Dieseldude ..
Probably not many posters familiar with both RI and Seattle
to give opinions comparing the two
.. I grew up in a
small coastal community in RI and never really spent much
time in Providence though there was quite a re-development
boom during the late 1990s in the city .. There are/were a lot
of tech jobs on the RTE 128 corridor south of Boston; which
would in my opinion represent a bear of a commute from RI .. but
then I don't like sitting on highways 
.. We have four well
defined seasons here .. Summers can be hot and humid near the
coast .. the Falls are beautiful and linger along the coast due
to the warming influence of the water .. we pay for that in the
Spring though as we experience the opposite effect in the coastal
areas when the wind switches onshore while the water is still
cold .. Winters ( you spend in Florida ) .. I'm not a big fan
of New England Winters .. usually too cold and too long .. but
great if you enjoy skiing as there are numerous ski venues
within 2-4 hour drive from the Providence-Boston metro area ..
Plenty of cultural/historical locations throughout the northeast ..
Mountains and the Appalachian trial run through MA/VT/NH and ME ..
RI and Cape Cod have some of the nicest unspoiled beaches in the
country .. lots of sailing/boating everywhere ..
Jim in Ct .. Holson .. one for you :p