Woonsocket

Fairmount is a riverside urban neighborhood in west Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Many of the area’s multi-family homes were built at the turn of the 20th century, as old as 1900. Back then, Fairmount was a working-class neighborhood for mill laborers in Woonsocket. This surplus of workers gave rise to the neighborhood’s distinctive triple-decker residences with open porches. Today, the community has retained old buildings and refurbished their use for modern homebuyers, creating a market of multi-family properties, many of which have been converted into rental residences. Woonsocket local and Realtor with Realty ONE Group, Tonya Hurteau, says, “More residents rent than own their homes here.” Single-family homes are available as well for homebuyers who prefer them. Walking through Fairmount is simple, with ample sidewalk space, where residents view Cape Cods and Craftsman bungalows with covered porches alongside colonial-style multi-family homes. Prices for multi-and-single-family homes range from $290,000 to $600,000, depending on the age of the house and whether it has undergone a remodel. Hurteau says, “It’s usually a mix of fixer-uppers and remodeled homes on the market in Fairmount.” Streets are compact and grid-patterned, with multi-family homes usually containing reserved parking spots for residents and single-family homes with straight driveways. Woonsocket Public Schools serve Fairmount’s children. Within the neighborhood is Kevin K. Coleman Elementary School, rated a C-minus on Niche, and further east, there’s Woonsocket Middle and Woonsocket High, both rated a C on Niche. Woonsocket High also offers several academy courses called Pathways for students to learn technical skills and hands-on experience in visual and performing arts, EMT training and criminal justice. Residents can walk to Dunn Park within Fairmount, which features basketball hoops, a tennis court, and a big grass field for playing fetch with furry friends. Costa Park also has basketball courts, a field, benches and views of the churning Blackstone River. World War II Memorial Park, while not in the neighborhood, is an expansive green space in central Woonsocket featuring brief walking trails and two playgrounds for kids, one of which is a small water park. Major grocery chains are unavailable within Fairmount, but residents can head to Santo Domingo Market, a smaller store with limited meat and produce options. Retail is available across the river in downtown Woonsocket; there are various local clothing, antique and secondhand stores like Angels Boutique and Trendz to browse. For dining, Luc’s Bar and Grill is a brief walk or bus ride across Fairmount Street bridge and offers a quick bite menu with eggs for breakfast and burgers and mozzarella sticks for lunch and dinner, alongside draft beer and cocktails. Woonsocket hosts numerous attractions for residents to visit; the Museum of Work and Culture highlights the history of the city’s mill laborers. The city also features the largest fall festival in northern Rhode Island, Autumnfest. The festival is set at World War II Memorial Park and held yearly on Columbus Day weekend. Residents can enjoy food, drinks, amusement rides, music and a parade. Around the holidays, there’s the Polar Express Train ride, a 90-minute kid-friendly experience complete with song and dance, hot chocolate and cookies, and a visit from Santa. Hurteau mentions, “You can walk downtown for retail and dining; many residents work in the city, so having a bus route is very helpful.” RIPTA bus route 87 runs down Fairmount Street and can take residents within walking distance to most Woonsocket attractions. A 20-minute walk from Fairmount can land residents in Woonsocket’s retail and dining districts or 1.5 miles by car. Nearby city Worcester is also 27 miles by car, and the Massachusetts border is a stone’s throw from Fairmount proper. Fairmount is a decent commute to anywhere in Woonsocket, meaning the city’s amenities are always within reach.

