South Side, Providence, Rhode Island

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Providence neighborhoods with South Side in red Provneighsouthside.JPG
Providence neighborhoods with South Side in red
The Buddhist Center of New England, Public Street Buddhist Center of New England.jpg
The Buddhist Center of New England, Public Street
Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, 251 Oxford Street Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, Providence RI.jpg
Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, 251 Oxford Street

The South Side of Providence, Rhode Island, originally South Providence, is a term frequently used to describe the collective region comprising the official neighborhoods of Upper and Lower South Providence, Elmwood and the West End. The name was first used in the 1830s when the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad established its first station at a pier on the Providence River on a point of land about one half mile south of downtown Providence. The station was named South Providence.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Hispanics comprise the majority of the population, with over half its residents claiming Hispanic ancestry, as compared to thirty percent of Providence residents as a whole. [1] Consequently, it has a high percentage (64%) of children enrolled in public school whose first language is not English, with the most commonly spoken language being Spanish. [1]

The area continues to struggle with poverty issues; the South Side's median family income is $23,379 as compared with $32,058 for the city as a whole, and more than one out of three families lives in poverty. [1]

History

Allens Avenue has been an industrial corridor since the start of the 20th century Narragansett Improvement Company, Providence RI.jpg
Allens Avenue has been an industrial corridor since the start of the 20th century

The South Providence neighborhood developed with a wide mix of uses, including residential, institutional, industrial, and commercial uses. [2] An exception is Allens Avenue, which has been exclusively industrial since the start of the 20th century. [2]

The Pine/Friendship street area, in the northern section of South Providence, was the camping ground for Rochambeau's troops in June 1781, prior to the start of their march to Yorktown. [2] 1832 saw the beginning of middle and upper-class residential development here. [2] By the late 19th century, many impressive Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, and Second Empire homes were built; many of these have since been demolished. [2] The area was home to wealthy textile and jewelry magnates, including the president of the Gorham Manufacturing Company. [2]

By the early 20th century, transit improvements encouraged the more affluent residents to move to the outer ring of the city. [2]

In 1868, most of the area was reannexed by Providence from Cranston. [2] For the next 90 years, the area was predominantly Irish Catholic, with a significant Jewish minority. [2] Many Roman Catholic churches remain in the area today.

The decades following World War II saw an exodus of white residents moving to the suburbs, and starting in the 1960s, local black families moved into the neighborhood. [2] Starting in 1980, the area saw an influx of Hispanics, along with Native Americans, Africans, Laotians, and Vietnamese Hmong. [2]

Demographics

As of August 2005, 52.3% of South Side residents were Hispanic, 24.4% were African-American, 12.2% were non-Hispanic white, 9.1% were Asian, and 2% were Native American. 64% of public school children under the age of six spoke a language other than English as their primary language. [3]

The median family income was $23,379, which was 75% of the citywide average. 35.5% of families lived below the poverty line. 30.3% of families received some form of public assistance. [3]

Nearly one in four children had been exposed to unsafe quantities of lead. [3] This is generally attributed to the prevalence of lead paint in older homes, though older plumbing may also be a factor.

Hospitals

Women & Infants Hospital Women and Infants Hospital Providence RI.jpg
Women & Infants Hospital

The South Side includes a line of four hospitals that from west to east are: St Joseph's Hospital for Specialty Care, Rhode Island Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital.

St Joseph's Hospital for Specialty Care is a Catholic hospital located at 21 Peace Street in the northern portion of Elmwood. [4]

Rhode Island Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital are located in close proximity to one another in Upper South Providence. [5] [6] Rhode Island Hospital has 719 beds and an acute care hospital and an academic center affiliated with Alpert Medical School.

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The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10 to the west. Cranston Street runs through the center of West End, past the Cranston Street Armory which has given the neighborhood the alternative name of the "Armory District."

