The South Side of Providence

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

, Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

, originally South Providence, is a term frequently used to describe the collective region comprising the official neighborhoods of Upper

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...

 and Lower South Providence

Lower South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

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

, Elmwood

Elmwood, Providence, Rhode Island

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.- History :Prior to the 1850s, the region had been used primarily as farm land...

 and the West End

West End, Providence, Rhode Island

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...

. The name was first used in the 1830s when the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad

New York, Providence and Boston Railroad

The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, normally called the Stonington Line, was a major part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island...

 established its first station at a pier on the Providence River

Providence River

thumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...

 on a point of land about one half mile south of downtown Providence. The station was named South Providence.

Hispanics

Hispanic and Latino Americans

Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

 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. 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.

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.

Demographics

52.3% of South Side residents are Hispanic, 24.4% are African-American, 12.2% are white, 9.1% are Asian, and 2% are Native-American. 64% of public school children under the age of six speak a language other than English as their primary language.

The median family income is $23,379, which 75% of the city-wide average. 35.5% of families live below the poverty-line. 30.3% of families receive some form of public assistance.

Nearly one in four children has been exposed to unsafe quantities of lead. This is due to the prevalences of lead paint

Lead paint

Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as pigment, with lead chromate and lead carbonate being the most common. Lead is also added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion...

 in older homes.

Hospitals

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

Rhode Island Hospital

Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island.-Overview:Rhode Island Hospital is the main teaching hospital of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to...

, Women and 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.

Rhode Island Hospital

Rhode Island Hospital

Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island.-Overview:Rhode Island Hospital is the main teaching hospital of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to...

, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital are located in close proximity to one another in Upper South Providence

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...

. Rhode Island Hospital has 719 beds and an acute care hospital and an academic center affiliated with Alpert Medical School.