Jewish family--deciding between Barrington, East Greenwich and East Side Providence (Woonsocket: houses, neighborhoods)
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We're currently living in Westchester county NY (which we love) but my husband is considering a job in Woonsocket RI. We have 2 boys, ages 2.5 and 4 months and I am a stay at home mom. We're looking for a charming town with great schools, a good amount of Jewish families and beautiful homes. We love a small town feel but also like conveniences of shops, restaurants, etc. I don't know anything about RI but my research has led me to Barrington, East Greenwich and the East Side of Providence as well as Sharon, MA. We are reform Jews and not very religious but would still like to raise our children with other jewish families. Budget is around $800K for a 5 bedroom+ house. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
We're currently living in Westchester county NY (which we love) but my husband is considering a job in Woonsocket RI. We have 2 boys, ages 2.5 and 4 months and I am a stay at home mom. We're looking for a charming town with great schools, a good amount of Jewish families and beautiful homes. We love a small town feel but also like conveniences of shops, restaurants, etc. I don't know anything about RI but my research has led me to Barrington, East Greenwich and the East Side of Providence as well as Sharon, MA. We are reform Jews and not very religious but would still like to raise our children with other jewish families. Budget is around $800K for a 5 bedroom+ house. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
Truly, Sharon MA would not be an easy commute to Woonsocket. My feeling is that the East Side of Providence has the shopping and neighborhood vibe with the style of home you are looking for, good access to the highways to get to Woonsocket, and a nice concentration of and proximity to religious services. The best to you in your new venture!
From the East Side the commute is but 20-25 minutes to Woonsocket. Easily double that from either East Greenwich or Barrington. From Sharon there is no direct access to Woonsocket. Temple Habonin on New Meadow Road in Barrington is a great reformed Temple and I think it doubles as a JCC. I don't know of any Temples in East Greenwich even with the large Jewish community. The majority of East Siders send their children to private schools because of the deficient Providence school system. That is not necessary in either Barrington or East Greenwich. Barrington would be the best choice because of the close knit Jewish community that is more established than East Greenwich's and also younger. There is no one neighborhood in Barrington that is more Jewish than another, like the East Side. Good luck in your choice.
BTW, if you choose Barrington and need to be closer to the town center, shopping and restaurants, look for Fairway Plat, Half Mile Road or my favorites, Jenny's Lane and Chapin Road. All walkable to town. I lived on Jenny's Lane for 4 years and enjoyed every minute, especially because of its closeness to the water! Barrington has great sailing schools!
I should point out that Barrington was the Canaan, Greenwich, Ct of Rhode Island up until about 40 years ago. It had long been a summer area for the Providence Jewish community, but in the early 70's Jewish families were moving from Providence to Barrington. There are still pockets of ignorance here and there in spite of the large Jewish Community.
The Providence East Side is the only area of Providence that would be suitable for your family. It also has the largest and most active Jewish community in R.I. Suggest you check out the E.S. areas known as Blackstone, Wayland, and Elmgrove (not Elmhurst). Keep in mind that East Side is totally developed, 90% of the homes are pre-World War II, and even the most desirable homes are set on lots under 10,000 sq ft. I searched RILIVING dot com for 4 beds or more, in a range $625K to $825K and got only eight hits. The commute to Woonsocket straight north from the State House on Rt.44 is a breeze.
Fifteen - twenty minutes from Providence, Barrington is high-end suburban with rather small, friendly shopping district, a diverse stock of nice homes of all styles from Victorian to contemporary, some on small town lots, others featuring acres of manicured lawns, and some small farms and stables. They are priced from moderate to many millions of bucks. The private Rhode Island Country Club is THE society destination. The upper Narragansett Bay is always near by, with a smaller uncrowded beach, sailboats and cruisers. It is a nice dry town (cough cough). Highest rated school district.
