sounds like you're the one who hasn't been anywhere else, certainly not to any "warn torn cities."

Why don’t you explain it to me boss

Sure, Providence does not resemble a war-torn city! That’s a completely ignorant statement.

The PVD food scene is pretty good and it def punches above its weight in the food and arts scene. What restaurants are you eating at where the frozen food aisle tastes better?! You can made a good faith argument like the city has bad politics and infrastructure and I’d agree with you. Instead you’ve engaged in repeated hyperbole which comes across as obnoxious.

Beirut in the 80’s had more appeal.

It’s a Reddit comment I made from my own personal experience. If I was writing a book on tourism of US cities, I’d give a different assessment. I don’t feel the need to editorialize my Reddit comments for the fairness of them. Im just being real because why not? This place is anonymous so why waste energy trying to please everyone?

Yeah but we get deer tick and nyc gets Jack white.

I love deer tick…but you get the point. This city is great - but if you’re the kind of person that loves the splendor of NYC, providence can become underwhelming.

Some The best restaurants we’ve had have shut down since I moved here and nothing has come close to replacing them (birch, big king, north)

Im from FL and I would not recommend Orlando but I guess it depends on what your goals are. There are just much better places in Florida to move to than Orlando. :) I live in downtown PVD and I like it overall but I do feel the city has really struggled getting the scene back post Covid. And in my opinion it has lost the soul to the city.

Again you are making assumptions about what I do with my free time when I just explained that trying new restaurants is literally my favorite thing to do.

I have been to a shit ton of bars and restaurants in RI. Like I said, that’s how I like to enjoy my city. And yes, the restaurant scene here is cool and charming. But no, it doesn’t come close to NYC in terms of the higher quality places you can find in fine dining, comfort food, ethnic food, pizza, bakeries…

It’s just the nature of being in a small city with a much smaller population of people with money to spend on dining/going out.

Correct. PVD has charm just dripping in every neighborhood. I love walking my dog around college hill/Mt hope where I live. But, come the weekend, PVD doesn’t have that electric buzz of being able to just walk by some bar or restaurant you’ve never seen before.

Yeah I think most cities are struggling with the same problem since COVID. What areas of FL would you recommend outside of Orlando? I have family in New Smyrna Beach but it's mostly all white people there, although I'd still like to be fairly close to them if I move there.

We’ll disagree about the quality of the food. The best food in Providence rivals the best food anywhere. But there certainly are more top restaurants by sheer numbers in New York or other larger metros, no one is arguing against that. But you can only do so much, and I think the illusion of choice is a much bigger draw than the actual abundance of it. Maybe not for you, but for 99% of people they develop routines and favorite spots and go-to haunts and those exist everywhere.

My family has lived here for over a 100 years. Guess it works. That said, I've lived in 11 states. It's either Newporr or Providence I like. Small cities are best. In NE Providence is the best of the bunch.

I love it here

Certainly. And omg I went to north once and then it closed down. Sucks because it was so good and not overly pretentious like I find a lot of modern restaurants to be

I love living in Providence but it did take me some time to adjust. I moved from NY-MA-RI and at that time I did not appreciate the slower pace. As I’ve gotten older it is the thing I love the most about it. Going back to visit my old hometowns is nice but I can’t really deal with how packed things are in bigger cities (traffic, parking, finding places to eat, etc). I like the food, the friends I’ve made, activities. Occasionally I do wish we had more things to see/attend (like concerts) BUT we live close enough to other states where it is not a deal breaker. I am now patiently waiting for Spring/Summer because that is when I think this state thrives the most.

I hate when I drive through and see people walking on the sidewalk with masks on still lmfao

I love it here, but if you've been here for a few years before covid you really feel the value difference to a few years ago. I suppose if I just got here today I wouldn't have that comparison.

It's like if your favorite sandwich place doubled the costs due to inflation or cut portions in half. You probably will still say it's your favorite sandwich place, "but it's really gotten more expensive/portions really got smaller lately." It doesn't mean you won't go there or that you can't afford a sandwich now, it's just that every time you go you remember that you used to get a lot more value and it impacts that experience just a bit. Providence is in that stage for me. Comparison is the thief of joy and all that.

My family income is a lot, but the goal posts keep changing here. I actually avoided HCOL areas my whole life because I grew up financially insecure and now I've found myself in one by chance (been here a long time). So I still love it here, but I've had to work through new worries about stability personally.

There absolutely are too few people involved. That being said, a lot of people who do advocate are also the most demoralized when they continue to see glacial change.

