Best Community #28: True Island Life
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Jamestown
It's the envy of everyone who skims across it en route from Saunderstown to Newport. Cast one look down that tidy Main Street as you head toward the Newport Tolls, or hop off before leaving Conanicut Island to ogle some of the most beautiful properties in the entire state. It's another Rhode Island slice of heaven, smack in the middle of Narragnasett Bay.
But beauty comes at a price, and island life makes it difficult to keep up educational performance (Jamestown teens go to North Kingstown HS on the mainland with middling performance numbers), and the high prices of housing keep the town's affordability just one notch above New Shoreham's... at the very bottom of 2011's rankings. Unlike similarly well-heeled towns where the entire school system is supported locally (and
Jamestown by the numbers
Established: 1639
Population: 5,405
Median household income: $78,380
Median housing price: $525,750
2011 Best Communities rankings
Overall ranking: 28
Affordability ranking: 38
Education ranking: 11
Economic condition ranking: 3
Safety ranking: 22
Arts & Culture ranking: 22
History in a nutshell:
Conanicut Island was purchased by Benedict Arnold, William Coddigan and several others from Newport in 1656. The incorporation of Jamestown occurred on November 4, 1678, and was named in honor of Prince James who later became James II. Since Jamestown is an island, it has never been developed as a port or a commercial area but instead as a residential area. Jamestown was connected to the mainland in 1940 via the Jamestown Verrazano Bridge while the Newport Bridge, completed in 1969, gave Jamestown a route to both sides of Narragansett Bay. Those who were in RI in 2006 will never forget the image of the original Jamestown Bridge exploding in demolition.
Famous residents:
Luke McNamee, four-star admiral and Governor of Guam
Additional research by Nate Holterman
Related Articles
- Best Community #35: Feisty Contender
- Best Community #27: Up and Comer
- Best Community #19: Good Schools, Quiet Living
- Best Community #11: RI’s Big Apple
- Best Community #34: More Than Big Hair
- Best Community #26: RI Rural
- Best Community #18: Countryside Charm
- RI’s Best Communities 2011
- Best Community #33: Mill Village Pride
- Best Community #25: Country Living
- Best Community #17: Northern Gem
- RI’s Best Communities 2011: How We Got the Rankings
- Best Community #32: Sandwiched Between Riches
- Best Community #24: Stuck in the Middle?
- Best Community #16: Brains and Beauty
- Best Community #39: Faded Star
- Best Community #31: River Beauty
- Best Community #23: Beach-Blessed Beauty
- Best Community #15: Town on the March
- Best Community #38: In the Capital City’s Shadow
- Best Community #30: Not All About the Summer
- Best Community #22: The Enclave
- Best Community #14: Small-Town Seaside
- Best Community #37: Too Rich for RI?
- Best Community #29: The Overlooked Community
- Best Community #21: Star in the Making
- Best Community #13: Northern RI Surprise
- Best Community #36: City in Turmoil
- Best Community #28: True Island Life
- Best Community #20: City of Contrasts
- Best Community #12: Blackstone Valley Standout