"Extreme Neighborhood Makeover" in Armory District of Providence, R.I.

Rhode Island Monthly Magazine just named the Armory District in Providence, R.I., as one of "The Best Places to Live" in Rhode Island. The Magazine hit the newsstand today, and the article can be viewed online though a subscription. In the article, you'll find the lowdown on many other highly-regarded Rhode Island town and city neighborhoods.

The Armory District, located in West Providence, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has really undergone an "extreme neighborhood makeover" with homes (including many Victorians) being restored to their former glory, and shops and restaurants opening.

Channel 10 NBC WJAR television anchor/reporter Alison Bologna, did an outstanding job, as usual, reporting on the Armory District's progress. We encourage you to take a look the Channel 10 video above. This is the way reporting should be done,  and it's nice that the Armory District is the subject matter.

We realize that areas around the Armory District are definitely a work in progress, but the strides made toward making this area of Providence special are undeniable. We look forward to more good news in the near future in regards to the Armory District. In the meantime, enjoy the Rhode Island Monthly article and/or the Channel 10 video!

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Easton, MA, Chosen as a Best Place to Live by CNN/Money.com

Article and photo by Eric H.
Congratulations to Easton, MA, by finishing 37th in CNN/Money.com's Best Places to Live 2009. Although we understand that it's a difficult task to choose best places to live (there's lots of subjectivity involved) Easton's high ranking does not surprise us. The town prides itself on historical preservation, conservation of beautiful open land, an excellent school system and deep community involvement. The H.H. Richardson-designed buildings (Ames Free Public Library, Oakes Memorial Hall) in North Easton, especially add a flavor to the quaint New England downtown. Add the fabulous Children's Museum in Easton, the scenic Borderland State Park, the peaceful Sheep Pasture to stroll, and easy access to Boston (35 miles away), and you indeed have a special town.

Not too long ago, we featured a photo essay on North Easton, perhaps the most strikingly beautiful section of Easton. We think the article and photos will give you a taste of this very nice community.

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Review of Boston Magazine's Best Places to Live 2009

Article and Photo (Scituate) by Eric H.

Boston Magazine recently published its Best Places to Live 2009, including lists for "10 Recession-Proof Towns," "10 Spots Holding Steady" and "Top Burgs for Bargain Hunters." All in all, we felt Boston Magazine's evaluations were spot-on, especially the bargain section that focuses on Norman Rockwell-types towns that we personally like: Medfield, Scituate, Easton and Westford.

The "10 Recession-Proof Towns" section includes more personal favorites like Hingham, Lexington and Winchester, while the "10 Spots Holding Steady" section includes more fine towns like Arlington, Duxbury and the underrated Merrimac.

We heartily recommend reading the Boston Magazine article for the well-written and researched specifics!

We'd also like to add a few of our personal favorites that weren't listed in the Boston Magazine article:

Walpole, a southwest Boston suburb, with a lot of community spirit, close-knit neighborhoods, strong schools (90 percent of grads go onto college) open spaces like the 89-acre Bird Park and 250-acre Adams Farm, homes with good-sized lots, and a real downtown (although too many empty storefronts, at this point). It's generally affordable, with some starter homes available at $350,000.

Maynard, a western Boston suburb, that is small, safe, and has a great Mayberry RFD-like downtown (with the legendary Maynard Outdoor Store as the unofficial anchor). The downtown features several restaurants and even has a movie theater! The schools are good, the overall feeling of the town old-fashioned, and like Walpole, close-knit. Also like Walpole, nice starters homes can be bought around the $350,000 range.

Holliston, a Metro West Boston suburb, features beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods and a small but quaint downtown with a general store, gift shop, independently-owned market and several small-town service-oriented stores. The high school is amongst the best in the region, we've been told many times by several people. Solid, basic homes can be bought in the $350,000 range.

Additionally, we, at VisitingNewEngland.com, have a popular section called "Best Places to Raise a Family in the Boston Area," that should give you additional insight on affordable places to move in the Boston area if you have a family.

Best wishes in finding the right town for you!

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