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, greek and Italian communities. Oakland Beach reached its heyday in the 1930s 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. Popular local attractions included an arcade, carousel (merry go round) movie theater, bowling alley and dodgem cars. A local saying for the area, long available on T-shirts is, "Oakland Beach...where the debris meets the sea".
The New England Hurricane of 1938, however, destroyed much of Oakland Beach. The area never quite recovered, and Hurricane Carol in 1954 added to the area's destruction. Over the years, Oakland Beach has become a destination where people come to attend the many activities on the green, park by the sea wall to enjoy the beautiful vista of Greenwich Bay, kayak the scenic coves, stroll the shoreline and dine at the restaurants. The most notable being Iggy's Doughboys and Chowder House. Other restaurants include Top of the Bay (which use to be the Governor's residence) Timmy's Bay One, Marley's on the Beach and The Carousel Grill. New to the area is Twisted Pizzeria and Restaurant.
