Homes for Sale, Rhode Island, Real Estate, Providence, RI

Archive for category Life in Rhode Island

Scituate and Glocester Make Money Magazine’s Top 100 Places to Live

money-magazineScituate and Glocester, Rhode Island have made Money magazine’s annual list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

The magazine’s editors ranked Scituate at 69th and nearby Glocester at 73rd.

The two neighboring Rhode Island towns in the northwestern part of the state have about 10,000 residents each. Both won praise for their good schools, while the state’s above-average unemployment rate was a mark against them.

Of Scituate, the magazine said:

“This former farming community has many homes on large plots of land – perfect for privacy-loving Yankees. Scituate works to maintain its forests and lakes to preserve the rural tranquility. The downtown is quaint, with a small country-style main street.”

As for Glocester, the editors said:

“Many of the historical relics in this town 30 miles from Providence thrive with a modern-day twist. An old stagecoach station has been converted into a popular restaurant, and some rural areas have become gentleman farms.”

Tags: , ,

Where to Watch the 4th of July? Bristol, RI of Course!

4thjulyYou bet.  Right here in Little Rhody, Bristol can lay claim to holding the oldest continually running Fourth of July celebration.   And Bristol takes this honor very seriously.  Veteran’s groups from all military branches, as well as numerous fire and police departments will be represented.  The parade will also feature dozens of floats and 27 marching bands.

Special guests for this year include two official Marvel Comics characters, Spider-Man and Wolverine as well as Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster.

Every detail is in order.  Town Crier Gerry MacNeill is set to kick start the parade as he has for more than 20 years.   The red, white and blue stripes that run down the center of Hope Street will be repainted as they are each year.

The town’s celebration started as a patriotic exercise in 1785 and that tradition has continued every year since.

The parade attracts an estimated 100,000 people and costs close to $100,000 to stage.

I can say from experience to bring something comfortable to sit on and plan to spend a day entertained like no other.

It also wouldn’t hurt to make friends with someone who lives on Main.  Lawn seats and preferred parking are a premium!

Tags: , , ,

Capital Cove Condos to Become Johnson & Wales Housing

bl0101321

Capital Cove Condo Interior

Johnson & Wales announced that it has signed a three-year agreement with Capitol Cove LLC to lease 96 newly constructed luxury condominiums on Canal Street in Providence for use as student housing complete with granite   counter tops, stainless steel appliances and one of the best views in Providence.

When classes start this fall 300 students will live in upscale condos that had been languishing on the market.

Developer Robert Roth began marketing Capitol Cove condos last fall for $350,000 to $550,000, getting four reservations and no sales.

Students at Johnson & Wales will pay yearly rents of $10,383 for one-bedroom apartments and $9,249 to share a two-bedroom unit — comparable to dorm rates.  Roth said this deal would not come close to recouping the $30 million already invested by him and his bank.

My cool panelled room at URI. Check out the sweet rotary phone.

On the downside, these students will miss out on bits of Americana that make the college housing experience a pivotal growing experience for a young man or woman.

Remember fellas, in your fraternity, when  flushing the toilet meant an instant 400 degree shower temperature?  How about that shared dorm bath where flip flops weren’t just a fashion statement, they were the only barrier between you and athletes foot?  And what sorority gal doesn’t fondly recall posting up for position in front of the bathroom mirror like Shaquille O’Neal in a hostile environment.  And just how many electronic devices can we jam into a non GFI water soaked power source?

Above – my sweet paneled room at URI complete with rotary phone.

The project has come under some scrutiny as members of the Providence City Council question whether Capitol Cove violated its tax-stabilization treaty with the city by using the building as a dormitory.

Rhode Shots ~ Roger Williams Zoo

rhode-shotssm

6th Grade Field Trip ~ Roger Williams Park & Zoo

Roger Williams Park Zoo is Rhode Island’s largest tourist attraction. My wife and I chapperoned our twin’s field trip. Highlights were the giraffe, the camel dunking heads in a fountain and Dippin Dots.

Tags:

RI Condominium Real Estate Stats – April 2009

condo-stats_april_09

Do You Know…?

