Coastal towns in Rhode Island - HELP
 

My husband and I are planning on moving from South Florida to New England in a few years. By the time we move, our son will be 4 years old (just in time to start school). We love New England coastal town living and small town community living.

We've narrowed it down to 2 states - Rhode Island or Connecticut. We've looked into which towns have good public schools, good housing and low crime rate, etc., so we have an idea of which towns we'd like to explore. But we are trying to be open minded and explore all our options in Rhode Island & Connecticut.

On that note, my husband & I have decided to take 7-10 days to drive down the coast of Rhode Island in early April 2008. We realize there is alot of coast to be seen in this short time, but it is all the time we have. In 2009 we will explore Connecticut.

This is a big decision, so we don't just want to follow a bunch of "relocating to Rhode Isand" information from real estate agents.

I'm hoping someone can provide us with ideas, suggestions or recommendations on coastal towns that might fit what we're looking for (i.e., good neighborhood/town to raise a child, low crime rate, on the coast, moderately priced homes, nice downtown area/main street with shops and restaurants --- we don't want to be in the middle of nowhere either).

THANK YOU!!!!

I'm chuckling a little bit since Rhode Island is such a small state, 7-10 days is ample time to explore the coast. Maybe not to get to know each town intimately but certainly enough time to get a good overview. And in RI, you're really never in the middle of nowhere or much more than 30 minutes from the coast.

That being said, the towns of Newport, Charlestown, East Greenwich and Bristol would be a good start. Not too sure about the school systems but they meet your other criteria. I actually think the schools in Newport are below average but I have friends who grew up next door in Middletown where the schools are better. Some of the Newport beaches are actually located in Middletown.

As for CT, check out Madison. Cute smaller town right on the water. Good luck!

wyatt92- You're so right...it is a small state and we were hoping that 7-10 days would be enough time. Thanks for the recommendations, you've given me a few good places to start.

As recommendations are sent my way, I'll do some research on the towns to see the school system rating, etc. so that we can filter out towns that don't meet our expectations.

Thanks again...it's much appreciated.

In 7-10 days, you will not only see the entire coast of RI, you will meet everyone who lives there. ;)

Seriously, RI is tiny and there is a reason they call it the Ocean State. Practically every town is "coastal" or within very easy reach of the coast, with the exception of industrialized Woonsocket, and even that isn't very far away.

The suggestions above are great. Two of my favorite towns in RI are Barrington and Coventry. I've never lived there but have visited relatives there and they are just lovely and charming. Or at least the neighborhoods I visited were.

I knew a family near Wakefield, which seemed a nice town. Isn't far from Naragansett, home of the Block Island ferry.

Well, 7 - 10 days will be plenty to explore Rhode Island....you can drive the length of the entire state in about 45 minutes. That being said, I realize you'll want to spend a lot of time in the areas to get a feel for it.

Bristol and Barrington on the East Bay (Narragansett Bay divides the state, and areas of the state are described as "East Bay" or "West Bay")
are both small towns with decent school systems although Barrington's schools are better than Bristol's.

Bristol has a nice downtown area and hosts the oldest continuous 4th of July parade in the country...over 200 years old...

Portsmouth and Middletown on Aquidneck Island (near Newport) both have good schools (Portsmouth probably better than Middletown) Portsmouth though is much more rural (farm land, fields, etc.) but still a short drive to Neewport. Middletown is a bit more commercialized with Strip Malls and such, and no real downtown area.

Tiverton is nice, across the river from Portsmouth on the MA border. Little Compton would probably be too far out there for you...although a lovely place to explore on a nice day.

On the West Bay, East Greenwich is a nice town with a good school system, although it can be pricey to live there...many CEOs, politicians, even the Governor lives in EG.

Narragansett and North Kingstown are also nice areas with decent schools (Wickford in NK is a cute little harbor town)

That being said, a lot of families send their kids to private schools (many Catholic) because the schools in many towns are not that great...or because there is a RI mentality that since the parents went to a particular private school, their kids should too.

RI also trails neighboring CT and MA in most standardized tests.

If you go the private route, that can open up a few more areas....Newport is a wonderful town (but their school system is not great) Westerly, near the CT coast is also very nice.

I must say that I am sitting at my computer drinking coffee & I'm getting such a kick out of everyone's comments about RI being so small. I knew it was small, but not that small. I think it's great...thanks for all of your comments and recommendations.

milemarker0 - You were right on the money...we do want to spend some time in the towns we visit (we'd like to stay overnight & talk to locals). Also, I went to private school (Catholic) down here in Miami --- public schools in my area weren't that great. We were hoping to move into a town with a great public school system to save on elementary & high school, so we can save money for our son's college/university. I'll definitely look into the public school system before we visit the towns in RI.

THANKS, EVERYONE...please keep 'em coming.

I actually lived in Bristol, RI from 2000-03. It's indeed a very nice town with water on 3 sides. So safe that most of my neighbors really did not lock their doors.

