Elmwood

Elmwood Avenue and Blackstone Boulevard both became major thoroughfares as part of a major public works initiative undertaken by Mayor Thomas Doyle in 1891-92. Unfortunately, Elmwood Avenue was not built wide enough and most of the fabulous Elms were removed in 1963, over the protests of aesthetically oriented citizens when the road required widening.

The area was designed to be a model suburb with wide, tree-lined streets. The goal was to create homogeneous middle-class neighborhood and conditional land-deeds were issued. They specified the minimum cost that was required to build, provided a five year window for construction and prescribed front yard requirements. Needless to say, this process slowed development.

Today, spectacular large Victorians dot the area. Many have been restored after they fell into despair and were cut up into rooming houses. Wonderful architectural details and paint jobs add character to the area.

Streets

Elmwood, Broad, Adelaide, Congress, Hamilton, Lexington, Sumter, Niagra, Sackett, Parkis, Princeton, Whitmarsh, Moore, Lenox and Ontario.

Streetlife

Lots of people out walking and playing. Side streets are relatively quiet and serious speed bumps every 50 feet keep vehicular traffic to a minimum. At intersections, there are traffic islands at almost every crossing, which has dramatically reduced speeding and people using the neighborhood as across-town cut through.

Migration

Twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings. The prominence that the area received from the PBS filming and fixing up of a dozen houses on Adelaide Avenue has added a variety of speculators to the mix. Still lots of fixer-uppers tha many people want to tackle, but the numbers are slowly becoming prohibitive. One-bedroom apartments start at $650 and two bedrooms are from $900, and, like Armory/West Broadway, they are often dramatically different houses than in other parts of the City because of their uniqueness and spaciousness. Fixer-uppers start in the $199,000 and the rest of the market is between $200,000 - $500,000.

Growing Pains

While the Elmwood area has steadily improved, there are still problems in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Worth Checking Out

The proximity to Roger Williams Park and Zoo is mentioned as "one of the area's greatest assets" by many. Excellent ethnic restaurants like Apsara are nearby. Easy access to Cranston shopping on Reservoir and Elmwood Avenue.

Street Scapes

Spectacular houses with wonderfully creative and colorful paint jobs. Lots of trees and greenery. Very well maintained.

Prices are still lower and many of the houses are substantial in size. Most have yards and people are making a real effort to restore the area. A new Stop & Shop and shopping center are now accessible in the old Gorham complex at Reservoir and Elmwood Avenues.