And using a turn signal

Cigarettes and brown eggs

Fair points all around. The lack of nightlife could be a drawback - expensive Uber to and from Providence - but if OP doesn't care about that, Attleboro could be a good fit.

Attleboro rents are through the roof now, too, from what I understand. I have at least a half dozen friends who've left the Boro for that reason in the last couple of years.

RIC has an excellent art department. Recently remodeled studios, and some of their faculty are also adjuncts at Rhode Island School of Design, which is frequently ranked top 5 worldwide. A fair number of RISD models work there, too. If you're looking to take some art electives, great choice.

A friend and my SO both went to RIC about 20 years ago, one for early childhood education and the other for math. They both agree they had a good experience overall.

I recently moved to CF from Pawtucket, and shocker, CF has better neighborhood amenities than most of Pawtucket. The walk buttons at the crosswalks work. There are little dog poop cans scattered around (and they're stocked with bags in case you run out/forgot to bring one). It's still CF, pop density is still insane, but it's a decent alternative now that rents are skyrocketing in even the shittiest parts of Pawtucket.

Coffee Exchange!

If you're into John Oliver, he did a great segment on present-day gerrymandering that should be on YouTube. Historically, it's been a thing for at least a hundred years, but he covered why it's a relevant problem today.

Not at all, no. Typically it negatively affects the overall representation of poor areas in Congress.

It's when voting blocs are reshaped to influence the likely results.