For you -- you come from Rhode Island /Little ol' Rhode Island is famous for you /You come from Rhode Island /Ah don't let 'em ride Rhode Island /It's famous for you -- From "Rhode Island" by John Pizzarelli
That's right: Rhode Island may not be much in size; but its smallness makes it an exclusively unique state to live in. Meaning that whoever resides here is part of a select group of individuals. Imagine hailing from the smallest state in the U.S. You will be part of something special, and Rhode Island as a state will be special because you're there. It's a perfect combination.
Aside from being fun to say go ahead, say Pawtucket and try not to smile. The fourth-largest city in the smallest state in our union has plenty to offer to a variety of renters. Pawtucket has transformed itself from a tough and dirty industrial town into a revitalized, artistic community that has made use of the historic locales by turning them into places for artistic pursuit. Pawtucket has also developed into a city more in touch with the sophisticated pursuits, such as fine dining. Yes, more than just drive-thrus and buffets! Throughout these changes, the city has managed to keep much of the walking and biking convenience that has made it a welcoming destination over the past centuries.
There are plenty of apartments for rent in Pawtucket, but there are also a number of things youll want to consider before kicking off your rental search. Here are four factors that you should consider before deciding that Pawtucket is the best place to look for a home for rent:
Travel
Abutting Massachusetts to the east, Pawtucket shares a city border with Rhode Island's capital and is only 45 minutes from Boston, for your dose of baked beans, clam chowdah, and the Boston Red Sawx. A longer drive of three hours puts you in the Big Apple, so there’s plenty to do, and it’s not all that hard to get there. Interstate 95 goes right through town, so it’s easy to hop on and make your way up and down the East Coast. Public transportation is slightly limited in Pawtucket, although it is used heavily by the residents. While the public buses run by RIPTA make it easy to get around the city and to nearby towns, there are no train stops in the city. Amtrak and the MBTA run through the city, but you have to drive or catch a bus to South Attleboro or Providence to actually board the services.
Weather
They’re not called noreasters for nothing, and Pawtucket gets hit by a number of these vicious storms over the course of a year, with the nastiest ones coming during the winter time. These winter noreasters can dump feet of snow in a few short hours--and they aren't exactly great times for building snowmen. You'll want to find an apartment with great heating and, if you can, off-street parking. Summers aren’t too terrible, but you’ll still want to make sure you have plenty of ventilation. Fall is beautiful: Like the rest of the region, Pawtucket gets the beautifully crisp weather that comes with the changing of the leaves.
Lifestyle
Pawtucket folks like Pawtucket living, and there’s plenty in town to do. Many of the citizens love to stick around and work and play in the city, despite the relative closeness of the major cities of Boston and New York. Thanks to a walking-and-biking-friendly city, constant activities, and local charm, Pawtucket tends to be close-knit, down to earth, and many residents like to keep their money and life local. After all, sharing is caring, right? And Pawtucketians (Pawtucketers? Pawtucketoans?) do care a lot about each other.
Lead time
Finding apartments for rent around Pawtucket is not particularly difficult, mostly due to low demand and pricing, although certain neighborhoods come with higher levels of difficulty and will need more lead time. Finding a condo for rent in a desirable area such as Darlington can be quite difficult, and if your heart is set on living there, get started as soon as you can, because it could take a bit of time. For a mid-level area such as Pleasant View, the lead time is fairly average, but don’t wait too long. For the least desirable neighborhoods such as downtown, finding an apartment on short order is no problem at all.
Like many major cities, Pawtucket has some distinct neighborhoods. Different neighborhoods have different ways of life, different local cultures and different personalities. Yup, they're different. Finding the right neighborhood can even be more important than finding an apartment that ticks all the boxes inside. These four neighborhoods provide a sample of the diverse areas where you can find apartments in Pawtucket.
**Darlington:**Much of the Darlington neighborhood is older construction with many of the houses having been built almost a century ago. Darlington is home for a great number of sophisticates, and it's an area that loves to support the arts. There are theater, boutiques, and upscale dining for all, and it is very walkable. Whats more, Darlington is a very tight community, with very little turnover in housing. Yes, it's quite darling, my darlin'.
**Downtown Pawtucket:**Inexpensive living combined with high turnover rates make for a community that isnt particularly tightly knit but is easy to find apartments in. Additionally, this neighborhood is almost exclusively apartments, with 94% of the residential properties being rentals, so be prepared to see the neighborhood change often if you move there.
**Fairlawn:**Wooded streets and mid-century houses characterize this neighborhood. (Not the middle of this century, of course: They aren't houses from the future.) Bordering with neighborhoods in Providence and state parks to the north, Fairlawn is an incredibly diverse neighborhood, both in terms of scenery as well as cultural make-up.
Oak Hill: A tightly knit community of older, multi-unit structures mixed in with a choice of restaurants from a variety of cultures, Oak Hill is very friendly for bicyclists and walkers. Combined with easy access to major routes and rental pricing that is average for the city, Oak Hill is an area rising in popularity.
Pawtucket has a wide array of festivals throughout the year, giving the residents a taste of a diverse number of cultures from Colombian to Taiwanese to Greek. Not in one dish, of course--that'd be some crazy fusion! In addition to the cultural festivals, the Rhode Island Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the planting of cherry trees, while the Winter Wonderland festival takes place two weekends prior to Christmas.
Rhode Island doesn’t have much in the way of professional sports teams, especially being so close to Boston and New York. The Pawtucket Red Sox are the Triple-A affiliate of the BoSox, and you can catch a look at up-and-coming players or major leaguers making rehab starts. If youre more interested in playing sports than watching, there are plenty of community leagues, with hockey being the prime sport. The kids get started young, and there are plenty of over-35 leagues for the soon-to-be geezers. Golfing is surprisingly popular, given the cold-weather locale, with five different golf courses just 20 minutes or less from downtown Pawtucket. Golf mittens, anyone?
Most Pawtucket residents are more interested in arts than sports anyways, with the development of the art community having been the subject of a recent documentary. The Gamm Theater, home to a local theater company, rose from the ashes of a decaying National Guard armory. A group of artists from Providence have adopted Pawtucket as a second home, displaying works around the city throughout the year. The biggest art event is the Pawtucket Arts Festival, a month-long festival that has developed into a major regional event, featuring music, film, open studies, and more, more, more!
