I left Alief in the 1980's and it was such a great area to grow up... now... sigh. (Houston: new house, neighborhood)

[land161]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Actually I was talking about the poorest-of-the-poor being left behind in the Inner Loop. The ones with some money moved to Alief. Middle-class Black folks don't want anything to do with the working-class blacks, so they go to Missouri City.

But which part of Missouri City? Fondren Southwest is completely different from Quail Valley and Sienna Plantation. (Quail Valley is in the dumps right now though.)

Not entirely true, since there's still a good number of them in Third Ward, and in some parts of South Park.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by land161

Not entirely true, since there's still a good number of them in Third Ward, and in some parts of South Park.

Probably because of the recent urban living trend. But back in the '90s everyone was trying to move to the suburbs. White people from Alief moving to First Colony, Black middle-class transplants and inner loopers to Missouri City, working-class folks buying up leftovers from the white people in Alief. And then the Asian (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) boom of Alief came.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Probably because of the recent urban living trend. But back in the '90s everyone was trying to move to the suburbs. White people from Alief moving to First Colony, Black middle-class transplants and inner loopers to Missouri City, working-class folks buying up leftovers from the white people in Alief. And then the Asian (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) boom of Alief came.

It's my understanding that Pearland is as much or more on the radar of upwardly mobile AA's as Mo City these days. Also northern Fort Bend between US 90A and the Westpark Tollway.

[AliefPropOwner]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

It's my understanding that Pearland is as much or more on the radar of upwardly mobile AA's as Mo City these days. Also northern Fort Bend between US 90A and the Westpark Tollway.

True and True. Pearland and Long Meadow Farms for AA upward mobile.

However, Houston in general is a gumbo mecca of diversity and unless one is really looking at far out burbs you ain't going to find lily white communities any longer.

...and Midtown is spreading through 3rd Ward. 3rd Ward will be totally different within 5 years.

[detachable arm]

Originally Posted by AliefPropOwner

True and True. Pearland and Long Meadow Farms for AA upward mobile.

However, Houston in general is a gumbo mecca of diversity and unless one is really looking at far out burbs you ain't going to find lily white communities any longer.

That whole River Oaks / upper Kirby area is pretty darn white. Hell, even Montrose is super white nowadays. West U, Southside Place, The Memorial Villages? Even the west Memorial communities are safe spaces for uppity white people as long as they steer clear of apartments. And let's not forget our friends in Deer Park, which is only about 15 miles from downtown.

[AliefPropOwner]

Originally Posted by detachable arm

That whole River Oaks / upper Kirby area is pretty darn white. Hell, even Montrose is super white nowadays. West U, Southside Place, The Memorial Villages? Even the west Memorial communities are safe spaces for uppity white people as long as they steer clear of apartments. And let's not forget our friends in Deer Park, which is only about 15 miles from downtown.

Man you can have gangsters driveby through West U or Memorial at any time.

[Sunderpig2]

Originally Posted by 14Bricks

Same thing that happend in Sharpstown, Fondren, Gulfton.

Yes, and other areas (Westbury, Maplewood South, etc.) You could probably list dozens of neighborhoods and areas around Houston that ran into a steady decline. I wouldn't say "too many" apartments was the problem. In my old neighborhood, it only took one apartment complex to set off an exodus. I don't even remember the place as being a problem, but many people couldn't handle it.

You've got to keep in mind that years ago, people had a very distasteful view of apartments. There were not a lot of apartments around. Most people had homes, even if they were small and cheap. So there was a "reaction" to something unfamiliar and essentially loathed. Many simply 'got out of Dodge' as soon as a loathsome apartment complex sprung up nearby, being too close for comfort. Then home prices dropped, and it just added to bringing down the value and quality of the area. In some areas, the effect was more dramatic and quick. In some, slower and not as extreme.

In my old neighborhood, it was just a weird and odd place to put in apartments. I think they had trouble getting tenants at first, and really had to slash the cost of rent. That brought in a different type of people. That, plus the other matter, set things on course..

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by detachable arm

That whole River Oaks / upper Kirby area is pretty darn white. Hell, even Montrose is super white nowadays. West U, Southside Place, The Memorial Villages? Even the west Memorial communities are safe spaces for uppity white people as long as they steer clear of apartments. And let's not forget our friends in Deer Park, which is only about 15 miles from downtown.

Some of the inner-Loop areas are probably getting less diverse - meaning whiter and whiter - as they get pricier and pricier. That's a pretty common trend in many cities nowadays. It's kind of astonishing to see Census data in some central tracts where the Hispanic population has actually been dropping, even as the Hispanic population of the region increases dramatically. They're being replaced by Anglos. Similar thing with the black population in SW 5th Ward and some other areas.

Outer Memorial has a lot more ethnic and income diversity than its given credit for. Not so much within individual subdivisions, but the retail and restaurants between Westheimer and the Katy Freeway are very mixed ethnically and with both upper and middle class folks. (Not very many actual poor folks though.)

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by land161

Not entirely true, since there's still a good number of them in Third Ward, and in some parts of South Park.

South Park AFAIK has been bled dry of anybody even close of well-to-do. However the southern Third Ward (by the Brays Bayou) does have wealthy African-Americans and is on the upswing.

Originally Posted by AliefPropOwner

Man you can have gangsters driveby through West U or Memorial at any time.

Really? They must be doing a terrible job of letting people know.

The municipal PDs of West U, Hedwig Village, Spring Valley Village, and Hillshire Village, as well as the Memorial Villages PD (joint PD of Bunker Hill Village, Hunters Creek Village, and Piney Point Village) in all likelihood make sure no trouble happens.

[afterdark80]

They can drive through, yes. At their own peril.
Whoever mentioned the local village police depts (ie. WestU PD, Spring Valley PD, Memorial Villages PD, Bellaire PD) have a point.

Those police are very "active" in monitoring "traffic" through the Memorial Villages, Bellaire, and WestU.
I can also assure you, the residents in these communities are also very active in reporting suspicious activity, people, and vehicles to police, who are extremely quick to respond. Many of these calls work to apprehend criminals and deter potential criminals.

We live in one of these areas, and when we call our police dept (and we report everything), they respond to the doorstep in less than 5 minutes. No joke. The officers know the names of my kids. They wave. They say hello. They investigate everything. Most in the neighborhood are just as active in notifying police. The community works together to keep the scum out.

You do not get this kind of response from HPD, in fact, you'd be lucky to have HPD there in 2 hours.

These, along with a slew of other reasons, is why these areas specifically will not decline the way other areas mentioned in this thread have.

Originally Posted by AliefPropOwner

Man you can have gangsters driveby through West U or Memorial at any time.