Home services in East Providence, RI

Utilities and permits

East Providence's water division buys its water wholesale from Providence Water and runs the local pipes and billing. Wastewater goes to the city sewer system, and Rhode Island Energy supplies electricity and natural gas. Building permits come from East Providence's building inspection office.

Getting to know East Providence

East Providence sits across the Seekonk and Providence rivers from Providence and runs south to the bay at Bullocks Point. Riverside, in the south end, is home to the Crescent Park Looff Carousel and a mix of older cottages and mid-century homes near the water. Rumford, in the north, has some of the city's older and larger homes, close to the Massachusetts line at Seekonk.

Watchemoket, near the Washington Bridge, is one of the city's older neighborhoods, with multi-family houses on tight lots. Phillipsdale grew up around mills along the Seekonk River, and some housing there dates to that industrial era. The East Bay Bike Path runs through the city along the old rail line, close to many waterfront homes in Riverside.

Much of East Providence's housing was built in the decades after World War II, alongside older pockets near the rivers. Being close to the water means salt air, coastal wind and storm surge are real factors, especially in Riverside and along the bay. Kent Heights and the neighborhoods in the middle of the city are mostly single-family homes with basements and detached garages. Winters are cold enough for frozen pipes and ice dams, and summer humidity can push older cooling equipment hard.