Oakland Beach, Rhode Island
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Oakland Beach is a neighborhood located in the South Central area of Warwick, Rhode Island, on Greenwich Bay, a tributary of Narragansett Bay. This densely-populated community of small cottages was developed after World War I as a summer colony, largely for nearby Providence's middle-class Irish and Italian communities. Oakland Beach reached its heyday in the 1930's when it boasted a bathing beach, boat docks and restaurants, as well as a Ferris wheel, and rail service to Providence and other nearby summer colonies.
The New England Hurricane of 1938, however, destroyed much of Oakland Beach. The area never quite recovered, and Hurricane Carol in 1954 sent the neighborhood into further decline. By the late 1960's and into the 1970's the area had fallen into decline and became notorious for street fights, drug dealing, and house breaks. Today, Oakland Beach shows some signs of revitalization as several upscale homes have been built near the shore to take advantage of the panorama of Greenwich Bay and Narragansett Bay. In the summer, hundreds of people flock to Oakland Beach restaurants for clam cakes and chowder, a Rhode Island favorite.
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