Introducing Some of Our Rhode Island Neighbors


Dr. Stephen Estner

estner

Dr. Stephen Estner, besides being a talented medical professional is a very forward thinking businessman as well.  Relocating from Arizona about nine years ago, Stephen has built up one of the most successful chiropractic care facilities in Rhode Island.  And if it’s true that the people who surround you define you, then he’s in great company.  Deb Colagiovanni-Parente, the office manager, has been with Stephen stride for stride in this endeavor and the team is top notch.

For me, visiting Stephen is not usually under happy circumstances, mind you.  So to walk out with a positive experience in pocket takes an awful lot of doing.  With a propensity to throw a bulging disc a curve ball every now and again, Stephen is up high on my speed dial list.  After I insist I am doing my stretches and core work, and that this instance has to be weather or planet related, Stephen adjusts my back with an equal dose of expertise and dry humor.  Deb never fails to have a huge smile and a sincere approach to her patients.  Check out Stephen and Deb at www.drestner.com. Just say you’ve been doing your exercises.

Do You Know….?

Introducing Some of Our Rhode Island Neighbors


Steve Bardi

untitled-5-copyWhen you walk into Performance Nutrition on Post Road in Warwick, you may be greeted by Steve Bardi, if not one of the other helpful staff members.  But if you are fortunate enough to run into Steve, you will soon find yourself in an impromptu nutrition class.

Steve can talk with authority on just about anything supplement related.  I can say after knocking around gyms for nearly 20 years, Steve is just what the industry needs.  He is an encyclopedia of knowledge with a terrific, no pressure sales demeanor.

Fittingly, he is the General Manager for the company’s five locations.  He has been into health and fitness for 15 years and 4 years in the Sports Nutrition industry.   In Steve’s words, “We are a retail store but we specialize in exclusive lines of sports supplements only available in our locations.”

So, if you are looking for quality product, and a very helpful way to have it served up, drop in and see Steve.  Also check out their blog for some in depth product insight.

Rhode Shots ~ Glen Rock Reservoir

rhode-shotssm

Glen Rock Reservoir | Exeter


Click here for the Map Link

Living in South Kingstown Rhode Island Post 1

I tap the top left corner of home plate and slowly raise the bat high above my right shoulder. I bend my left foot and press up on the ball of my foot to balance my weight. The crowd is present, but in a cloud of silence. The pitcher stares down the mound towards me in an effort to rattle me. He wants to make me think about where I am, not just react to the situation.

The situation is a warm September evening, playoff implications on the line.

My left foot acts like a tension spring, controlling the push behind the torque that is necessary for a solid cut. I release my grip on the bat to a loose handshake and wait. The pitcher goes into his windup and releases a textbook knuckler, dancing its way to me. I get a read on the rotation and arc and begin my swing. Easy does it. Don’t try to hit the moon. Just level a connection and follow through. My jaw tightens as the ball approaches. I begin to shift my weight forward. When the physics of a ball and bat align at that perfect point, you can’t even feel the collision. But, the sound is both sweet and destructive.

On this night, however, I swung a millisecond too soon and my bat casts a slight incandescent induced shadow over the ball. By the time I wrapped the bat around my left shoulder I knew what was in store for me.

“Nice swing, Epstein!” “Did you drop a contact lens, gramps?” “Let your kid grab a bat and hack.”

Yes, I had just struck out in slow pitch recreation league softball in South Kingstown.

This has become a two season per year tradition for me since I moved here from North Kingstown four years ago. Many people associate South County with beaches and beautiful tourist areas, but for us locals, it’s all about the sports. From a state championship caliber youth soccer league to countless
adult leagues in all sports, South Kingstown is one active place. Maybe it’s the more laid back atmosphere we enjoy, but we make activity a priority. Friendships are born and honed. Rarely am I not with my team in Meyer’s Man Cave for a Red Sox or Patriots game. Rarely is my daughter not planning something with her soccer team, especially in the off seasons. And rarely do we ever wish to trade bike paths and outfield grass for bright lights and big cities.

Tags: , , ,