If great public schools are a priority, then Barrington definitely should be high on your list of prospects. I know that's why my cousin chose to live there, b/c Barrington H.S. is always ranked at or near the top wrt test scores.

(Although test scores aren't really an indicator of "quality" so much as an indication of the socioeconomic status of the students, but that's what most people consider when looking at schools. Of course, high income families usually means high housing costs too. But I digress . . . )

I was just thinking about a coworker of mine who grew up in Miami and now lives in Newport. She actually moved up first for school, Connecticut College, and then settled into Providence first and now Newport.

She said it was a little bit of a culture shock at first but she really loves RI. She sails and her husband builds boats so that obviously has something to do with it. But RI is a great little state. I hope you can find the right place for you.

I meant to post a link. RI Monthly just did their "Schools" issue with a chart comparing all the RI high schools:

http://www.rimonthly.com/Rhode-Islan...Schools-Issue/

I guess it depends on what you consider "moderately priced" homes. Barrington is wonderful and has a great public school system, but it is one of the priciest communities.

And don't be fooled by how small RI seems. It is still possible to live in "the middle of nowhere". My Mom lives in coastal RI, and it is 17 miles to the nearest gas station! :)

I think Portsmouth or Bristol are good suggestions (not sure about the schools, though), because you are closer to Newport, Providence, and Boston. South County towns such as Wakefield, E. Greenwich still seem a little far out there.

The father of the family I knew in Wakefield actually kept his car key in the ignition at all times. That's trust.

When we considered a move to another state we subscribed to the local newspapers. This can be very enlightening since letters to the editor can be revealing. Also see what activities and events get a lot of coverage. Think about the organizations your son might like to join. Does the town have a bookstore? Good library? Visit a church you might want to join. What kind of events take place? I've seen some people leave our small town because they found themselves on the road too much driving to events, classes, programs in the nearest city. 30 minutes might not seem like much but it can be very tiresome.

As asked, the amount that you want to spend will be a deciding factor.

For public schools Barrington and Portsmouth are top notch. Both towns are close to highways and accessible. Barrington has more of a shopping are and is on the bike path. Taxes and housing prices reflect that. Ports. taxes are a bit lower than Middletown and Newport.
S. Tiverton and Litle Compton can be very much off the beaten path.
Parts of Providence (East side may meet your criteria) but is $$$$$.
Generally, the further west you go from the Rte. 95 the more rural and less costly it becomes.

Thank you so much to everyone who answered my post.

We're definitely considering Bristol, Barrington & Portsmouth. Having a library & a gas station in the town we choose to live in is definitely a must.

I will definitely look into the newspaper idea. Actually, I just subscribed to a New England magazine (Yankee magazine)...don't know if it's any good, but I am hoping it can help us over the next year.

I'd like your opinion on our travel plans...we're thinking of staying in Newport for 3 nights & driving those days to towns from the lower part of the state to Providence and then staying one night in Bristol, 1 night in Barrington & 1 night in Portsmouth.

You don't need to stay at various places. There are few hotels/motels in the area. I don't think there's any in Barrington (though tonnes of motels in Seekonk, MA, just up the road).

Just stay at the Bristol Harbor Inn, right on the water. A few minutes drive over the Mount Hope Bridge to Portsmouth; and about 10 minutes up Rte 114 to Barrington, going through Warren.

Barrington is basically an affluent suburb for Providence. And their highschool is one of top in RI. Bristol's Mount Hope Highschool has significantly lower average score.

You might think about staying in Wickford - very sweet town just before the Newport bridge, rather than Portsmouth which you can easily access from Newport and Bristol.

Again, depending on your housing budget you may want to check out Jamestown which is due east of Wickford and before Newport heading east.

Although Portsmouth has great schools and accessibility to the highways etc. it's strickly a bedroom community and does not have the downtown area that you desire.
There are, however, plans in the works to connect a few areas to make a real downtown area.

I went to college in Providence and many of my classmates were locals. RIers joke about no one ever leaving the state. I recall a long distance phone company's billboard advertising cheap rates. "So cheap you can call all friends who left RI (both of them)." My Rhode Island born SIL is one of 9 kids and she is the only one who "lives away" which is funny because she lives 45 minutes from where she grew up.

Very true bennnie,
It gets worse though. If one has to cross the Newport bridge they refer to it as going to the "other side" - cracks me up.
An antique dealer friend wouldn't deliver from Ports. to Tiverton because he had to cross the Sakonnet bridge. He would, however, deliver to Newport which was further. I asked if his truck would self combust if he went to Tiverton. He said it might.

RI -ders don't like to cross bridges. I think it goes back to the days when it was a production to leave our many islands when slow and unpredictible ferries were the only option.

You've gotten some great advice here.

My sister just lived in Portsmouth for three years while my BIL worked in the area, choosing it over Middletown and Newport for the great elementary schools and reasonable housing stock. True Portsmouth itself doesn't have a "downtown", but it's easy to go to Newport for that, and being at the north end of Acquidneck island, you're closest to going elsewhere, like Providence or Boston. Traffic in Newport in the summer can be a headache, to say the least.

