Central to both the Elmwood and Broad Street neighborhoods is the community powerhouse the Southside Cultural Center. It is home to the Rhode Island Black Storytellers, Rhode Island Latino Arts, the Laotian Community Center, the Jordan Wellness and Adventures Center, and Arte Latino of New England. Check the events calendar for performances and community events held in their theater or open-air pavilion.
Nearby, Teatro ECAS is an organization dedicated to preserving the art, history and culture of the Latino communities of Rhode Island. Concerts, dance performances and visual art exhibits include a Puerto Rican master carver demonstrating his craft, a beginner session in Latin American percussion drumming, and a workshop on oral histories.
Step into Knight Memorial Library, a fixture of the neighborhood, and be transported back in time. The marble building dates back to the 1920s and holds an impressive selection of books, as well as offering community activities, such as music lessons, robotics workshops, storytime, and GED and ESL classes. The library is host to the Sankofa World Market, which showcases affordable, culturally appropriate and locally-produced food, craftspeople and entrepreneurs.
Just a short walk away on Peace Street, find Peace and Plenty Park and the adjacent Southside Community Land Trust. The park provides needed green space, as does the land trust, which is a shared community garden that encourages community stewardship of the earth. Both spaces are gathering places for neighbors and members of the community.
Further down Elmwood, spread across a massive 430 acres, is Roger Williams Park, which houses the Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village, as well as the Botanical Center, the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium and the Temple to Music. Animals range from the ever-popular camels, elephants and giraffes to the newest animal in residence — the intriguing Komodo dragon. The Carousel Village and swan boats add to the family fun, as does the zoo’s Big Backyard, an oversized outdoor play space with water features and a giant treehouse. The Botanical Center will engage the senses, with more than 150 species of plants, fountains, a koi pond and waterfall. The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium offers presentations, exhibitions and workshops for children and families and its collection of fossils, minerals, flora and fauna is awe-inspiring. The planetarium also offers daily viewings.
Seasonal Elmwood neighborhood events include a Cinco de Mayo Mariachi Festival, the Providence Preservation Society’s Festival of Historical Homes and the zoo’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular.
For a little fun in the city, Providence Indoor Paintball is the place. There are indoor fields for all ages and playing levels, an Ultimate Airball Field and even rec-ball space.
The Elmwood neighborhood has plenty of on-street parking, intercity bus service, and can be biked with ease.
