As streetcars became more common in Toledo, they allowed residents to move further away from the city. Rail lines ran along many of the major Toledo streets. One such line, running south along Broadway Avenue, accelerated the settlement of the South Side.

Also referred to as the Historic South End, South Side is a neighborhood of late nineteenth and early twentieth century homes. Gambrel, hipped, and colonial cottages are the most common of Edwardian designs in South Side, with other architectural styles including Arts and Crafts, Shingle, Neo-Colonial, and Prairie Styles. Houses sit side by side on moderately sized lots. Many of these homes, like East Toledo, were built using designs purchased by contractors from mail order kits, while some of the older homes closer to the downtown area were built by master architects.

Residents of South Side have many options for recreation and leisure. Danny Thomas Park, near the Maumee River, has facilities for baseball and basketball, as well as walks and trails for running, walking, or jogging. Highland Park, located on Swan Creek, contains baseball diamonds, basketball and tennis courts, picnic areas, fishing areas, paths for walking or jogging, and even a swimming pool. In the winter, Highland Park is one of the only two parks in Toledo complete with facilities for sledding and tobogganing. To the south, residents of South Side can spend the day at the Toledo Zoological Gardens, one of the finest zoos in the nation. South Side is also home to some of Toledo’s yacht clubs, and a public boat launch is nearby.

Getting around Toledo is not a problem for South Side residents. Interstate 75, in the eastern portion of the neighborhood, allows access throughout the Toledo metropolitan area. The Anthony Wayne Trail, a four lane divided and landscaped thoroughfare, extends north to the downtown and south, parallel to the Maumee River, to Maumee and points beyond. Broadway Street offers a leisurely scenic drive along the Maumee River, while South Avenue provides for east-west traffic within the neighborhood. Route 2 (Airport Highway) leads across the Maumee River to East Toledo and westward to places like the Airport-Reynolds Shopping Center, the Spring Meadows Shopping Center, and the Toledo Express Airport.

Commercial areas in South Side can be found lining the Anthony Wayne Trail, while the Glendale Shopping Center is just south of the neighborhood on Byrne Road. Southwyck Mall, one the largest in the city, is further to the west.

Homes in South Side, based on 1990 census data, average between $15,000 and $50,000 in price, and have an owner occupancy rate of 52%. About 30,000 people live in South Side, and their average annual household income, based on 1990 census data, is around $25,000.