Bristol is very nice but I don't know anything about the schools. Tiverton and Little Compton are lovely towns, but neither is known for its schools. I believe Little Compton doesn't even have a high school. One factor in this (and Newport) is that people with summer properties are reluctant to pay school taxes since they don't live there year-round. Without the funding, school quality goes down. This happens not infrequently in coastal NE areas.

It's true that many people send their kids to private schools, and there are a lot in the area. Many opt for public elementary, then private high school.

While you're in the Newport area, look to stay in a hotel or motel in Middletown. Prices are much more reasonable than Newport, and you're in prime position to visit places in the area such as Bristol, Wakefield, etc. The Marriott Residence Inn is a brand new property and was quite nice when I stayed there recently, one mile from downtown Newport.

I just have to say that I've posted many times on the fodors boards for suggestions on trips and I must say that of all the travel boards, fodors has the most helpful people. Just recently I posted this same question on another travel board and I have not received one response. It's amazing.
You've all been quite helpful.

As for housing --- we're looking to spend between $600,000-800,000. We'll know more when we go up there, but we were hoping this would afford us a comfortable home (4 bedrooms, 2 baths) with a large kitchen & family room and possibly in-law quarters in the back. I'm not sure if you call it in-law quarters in New England, but it's like a small house on your property, behind the main house with 1 room, 1 bathroom and a mini-kitchen. If this is too much to ask for, maybe then a house with a finished basement that we could turn into in-law quarters. I'm assuming RI homes have basements.

I have so much to learn!!! Needless to say I have NEVER lived where it snows. I was born & raised in Miami. I do go on vacation (skiing) and I love the snow, but I know it's completely different living in cold, wet, snowy climate. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

psy_dr: Good luck with that snow thing. I was born in RI and I love it there, but the long cold winter and snow keep me from wanting to live there now. It's lovely in the summer, though. :)

If that's your price range, you'll be able to find something in any RI town....check out:

www.riliving.com

to get an idea of some of the houses you could get.

Yes we call them in-law apartments, but they are usually in the house somewhere...or connected, usually not a separate house...we call those "carriage houses" in the older homes.

I live in FL, but grew up in NE. If I were to relocate to the NE coastline it would be between Newburyport, MA and Portland, ME.

psy,
You will be able to find a decent place in your budget range just about anywhere in RI. Not too much on the water - but close.

As for snow goes, Aquidneck island (Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth usually get a very minimal amount of snow. Our winter ends sooner and starts later than most places in NE.

Go online to check where the snow belt starts - it's about a bit west of the 95 running North and Northeast.

There's also many mini climates around here as well, due to gulf streams.
The nice thing is if one wants snow for skiing etc. you don't have to go far.

My sister and I grew up in NE. I still live in the northeast, whereas my sister has lived here only reluctantly, because of the climate. It's not so much the cold but the damp (cold + humidity). She preferred her two years in coastal MS - which is waaay too hot&humid for me LOL. Just make sure when you are looking at houses that there is a strong heating system/good insulation, and you'll be fine. :)

South of Cape Cod, there typically will not be a lot of snow right on the coast, because we still have the Gulf Stream here; there's rain instead. Even a few miles inland can make a big difference in the amount of snowfall! It's likely you'll need a shovel or two but not a snowblower.

Spring and summer are nice, and of course fall with the leaves changing colors (and then needing to be raked up LOL). Nice sea breezes along the coast in summer, and hot but not compared to southern FL!

When my mother was househunting in southeastern MA and RI, we found a number of houses with a second *kitchen*. From what I understand, this is a common fixture for the many Portuguese families in the area: the MIL kitchen. It would be relatively easy to take the plumbing, etc. to convert to an in-law apartment!

BTW, you can probably find a lot of local papers online. For certain, the Providence Journal is online; also try googling "town + newspaper", i.e., "Portsmouth RI newspaper". Yankee is good to get a feel for classic NE, but won't give you the weekly blow-by-blow. ;)

Since you are considering Rhode Island, I am going to suggest that you extend your stay or make another visit to our fair state and tour Block Island. The school is K - 12 with very small classes and the students increasingly gain admission to competitive colleges. Housing is expensive, but there is nowhere to compare to Block Island for true coastal living. You might decide it's too rural and too small town, but crime is as low as it gets, the library is excellent, there is no place on the island that isn't beautiful (even the dump has a great view) and everyone knows everyone else. If nothing else, you'll have a great time visiting the island! News can be found at blockislandtimes.com.
Jane

Is a job location any consideration you'll need for your move? If you telecommute, consider the availability of high speed internet connections. Not all New England towns have the fiber optic high speed stuff yet.

Thanks again for the wonderful and useful information (i.e., towns, snowblower & fiber optic internet, etc). As I said before, I wouldn't know where else to get such great info.

As for our professions, I'm a psychologist & a faculty member & researcher at a local university and my husband is a firefighter & paramedic. Jobs will definitely be a deciding factor in where we end up.