[herbie3]

My husband and I recently moved to Rhode Island. He works in Newport and I currently work from home (though working in Providence is becoming a possibility). We'd like to purchase a house in the next 6 months or so and are currently looking in the Exeter, Richmond, Kingston areas where we can get something with a couple acres. We're newlyweds and kids are likely in the future, which makes good schools an important part of our decision.

I keep wondering if Eastern CT would be a better option for us (Stonington, N Stonington, Pawcatuck). More ammenities, better schools (I think?), but more commuting time... We used to live just outside of Washington, DC, so a couple nice restuarants/small town area would go along way with us. I'd love to hear what you all think, and would especially like to hear from those that do the commute from Eastern CT into RI. Thanks!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by herbie3

I keep wondering if Eastern CT would be a better option for us (Stonington, N Stonington, Pawcatuck). More ammenities, better schools (I think?), but more commuting time...

I have relatives in Pawcatuck, and I don't see enough advantage in amenities there to justify commuting 39-42 miles (or 52 minutes) into Newport. It's possibly worthwhile if the property taxes were much higher in Rhode Island.

Kingston, Wakefield and Peacedale, RI have schools rated 8 or 9 at Greatschools.org. Narragansett schols are rated a 10. I don't see how you could do much better in Connecticut.

BTW, have you priced houses on a couple of acres? They would be quite expensive in Stonington or North Stonington.

[NewJeffCT]

Stonington is a very nice town with good schools and a lot of good restaurants, but it can be pretty pricey. Plus, with Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport, it's great for young kids. I also think the property taxes are fairly reasonable for Connecticut. (Most of CT has high property taxes)

North Stonington is a bit more rural, so you'd likely go to Mystic/Stonington for amenities like restaurants. And, from both places, the mall in Warwick is probably closer for shopping than going to the mini-mall in Waterford.

So, I'd say that unless you find the perfect home in Stonington, Rhode Island might be a better choice because the commute is shorter. Also, If you do look at the town of Stonington, make sure you're in the Stonington school district and not the Groton school district, as Mystic is partially in Groton and partially in Stonington. Groton has some gorgeous and expensive homes along the water, but the overall reputation of the schools is a step or two down from Stonington.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

So, I'd say that unless you find the perfect home in Stonington, Rhode Island might be a better choice because the commute is shorter.

I did a quick search through Realtor.com and found several homes in North Stonington the $260-270K price range on 2+ acres. There are also similar homes in the same price range in North Kingstown, RI area.

So, I'd recommend keeping your commute short, as I don't see major advantages on the Connecticut side of the border. I do enjoy my visits to the Stonington area, but I think you will find equivalent schools and amenities like restaurants in Rhode Island.

[JayCT]

I always recommend that people live as close to their jobs as possible unless they have a good reason to live further away. If you were thinking of working in eastern Connecticut then I would say maybe but since you are thinking of working in Providence I would say to stick to RI.

There are many nice towns near Newport you can consider. If you do end up working in Providence I would consider Barrington. It is a very nice town with good schools and a lot for families. I also like Portsmouth, Tiverton and Jamestown. Of course posters on the RI forum may have better suggestions. Jay

[tf2014]

I lived in DC for years, so I understand wanting 'stuff' nearby but I also lived in Barrington, RI for a few years, . Schools there are pretty good. Time to Newport is about 1/2 hour, time to East Side of Providence is about 15 minutes. I lived in the area very close to East Providence, so the houses were much cheaper, but you could walk to the grocery store and bank!

[tf2014]

Also, I'm a teacher, taught in RI, and the Barrington schools are pretty darned good.