East Greenwich has its steeple chase group, farms which are rapidly being developed, big box stores, offices, and a few small industries on Rt 2., and a large stock of modern tract style sprawling colonials on acre lots sprinkled among the older, sprawling estates on gently rolling meadows where horses graze. The eastern edge of town is home to the harbor district, with yachts, cabin cruisers, sloops, tied at the docks, and a number of large, very nice restaurants along the shore. Between the harbor and Main Street (Rt1) lies the intact remnants of the original town -- quaint Colonial and early Victorian houses built closely together on narrow streets. Also high rated public schools and the prestigious private Rocky Hill school in Potowomut. Along Main Street are the typical mesh of small town America stores and shops and diners where you walk instead of drive from door to door insearch of rugs, antiques, jewelery, steak, ice cream, pizza, the U S Flag and the town bank. Enjoy it while you can.
The Providence East Side is the only area of Providence that would be suitable for your family. It also has the largest and most active Jewish community in R.I. Suggest you check out the E.S. areas known as Blackstone, Wayland, and Elmgrove (not Elmhurst). Keep in mind that East Side is totally developed, 90% of the homes are pre-World War II, and even the most desirable homes are set on lots under 10,000 sq ft. I searched RILIVING dot com for 4 beds or more, in a range $625K to $825K and got only eight hits. The commute to Woonsocket straight north from the State House on Rt.44 is a breeze.
Fifteen - twenty minutes from Providence, Barrington is high-end suburban with rather small, friendly shopping district, a diverse stock of nice homes of all styles from Victorian to contemporary, some on small town lots, others featuring acres of manicured lawns, and some small farms and stables. They are priced from moderate to many millions of bucks. The private Rhode Island Country Club is THE society destination. The upper Narragansett Bay is always near by, with a smaller uncrowded beach, sailboats and cruisers. It is a nice dry town (cough cough). Highest rated school district.
East Greenwich has its steeple chase group, farms which are rapidly being developed, big box stores, offices, and a few small industries on Rt 2., and a large stock of modern tract style sprawling colonials on acre lots sprinkled among the older, sprawling estates on gently rolling meadows where horses graze. The eastern edge of town is home to the harbor district, with yachts, cabin cruisers, sloops, tied at the docks, and a number of large, very nice restaurants along the shore. Between the harbor and Main Street (Rt1) lies the intact remnants of the original town -- quaint Colonial and early Victorian houses built closely together on narrow streets. Also high rated public schools and the prestigious private Rocky Hill school in Potowomut. Along Main Street are the typical mesh of small town America stores and shops and diners where you walk instead of drive from door to door insearch of rugs, antiques, jewelery, steak, ice cream, pizza, the U S Flag and the town bank. Enjoy it while you can.
I would not even THINK of traveling from the East Side of Providence via Rt. 44 to Woonsocket. Rt. 95 north, to Rt. 146 north --- and you're there! And educate me please .... "steeple chase group" in East Greenwich? Newport is steeple chase country. East Greenwich is a nice all American town. The closer you get to Narragansett you can smell the horses, and the horse feathers. Geesh
QUILTER:
Oh gosh! I can't believe I typed Rt.44. I proof read my response twice and still didn't catch my error. Of course, I meant Rt.146. Maybe its my age and fading vision.
As to horseback training and riding, Annie Holst's Cloud Nine Farm, on Post Road about a thousand feet north of East Greenwich has a big, active stable behind her mansion and they do participate in steeple chases all over the east coast, and they have many young riding students there. Stop by sometime, its a beautiful estate way up on the hill. Fritz Oliver's stable on Pojac Point, North Kingstown, right across from the Gammel and Chafee and Westmoreland and Langevin estates on Green's River, Potowomut, and next door to Henry D. Sharpe's estate has a very well known stable which has taught most of the kids from the neighboring estates (including the Chafees) riding and jumping for decades. In fact, when Governor Linc Chafee's sister had the horrible accident which took her life, she was riding from Fritz's stable. For more casual riding, there is the stable by Goddard Park.
