The neighborhood of Blackstone is where you will find some of the most luxurious and high-end properties in all of Providence and some do we dare say, "newer" 1920's+ construction.  Fueled by transportation improvements in Trolleys and the automobile, the 1920's saw record residential development during this time.  The area known as Blackstone was originally swamp land which was filled in to meet the needs for increased housing.  The way the land plats were originally laid out created larger lot sizes of 8000 - 10000 square feet, larger than the typical 5000 square foot East Side lot and far broader streets. This neighborhood according to historical planning standards, is one of the state's best designed single family housing examples of the 1920's and 1930's. 

Perhaps the most well known part of Blackstone is THE BOULEVARD, which was created between 1886-1904 as a planned green space.  This two and a quarter mile long boulevard was designed by Horace W.S. Cleveland, a Chicago based landscape architect. A trolley line used to run along the middle of the esplanade but was eventually turned into a jogging path in the 1970's.  Blackstone Boulevard is a place to run, bike, walk the dog and meet the community.

Other Blackstone landmarks include Swan Point Cemetery, a park-like final resting place for many of Providence's most distinguished residents including George Corliss, the inventor of the steam engine, Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, suffragette and abolitionist Elizabeth Buffum Chace and H.P. Lovecraft, the famed horror and science fiction writer.

Perhaps the finest street in the neighborhood is Grotto Avenue, which is on the farthest east end of the East Side. Bounded by the Seekonk River, Grotto Avenue is the address of some of the largest and finest mansions on the East Side.