Riverside () is an

inner-city The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...

area and

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, next to the

River Taff The River Taff () is a river in Wales. It rises in the Brecon Beacons as two rivers, the Taf Fechan ("little Taff") and the Taf Fawr ("great Taff") before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. At Cardiff, it empties into the Bristol Chan ...

. Riverside is also the name of the

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

, which includes the district of Pontcanna, to the north. The population of the community in 2011 was 13,771. Pontcanna was removed from the community in 2016.

Description

Riverside consists mainly of terraced houses and until 2016 the community included the grand houses of Pontcanna and lining Cathedral Road. The area has a diverse population including

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay. Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

and Chinese heritage, particularly to the south of Cowbridge Road and around Tudor Street. Riverside has a number of Chinese,

Halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

, and Indian shops selling a range of foods. Because of its close proximity to the Principality Stadium and the city centre, Riverside has become a focus for Cardiff's rapidly expanding budget accommodation sector, with two

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

hostels in close proximity of Fitzhamon Embankment. In addition to the two public gardens in Riverside, Despenser Gardens and Clare Gardens, Riverside residents use

Sophia Gardens Sophia Gardens ( ; ) is a public park in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, on the west bank of the River Taff. International test cricket Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestig ...

immediately to the north. Sophia Gardens was once in Riverside, and was the first home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who in their early years were Riverside A.F.C.

Welsh language

The 2011 census recorded that 1,475 people in the Riverside community could speak Welsh (13.7% of the population over three years old), a small rise on the 2001 census. The former HTV television studios in nearby Pontcanna, which produced Welsh language programmes, was a boost to the language locally.

Government

The Riverside

is in the

parliamentary constituency An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

of Cardiff West. It is bounded by the wards of Gabalfa to the north; Cathays to the east; Grangetown to the south; and Canton and

Llandaff Llandaff (; ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bisho ...

to the west. Until 2016 the Riverside local government community included Pontcanna to the north, these districts now have separate community status. However, neither Riverside or Pontcanna have a

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...

Local organisations

Riverside Real Food Market began as a Christmas Market in 1998 in a nearby park.Alison Young
"Cardiff’s Riverside Market"
''South Wales Echo'', 8 January 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2013. The market moved to the wide pavement of Fitzhamon Embankment beside the

, and has stalls from up to thirty retailers every Sunday.

Notable people

Geraint Jarman Geraint Jarman (17 August 1950 – 2 March 2025) was a Welsh musician, poet and television producer whose career dates back to the early years of Welsh popular music. He recorded many albums as a solo artist and with his band Geraint Jarman a'r ...

(1950 – 2025), musician, poet and television producer *

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

(1893–1951), composer, singer and actor, born in a house on Cowbridge Road East * Tessie O'Shea (1913–1995), entertainer, born in Plantagenet Street

References

External links

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Riverside and surrounding area

Riverside Market
{{Communities of Cardiff Communities in Cardiff