Providence Housing A Tour Through Many Worlds

Choosing between city and suburban living can often demand a choice between lifestyles and environments. City living evokes images of rehabilitated Brownstones or high-rise coops above the clamor of taxis and police sirens. The suburban ideal suggests a new custom home on a landscaped half acre.

A Providence home, however, does not demand difficult tradeoffs. Living in Providence can include expansive lawns, swimming pools, white picket fences, and a newly built home. Providence can also provide the shops, activity, community spirit, and cultural richness of downcity living. What sets Providence apart from the suburbs and other cities is the variety of choice within its wide housing spectrum.

The diversity and quality of architecture in Providence astounds many new to the city. Beginning with 18th-century, center chimney colonials and continuing through Federal, Greek and Gothic Revival, Italian Renaissance, Second Empire, Romanesque Stick, Bracketed and Queen Anne, architects came full circle back to Colonial and Georgian Revival. Styles went off on many tangents, inspired by Beaux-Arts or Tudor Revival.

Two and three family homes, designed for economical living or profitable rent rolls, often incorporated prevailing styles. Cottages, bungalows, and other 20th-century answers to the housing needs of an expanding middle class filled in older neighborhoods. Land remained for the split levels, rambling ranches, and contemporaries of the last thirty years. The city's residential character influenced the design of apartment buildings, modest in scale and compatible with single-family homes. Private gardens and patios grace new townhouse condominiums. In and around Downtown, urban adventurers are converting factory lofts to unique living spaces.

For those interested in historic homes financial benefits and technical advice from the Providence Preservation Society and the R.I. Historical Preservation Commission make restoration planning and execution that much more enjoyable.

Newcomers should explore several neighborhoods, unless they can quickly match their housing tastes with affordable prices. In some areas, high demand limits bargaining, and homes sell within days or even hours, close to asking prices.

Prospective homeowners or renters should list their preferences and then discuss alternatives with either several Realtors or a firm with listings throughout the city. Speak with the neighborhood organizations listed in this publication and ask for a tour of the neighborhood from a resident's perspective.

Finally, browse through different areas on foot, speaking with potential neighbors and shopowners. "Windshield surveys" often give false impressions, and many subtle qualities of a neighborhood are lost while trying to navigate a car through residential streets.