My family and I live in Cranston, specifically Western Cranston, and we love it! I’m a North Providence native, and even though I was a Realtor when my family and I decided to buy a home, it still took us on a journey of research and decisions that landed us in our dream home.
We ended up buying real estate in Cranston, RI, which is the perfect place for us. I’d like to recount some of that journey for you, so you’ll know why we chose Cranston – maybe my story will help you when you’re looking for the perfect place to buy your dream home.
My Journey
I’ve been a Rhode Islander my whole life, and North Providence is my hometown. My neighborhood was a great place. As a boy growing up, the community had everything I could want, and, interestingly enough, it offered many of the things that I would come to desire for my own family as an adult.
The house I grew up in was right across from the old Geneva Fire Station on Douglas Ave. The area had everything a young boy could need. The streets were safe, and the neighbors were friendly.
I could ride my bike all around the neighborhood even though busy Mineral Spring Ave. was right around the corner. This neighborhood commercial area had everything I could want, and it was convenient that many restaurants and businesses were close by. The Governor Notte Memorial Park was right down the street. In the summertime, I loved the playground and swimming there. The park was like a green oasis tucked in between city streets.
I was blessed to go to good schools and liked that they were close by, the way a neighborhood school should be. I went to Stephen Olney Elementary and Birchwood Middle School and had many pleasant memories of my formative years there.
In hindsight, I saw that the things I loved about my neighborhood had safe streets to play in, friendly neighbors, schools, recreation areas, and stores nearby.
As a young man, I needed to live in a place I could afford and wanted to be part of an urban living scene, so I chose the Smith Hill neighborhood. Some people may think that it’s not a good area, but I loved it as someone starting my career path. Downtown Providence was just down the street, and the neighborhood was full of many wonderful ethnic restaurants.
By the way, before becoming a Realtor, I was an aspiring chef, and being exposed to all the different flavors of the neighborhood was a great experience. While living there, I met the woman who changed my life for the better by becoming my wife. I lived on Smith Hill for five years.
During that time, I realized two things: The life of a chef wasn’t conducive to raising a family, and I cared about helping people build their lives. These realizations led me to become a Realtor. As I became more financially stable, my wife and I decided that we could afford to live in a nicer home, so we moved to the East Side of Providence.
We loved the East Side! With a real neighborhood feel, it has the best of everything an urban lifestyle can offer; restaurants and bars, local shops, amazing architecture, the farmers market, galleries, universities, and parks. And, best of all, everything was within walking distance! Without a doubt, the East Side was the perfect place for a young couple without children to rent an apartment.
Eventually, our thoughts turned to making a family of our own. Thinking about where in Rhode Island we would want to raise our family reconnected me to the things I loved about the neighborhood where I grew up. I wanted to be in an area with good schools, parks, and friendly neighbors, where our kids could safely ride their bikes.
We also wanted to be in an area where everything we needed would still be close by, even if not within walking distance. We considered several towns, including Lincoln, East Greenwich, and Cranston.
We decided to buy real estate in Cranston, RI, because it checked all of the boxes on our wish list, and the home we chose was truly our dream home. While Western Cranston is very different from the other more urban places I’ve lived in, Rhode Island, I have fallen deeply in love with the area. It offers everything we could ever want and reminds me of the neighborhood I grew up in many ways.
In Conclusion
I ultimately chose to buy real estate in Cranston, RI – and I hope my story is helpful as you think about where you want to own your dream home and raise your family. As your Realtor, I would love to help you find your perfect neighborhood.
Buying a house is a complicated, and maybe the most significant, financial decision you’ll ever make. The more you know going in, the easier time you will have. It’s vitally important to work with a reputable Realtor® who can guide you through the process and ensure that your best interests are considered in all negotiations.
When it’s time for you to search for homes for sale in Rhode Island, connect with me, Jay Rezendes, owner of The 401 Group and an award-winning RE/MAX RI Right Choice Realtor®. I’m committed to delivering the highest level of service, support, and convenience throughout the journey, and I’d be happy to show you why my satisfied clients are happy to call me their Realtor® for Life.