For a recent example, let's take the school closures (moving kids out of buildings and redistributing them to other schools throughout the city). The response has been universally negative from the community. Meetings have been nearly shut down from outcry and hours of public comments heard from concerned families who want the normal procedural protocol from the city (the state can avoid this because of the mandate it has over the city right now). Most likely, things will be business is usual so for those people it feels like the status quo is pretty fixed, but hopefully those people continue to be involved and advocate.

Another recent example would be the rate hikes many people took off work to speak against. They were pretty much rubber stamped and while we could argue it was necessary in this economic climate, for those people it felt like there was never a debate to be had.

Here's the deal.

RIers are allowed to shit all over RI and everything about it. It makes us feel good.

But if you are coming from somewhere else to shit on RI, we are coming for you.

Now, beyond that, there is a long time state/city dynamic between the rest of the state and Providence. It goes way back to Buddy Cianci's feuds with the governors and probably before that. Add to that the recent red/blue inspired rural versus city dynamic and you get a lot of people who actually know nothing about Providence crapping on it for ha-ha's.

Last, there is the well known internet dynamic that it's a lot easier to be vocal about complaints than compliments. You think this sub is bad, check NextDoor for 5 minutes or any Facebook group comments.

We absolutely need more involvement in non-election years and throughout primaries. Most of my neighbors would never show up to a community event that involves raising awareness for a problem or issue.

Politics have shifted so far to the right in this country, that we are electing conservatives to office and expecting them to enact progressive policies just because they aren’t far-right. Capitalism and greed are the root cause of our problems, but all peoples talk about is the R or the D.

I understand that feeling of despair after watching nothing change for years. That’s why I moved from my hometown. I’m a registered RINO who now leans farther to the left than most people who live up here. I couldn’t take the hatred and indifference from the overwhelming majority of people I grew up around anymore.

Anytime I would mention something is wrong, it was all finger-pointing and no accountability. Blaming some nonexistent left-wing menace, while stripping our rights and giving corporate handouts to their friends.

Providence needs someone like Fetterman to unite the community behind blue-collar workers and the working class. I’m still new enough here than I don’t even know anyone who remotely could fit that description.

Random bits of my impressions that may or may not be helpful

Orlando:- Tiny downtown area that feels like a real city. I didn't spend much time here but a friend rented an apartment in a high-rise and it was really cool and trendy at the time (we were in our early 20s) Most of "Orlando" is actually tons of suburban sprawl, neighborhoods and strip malls, for miles and miles. Lots of places to eat and things to do, but you have to work to find local places amid all of the franchises.

- Despite have 4 lanes of traffic on major roads somehow the roads are ALWAYS congested with traffic. Orlando drivers tended to be wildly unpredictable - either too slow or downright dangerous drivers. Also, you probably need a car.

- People were generally friendly. The weather is always warm, sometimes too hot, and very, very humid. Lots of rain daily. Every building is air conditioned though.

That was 2013-2014 so things may have changed since.

Providence:- The part that feels like a city proper is also pretty small, but overall less franchises. More local places. Lots of art. Universities have a big influence here, so lots of students and artists and events going on (not as much as New York or Boston though, but more than I was able to find in orlando) Lots of old historic buildings, if that's your jam.

- The food scene is small but really, really good. I moved here from Boston and Providence blows away the restaurants from the bigger city.

- You get 4 seasons, generally (this year the winter is super mild). Summers can be hot!- People here tend to be friendly but you get that New England vibe from them, folks are busy and more curt. However you have less "Florida Man" type people than Orlando (that can be a pro or a con depending on what you value)

- There is a decent bus system although a car would be more convenient usually. It's actually a bikeable city. It's very drivable. Rhode Island drivers are strangely almost as wild and bad as Orlando drivers, to my dismay, so watch out for that. Also the roads are under construction all the time, forever.

Providence is a weird place but in a fun, artsy, local kind of way.
Orlando is weird in a "I'm screaming and everything is on fire" kind of way.

Definitely agree with u/anoncamcam that PVD hasn't bounced back since Covid so it's a little sleepier here, and also that there are probably much better places in Florida to live. Unless you're a Disney adult I guess, in which case Orlando is still bad, you'd want to move to Kissimmee instead.

Edit - I saw in your comment below that you're looking for a diverse place. Orlando is super diverse, heavily hispanic / latino but with people from all over.PVD is more white for sure, but there is also a large hispanic / latino population, and the universities bring in a lot of diverse and international students, although not sure how many of them stick around after graduating. I'm white so I can't speak much more to the experience of POC here, although my partner is south-asian and she's been enjoying living here so far.

Spoken like a true Rhode Islander!

I love my city, and get wicked defensive when someone criticizes it. Sure it's not perfect, but what city is? It's just the right size, and has so many great amenities.