The big estates are going, but the few sstill participate'
QUILTER:
Oh gosh! I can't believe I typed Rt.44. I proof read my response twice and still didn't catch my error. Of course, I meant Rt.146. Maybe its my age and fading vision.
As to horseback training and riding, Annie Holst's Cloud Nine Farm, on Post Road about a thousand feet north of East Greenwich has a big, active stable behind her mansion and they do participate in steeple chases all over the east coast, and they have many young riding students there. Stop by sometime, its a beautiful estate way up on the hill. Fritz Oliver's stable on Pojac Point, North Kingstown, right across from the Gammel and Chafee and Westmoreland and Langevin estates on Green's River, Potowomut, and next door to Henry D. Sharpe's estate has a very well known stable which has taught most of the kids from the neighboring estates (including the Chafees) riding and jumping for decades. In fact, when Governor Linc Chafee's sister had the horrible accident which took her life, she was riding from Fritz's stable. For more casual riding, there is the stable by Goddard Park.
The big estates are going, but the few sstill participate'
Hey Hoxsie, you had me there for a minute with the Rt.44 route! lol! And yes, I am familiar with the few horse farms down that way, but even so, I would not in good conscience consider East Greenwich "steeplechase" country, it gives the wrong impression of a snooty area which it is not imho. South County is full of natives who have lived there on acres and acres and are lovingly preserving it, while developers in the recent past were eating it up and subdividing the estates. In my youth, I used to ride at Sandy Point Farms in Portsmouth (talk about money, that was the old Vanderbilt Stables, now all developed! right down to the Sakonnet River, dang it.) And a major steeplechase was held at Elmhurst right door. I worked in the barn to pay for my lessons though, just want to get that correct, straight up. But South County was always farmland, even you will admit that... eh? eh? Lots of nice farms too in North Kingstown, and between Rt. 1 and Rt. 1A heading south. The real money is on Ocean Road. Lots of "old money". As always, many times it's the "new money" that creates that snooty perception, just like when the new money converged into Barrington.
How is that rich stuckup stable boy, stall mucker, Linc Chafee working out for "youse guys"? up there in Rhody? Pathetic as ever.
QUILTER! Your comment in this thread indicates that you now reside away from R. I. You certainly have kept up with goings on in Little Rhody. I respect your opinion that I applied the word 'steeplechase' loosely. In horse language: WHOA! I don't share your evaluation of Governor Chafee being stuck up. But, yes they sure are rich. I think he has always been a bit reticent and bashful, and Ill at ease in crowds where he is the center of attention. He will do his honest best to improve this state
during his stewardship.
bboys2
Your post specifically mentions charming towns, beautiful homes and small town feel with shops and restaurants. The three areas you referenced each meet some of those demands each to different degrees. In your quest, you should bear in mind that R.I. is very small. East Greenwich and Barrington are only around 15 sq. mi. each, and I am sure under 20,000 population. So you should consider that just down the bay from Barrington you can find quaint- town feel in Bristol (which has the biggest oldest most flag waving funest jumpinest 4th of July celebration in the world), and Warren --nice little towns to browse and dine. South of East Greenwich in North Kingstown is the tiny bay side area called Wickford. Its very quaint and walkable.
That's the way it is in R.I. Part of our charm is that you can find a lovely home such as you demand, in great neighborhoods, and less than a half hour drive in any direction you can enjoy a day at the beach, find great seafood restaurants overlooking the bays, take in a game of football or basketball, picnic in a forested park, you name it! I hope you folks love Rhode Island. I do!
I think you'd be most at home around Blackstone Boulevard.
The area will fit your cultural needs, and it's a pleasant area
full of classy homes.
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But South County was always farmland, even you will admit that... eh? eh? Lots of nice farms too in North Kingstown, and between Rt. 1 and Rt. 1A heading south. The real money is on Ocean Road. Lots of "old money". As always, many times it's the "new money" that creates that snooty perception, just like when the new money converged into Barrington. 
