Kingston, RI

[neil]

Anyone got any info on Kingston, RI?

I'm looking for whats a good and affordable area to live. Distance not a major issue as long as I can get a bus to URI.

Whats the area like in general? Is it dead? I'm not a big party person so clubs arent desired but I'd like to have a few cool bars and a good cinema.

Thanks for any info.

[spartaca]

Just wanted to bring this post back to the top... Got into URI - my only acceptance so far - so wondering if anyone out there has any relevant info on the Kingston area they'd like to share. Good areas to live in? How's the public transportation (near the university) since I might be selling my car in order to move?

[JustAnotherModernGuy]

How's the public transportation (near the university) since I might be selling my car in order to move?

If you are interested in learning about public transportation in Rhode Island, check out the RIPTA website. I believe that it is 66 bus that goes from Providence down south to Kingston (and then on further south). Providence has great public transport (trains to Boston for $7), but there's not too much that goes down to the south county.

I don't know about the graduate students, I think many live in the Peace Dale/Wakefield/Narragansett area, but I'm sure others live in the Providence area and commute down. Much of the faculty live in Providence, generally on the "east-side" of Providence (not to be confused with "East Providence"--different 'city' with own zip code, taxes, etc.) which is an attractive, but expensive area, where the RISD and Brown community is centered. The commute down from Providence to Kingston is roughly 40-60 minutes depending on traffic (mainly highways, but a few back-roads when you get closer). If you love the suburbs, you can easily find a cheap place in the Warwick/Cranston area. I think that some of the faculty with family (i.e. young kids) tends to gravitate towards this last option.

Feel free to PM or email me for additional information.

Best,

JAMG

[Eyetea]

Any body with info on Kingston RI?

[ashing]

I've lived in Rhode Island my whole life (in the East Bay, so I don't know too much about the URI/Kingston area, sorry) so I can definitely give some general information.

 

The area around Kingston is pretty rural - I know that, as somebody above posted, a lot of people choose to live in Narragansett and Providence and commute in. URI's about a 25 minute drive from Newport and a 30 minute drive from Providence, both of which are accessible via RIPTA. I'd advise bringing a car, though, if possible - the RIPTA's not always a fun time, and routes you through Kennedy Plaza in Providence. For example, if you were trying to get from URI to Newport, you'd have to take the 66 to Providence, wait for a connecting bus on the 60 route, and then take that to Newport, probably tripling your traveling time. It's super reliable, though, and I've used it for years, so it really depends on how comfortable you are with public transportation.

 

Providence would be my best suggestion for people looking to live outside of Kingston,especially those without families. The East Side is mostly populated by RISD and Brown students and faculty, and can be really pricey, but the apartments there are gorgeous and historical, and tend to be a little more weather-tested than homes in Narragansett, which originated as a summer vacation community and suffers a little in the winter. The East Side has a lot of great coffee shops, bakeries, historic cinemas and bookstores, and the Federal Hill area is known for its amazing Italian restaurants and occasional mafia activity. Newport is divided between ultra-rich and ultra-poor neighborhoods; there's no real medium there. Providence has some less-safe areas as well, but I'd say looking just outside the East Side is probably your best bet; three of my good friends go to Brown and have apartments there, and if undergrads can find affordable housing, it's gotta be there somewhere.

 

Weather: May-September is usually shorts weather; after that you're going to want to transition to pants and sweaters and stay there for the rest of the year. We've had a lot of hurricanes (usually September-October) and winter storms (usually December-February) in the last few years, which can throw some people off -- but, on the upside, the infrastructure here is used to it, and roads are usually cleared quickly. Two years ago most of the East Bay lost power for about four days; depending on how close to the water you are, the wind during storms can actually do more damage than the snow or rain itself. Another thing to keep in mind if you get a home on low-lying ground is flooding. When the ground freezes after a long winter and the snow melts, we get floods. When it rains really hard in the summer, the sea level will actually rise (especially if it's already a high-tide period), and we get floods. The further inland (and above sea level), the better.

 

The benefit to all the water is, of course, all the water. Rhode Island is gorgeous three seasons out of the four, and 14% of our state is bays and inlets. The Newport and South County beaches are amazing, and even though we're pretty densely populated, there are a bunch of camping and hiking spots around the state. Newport has the Cliff Walk, mansions, Folk Festival and Jazz Festival; Providence has the Providence Place Mall, Waterfire, and the RISD museum. If you're interested in sailing, Newport and Bristol (about 20 minutes outside of Newport) have the full history of the America's Cup behind them. 

 

Hope this helps someone out:) If you have any questions, feel free to PM me! 

[Eyetea]

being from Northeastern Indiana with lake effect snow, wintry weather is the least of my worries- living close to the beach will be new. Any ideas of affordable areas for grad housing- no car so will probably start of within a region that is reasonable accessible by public transit...

[SMDance131]

I have also grown up in RI my entirely life and can endorse everything that was just stated here. I would add that the West Side of Providence is also an up and coming area in the college community and has beautiful, historical buildings available for rent, this would be the Armory district or Broadway/Westminster. Personally I have always lived on the North Side of Providence which can be tricky because if you cross the wrong street you in practically in a new neighborhood. My experience on the North end between Branch and Mineral Spring has always been quiet though. This area would also be good for public transportation purposes seeing as it is so close to several major highways and main roads (although you really can't go wrong wherever you go if you are looking for a bus stop).

 

The east side (Brown/RISD) area is my favorite spot to hang out in but I could never afford to live there as a student - especially when everything is so close together and you can live five minutes down the road for $600 less per month. Personally I don't frequent the Kingstown area much but if you are looking for someplace to live/commute where there is some activity available on I would stick with Providence,

[new here]

Hi everyone,

 

I am considering attending the University of Rhode Island, and I am trying to learn a little bit more about the area and life at URI. This is a huge decision (I'd be moving from Upstate New York to Rhode Island for a 5 year PhD program), and I would greatly appreciate any information anyone might have about the school and the surrounding area. My three major questions are:

 

1) What do graduate students at URI do for fun? Are there shopping malls, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. nearby?

 

2) Where do graduate students typically live? (I know that people have spoken a little about this in previous posts, but some of these posts are a few years old, and I'm wondering if anyone might have more current info.)

 

3) What is the cost of living like in the area near Kingston? How much should I expect to pay for rent if I would like to live near campus?

 

 

Thank you!

Edited April 1, 2015 by new here