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Providence, RI

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The city of Providence was founded in 1636 by the Reformed Baptist theologian Roger Williams who had been forced to flee the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of religious persecution. He bought land from the Narragansett Indians and called his new home “Providence” with a goal of religious and political freedom for his followers. Easily accessible by water, Providence quickly became a busy and successful trading seaport, as it is located at the mouth of the Providence River and at the head of the Narragansett Bay. Following the Revolutionary War, Providence’s economy shifted away from maritime endeavors, becoming one the first cities to industrialize and its economy turned toward manufacturing; specifically, jewelry, tools and silverware and textile making. By the early part of the 20th century, Providence was home to some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country and became one of the largest industrial manufacturing centers. The city’s industries and job opportunities attracted many immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, England, Italy, Portugal, Cape Verde, and French Canada thus creating a city full of immigrants.

The New England Hurricane of 1938 caused catastrophic damage to downtown Providence, flooding the downtown and destroying many of the mills and factories, some were never able to recover. Between the 1940’s – 1970’s, Providence’s population began to decline with many of the cities’ middle class moving out to the suburbs, leaving behind the poor and elderly. From the 1950’s- 1980’s the city was notoriously overrun with organized crime.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s vast amounts of local and national development funds were invested in Providence for various revitalization projects. Among some of the most notable projects, the development of the Downtown Riverwalk, the creation of Water Place Park, the construction of the Providence Place Mall and the Downtown Ice Arena. By the mid to late 1980’s, Providence’s declining population began to grow again.

Today, the capital city of Providence is the most populous city in RI with a population of approximately 190,000 and 20 square miles. It is home to eight institutions of higher learning, including the internationally recognized Ivy League Brown University, the nation’s 7th oldest institution founded in 1786, as well as eight hospitals which has shifted the city’s economy and focus into more health service industries, although it has still managed to retain some of its original manufacturing history. Providence has undergone a complete transformation over the past 40 years with a thriving arts community, vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, great hotels and a world-renowned restaurant scene. Providence provides the charm of a small town but offers the sophistication of a big city.

Providence has 25 official neighborhoods, but often they can be grouped together into 5 distinct areas.

  • The East Side (not to be confused with the nearby city of East Providence) consists of the neighborhoods of Hope (aka Summit), Mount Hope, Blackstone, College Hill, Wayland and Fox Point.
  • The Jewelry District includes the area enclosed by I-95, the old I-195, and the Providence River. The city has recently made efforts to rename this area the Knowledge District to reflect the area’s newly developing life sciences and technology-based buildings in the neighborhood.
  • The North End is formed by the concatenation of the neighborhoods of Charles, Wanskuck, Smith Hill, Elmhurst and Mount Pleasant.
  • The South Side (or South Providence) consists of the neighborhoods of Elmwood, Lower South Providence, Upper South Providence, Washington Park and the West End.
  • West Broadway overlaps with the southern half of Federal Hill and the northern part of the West End.
Min. Price
Max. Price
Beds
Baths
76 Humboldt Avenue Providence, RI 02906
$1,475,000
6 Beds 3 | 1 Baths 3,733 SqFt Listing No. 1353520 Property Type: House camera (50)
Details
150 Chestnut Street #5I Providence, RI 02903
$1,399,000
6 Beds 4 Baths 3,720 SqFt Listing No. 1341520 Property Type: Condo camera Virtual Tour camera (31)
Details
3 Nisbet Street Providence, RI 02906
$1,275,000
4 Beds 2 | 1 Baths 2,813 SqFt Listing No. 1353556 Property Type: House camera (50)
Details
511 Hope Street #2 Providence, RI 02906
$1,269,000
4 Beds 3 | 1 Baths 2,559 SqFt Listing No. 1354203 Property Type: Condo camera Virtual Tour camera (50)
Details
201 Sessions Street Providence, RI 02906
$1,149,000
4 Beds 3 | 1 Baths 3,428 SqFt Listing No. 1353710 Property Type: House camera Virtual Tour camera (50) Open House: Mar 29, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Details
1000 Smith Street Providence, RI 02908
$1,100,000
8 Beds 1 | 2 Baths 3,972 SqFt Listing No. 1355018 Property Type: House camera Virtual Tour camera (32)
Details
251 Hope Street #B2 Providence, RI 02906
$979,900
3 Beds 2 | 1 Baths 1,835 SqFt Listing No. 1337528 Property Type: Condo camera Virtual Tour camera (32)
Details
251 Hope Street #2 Providence, RI 02906
$974,900
3 Beds 2 | 1 Baths 1,830 SqFt Listing No. 1349429 Property Type: Condo camera Virtual Tour camera (31)
Details
25 Clarendon Avenue Providence, RI 02906
$969,999
3 Beds 1 | 1 Baths 1,720 SqFt Listing No. 1353447 Property Type: House camera (31)
Details
270 Waterman Street #A Providence, RI 02906
$939,999
3 Beds 2 | 1 Baths 2,200 SqFt Listing No. 1350509 Property Type: Condo camera Virtual Tour camera (20)
Details
14 Imperial Place #604 Providence, RI 02903
$885,000
1 Beds 1 Baths 1,421 SqFt Listing No. 1355109 Property Type: Condo camera Virtual Tour camera (30)
Details
14 Imperial Place #202 Providence, RI 02903
$850,000
3 Beds 2 Baths 2,768 SqFt Listing No. 1342910 Property Type: Condo camera (19)
Details
 76 Humboldt Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
ActiveUnderContract
camera (50)
price

