Blackstone, Providence, Rhode Island

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. Its main street is Blackstone Boulevard.

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 city-wide average of 54.5%. [ [http://204.17.79.244/profiles/bla_main.html Blackstone ] ]

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. Only 1% of households live below the poverty line. [ [http://204.17.79.244/profiles/bla_main.html Blackstone ] ]

Parks

*Blackstone Boulevard Park [ [http://www.citywidegreen.org/parkFinder/neighborhoods.php?neighborhoods=1 Citywide Green ] ] is a green space between northbound and southbound lanes of Blackstone Boulevard. It consists of 19.3 acres of parkland and a 1.7 mile jogging/walking path. [ [http://www.citywidegreen.org/parkFinder/neighborhoods.php?neighborhoods=1 Citywide Green ] ]

*Lippitt Memorial Park is located at the intersection of Hope Street and Blackstone Boulevard near the Pawtucket border. [ [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Gano+Street%2C+Providence%2C+RI Google Maps ] ]

Government

Ward Two encompasses Blackstone, all of College Hill and Wayland north of Angell Street, and parts of Mount Hope. [ [http://www.providenceri.com/CityCouncil/Ward_Maps/target2.html ward2.jpg] ] As of the 2006 elections, Cliff Wood, a Democrat, represents the ward in the City Council. [ [http://www.providenceri.com/CityCouncil/councilpage.html Providence City Council - Phone: [phone] ] ]

Hospitals

Butler Hospital, located off Blackstone Boulevard, is Rhode Island's only private mental health hospital. Founded in 1844, the hospital offers psychiatric and substance-abuse treatment programs. [ [http://www.butler.org/body.cfm?id=555555 Butler Hospital, Providence Rhode Island : About Butler Hospital ] ]

References

[http://www.provplan.com/Matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp?PageID=48&PageName=InfoDataNeighborhoodProfiles Provplan.org "Neighborhood Profiles"]

[http://www.providenceri.com/Neighborhoods/blackstn.html "Neighborhood Profiles" at providenceri.com]