Riverside is a neighborhood of Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, located in the northwestern part of the city, along the Niagara River

Niagara River

The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...

. It is sometimes referred to in conjunction with another community located directly south, Black Rock.

Early years

Prior to the late 1800s, Riverside was an area that remained largely undeveloped farmland. For many, it was a "rural retreat" to the larger, more industrious city of Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, inhabited mostly by a few wealthy owners of large estates. Riverside stayed this way until 1888, after the passage of the Hertel Avenue Sewer Bill, which allowed sewer construction to take place in the area. Subsequently, real estate development began in 1890 when the North Park Land Company purchased 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land near the current Riverside Park (formerly known as Germania Park), which boasts a scenic outlook of the Erie Canal and Niagara River. The land was subdivided, and construction of two-family homes started. All Saints Church was founded in 1911 and the remainder of the area developed through the 1950’s.
Many of the new residents moving to Riverside, were arriving from Black Rock, which had become highly industrialized by the end of the 19th century. Offering views of the Niagara River

Niagara River

The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...

, curving streets, and larger residential building lots than its neighbor to the south, Riverside had attracted over 2,000 people by 1900, whom were mostly of German and Irish descents. It was this sudden surge in population, that gave Riverside its early reputation as a northern working class 'suburb' of Black Rock, even though it still was within the city limits. For these new residents, Riverside was only a short trolley-car ride away from their old neighborhoods.

Another wave of development took place after the close of the Pan-American Exposition

Pan-American Exposition

The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is present day Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Ave. to Elmwood Ave and northward to Great Arrow...

 in 1901. The Roblin Brothers used lumber from deconstructed buildings on the Exposition grounds to build hundreds of new homes around the areas surrounding the intersection of Ontario and Tonawanda Streets.

Around the time of the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 and World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, with the country in an economic slump, fewer people were moving out to the suburbs, so even more housing construction took place in Riverside as the remaining land was developed.

Decline

But by the early 1950s, the construction of the Niagara extension

Interstate 190 (New York)

Interstate 190 runs 28.34 miles from Interstate 90 near Buffalo, New York to Lewiston, New York via Niagara Falls. Parts of this highway were built on the former rights-of-way of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Erie Canal. It is referred to by locals as The One-Ninety...

 of the New York State Thruway

New York State Thruway

The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...

, effectively cut off all access to the Niagara River

Niagara River

The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...

 from neighborhood residents that once had existed at Riverside Park. This, coupled with the large-scale exodus of residents and businesses to the suburbs that was similarly taking place in many other parts of the country, began the long and steady period of decline in Riverside. However, the loss of population in Riverside did not have anything near the devastating impact that was demonstrated on many of the East Side neighborhoods.

Geography

The neighborhood centers on the intersection of Tonawanda and Ontario Streets, which also serve as the two busiest streets in the community. Vulcan Street runs along the northern edge, which borders with the Town of Tonawanda

Tonawanda (town), New York

Tonawanda is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 78,155. The town is at the north border of the county and is the northern suburb of Buffalo...

. Riverside Park, designed by the firm of famed landscape designer Frederick Law Olmstead, is located to the west of the neighborhood, between Tonawanda and Niagara Streets.

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, Riverside had a total population of 10,688. The City of Buffalo had a total population of 292,648.

At that time there were 10,688 people, 4,398 households, and 2,677 families residing in the community. There were 4,928 housing units. The racial makeup of Riverside is 88.94% White, 3.66% African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

, 1.54% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.96% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races. 7.79% of the population are Hispanic or Latino

Latino

The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...

 of any race.

There were 4,398 households out of which 34.92% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.72% are married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 19.28% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.13% are non-families. 33.47% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.26% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is about 2.4 and the average family size is about 3.1.

In the community the population included 28.42% under the age of 18, 12.88% from 15 to 24, 30.12% from 25 to 44, 19.64% from 45 to 64, and 13.26% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is approximately 34 years. For every 100 females there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.3 males.

Note: All figures based on the United States Census, 2000

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

, Erie County, New York

Erie County, New York

Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...

, Census Tracts 57 & 58

Notable places and events

• Riverside Park
  Riverside Park (Buffalo, New York)
  Riverside Park is a historic park located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. Riverside Park may be related. Located in northwest Buffalo, it is an individual park designed by the Olmsted Architectural Firm in 1898 after Frederick Law Olmsted's retirement. It is on a site on a bluff...
  
  

• The year 2011 marks the 7th annual Annual Black Rock & Riverside Tour of Gardens and the 5th annual Starry Night Garden Tour http://www.brrgardenwalk.com