Hope Valley-Rockville

With the wooded western side being predominantly nature preserves and the more populated eastern area containing more residential homes, the Hope Valley/Rockville neighborhood can be described as quintessential New England. “When you hop off the busy interstate into Hope Valley, you enter into a quaint little mom-and-pop town,” says Bonnie Begos, a Realtor at RE/MAX Flagship, Inc with sixteen years of experience in the Rhode Island area.

Houses in Hope Valley/Rockville are generally spread out from one another, some sitting on an acre or two of land. Smaller 1,000- to 1,500-square-foot ranch-style homes and multifamily properties can be found in the $200,000 to $300,000 price range. Going up in size and price, 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot postmodern and colonial-style homes are in the $475,000 to $800,000 range. Custom-built 5,000- to 6,000-square-foot colonials and International-style homes, some with waterfront views and access, are typically priced in the $1 million to $2 million range. Many homes have long driveways and detached, multiple-car garages, helping to keep the neighborhood’s sound score especially low.

Students living in the Hope Valley/Rockville area can attend schools in the Chariho Regional School District. Younger learners can go to Hope Valley Elementary School, which receives a B-plus Niche grade. Middle Schoolers can benefit from a 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio at Chariho Regional Middle School, which also receives a B-plus Niche grade. Older students can attend Chariho High School, which receives a B Niche grade, and take advantage of the Chariho Career & Technical Center conveniently located on campus.

Near Hope Valley Elementary School on the east side, local kids can play on the playground at Biba Park. “There are so many hiking trails and golf courses, the neighborhood almost feels like a resort,” Begos says. Audubon Long Pond Woods Wildlife Refuge, a nature preserve in the center of Hope Valley/Rockville, offers hiking trails through the woods and around Long Pond. At Arcadia Management Area, residents and nearby visitors can also hike and bike through the forested trails, as well as go boating and fishing on the pond. Whispering Heights Campground, a campsite with a kid’s train and outdoor pool, attracts seasonal campers from all over New England, and Fenner Hills Golf Club, a semi-private golf course near Interstate 95, is one of the more popular fairways in the neighborhood.

Hope Valley/Rockville locals head to Main Street, which turns into Route 108, for the majority of their dining and shopping options. “Ma & Pa’s Country Store has an extensive deli sandwich selection with the best meats and cheeses,” Begos notes. This raised ranch-turned market also provides fresh vegetables, fruits and other produce. Farther down Main, residents enjoy live music and fried comfort food in a rustic old house at Wood River Bar & Grill. Across the street, outdoorsy travelers can rest at Stagecoach House Inn, a bed and breakfast on Wyoming Pond. When Main Street turns into US Route 108 on the other side of Interstate 95, gas stations, fast-food options and boutiques start popping up. Locals can grocery shop at Stop & Shop and pick up prescriptions from Walgreens across the street. As Begos says, “When people need to get something outside of the neighborhood, everything is just a few minutes away.”

The western edge of Hope Valley/Rockville borders Connecticut, and Hartford is a 60 mile drive down US Route 138. Interstate 95 runs along the southeastern part of the neighborhood, leading to the heart of Providence just 30 miles away. There’s also an Amtrak train station in Westerly, just ten miles south. “Being in Southwest Rhode Island, you’re close to everything in Connecticut, about four hours to New York City, and only 15 miles from the Rhode Island shoreline,” Begos adds. Central location, convenient interstate access and outdoor adventures make this woodsy suburb thirty miles south of Providence an everlasting getaway for the residents who call it home.

Written By

Mary Beth Greene

Photography Contributed By

Andrew Moran

Video By

Chris Norton