Situated in the post-industrial city of Woonsocket, the North End developed around the tastes of affluent neighbors throughout the 19th- and 20th centuries. Greek revival-style cottages, Italianate villas and Victorian residences are some of the architectural stylings of this neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The North End has broad suburban streets with sidewalks, well-kept lawns and grand houses ranging from cottages to mansions. Well-maintained houses with shuttered windows sit underneath tall, leafy trees on quarter-acre lots. Development of the neighborhood started in 1840 and continued until 1970, but most homes came online between 1900 and 1920. Georgian brick colonials can cost $500,000, 1850s Cape Cods can go for $300,000, multifamily houses can cost $500,000 and 1920s colonials can go for $375,000. The average home value in the North End is about $400,000. The neighborhood abuts the Blackstone River, which snakes into Woonsocket from nearby Blackstone, Massachusetts. The river was integral to the American Industrial Revolution; it powered Slater Mill, the Pawtucket factory that was the first successful water-powered cotton mill in the U.S. North End residents can experience the Blackstone themselves through the Blackstone River Bikeway and access it through entry points in Woonsocket and nearby Massachusetts. Neighbors can park at the River’s Edge Recreation Complex and ride the woodsy bikeway south to Lincoln. For a different river experience, neighbors can launch their boats at Cold Spring Park or walk on one of the park’s scenic pathways. Cold Spring Park is also where Little League teams play on the weekends, and in the wintertime, it turns into an unofficial sledding spot. Kids love the park’s playground, and people of all ages use its basketball and tennis courts. During the holidays, neighbors head downtown to ride the Polar Express, an actual train that takes people to view the North Pole. It includes singing, hot chocolate, cookies and, of course, a reading of “The Polar Express” Christmas story. As its name suggests, the North End sits just north of the center of Woonsocket. It’s just minutes from the Woonsocket Public Library, where kids can enjoy music time, Lego building and storytelling, and from Stadium Theatre, where neighbors can catch orchestral performances, the Nutcracker ballet and musicals. Near the theater is Ciro’s Tavern, an English-style pub where people order fish and chips and Parmesan-encrusted chicken in a Tudor-style dining room. Cash-only eatery New York Lunch is also popular with locals; neighbors eat hot dogs and drink Del’s frozen lemonade from 1950s-style red booths. For cocktails and charcuterie, neighbors like Christopher’s Kitchen + Bar, which operates out of a two-story brick building. When it’s time to grocery shop, North End residents have plenty of options. Stop & Shop is 2 miles away in Bellingham, Massachusetts. Aldi is about 3 miles south in North Smithfield, and it’s right next to a Walmart Supercenter and across the street from a different Stop & Shop. North Smithfield also has hardware stores like Lowe’s Home Improvement, pet retailers like PetSmart and clothing stores like Kohl’s. Kids living in the North End can enroll in Woonsocket public schools. The district serves about 5,600 students and has six middle schools, two middle schools and two high schools, including one career and technical school. Harris Elementary School, rated C-minus by Niche, is the closest elementary school to the neighborhood, and the closest middle school is Villa Nova Middle School, which earns a C. Kids can then move on to Woonsocket High School, also rated C, where they can choose from educational pathways like criminal justice and performing arts. Located on the Massachusetts border, the North End of Woonsocket is minutes from Route 146, also known as the Worcester-Providence Turnpike. Providence is 16 miles south of the neighborhood, about a 30-minute drive, and Worcester is roughly 30 miles away. Boston is 52 miles northeast, about an hour’s drive away.

In the 1860s, Downtown Woonsocket was an industrial mecca. Today, the Rhode Island city center maintains and reimagines its history, turning textile factories and old Italianate-style buildings into restaurants and museums. “There’s always something happening here,” says Dottie Goulet, a realtor with CrossRoads Real Estate Group and a Woonsocket resident. “If people in Woonsocket don’t already live here, this is where they’re coming for all of the city’s big events and best restaurants.” Single-family houses in Downtown Woonsocket are most commonly Victorian-era cottages and Stick-style dwellings. They typically have three to four bedrooms and small front lawns. “This is very much a city,” says Goulet. “Houses are close together, and you have to park in alleyways.” To live in this area, expect to pay between $300,000 and $400,000, a range lower than a Rhode Island home’s average $450,000 selling price. Like any metropolis, Downtown Woonsocket has abundant rentals, and these multi-family properties retain the area's late 1800s character. Though homes in Downtown Woonsocket have limited outdoor space, residents can easily access River Island Art Park. Visitors can launch a kayak or canoe into the Blackstone River, and anglers can fish for striped bass or bluegill from its rocky shoreline. Stroll along the paved path or enjoy a picnic overlooking the waterway. “It is mostly empty green space, but there are some great seasonal activities here, too,” says Goulet. During the Christmas season, Santa sits under the gazebo as children enjoy the winter wonderland with its tree-lighting ceremony, pony rides and hot chocolate. The outdoor space even hosts a weekly concert series