Yellowstone, Houston
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South Union, which is located near OST/Yellowstone St. , is a neighborhood located South Of Downtown Houston. It is minutes (less than 5) from NRG Stadium and the Medical Center and conveniently located within the South 610 Loop. This segment of Houston is growing fast and land values are appreciating rapidly as the area has begun taking on a new face. New modern (2&3 Story homes) as well as traditional 1 & 2 story homes are under construction in the area.[1]
Housing in the area began post World War II with most of its residents middle class white Americans. In the 1950s, the local community center (Palm Center) located in Yellowstone was the first shopping mall in Houston. The mall brought growth and wealth in the area. Unfortunately in the early 1970s, Yellowstone experienced an economic downfall and as a result several stores in the mall closed that led to “White flight.” [citation needed] Lower income African Americans were the majority that settled in this neighborhood after the flight. [citation needed] This shift impacted the community tremendously leaving behind vacant homes and businesses. [citation needed] Since the transition, the neighborhood has remained stagnant and the economy has not recovered, thus the demographic almost remains the same. [citation needed] In the late 1980s the Crips gang of Los Angeles, began to move into the area.[2] [failed verification] After gangs moved in, "crack houses" began to show up. HPD began to crack down on the drug dealers and gang bangers in the late 1990s. Today the neighborhood is still a predominantly African American but experiencing a fast growth in other ethnicities. As the 2010s came, investors saw a jewel in the value of this area. Many properties were purchased and the city had taken an interest to revitalize the community. Roads, transit and telecommunications were implemented along with property values appreciating by 1200%. Now, in the 2020s a vast influx of rehabbers and developers have concentrated on the location and are investing money into the community and building new homes; all while driving up the value and interest of land in this area. This area will soon be the next hot spot in Houston.[3]
Demographics
The majority of residents in Yellowstone were predominantly Black. Hispanics were the second largest ethnic group, comprising 10% of the population. Three percent of the population were of other races. Of the total population, a majority (98%) were African American 8% were foreign.