Reviews & Comments
Rhode Island, RI
Best of everything -
11/28/2012I moved to RI about 5 years ago from Colorado and I have to say, I don't think I ever want to move. Unless you are from the midwest, there are rude people everywhere, you have to overlook that and move on, you can't control how everyone will react to you.
Personally, I think that you get what you give; if you are rude, they will be rude back. I can honestly say that I have not had anyone be rude to me here when I just start small talk with them. When I ask for directions or a general question, people are more than happy to help out.
I love the fact that normally there is not a lot of snow here (winter of 2009/2010 was a different story). They still talk about the blizzard of '78 (in Colorado, there is a blizzard almost every year, so we don't keep track). The beach and ocean is fantastic and so close no matter where you live, there are a ton of classic, quaint New England towns that have great local stores and food. Also, you are so close to everything. In Colorado, it took you forever just to get out of Colorado - and there isn't much in Colorado. Here, Boston is only an hour away, NYC is 3 (or I could take the train to both). Heck, Canada is only 5 hours away. Taking a day or weekend trip is so easy here.
I think that people see what they want to see and that if you have been forced to move here, you're going to pick at the littlest things. If you liked where you were and only moved under duress, you won't like it anywhere unless you go back home.
I could go on about the open space here as well -- so many great areas to get outdoors no matter what time of year it is, and the diversity of those areas is great.
And don't think that you can only live in Portsmouth like that one person said. Portsmouth is great, but so is Bristol, Warren, East Greenwich, Lincoln, Narragansett, Charlestown, etc, etc.
There are tons of local farmers markets in the summer and even in winter, they have the winter market in the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. You can pretty much drive corner to corner in this state in about 45 minutes and the traffic is a heck of a lot better than in Denver (and not any less rude. In Denver, I pretty much have to get out of my car and tip the driver to let me merge on the highway).
So, take what you want of all of these reviews, but if you do have to move to Rhode Island, think a little more positive and change your viewpoint to see the benefits and great places and don't chalk it up as just another "rude" New England