Providence, RI: Top Things to Know About Storage

“At Least It’s Cheaper Than Boston…”

With a few exceptions, city living tends to be pricey, especially when it’s on the east coast. In the case of Providence, we like to think that the small town feel, quaint New England streets and proximity to the ocean make up for the above average cost of living. Prices on everything, storage included, tend to be about 18% higher than the national average. However, whenever you’re strolling the streets of Providence and you hear someone bemoaning the fact that the rising cost of home ownership and the 5.2% unemployment rate are conspiring against locals, you’re almost guaranteed to hear this in response: “At least it’s cheaper than Boston.” This is very true. In Providence, you can expect to pay about $1,623 a month for a one bedroom apartment. In Boston, that same place would be smaller and it would cost you $2,514 a month. In New York it would run you $3,000. Like rent prices, storage follows similar trends. While storage is certainly relatively affordable in Providence (and the small, historic homes in the city often create the need for extra space), it’s also important to note that there are only 11 storage facilities in Providence. That’s about 6,050 individual units. This number can be a little tight for the city of 177,856, so if you’re in the market for storage, don’t delay your search.

Everything’s Accessible

Providence was designed before cars were in use. As is the case with all historic New England cities, it’s compact and walkable as a result. In fact, it boasts the eighth highest percentage of pedestrian commuters in the country. In addition to that, local public transportation is available. You can also easily get to Boston by train in about 30 minutes and a ride to New York City will only take you about three hours. We’re not saying that you don’t need a car, but we are saying that if you don’t have one, your life will still be pretty easy. When it comes to storage though, not having a car can be a big bummer. Unless you’re totally okay with hauling that mattress onto the bus, you can look for facilities that offer truck rental. You can also check out PODS Moving and Storage located all across the Greater Boston area (yep, Providence is a part of that even though it’s in Rhode Island). They’ll deliver a portable storage unit right to you, give you as long as you like to pack it up and then pick it up. This helps with moving too. Not unlike the early settlers of Providence, you totally don’t need a car. You’ll Experience a Nor’Easter or Two You keep hearing about them on the news, but what exactly is a nor’easter? Well, it’s a storm system that starts offshore and blows northeastern winds (hence the name). Nor’easters can occur from late fall through late winter and they can often cause chaos on coastal towns by creating floods, nasty waves, shore erosion and of course, epic amounts of snow. As a New Englander, you’re sure to experience a few of them in Providence. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t visit your storage unit during this time, but you definitely should consider the well-being of your items in storage long before that storm hits. First of all, you should definitely look into climate control to protect your items against Providence’s year-round humidity. This is especially important if you’re storing items like photographs, antique furniture, musical instruments or anything that’s susceptible to wear and tear from moisture. You should also ask your storage facility about how storms have affecting the property in the past. Find out what their plans are for snow removal too. You don’t want to plan a trip to your drive-up storage unit only to find that you can’t actually drive up to it. Lastly, look into storage insurance options. Many facilities allow you to purchase this through them, but even the ones that don’t will usually be able to refer you to a plan that they trust. If you decide to get insurance, read your policy carefully (also a great idea when signing your storage lease) and make sure you know exactly what is and isn’t covered.

Art Storage in Rhode Island’s Artiest City

Even if you’re not an artist, RISD will make you want to be one. The famous college offers one of the best art programs in the country. It enrolls just 2,014 students, all of whom have to submit an extensive portfolio along with two drawings including the famous bicycle test. For those of us who can’t even draw a stick figure, the school offers an incredible art museum filled with more that 90,000 pieces ranging from ancient to contemporary. Whether you’re an artist, an aspiring artist, or you just own a few paintings and sculptures, it’s important that you know what you’re doing when you store artwork. Providence’s humid climate a less than ideal environment for art and art supplies. Besides choosing a unit with climate control, you’ll want to prep your artwork, wrap pieces in something breathable and take a second to ask the facility about pest control. If you spent hours painting the beautiful seaside landscape, take a few minutes to preserve it for life.