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it is only in the last 35 years that Providence has had more definitive neighborhoods, mostly for realty and crime assessments purposes. As a founder of the Reservoir Triangle name, we wanted to differentiate between the West End and South Providence. South Providence had subsections, Elmwood Ave, Broad Street and the Eddy Street area. South of South Providence was Washington Park which went from Roger Wms Park, along Broad street, to Narragansett Blvd and was south of the industrial area of Allens Ave. The Harbor railroad line was also used to delineate WP from SP. Basically everything south and east of the former YMCA to about Dexter Street was considered South Providence. Then you ran into the West End as you went toward Cranston Street and towards Westminister Street. There was no lower or higher South Providence. One large hood to the Cranston line, outside of WP, that was eeparated more by Catholic parishes, St. Michaels or Assumption, then anything else. If you were Jewish SP meant Praire Ave/Willett Ave or Warrington/Sackett areas. The Irish were were Blackstone Street stretching all the way down towards RW Jr High. Eddy Street was black and Irish and Irish, English and Swedes were either side of Elmwood toward Dexter. That was the way it was some 50 years ago. It was a great mix and everyone lived together and got in trouble together. Those parking lots around the Rhode Island Hospital campus were filled with 3 family tenements all the way from Eddy Street/Plain Street to Praire Ave. There were at least 3 more bus routes thru that part of the city that no longer exist. So, no they may not be less knowledgeable, but only have knowledge of what it use to be.
The history of the South Side of PVD is very interesting. It describes immigration patterns of the mid to latter 20th century scarcely evident today. For the most part the Irish and the Jews are long gone to the suburbs by 2000, replaced by African Americans and then Latinos with a sprinkling of Gays and Liberal Whites mainly living in the historic districts of Elmwood. Asians set up businesses on the South Side, but mostly chose to live in to Cranston and beyond.
The history of the South Side of PVD is very interesting. It describes immigration patterns of the mid to latter 20th century scarcely evident today. For the most part the Irish and the Jews are long gone to the suburbs by 2000, replaced by African Americans and then Latinos with a sprinkling of Gays and Liberal Whites mainly living in the historic districts of Elmwood. Asians set up businesses on the South Side, but mostly chose to live in to Cranston and beyond.
Sounds like just about every other inner city neighborhood to me...
You invented the Reservoir Triangle name? When was that?
I didn't invent the name, it was a result of a number of neighbors back in August, 1978. I had to look at my records and a news article to remember that. At the forefront was David Talan, a Republican leader in Providence who lived in the neighborhood. We tackled crime, litter, environment, traffic and a number of other subjects. Originally it was to include the railroad tracks to Gorham Manufacturing. We later included the area around the Mashapaug Pond. Our first battle was getting RIPTA buses off of Roger Williams Ave. We felt it was a neighborhood street that residents were constantly trying to cross for shopping or play. We orchestrated continuous pedestrian crossings at the Roger Wms Ave and Narragansett Ave crosswalks. Legally blocking and slowing traffic . RIPTA relented about a month later.
During the late 80's and 90's South Side neighborhoods had strikingly different personalities. For example, during this period Elmwood saw the grass roots creation of two protected Local Register Historic Districts, largely owner occupied. College educated "outsiders" bought the rundown Victorian houses and restored them. They supported such homeownership oriented organizations as the Elmwood Foundation in order to revitalize this area despite enormous surrounding challenges. Many of these South Side residents could afford to live anywhere in the city, but chose Historic Elmwood and undertook an intense civic engagement perhaps not available on the East Side or Elmhurst.
I didn't invent the name, it was a result of a number of neighbors back in August, 1978. I had to look at my records and a news article to remember that. At the forefront was David Talan, a Republican leader in Providence who lived in the neighborhood. We tackled crime, litter, environment, traffic and a number of other subjects. Originally it was to include the railroad tracks to Gorham Manufacturing. We later included the area around the Mashapaug Pond. Our first battle was getting RIPTA buses off of Roger Williams Ave. We felt it was a neighborhood street that residents were constantly trying to cross for shopping or play. We orchestrated continuous pedestrian crossings at the Roger Wms Ave and Narragansett Ave crosswalks. Legally blocking and slowing traffic . RIPTA relented about a month later.
That is freaking awesome!
I live in the Triangle now - barely. I grew up in Coventry, not Providence, and the first time I was aware of the neighborhood and name was in the early 90s. A co-worker who grew up in Providence told me it was a popular neighborhood for policemen and firemen to live in when they were required to live in the city. (I'm not sure if that's still a requirement or not, but I know we have at least a few firemen around).
Although....to be honest, a bus that connected Reservoir and Elmwood would probably be pretty useful. The cars whizzing down RW Ave to cut through probably aren't much better than the buses were.
Reservoir Triangle is a great neighborhood. I technically lived there for over 2 years in a house, even many neighborhood residents didn't know existed. My long driveway was through and behind Job Lot Plaza back to an old house sited on the peninsula on the pond. Peaceful and quiet. One of my favorite places having ever lived. And, I've been around.
sandsonik: it wasn't scheduled service on Roger Wms Ave. RIPTA used it as a garage access route only.
Independent man: don't know when you lived there, but it was always one of my favorite spots. It is one of the hidden spots of the city which is why our group decided to protect Mashapaug Pond. We even had fishing contests! You would think you were in Glocester or Scituate, if you really didn't know where you were.
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