Home on Providence's East Side (Brown/RISD), near Boston, Cape, Newport.

Description

Providence is a fun and friendly city with a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and a half dozen universities (including Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design). It’s less than an hour from Boston, Cape Cod and the islands, Horseneck Beach, and Newport! Our fully-furnished home, built in the late 1920s, has 4 bedrooms (or 3 bedrooms with an office) and 2 bathrooms. It has lovely wood floors, a large backyard with a garden, and a front porch. The fenced in backyard is great for barbeques, parties, sunbathing, and gardening. The kitchen has all stainless steel appliances, with a french door out to the back yard. Laundry is in the basement, and we have wireless internet and satellite TV. Our home is ideal for a family of 4 or 5. The master bedroom has a king-size bed; another bedroom has a double bed; the third bedroom has a single bed with a trundle bed under it. The 4th bedroom/library has a sofa bed with a very comfy memory foam mattress. It is a family-friendly neighborhood -- quiet, but with all the benefits of living in a vibrant arts and food city. The house is located on Providence's East Side, a lovely older neighborhood near Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) populated by professors, doctors and creative people. Bus lines will connect you to every part of the city. The Amtrak train station is 5 minutes away, which will get you to Boston or New York City. Hope Street is just outside the door, with excellent restaurants, cafes, a library, a park, and a bus stop. Two Whole Foods grocery stores are nearby, and there is a farmer's market every Saturday in the park down the street. The Italian district, Federal Hill, is just 5 minutes away -- highly rated restaurants and food shopping can be found there. Providence itself is a fun city to visit in the summer. It was recently described by Architectural Digest as 'the best small city in America,' while Travel and Leisure called Providence 'America's favorite city.' In the summer, the universities and the downtown frequently have outdoor concerts and festivals. One of the most wonderful experiences Providence has to offer is "Waterfire," which takes place from May to October. WaterFire (http://waterfire.org/) is a multi-sensory art installation, highlighted by a series of bonfires installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence. The downtown arts and entertainment district features the nationally renowned Trinity theater, as well as the world-class RISD Museum. Terrific beaches are close by -- Horseneck is just 20 minutes away, Narragansett 40 minutes, and Cape Cod is an hour away. Ferries from New Bedford (40 minutes away) can get you to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket; Ferries from Port Judith (30 minutes away) can get you to Block Island. Boston is a 40 minute train ride; New York City is 2 hours on the fast train. I am an American history professor, my wife is an architect and a photographer, who works for a non-profit that encourages urban farming. We are open to either renting or exchanging. I teach at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, about 30 minutes away. You are welcome to use my office there as well. Library privileges can be arranged. For a home exchange, we are hoping to go to Europe, preferably in/near a city. Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Croatia would all be great, but we're open. You can email Mark at msantow@umassd.edu, if you have any questions. While we've posted photographs, this site limits the number; to see more, just shoot us an email.