Rhode Island Hospital Hospital in Rhode Island, United States

Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in the Upper South Providence neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the largest academic medical center in the region, affiliated with Brown University since 1959. As an acute care teaching hospital, Rhode Island Hospital is the principal provider of specialty care in the region and the only Level I Trauma Center in southeastern New England. The hospital provides a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients, with particular expertise in cardiology, including the state's only open heart surgery program; diabetes, emergency medical and trauma, neurosciences, oncology/radiation oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics, and surgery. Rhode Island Hospital's pediatrics division, Hasbro Children's Hospital, is the only pediatric facility in the state. Recording nearly 154,000 visits in the fiscal year of 2016, Rhode Island Hospital's adult and pediatric emergency wings are among the busiest in the United States.

Elmhurst, Providence, Rhode Island

Elmhurst is a primarily residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Providence, Rhode Island. Douglas Avenue and Admiral Street bound Elmhurst to the northeast, Academy Avenue and Smith Street bound it to the west, while Chalkstone Avenue marks the southern border.

Elmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95.

Silver Lake, Providence, Rhode Island

Silver Lake is a neighborhood on the western edge of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bordered by the Hartford neighborhood to the north, Route 10 to the east, Johnston and Cranston on the West and separated from Olneyville by Route 6.

Hartford, Providence, Rhode Island

Hartford is a neighborhood located along the western edge of Providence, Rhode Island. Route 6 and the Woonasquatucket River separates it from Olneyville.

Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island

The city of Providence, Rhode Island has 25 official neighborhoods.

Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

Upper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bound to the north by Interstate 95, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street. Often associated with Lower South Providence directly to its south, Upper South Providence is a distinct neighborhood.

Hope, Providence, Rhode Island

Hope is a neighborhood on the northern border of Providence, Rhode Island. To the west, it is bounded by North Main Street, the North Burial Ground, and Interstate 95, while Rochambeau Ave, Hope Street, and the Providence-Pawtucket city line roughly delineate its boundaries to the south, east, and north respectively. Hope is sometimes referred to as "Summit", named for the street that runs through the middle of the neighborhood. Though "Hope" is officially recognized, residents and the local neighborhood organization more often use "Summit".

Lower South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

The Lower South Side is a neighborhood in the southern part of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded by Public Street to the north, by Interstate 95 to the south, by Broad Street to the west, and by the Providence River to the east.

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Butler Hospital is a private, non-profit, psychiatric and substance abuse hospital for adolescents, adults, and seniors, located at 345 Blackstone Boulevard in Providence, Rhode Island. The hospital is affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and is the flagship for Brown University's renowned department of psychiatry. Butler Hospital was a founding member, along with Women & Infants Hospital and Kent Hospital, of the Care New England health system in 1996.

Kent Hospital is a community teaching hospital located in Warwick, Rhode Island. It was a founding member of the Care New England in 1996, along with Women & Infants Hospital and Butler Hospital.

Providence, Rhode Island Capital city of Rhode Island, United States

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in the United States, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. The city is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay.

Mount Pleasant, Providence, Rhode Island

Mount Pleasant is a working-class residential neighborhood situated in the northwest of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bordered by Olneyville to the south, Valley to the east, Manton to the west, and Elmhurst to the northeast, and the Town of North Providence to the north. The major street boundaries that define Mount Pleasant are Academy Avenue to the east, Smith Street to the northeast, Atwells Avenue to the south, and portions of Bullock, Chalkstone, Mera, and Rushmore Avenues to the west.

South Elmwood, Providence, Rhode Island

South Elmwood is the southernmost neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and is home to Roger Williams Park and the Roger Williams Park Zoo. The neighborhood is bounded to the northwest by Interstate 95, to the northeast by Broad Street and Verndale Avenue, and on all other sides by the municipal boundary with Cranston. The population of the neighborhood, as of 2000, was 2,184.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Providence Neighborhood Profiles: Southside". Provplan. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Conley, Patrick T. (2006). South Providence. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 7–8. ISBN   9780738544847 . Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Southside
  4. Welcome To Saint Joseph Hospital for Specialty Care Homepage
  5. Rhode Island Hospital
  6. Women & Infants Hospital : Providence, Rhode Island

Coordinates: 41°48′14″N71°25′26″W / 41.804°N 71.424°W / 41.804; -71.424