beacon and poughkeepsie in ny are small enough to maybe get away with not having a car. you would have to walk or bike if you wanted to do anything on your own time, but both have trains into nyc - metro north, not amtrak. not really places i would call a real city though. providence, ri is a comfy city that has amenities and functional buses, a legit downtown, cool historical buildings and shit to look at, a canal running through the city, good places to eat, waterfront/smol beach and a mall. rhode island is a tiny state and you can actually take a bus anywhere in-state that you want to go. your only connection to anywhere else is amtrak though.