The most interesting/politically disruptive candidates here are on the lowest levels (state rep, state senate, council). This is because these candidates can represent the views of their small neighborhoods and are often the biggest community presence. Once you go to mayor or state level positions, the leadership gets a lot more milquetoast because all of the vote gets split, it attracts career politicians, low turnout, and the opinionated candidates on both ends don't appeal to enough voting blocks to win majority.

Check out the twitter of some local general assembly members to see some great commentary and ideas. If you watch capitol TV, you'll see some excellent politicians whose hands are just usually tied by decisions made upstream.

Thank you. I will start checking them out, and try to go to more local events this year.

I disklike portland Maine very much. It’s so overhyped. Will give it another shot, but comes no where close to prov or RI in general

Bleh no!!!! Boston/Cambridge is cool, but providence is soooo much better. Geez. Where have you been that you think this 😂

Moved here about 6 years ago. The sixth state I've lived in. Great size. The arts / food scenes aren't all corporate blandness. Easy to get around. Safe. I like it a lot. The only downside is I have a longish commute when I need to go to the office, and I have to head to Boston or NYC for arts, especially international touring bands. No big deal, generally.

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I actually don’t like it here but I’m from a big city. I came for school and can’t wait to leave.

For the price i cant complain.

No. Not at all.

Lmao same

The opportunity for random interaction is missing. Also I live on the west side and I don’t like walking around here.

So you haven’t had Fellini’s, Nice Slice or Al Forno? Pasquale’s in North Kingston? Figured as much after your comments. Not trying to be a dick, just… You really don’t have a worthwhile opinion if you haven’t at least had grilled pizza at Al Forno.

Jack White is from Detroit and lives in Nashville. Deer Tick lives in Providence. Not sure what any of that has to do with NYC.

Thanks man, this is really helpful!

Born and raised and genuinely love it here. Lived in the Midwest for a bit and also enjoyed that, but partly because I always planned to return once the job was done. My family immigrated from a country they escaped a genocide from, and this definitely isn’t a “war torn city” lolol. I’ve lived on the south side, east, smith hill, and the east bay. Each area had their own reasons I enjoyed about living in, and of course cons as well just as any neighborhood or city would. But at the end of the day of my 3 decades here, the pros have always outweighed them. I travel for work pretty frequently (mostly east coast like Boston, Philly, Baltimore and NY; and then FL and MIA) and from those experiences as enjoyable as those places are too, I’m thankful I have my return home to look forward to

I just moved here from St. Petersburg FL. Tampa/St. Pete, in my FL native opinion, is the best area to live in FL, and it's not particularly close in my mind either. I was just ready for something new, but I love that city, always will.

Thanks, ill check it out!

Another transplant who grew up in MA 👋 .. I love RI and Providence!

I think the more someone has lived in other parts of the US and in other countries, the better they appreciate what RI offers, and in such a compact area.

As for driving, I gave up my car and driving entirely, years back. I'm in Fox Point and can walk everywhere I need to go: markets, doctors, dentists, bank, my old workplace (been wfh for over a decade), parks, rivers, the bay.

I find it really pretty darn idyllic 🤷‍♀️

We are apparently neighbors!

🤝

Me too

Well maybe to nova farms

I love this city but everything I love about is always under threat. I grew up in Providence and I’ve lived around the world. What’s great about providence is that it has the amenities of larger cities while still holding on to the home town feeling. That feeling of knowing how to get around the local way and avoid the tourist traps. That fact that their is a tourist trap and a local alternative to begin with. The local artists whose work you can follow by visiting local galleries or knowing the streets to walk down to see their new “installation”. I love the immigrant communities from all over the world that make this city diverse and actually add culture instead of a commercial version of it. This city really is a creative hub not so much because the artists and creatives are leading the decision making but because people from all walks of life come together to cover the metaphorical pot holes left behind by our governing body. I’ve seen geriatric refugees show 10 year olds how to dance the way they did when they were young. I’ve seen communities at odds come together and mourn and respect each other due to their loss. This city will take your breath away with its beauty if you let it. And at the same time there are people who actively try to push the poor out and sanitize this city in the name of profit and greed and so many people are more than happy to let them do it and that’s why I get sad and complain about this mess.

I love Providence, born and raised. It’s hard for locals to see their city change. It’s so much more expensive and crowded than it was before. Even just pre-Covid. It doesn’t help brown university bought all of Thayer street and drove out small business, then bought all of the jewelry district and changed that entirely and has been purchasing homes in fox point and driving up our cost of rent. It feels like a lot of people are just discovering Providence exists and it’s been hard on the people that have been here. Most of the comments I’ve read just on this post are people moving in to town. It’s not your fault, but people are being pushed out to make room.