Alief is a working-class suburb in Southwest Harris County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Most of Alief is within the city limits of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, while a portion of the community is in
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
Harris County.
First settled in 1894 as a rural farm community, Alief experienced rapid population growth in the 1970s and 1980s. The community became one of the most ethnically diverse areas in Houston.
History
Early settlement (1861–1917)
In 1861, Reynolds Reynolds claimed of land"." Texas Historical Commission. 1990. Retrieved June 24, 2011.Hazlewood, Claudia. "." Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 25, 2011. near Brays Bayou. The land was sold to Jacamiah Seaman Daugherty in 1888 and in the following year, he allowed the
San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway
The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway first began operation in the U.S. state of Texas in 1886. It was developed by Uriah Lott and businessmen of San Antonio as a direct route from the city to Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf coast. It was eventual ...
to build on his land. Daugherty sold his land in 1893 to Francis Meston who planned to engineer a community. Daugherty stayed to oversee land sales in Meston's
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
office. In 1894, the community was surveyed and recognized by Harris County. Surveyors named the town Dairy, Texas. The first two town settlers, Dr. John S. Magee and his wife, Alief Ozelda Magee, moved from Ellis County to Dairy the same year.
Alief Ozelda Magee, acting as the town's first
postmistress
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
, applied to open the first
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
in 1895."." ''
KTRK-TV
KTRK-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Houston, Texas, United States, airing programming from the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios on Bissonnet Street ...
''. October 22, 2006. Retrieved June 24, 2011. On August 16, 1895, the post office opened. The postal service referred to the office as "Alief" in her honor to help avoid confusion with mail intended for the similarly named town of Daisy, Texas. The site of the post office, which was operated from her home, was honored with a Texas State Historical Marker in 1990. The marker (number 10644) is located on the south side of 7th Street between F Street and G Street.
Meston deeded property to Dr. John S. Magee, Newton Gentry, and Hardy Price for use as a cemetery in 1900."." Texas Historical Commission. 1984. Retrieved June 24, 2011. Alief Ozelda Magee, who died in 1899, is buried in the cemetery. The cemetery is located at what is now the intersection of Bellaire Blvd. and Dairy Ashford. The
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas.
The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic La ...
recognized Alief Cemetery with a historical marker (number 10589) in 1984.
The Flood of 1899 and the
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
destroyed the Methodist Episcopal Church along with the town's
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
and
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
crops, forcing 24 of the 30 families that resided in Alief to relocate. The town reverted to
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
and
wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
openly roamed during daytime. Daugherty found a positive side to the flooding; He persuaded the remaining six families that
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
was better suited to grow in Alief's
flood plains
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
than previous crops and spent his own money to help cultivate the first rice crops. Daugherty succeeded: his
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
became an instant
cash crop
A cash crop or profit crop is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") ...
that persuaded many to return to Alief. In 1901, Alief's first immigrant families, a small group of
arrived. In 1904, the majority of those who had left in the wake of the 1900 hurricane returned. The rapid growth period created a commercial district along the railroad tracks, convincing the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway to construct a
depot
Depot ( or ) may refer to:
Places
* Depot, Poland, a village
* Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica
* Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica
* Depot Island Formation, Greenland
Brands and enterprises
* Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...
.
Due to its propensity for flooding, the citizens established the
Harris County Flood Control District
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is a government agency that was established to reduce the effects of flooding in Harris County, Texas, United States. The flood control district has its headquarters in Houston.
After destructive ...
in Alief in 1909. The chairman of the Harris County Drainage District was Daugherty.Kleiner, Diana J. "." Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 26, 2011. Trustees S.B. (Shorter) Burleson and Will and Eddie Garmond for the Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church purchased land in 1910 which would later become the church's home."." Texas Historical Commission. 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2011. The historic African American church's congregation met in the home of S.B. (Shorter) Burleson before the construction of the sanctuary. Credit for the church's name is primarily attributed to Mamie Burleson. In 1911, the Dairy School District was established and a three-story school was built.Community-School Relations Department (of Alief Independent School District). "." Alief Independent School District. Created on November 11, 2008, and updated on October 6, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
The town was officially renamed "Alief, Texas" in 1917 and the Dairy School District became the
Alief Independent School District
Alief Independent School District is a school district that is based in southwest Houston, Texas, United States.
Alief ISD, which covers of land, covers a small portion of southwest Houston and parts of unincorporated Harris County. In Housto ...
(Alief ISD).
Development (1918–1969)
Automobiles arrived in Alief by 1920. The sanctuary for Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church was constructed between 1921 and 1922. The Cane Belt Canal, which "ran from the
Brazos River
The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...
, eight miles north of
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
, through Alief and south to
Alvin
Alvin may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alvin, British Columbia United States
*Alvin, Colorado
*Alvin, Georgia
*Alvin, Illinois
* Alvin, Michigan
*Alvin, Texas
*Alvin, Wisconsin, a town
*Alvin (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
Other ...
," according to the
Westchase District
Westchase is a business district and neighborhood in western Houston, Texas, bounded by Westheimer Road on the north, Gessner Road on the east, Houston Center Boulevard on the west, and Westpark Tollway on the south. The area is bisected by Beltwa ...
