Now that you are a part of the exciting
community that is the
Graduate School of Oceanography, we would like to offer you some tips on
living here in South County and in Rhode Island.
Navigate to where you
would like to go:
Finding a place to live
Okay, so you paid your
tuition, scheduled your classes, met your advisor, now where are you
going to sleep at night? There are several useful resources for locating
housing around this area.
Keep in mind that it is
easier to find an academic rental in Rhode Island due to the heavy
tourist season in the summer. A yearly rental is a rare catch, but if
one is persistent, it is possible to find. You have a choice in living
alone or living with other URI students. The Office of Commuter Housing
often has listings for both shared and vacant properties (mostly
academic year).
You will want to start
your search with the following:
-
The Narragansett Times
(a newspaper that comes out Wednesdays and Fridays that students have
found quite useful) - you can find it
online.
-
South County Independent
- also online.
-
The Providence Journal
(especially helpful for the more metro Providence and Kent counties) -
also online.
-
Signs and emails
circulating campus. Check bulletin boards in various campus buildings.
-
Meredith Clark, the GSO Admissions Advisor, sometimes has leads to
possible housing opportunities (401-874-6246).
-
Realtors (more of a last
resort).
-
Ocean State Online may
have listings too.
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A basic lesson in RI
geography
Southern Rhode Island is
known locally as South County. This includes the area surrounding the
GSO. Also in Rhode Island, some towns are within other towns (ie
Kingston is actually part of South Kingstown). It may seem confusing at
first, but soon enough you will be able to navigate through our part of
the state pretty easily.
The towns closest to the
GSO (within 15 minutes) are:
Narragansett (including our school,
Narragansett Pier, Bonnet Shores, Point Judith - Scarborough Beach,
Galilee, Great Island, and Harbor Island)
Saunderstown (just north of
Narragansett on Route 1A)
South Kingstown (including
Wakefield, Kingston (URI main campus location), and Peacedale)
North Kingstown (including Wickford
and Quonset)
Jamestown (across the Jamestown-Verrazano
Bridge - Rt. 138 East from the GSO)
A little farther away
(15-20 minutes from campus):
To the North (taking Rt.4/I 95):
West Warwick, Warwick, East Greenwich
To the East (taking RI-138 crossing
Jamestown): Newport and Middletown (to get to this Island (also known as
Aquidneck Island), there is a $2 toll each way across the Newport Bridge
or you can purchase $1 tokens (in rolls of 10) at the bridge)
To the South and Southwest (Taking
Route 1): Matunuck, East Matunuck/Jerusalem - Snug Harbor, and
Charlestown
Over 20 minutes away,
you can find:
To the North: Providence and
surrounding area (E. Providence, N. Providence, Smithfield, Pawtucket),
Cranston, Johnston, Bristol, Attleboro area (Massachusetts)
To the Southwest: Westerly,
Misquamicut/Watch Hill
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Where to Shop
Groceries - large
supermarkets
Stop and Shop
-
Narragansett (Salt Pond Shopping Center on
Rt. 108)
-
Newport
-
North Kingstown (Frenchtown Rd. off Route
1)
-
Warwick (Rt. 2 - Bald Hill Road)
Shaw's
-
Wakefield (next to Wakefield Mall, Old
Tower Hill Rd.)
-
Warwick (Rt. 2 - Bald Hill Rd.)
Dave's Market
-
Wickford (Rt. 1 - Tower Hill Rd.)
-
East Greenwich/North Kingstown (Frenchtown
Rd.)
-
Warwick (Rt. 117)
Rojacks - Wakefield: Main Street
An organic and vegetarian food shop is
located on Main Street in Wakefield called the Alternative Food Co-op.
If you wish to purchase Asian foods, there is an Oriental Market on Rt.
138 past the main URI campus coming from the GSO.
Household/Everyday Needs
Walmart - The closest is in Wickford
Junction (Rt. 102); There is also a Supercenter in Westerly along Route
1 and another regular Walmart in the Rhode Island Mall)
Target - Warwick: Route 2 (Bald Hill
Rd.)
Big K-Mart - Warwick: Route 2 (Bald
Hill Rd.)
Ann & Hope - Warwick: Route 1
Staples - 2 Locations (Next to
Walmart in Wickford Junction - Rt. 102; Next to Shaws in Wakefield - Old
Tower Hill Road)
Malls
Wakefield Mall (very tiny): Old
Tower Hill Rd., Wakefield
Warwick Mall (medium size mall):
Exit 2 off I-295 in Warwick
Rhode Island Mall (smaller than, and
next to, Warwick Mall): Exit 1 off I-295 in Warwick
Providence Place Mall (large indoor
shopping mall): Exit 22 off I-95 in Providence
Emerald Square Mall (fairly large
indoor shopping mall in South
Attleboro, MA): Route 1A (Newport Ave) off I-295
Banks
Local banks include the
Washington Trust Co. and Newport Savings Bank. You can also find several
Citizens Bank, Fleet Boston, and Sovereign branches in our area.
Restaurants
It's difficult to list all
of the restaurants here. You can find many restaurants along Route 2
into Warwick. Other graduate students can most definitely recommend
their favorite local restaurants. And of course there is always the
phone book if you are looking to try something new and different. Hey,
if you find something great, be sure to recommend it to us! :)
Some native notables include: Crazyburger
on Boone Street in Narragansett (serving vegan and non-vegetarian
foods), the Ocean Mist in Charlestown (which has many musical acts), and
Mews Tavern in Wakefield, across
from Shaw's, which has 69 microbrews from the area on tap.
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Stuff to Do in RI - These
are just suggestions are not endorsed in any particular way by C&M or
the GSO...but hopefully they do give you an idea of what there is to do
in the area...okay, enough with the disclaimer already. Enjoy!
Movie theatres
There is a large cinema
along Route 1 between Wakefield and the GSO in the South County Commons.
There is another larger one located off exit 8B on Route 4.
Performing Arts
In this area of New England, we have
the Dunkin' Donuts Center
in Providence, the
Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA and the
Meadows Music Center in
Hartford, CT that all serve as venues for big-name musical acts. Be sure
and check the local newspapers for local performers and theatre shows.
Casinos
Newport Grand Jai Alai, Newport
Foxwoods, New London, CT
Mohegan Sun, Uncasville,
CT
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Lodging - These are some places among the many many
locations...check your phone book or with a travel agent or ask another
grad student.
Motels/Hotels
Bay Voyage Inn, Jamestown, RI (401) 423-2100
Hamilton Village Inn, Boston Neck Rd., North Kingstown,
RI (401) 295-0700
Holiday Inn, Tower Hill Rd., North Kingstown, RI (401)
789-1051
Kingstown Motel, 6530 Post Road, N. Kingstown, RI (401)
884-1160
Ocean Rose Inn, 113 Ocean Road, Narragansett, RI (401)
783 - 4704
Campgrounds
Go to
RIParks.com for information on state parks in the area that also
have campgrounds. You can find STATE beaches here too and note any fees.
Long Cove Camp Sites and Marina, Point Judith Rd,
Narragansett (401) 783-4902
Peeper Pond Campground, Liberty Church Road, Exeter
(401) 294-5540
Worden's Pond Family Campground, 1173 Wordens Pond Road,
Wakefield (401) 789-9113
Bed and Breakfasts
1900 House, 59 Kingstown Rd, Narragansett (401) 789-7971
Green Shadows B&B, 803 Green Hill Beach Road, Green Hill
(401) 783-9752
Stone Lea by the Sea of Narragansett, 40 Newton Avenue
(401) 783-9546
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