What's So Great About Edgewood?

Technically, Edgewood is a neighborhood in Cranston. But if you call it Cranston, they will kindly redirect you: it's Edgewood, thanks. People here treat it like its own town, and once you spend some time here, you get it.

I have a lot of friends and clients who live in Edgewood so I spend a lot of time in this area. Folks that relocated want to know: what's so great about Edgewood? Here's my list.

What People Love About Edgewood

• The homes and the streets: You’ve got Victorian-era homes, fabulous front porches, flower-filled yards and mature trees. It’s a very picturesque neighborhood, and it gets lovelier the further south you go, along streets like Shaw, Glen, Bluff and Circuit Drive, and Narragansett Boulevard with those beautiful views of the bay.
• The neighbors: You'll see people outside walking with their dogs, and folks are pretty friendly. Neighbors get together, or at least wave to each other. You don't necessarily get that everywhere.
• Pawtuxet Village: The southern end of Edgewood flows right into this tiny waterfront village. Being able to walk to coffee, dinner or a bar absolutely adds value, and I love having dinner at Basta. The grilled pizza is amazing, and don’t pass on the tiramisu.
• Roger Williams Park: You’re minutes from 435 acres of walking trails, the zoo, Carousel Village, the Casino and the Botanical Center, which is one of my favorite places to eat a brown-bag lunch on a cold winter day. My son had his 2nd, 3rd and 4th birthday parties at the carousel.
• The water: Stillhouse Cove and the Providence River are right here, and boaters are a short, scenic trip from Newport or Block Island. My best friend is a sailor, and she’s had a slip at the Edgewood Yacht Club.
• The Edgewood Yacht Club: It's my kind of laid-back, unpretentious vibe, and I had my client appreciation party there this summer. The club dates back to 1889, and its clubhouse has burned down twice, most recently in 2011. It came back both times. As for the rivalry between the Edgewood Yacht Club and the Rhode Island Yacht Club, I'm not touching that.
• The location: Edgewood is about 10 minutes to downtown Providence, about 15 to T.F. Green Airport and under an hour to Boston, with Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Target all nearby. You're close to the action without being in the middle of the action.

Buyers who love the historic architecture and community feel of the East Side of Providence often fall hard for Edgewood, especially once they realize they can get a larger yard and a little more house for their money. I recently worked with buyers who were considering an East Side condo and chose a single-family home in Edgewood instead. They wanted the yard and the space, and they can still walk to Pawtuxet Village.

Homes and Prices

You'll find Victorians, colonials, bungalows and capes here, and most of the homes were built before 1940. Single-family homes sold for a median of ~$490,000 over the past two years, but that number doesn't tell you much on its own. Being close to the water makes a big difference:

The range is the middle half of sales, and the highest sale reached $1.5 million. For the classic homes in the heart of Edgewood, most buyers should expect to spend at least $600,000, and the most desirable areas go considerably higher. Smaller homes and homes toward the edges of the neighborhood can come in lower. Prices vary street by street, and you need a local to help you understand pricing!

If you're looking at something other than a single-family home, you have options:

Most condos here sell for under $500,000, and a few larger, higher-end units have sold for $850,000 to $1.2 million. Multi-family homes reached $985,000.

What to Know Before You Buy

• Old houses: These homes come with old-house issues like lead paint, old windows, cast-iron pipes and possibly three generations of electrical wiring. Budget for what the house needs, not just the purchase price.
• Historic districts: Parts of Edgewood are in historic districts, so we'll check what that means for the specific home.
• Low inventory: It's a small neighborhood, people tend to stay for decades and there's nowhere to build. Be ready to move when the right home comes up. Single-family homes had a median of 22 days on market.

If you want historic homes, a real neighborhood and a little waterfront charm, close to pretty much everything, Edgewood should absolutely be on your list. Reach out and let's talk. I'd love to show you around. Just don't call it Cranston.