throughout the summer. The Woonsocket YMCA has also been in the area since 1901. Work out in the fitness center, swim laps in the indoor pool or shoot hoops on the basketball court. The Museum of Works & Culture is adjacent to River Island Art Park. Located in a restored mill, it depicts the lives of Woonsocket’s early French-Canadian settlers with animatronic farmers and textile factory workers. Another community hub in the area is the Stadium Theatre. Its Vaudeville-era architecture from 1926 was restored in 2001. The performance arts center has since showcased works like “The Nutcracker Ballet” and “The SpongeBob Musical.” Children in East Woonsocket can attend Harris Elementary, which has an overall C-minus grade from Niche. Then, they may go to Villanova Middle School. In addition to its overall C grade from Niche, the school names each homeroom after an East Coast college, like Brown University or Princeton. Then, they may attend Woonsocket High School, which has a C in academics from Niche. Students can join one of the five pathway programs to earn relevant career experience and industry certification if applicable. One pathway is in criminal justice, where students take classes in cybersecurity, sociology and forensics. Residents will find a plethora of eateries along Main Street. Start the day with a latte and a breakfast sandwich from Coffee Connection. Go to River Falls to devour grilled steaks and seafood staples. As its name suggests, the restaurant also has panoramic Blackstone River views from the expansive patio. Locals also love Chan’s, known for its Chinese cuisine and live jazz music since 1905. The thoroughfare also shuts down for the annual Arts in the Alley event, where people can buy goods from local artisans, listen to live music and sip beer from Lops Brewery. Find an Aldi and a Walmart Supercenter less than 4 miles away in the Dowling Village shopping center if you would rather make a meal at home. The commercial corridor also has a Kohl’s and PetSmart. Downtown Woonsocket is less than 2 miles from Rhode Island Route 146, and a 13-mile drive south on the highway leads to Providence. Residents can also reach Boston via a 40-mile drive north via Interstate 90, about 10 miles away. “People commute to both cities. It’s a great in-between location,” says Goulet. There are also several Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus stops dotted across the area.

The Social District is named after the Social Mill that produced cotton threads there 200 years ago, but it’s a fitting name for the neighborhood, which acts as an events hub for the city of Woonsocket. Roughly 43,000 people live in the city, but every fall more than 100,000 converge on the Social District for Autumnfest. This annual festival is just one example of the many opportunities for Social District residents to gather with fellow residents in their neighborhood. Autumnfest began in the neighborhood in the 1970s to commemorate Columbus Day weekend, and it has become a major draw in northern Rhode Island. More than a dozen bands take the stage at World War II Memorial Park over the weekend, while carnival rides whirl and nearly 100 vendors hawk homemade goods and local food. That’s not the only time the park comes alive, as the sights and sounds of fireworks shows and live music are present every July 4. For smaller events throughout the year, the calendar is always booked at Woonsocket Harris Public Library. Events include dance classes for adults, acting classes for teens and Lego-building sessions for kids. Residential blocks are packed with tall multifamily houses usually built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Single-family homes are sprinkled in, standing on small yards that barely buffer front porches from the sidewalks. In general, Woonsocket is a rental-heavy city, which is why one of the most common type of homebuyers is folks who live in neighboring Massachusetts, says Amy Bedard, a Realtor with CrossRoads Real Estate Group in Woonsocket. “We have an influx of people coming in from the Boston area and picking up properties in Woonsocket.” Typically, these out-of-state buyers are investors who rent out the property from afar, though some buy multifamily homes to live in while renting out extra space, Bedard adds. Three-bedroom condos may sell in the high $100,000s, with a four-bedroom single-family house selling in the low $400,000s. A home that can fit three families is likely to fetch more than $500,000. World War II Memorial Park once featured a manmade swimming pond nicknamed the Social Ocean. The pool shuttered years ago, but the green space is still a gathering place. That’s partially because of the large events held there, but also because of the amenities. At the center, kids dash through the waters of the splash pad and climb on the playground. The park sprawls further to the north and south, making room for a baseball field and basketball courts. On the north side of the Social District, Menard Field serves as the spot where the city’s middle school and little league softball teams play ball. Children in the Social District have the option to attend the Woonsocket Education Department’s public schools, starting with Harris Elementary School. Less than a mile outside the neighborhood, Harris Elementary gets a Niche grade of C-minus. Older students may attend one of two campuses that are both less than a mile from the neighborhood: Villa Nova Middle School and Woonsocket High School, both graded a C by Niche. In addition, the Social District is home to Rise Prep Mayoral Academy, a college prep-focused charter school ranked the fifth-best charter elementary school in Rhode Island, according to Niche. Houses for mill workers were constructed in the late 1800s between Social Street and Clinton Street, but the roads are now the neighborhood’s commercial center. It’s where locals go to pick up a prescription from Walgreens or grab cash from Bank of America. A couple blocks off Social Street, neighborhood residents have dined on Italian cuisine at Savini’s Pomodoro since 1980. A block away, lines often form at walkup Mexican food stand Tacos Don Nacho. Butcher Brothers is the neighborhood spot for cuts of beef, lamb, pork or other meats. Other groceries are available less than half a mile outside the neighborhood, at the Stop & Shop in the town of Bellingham, Massachusetts. The Social District is a 15-mile drive from Providence, putting the state capital in commuting distance. Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport is another 8 miles beyond Providence. But perhaps the most important transportation aspect is the network of arterial roads and highways, such as Route 146, Route 122 and Social Street, that connect to Massachusetts cities including Boston and Worcester. Both cities are less than 60 miles away, and Bedard says that’s important because many Woonsocket residents work in Massachusetts due to the higher salaries common there. “We’re very convenient to all the major highways, so it’s easy to zip into Massachusetts.”

Constitution Hill gives the initial impression of a neighborhood focused more on utility than on character. Multi-level buildings painted in neutral grey, brown and beige tones stand sentry behind chain-link fences. The architectural style seems deliberately nondescript – buildings that were designed to be built simply, quickly and inexpensively to provide no-frills housing for those who need it. However, a fastidiously restored Victorian home occasionally interrupts the pragmatic designs with a splash of bold jewel tones and embellished trim on inviting front porches. The contrast between ruthless functionality and proud ornamentation hints at Constitution Hill’s attitude: A place where people arrive often by necessity, but remain by choice. “Folks will typically move to Constitution Hill because of the affordable housing, but they end up staying for a long time because they fall in love with the community,” says Meghan Rego, the director of marketing for the community organization NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley. “It’s one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. You’ll hear different languages spoken here every day, and every corner store serves a different community.” Constitution Hill is a part of the town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a former industrial city that attracted a lot of new arrivals as part of the Great Migration in the early 1900s, when Black Americans in the South moved to Northern, Midwestern and Western states to escape Jim Crow laws and find new economic opportunities. Today, the area is a cultural melting pot that results in a vibrant community. Of the approximately 40,000 people who live in Woonsocket, around 4,000 of them live in Constitution Hill, and many live in subsidized housing provided by community organizations like NWBRV. Many of the properties for sale in Constitution Hill are multi-family dwellings; however, the occasional renovated single-family home will come up for sale offering major square footage for the price. A three-bedroom home in the neighborhood can be found for less than $300,000 in Constitution Hill. Although Constitution Hill feels somewhat self-contained, with the Blackstone River serving as a natural border that curves around the northern end of the neighborhood, it’s easily connected to downtown Woonsocket and all the town has to offer. Main Street runs just along the southern boundary of the neighborhood and provides bus routes and sidewalks to connect residents to all the attractions of downtown Woonsocket. Just across the river, residents can check out the Museum of Work and Culture, which tells the story of the immigrant millworkers who helped establish Woonsocket. The museum’s Millrace Kitchen allows aspiring chefs to rent out a fully stocked commercial kitchen to support their catering or food service businesses for a monthly membership fee and hourly rental rate. The River Island Art Park, located behind the museum, offers a boat launch to the Blackstone River, picnic areas and event space for attractions like the city of Woonsocket’s “Winter Wonderland” holiday event. Constitution Hill is part of the Woonsocket Public School District, which includes Kevin K. Coleman Elementary School. It has a student-teacher ratio of 14-to-1 and an overall grade of C-minus from Niche. At Villa Nova Middle School, each teacher serves around 10 students and Niche has given the school a C rating. Woonsocket High School serves grades 9 through 12 and has been given a C rating by Niche. The shopping and restaurants in and near Constitution Hill reflects the diversity of the neighborhood. At Geri’s Bluffing Boutique, residents can shop for African fashion and apparel as well as bags, jewelry, and art. There are no large, full-service grocery stores in Woonsocket, though small corner stores and markets meet shoppers’ needs for meat, produce, prepared foods and other essentials. The food culture just outside Constitution Hill is one of the highlights of living in the area. Ye Olde English Fish & Chips, located right near the heart of the neighborhood, has been a local institution since 1932, serving fried seafood and English-style chips. Ocean Café, half a mile from Constitution Hill, dishes up authentic Puerto Rican dishes like Arroz Con Gandules in a humble atmosphere. One mile away, Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining hosts jazz musicians along with traditional Chinese food.

