Gulfton | |
|---|---|
 A shopping center in Gulfton | |
 | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Texas |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2000) | 46,287 |
| • Urban density | 14,477/sq mi (5,590/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Gulfton is a community in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States[1]3.2 sq mi (8.3 km2). It is located between the 610 Loop and Beltway 8, west of the City of Bellaire, southeast of Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59, and north of Bellaire Boulevard.
In the 1960s and 1970s Gulfton experienced rapid development, with new apartment complexes built for young individuals from the Northeast and Midwest United States. They came to work in the oil industry during the 1970s oil boom.
In the 1980s, as the economy declined, existing tenants left, resulting in a significant drop in occupancy rates in the apartment complexes and forcing many complexes into bankruptcy and foreclosure. Owners marketed the empty units to newly arrived immigrants and Gulfton became a predominantly immigrant community.[2] In the 1980s, the community of Gulfton experienced a surge in crime and a significant increase in student enrollment, leading Houston citizens to dub it the "Gulfton Ghetto." In response, the city and school district took action, increasing police presence and opening new schools.
Since then, the community has undergone positive changes, including the addition of a community college campus, elementary schools, public transportation routes, a park, a community center, a public library, and a juvenile detention facility..
By 2000 Gulfton was the most densely populated community in Houston, with 71 percent Hispanic residents, including many recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Although traditionally a Salvadoran and Mexican neighborhood, many immigrants began coming from different Latin-American countries, particularly from Venezuela, Honduras, Cuba, Guatemala and Colombia. There are also American citizens from other states and territories like Puerto Rico.