Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

Providence neighborhoods with Upper South Providence in red

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.

History

After the founding of Providence, the area that is today Upper South Providence Between 1754-1868, the neighborhood and areas south were part of the city of Cranston, Rhode Island. The area did not witness substantial development until the industrialization of the late 19th century, when it attracted Irish and Jewish immigrants.^[1]

Government

All of Upper South Providence is in Ward 11. This ward is represented in the Providence City Council by Balbina A. Young, a Democrat.^[2]

Demographics

41.2% of residents in Upper South Providence are Hispanic and 34% are African-American. Citywide, Hispanics comprise 30% of the population and African-Americans 14.5%. 28.7% of the population is White, 2.6% are Asian or Pacific Islander, and 2.6% are Native American.^[3]

Nearly half of all public school children under the age of six speak a language other than English as their primary language. This is below the city-wide average of 54%.^[3]

The Upper South Side continues to struggle with entrenched poverty. The median family income is $24,656, well below the city-wide average of $32,058.^[3] The area's unemployment rate at 17% is the highest in the city, with 27% unemployment in the Upper South Side's largest block.^[4] 36.4% of families live below the poverty line while 16% rely on some form of public assistance. One in four children in this neighborhood under the age of six have been exposed to high amounts of lead, primarily from lead paint in older homes.^[3]

Parks

Unlike other neighborhoods in Providence, Upper South Providence does not include many parks or green spaces. The largest green space in Upper South Providence is the Davey Lopes Recreation Center at the corner of Dudley Street and Prairie Avenue. Smaller parks include the Dudley Street Gateway and the Pearl Street Park.^[5] The Peace & Plenty Park is located at 98 Peace Street. This 10,000 sq ft. playground is one of the few playgrounds in the South Side of Providence.

Hospitals

Rhode Island Hospital, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital are located in close proximity to one another in Upper South Providence.^[6]^[7] Rhode Island Hospital has 719 beds and an acute care hospital and an academic center affiliated with Brown University's School of Medicine.

References

Neighborhood Profiles at providenceri.com

Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island

Official neighborhoods	Blackstone Charles College Hill Downtown Elmhurst Elmwood Federal Hill Fox Point Hartford Hope Lower South Providence Manton Mount Hope Mount Pleasant Olneyville Reservoir Silver Lake Smith Hill South Elmwood Upper South Providence Valley Wanskuck Washington Park Wayland West End

Unofficial and former neighborhoods	Chinatown Downcity Providence East Side Jewelry District Jewelry Manufacturing Historic District North End South Side Wanskuck Historic District Wayland Historic District West Broadway

Squares and plazas	Davol Square Market Square Wayland Square

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