The Globe District in the Rhode Island city of Woonsocket puts residents only 2 miles from Massachusetts, the U.S. state that pays the highest average wage. At the same time, locals can enjoy Rhode Island’s lower home prices in the Globe District, a primarily residential neighborhood on Woonsocket’s southwest side. “People are buying in Woonsocket, but they’re working in Massachusetts,” says Amy Bedard, a Realtor at CrossRoads Real Estate Group in the city. Houses in the Globe District stand tall, with rounded bay windows and balconies often stretching three stories into the air. These are often scooped up by investors in Massachusetts and rented out, Bedard says. “Prices are exceptionally lower here, but our rents are very aggressive.” Still, some of these homes are bought by owners who plan to live in them, Bedard adds. Small colonial-style houses and Cape Cod homes sometimes are tucked between these multifamily properties, options for those seeking single-family homes. Though many of the houses are towering, yards are usually compact, offering just enough space for a flower garden or a few shrubs. Prices for two-bedroom single-family homes start in the high $200,000s, but multifamily properties with more the five bedrooms will likely cost $500,000 or more. Students utilizing the Woonsocket Education Department can walk or take a short 1-mile ride to Globe Park Elementary School, graded a C-minus by Niche. Children can stay in the neighborhood until fifth grade, before advancing to Villa Nova Middle School, a C-rated school that’s a mile outside the Globe District. A mile further than the middle school is C-rated Woonsocket High School; the high school’s pathways let students take courses that explore career fields such as criminal justice, performing arts and emergency medical services. Next to the elementary school, Globe Park offers residents a green respite from the otherwise dense, developed blocks of the neighborhood. Kids and adults get active on the park’s playground, basketball court and tennis court. Meanwhile, trails around Globe Park’s pond may give walkers views of the birds, amphibians and reptiles that call the pool of water home. Even in the winter, the park isn’t abandoned; it has a hill that becomes a ski and sled slope when it’s blanketed with snow. A handful of shops and restaurants are sprinkled throughout the Globe District, so many locals have a business within a couple blocks of their doorsteps. Al’s Place earns stellar reviews for its breakfast combos of eggs and ham, as well as its pancakes that barely fit on the plates. Residents also can pick up fresh lobster and fish at R&D Seafood Inc. or hunt for vintage items at Nichols Antiques and Collectibles. However, they need to go less than a mile south of the neighborhood to access Stop & Shop supermarket or Park Square Pharmacy. Other activities are found less than a mile north of the neighborhood, where locals can learn more about life for early residents of Woonsocket at the Museum of Work & Culture. The Museum of Work & Culture explores Woonsocket’s history as a mill town, but one of the city’s most iconic employers today is CVS Health Corp., headquartered on Woonsocket’s east side. Still, the community’s residents are more likely to work in Massachusetts. Boston is a 55-mile drive north of the neighborhood. Providence sits 15 miles to the south, which can be reached in less than an hour with RIPTA’s public bus system.