Moving to Rhode Island

Finding a Place to Live in Rhode Island

Bridge in the Sun
The Newport Bridge, visible from the Bay Campus, glows in the afternoon sun.

There are several useful resources for locating housing near GSO.

It is easier to find an academic rental in Rhode Island due to the heavy summer tourist season. Yearly rentals are available, but require a little more searching. The Office of Commuter Housing often has listings for both shared and vacant properties (mostly academic year), and allows you to search for potential roommates.

Southern Rhode Island is known locally as South County. This includes the area surrounding GSO. Also in Rhode Island, there are often villages within other towns (i.e. Kingston and Wakefield are actually part of the town of South Kingstown. Wickford is a village within North 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 of the Narragansett Bay Campus) are:

  • Narragansett (including GSO, Narragansett Pier, Bonnet Shores, Point Judith – Scarborough Beach, Galilee, Great Island, and Harbor Island)
  • South Kingstown (including Wakefield, Peacedale, Kingston (URI main campus location), and West Kingston)
  • North Kingstown (including Wickford, Quonset, and Saunderstown, just north of GSO)
  • Jamestown (across the Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge – Rt. 138 East from the GSO)

A little farther away (20-30 minutes from the Bay 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 (these towns are located on Aquidneck Island; there is a $4 toll each way across the Newport Bridge unless you purchase a Rhode Island EZ Pass.
  • To the South and Southwest (via Route 1): Matunuck, East Matunuck/Jerusalem – Snug Harbor, and Charlestown

Over 30 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, Richmond

Lodging

The “South County” area (Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Westerly, and West Greenwich) offers a variety of lodging options.

Motels/Hotels/Inns/B&Bs

The South County Tourism Council maintains a listing of hotels, motels, and inns and B&Bs in areas within close proximity to the Narragansett Bay Campus.

Campgrounds

Go to RIParks.com for information on state parks in the area that also have campgrounds. You can find state beaches here too.