Julien Ayotte Asks: Why Do People Live In Rhode Island?
I’ve
been asked that question for over 60 years, and for the life of me, I can’t
seem to find the perfect answer to this question.
Rhode
Island has a relatively high state income tax and a very high sales tax, its
local real estate taxes aren’t much better, many of its roads are in disrepair,
and the economy is rated as the worst in the country. When you hit bottom, eventually you can only
go up. Add to the mix a history of
corrupt politicians on the local and state level, and we are a complete
disaster as we struggle with some of the highest utility rates in the country
to boot.
So, why
in God’s name, do people still live and retire in Rhode Island?
Well,
let’s see if I can justify the reasoning of those of us who have decided to
live and die here. Everyone knows about
our gorgeous seashore from Warwick, to Narragansett, to Newport, and down to
Westerly. Many celebrities have second
homes somewhere along our coastline.
Nicholas Cage and Taylor Swift are two that come to mind, and who own
mansions on the water here. And as an
original colony from our country’s colonial days, Rhode Island is rich in
history with the likes of the first Baptist church in America, founded by Roger
Williams in Providence, Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design,
countless eighteenth and nineteenth century textile mills spread throughout the
state, and much more.
The
furthest distance from north to south in the state is about fifty miles,
excluding Block Island, an island retreat where presidents have vacationed on
occasion. New England clam chowder is
often imitated in other states, but our original creation can only be tasted in
our restaurants. Seafood in Rhode Island
is aplenty, and always freshly caught, that alone would make you spend some
time here.
I
planted roots here in the 1940s, and I write all of my novels here. As a matter of fact, all five of my
award-winning books have scenes from Rhode Island in them, a factor which my
thousands of readers always find enjoyable.
And my biggest critics, my wife and three adult children, are what keep
my wife and me in this area, as they all live in nearby Massachusetts.
So, if
you’d like to read highly rated mystery thrillers on Amazon, or choose to visit
my website, www.julienayotte.com, to
know more about my novels and me, you’ll not only read good novels, you’ll get
to know more about Rhode Island as well.
If you
choose to email me at jpahome@cox.net for
more information, one of you will receive a copy of my newest release, Code Name Lily, a historical fiction
about a real heroine from Belgium during World War II. And if you’re ever in
Rhode Island, let me know. I’ll still be
here, and I don’t plan to go anywhere anytime soon.
Eliza
Carter Can Never Leave Rhode Island Behind
My
new romance goes into uncharted territory for me: Vikings. At first glance,
little old Rhode Island seems to have nothing to do with them. But go to
Newport, famous for its Gilded Age mansions and beautiful beaches, and you’ll find the Hotel
Viking, Viking themed gift shops, and even laundromats and liquor stores named
for the famous explorers. I think they’d appreciate that latter one, especially
if they sell mead. It’s all because of a mysterious structure some
nineteenth-century residents attributed to the Vikings. No one knew how far
south their explorations had taken them, or where the actual location of
Vinland was. Some people believed (or perhaps hoped) the Norse had made it all
the way to Newport. An archaeological dig in the middle of the twentieth
century revealed that the building was, in
Rhode
Islanders embrace all cultures. My own grandparents immigrated here from Sweden
and Armenia. One of my favorite childhood memories is visiting the Swedish
bakery with my grandmother, to get Havreflarn (crispy oatmeal cookies) for my
father, her beloved son-in-law. Next, we’d head directly to the Armenian one for
lahmajoun, a type of Armenian pizza, which I would devour in the car before my
mother could scold us both. To celebrate special occasions, my parents, my
grandmother, my brother, and I would always go to an Italian restaurant on
Federal Hill in Providence. Nothing beats Italian food. Actually, nothing beats
the food in Rhode Island, period, whether it’s the restaurants, the bakeries,
or seafood by the beach. Of course, the beaches are top-notch, too.
In
fact, Rhode Island is so unique, it’s difficult to leave. Believe me, I’ve
tried. I went to college in the South, and my husband was relocated to the
Midwest when our children were small. I viewed both moves as opportunities to
expand my horizons, and I really did enjoy the regions in which I lived, but I
was desperately homesick, as was my husband, who is also a native. And we’re
not alone. My town is littered with people who, despite achieving their
educations and career accolades elsewhere, return like they’ve been pulled by a
magnet.
At
this stage in the game, my husband and I are both fortunate to work from home.
We could live anywhere. He owns his own business and has an office in Florida.
We often talk idly of moving there. It seems like a no-brainer. There are no
blizzards and there are too many tax benefits to mention. But after batting the
idea around for a few minutes, we always laugh. We know it will never happen.
We’d
miss our families, the food, and even the snow…but especially the food.
Eliza Carter lives in
the Ocean State with her Viking-like husband and daughters. She also has an
overprivileged Weimaraner and two enormous tomcats. She loves the man and the
girls more than life itself, but it pays to give the animals a surfeit of
attention sometimes, to keep the humans on their toes. Besides
the above, her favorite things are frosting, Chardonnay, men’s muscles, baroque
music, frosting, and her readers. Yes, she mentioned frosting twice. It was
intentional.
Stolen
by the Viking
When
the Lady Lies
(all material provided/released by authors)
Oh I can tell, Rhode Island has a huge hold on both of you. It was one state I missed on my trip back there. Now, I think another trip might be in order. Thank you both for sharing why and what makes you love your home state. Doris
ReplyDeleteThank you both. RI is indeed a beautiful state. My husband and I toured the Newport mansions some time a go. We loved it. A cousin teaches at a college there, and she and her family love RI. They plan to stay there after she retires. I definitely want to go back again. I live in the second smallest state, Delaware. We also have beautiful beaches, and, other than summer, you can travel the whole state from north to south in less than 3 hours.
ReplyDeleteI live in Connecticut and have gone to Rhode Island frequently, especially in the summer. Beautiful state , gorgeous seashore and the seafood is scrumptious!
ReplyDelete