Blackstone, Providence, Rhode Island facts for kids

Providence neighborhoods with Blackstone in red

Blackstone is a predominantly residential neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It is in the northeast corner of the city and is bounded to the south and west by Lloyd Avenue and Hope Street respectively. It is one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence.

Community Church of Providence, formerly Central Baptist Church, at Wayland and Lloyd Ave.

History

Blackstone is one of the newest parts of Providence, as the remoteness of its location and marshy land had precluded significant development before the late 19th century. The area's connection to the rest of the city improved when a second public horse car line was completed, though it was the completion of the landscaped Blackstone Boulevard in 1894 that triggered rapid development in the area.

The 20th century saw institutional development in the form of Central Baptist Church, Temple Emanuel, and St. Sebastian's Roman Catholic Church.

Demographics

According to the Providence Plan,a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 92.5% of residents are white, well above the citywide average of 54.5%.

Blackstone is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city with a median family income nearly four times that of the city and housing values more than doubling in recent years. The median household income is $87,727, and the median family income is $117,522. Only 1.1% of families live below the poverty line.

The neighborhood is home to a significant Jewish population. The Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island was established on Elmgrove Avenue in 1971; later this merged with other communal organizations and became known as the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island. The area is also home to the Providence Hebrew Day School on Elmgrove Avenue and Temple Emmanuel on Morris Avenue.

Parks

• Blackstone Boulevard Park is a green space between northbound and southbound lanes of Blackstone Boulevard. It consists of 19.3 acres (78,000 m²) of parkland and a 1.7-mile (2.7 km) jogging/walking path.
• Lippitt Memorial Park is located at the intersection of Hope Street and Blackstone Boulevard near the Pawtucket border.

Images for kids

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  Swan Point Cemetery is the final resting place of several Rhode Island governors, including Herbert W. Ladd

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  Temple Emmanuel at Morris Ave and Sessions Street

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  Brown Stadium

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  Butler Hospital, 1886 engraving