$1,475,000

beds

6 6 Beds

baths

3 | 1 3 | 1 Baths

lot size

3,733 SqFt 3,733 SqFt

listing no.

1353520 Listing No. 1353520

property type

House Property Type: House

gallery photos

camera (50)

 150 Chestnut Street #5I, Providence, RI 02903
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (31)
price

$1,399,000

beds

6 6 Beds

baths

4 4 Baths

lot size

3,720 SqFt 3,720 SqFt

listing no.

1341520 Listing No. 1341520

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (31)

 3 Nisbet Street, Providence, RI 02906
camera (50)
price

$1,275,000

beds

4 4 Beds

baths

2 | 1 2 | 1 Baths

lot size

2,813 SqFt 2,813 SqFt

listing no.

1353556 Listing No. 1353556

property type

House Property Type: House

gallery photos

camera (50)

 511 Hope Street #2, Providence, RI 02906
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (50)
price

$1,269,000

beds

4 4 Beds

baths

3 | 1 3 | 1 Baths

lot size

2,559 SqFt 2,559 SqFt

listing no.

1354203 Listing No. 1354203

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (50)

 201 Sessions Street, Providence, RI 02906
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (50)
price

$1,149,000

beds

4 4 Beds

baths

3 | 1 3 | 1 Baths

lot size

3,428 SqFt 3,428 SqFt

listing no.

1353710 Listing No. 1353710

property type

House Property Type: House

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (50)

Open House: Mar 29, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

 1000 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (32)
price

$1,100,000

beds

8 8 Beds

baths

1 | 2 1 | 2 Baths

lot size

3,972 SqFt 3,972 SqFt

listing no.

1355018 Listing No. 1355018

property type

House Property Type: House

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (32)

 251 Hope Street #B2, Providence, RI 02906
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (32)
price

$979,900

beds

3 3 Beds

baths

2 | 1 2 | 1 Baths

lot size

1,835 SqFt 1,835 SqFt

listing no.

1337528 Listing No. 1337528

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (32)

 251 Hope Street #2, Providence, RI 02906
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (31)
price

$974,900

beds

3 3 Beds

baths

2 | 1 2 | 1 Baths

lot size

1,830 SqFt 1,830 SqFt

listing no.

1349429 Listing No. 1349429

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (31)

 25 Clarendon Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
camera (31)
price

$969,999

beds

3 3 Beds

baths

1 | 1 1 | 1 Baths

lot size

1,720 SqFt 1,720 SqFt

listing no.

1353447 Listing No. 1353447

property type

House Property Type: House

gallery photos

camera (31)

 270 Waterman Street #A, Providence, RI 02906
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (20)
price

$939,999

beds

3 3 Beds

baths

2 | 1 2 | 1 Baths

lot size

2,200 SqFt 2,200 SqFt

listing no.

1350509 Listing No. 1350509

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (20)

 14 Imperial Place #604, Providence, RI 02903
camera VIRTUAL TOUR camera (30)
price

$885,000

beds

1 1 Beds

baths

1 1 Baths

lot size

1,421 SqFt 1,421 SqFt

listing no.

1355109 Listing No. 1355109

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

virtual tour

camera VIRTUAL TOUR

gallery photos

camera (30)

 14 Imperial Place #202, Providence, RI 02903
camera (19)
price

$850,000

beds

3 3 Beds

baths

2 2 Baths

lot size

2,768 SqFt 2,768 SqFt

listing no.

1342910 Listing No. 1342910

property type

Condo Property Type: Condo

gallery photos

camera (19)

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RIAR-SWMLS data last updated at March 28, 2024 3:45 AM ET
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