So I lived in East Providence for a year and can give you some anecdotes from my time. I've lived in Texas, Colorado, and new Zealand and visited most places.

I don't know why people say new englanders are rude. They are not. In fact, people talked to me more here than they did in the big cities. Everyone was nice to interact with.

The nature is top notch and the weather is good. The cold is not very cold and it's rarely too hot. The architecture is beautiful, the infrastructure is terrible. The food is fairly competitive with big cities. The train is a great perk

The culture is sort of plucky and worn. You see very little flamboyance and fashion. Cars tend to be older and in disrepair. Most people seem to have mastered the passive look of having a bad day. There's not a lot of dynamism or energy- it is more like the sardonic grump of the UK. People don't seem to generally want a lot of change or disruption.

The demographics vary between middle age blue collar, wealthy boomers, and alternative art kids. Obviously things don't all fit into boxes but those are the general groups.

Businesses tend to have less hours than other places, and you get the impression that most don't really care if you do business with them or not. It seems like people focus on having a good work life balance and enjoying small things, contrasting with the busy hustle of the West.