, was completed in 1934."". Westchase District. 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2011 Daugherty promoted the canal, which was used for irrigation by rice farmers. The year after the canal was completed, Alief obtained electricity. Education in Alief was segregated. From 1927 to 1937, African American children used Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church's sanctuary as a schoolhouse. Previously, African American children attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. Alief ISD's three-story schoolhouse was condemned in 1939, and its students attended classes in a nearby building until a new school annex was added in 1940. Also in 1940, Melissa Outley died. Melissa Outley was married to David Outley. He was the first African American educator in Alief.Martin, Betty L. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. March 19, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2011. Hers is the first known burial in Prairie Grove Cemetery, which was adjacent to Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church. The church's sanctuary was demolished in the 1940s as attendance fell. Alief Community Church first opened its doors in 1941.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. October 5, 1991. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Population fluctuated wildly, ranging from a low of 35 in the 1930s to 200 by 1942. Alief acquired telephone service in 1943."." ''Alief Super Neighbourhood Council''. Retrieved on July 1, 2011. E.W.K. "Andy" Andrau opened
Andrau Airpark
Andrau Airpark was a public use airport located in the Alief community of Houston, Texas, United States, formerly an unincorporated section of Harris County, from the late 1940s through 1998. The airport was southeast of the intersection of Ol ...
in 1946.Cook, Lynn J. "" ''
Houston Business Journal
American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...
''. Sunday December 27, 1998. Retrieved on June 29, 2011. In 1964, Alief ISD built its oldest remaining school, Alief Elementary School (later renamed for teacher Cynthia Youens). By the same year, oilman Robert E. "Bob" Smith owned 11,000 acres of land including what is now the Westchase area.
Growth, diversification, and annexation (1970–1989)
In 1970, Alief was still primarily pastureland and major thoroughfares, such as the Sam Houston Tollway, were still gravel roads. The 1970s were a prosperous time for Houston,Cobb, Kim. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. July 17, 1988. Retrieved July 3, 2011. and Alief continued to grow as people came to the area in search of housing. Houston began expanding westward with the development of River Oaks and Memorial, and the trend continued to Alief.Sallee, Rad. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. August 3, 1986. Retrieved July 3, 2011. Many of the new residents were low-income apartment dwellers. The community's population increased by a factor of four between 1970 and 1985. Between 1980 and 1985, approximately a third of the population growth experienced by Harris County occurred in the southwest quadrant of the county bounded by the Katy and South (288) freeways, with Alief accounting for half of that, or one-sixth of the overall growth of the county during that five-year time frame. The Alief Independent School District struggled to find room for all of the new students.
As the population of Alief increased in the 1980s,Rodriguez, Lori. "." ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. Sunday March 10, 1991. Section A, Page 1. the community began to diversify. In 1978, close to 80% of the people in the community were white.Markley, Melanie and Stephanie A. Sin. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. July 8, 1991. Retrieved July 23, 2011. Less than 4% of the people in the community were African American. The shift was primarily for socio-economic reasons. Many low-income Spanish-speaking immigrants settled in traditionally low-income areas of Houston inside Loop 610. Many African-Americans who could afford to left traditional
African-American neighborhood
African-American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Generally, an African American neighborhood is one where the majority of the people who live there are African American. ...
s to move to Alief and other parts of
Southwest Houston
Southwest Houston is a region in Houston, Texas, United States. The area is considered to be from Texas State Highway 6, south of Westpark Tollway to north of U.S. Route 90.
Many Section 8 (housing) complexes are located in Southwest Houston. Hu ...
during the 1980s. White people who could afford to move to newer suburbs further from Houston than Alief began to leave the community. In addition, many people of Asian ancestry settled in Alief, Sharpstown, and Westwood, creating one of the largest Asian-American concentrations in Houston. Southwest Houston's Asian population included mainly immigrants from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. In addition, Southwest Houston became home to many people from
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.Sallee, Rad. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. October 13, 1985. Retrieved July 3, 2011. By the late 1980s, white students accounted for less than half of the students enrolled in Alief ISD.
In addition changes in population and demographic, the community underwent several other important changes. Robert E. "Bob" Smith died in 1973, and his widow sold 760 acres of land to the Westchase Corporation which began developing the
Westchase District
Westchase is a business district and neighborhood in western Houston, Texas, bounded by Westheimer Road on the north, Gessner Road on the east, Houston Center Boulevard on the west, and Westpark Tollway on the south. The area is bisected by Beltwa ...
. Houston began annexing Alief in 1977. The City of Houston voted to annex the Alief-Fondren area on November 23, 1977.Rendon, Ruth. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. August 11, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 2011. In 1978,
Brown and Root
KBR, Inc. (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) is a U.S. based company operating in fields of science, technology and engineering. KBR works in various markets including aerospace, defense, industrial and intelligence. After Halliburton acquired Dress ...
built a large engineering complex at the corner of Bellaire Blvd. and Beltway 8.Bivins, Ralph. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. November 22, 1988. Retrieved July 3, 2011. Houston continued to annex pieces of Alief into the 1980s.Mintz, Bill. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. September 15, 1986. Retrieved July 3, 2011.West Oaks Mall opened in 1984, West Oaks Mall. and was annexed by the City of Houston the same year. The community feared that annexation would lead to neglect by Houston's government and protested further annexations. Despite these efforts, Houston succeeded in annexing most of the area." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved July 3, 2011 Agriculture began to fade.Antosh, Nelson. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. July 14, 1985. Retrieved July 3, 2011.Antosh, Nelson. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. March 31, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The last cotton gin in Alief closed in 1976, and the area ceased growing cotton altogether by 1982. Alief was one of the last places where cotton had been grown in Harris County. Dairy, cattle, vegetable production, and rice production also declined. Urban development took the place of agriculture. In the spring of 1985, Houston Fire Station #76 was opened to serve the Alief area.Mintz, Bill. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. May 11, 1985. Retrieved July 3, 2011. The Alief Branch Library (since renamed the David M. Henington-Alief Regional Library) was also opened in 1985.Mintz, Bill and Burke Watson. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. May 11, 1985. Retrieved July 3, 2011.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. August 18, 1985. Retrieved July 3, 2011. As a sign of the community's growing diversity, the ''Houston Chronicle'' noted that the library staff spoke, "a variety of languages, including Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Farsi (referring to
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
)," when the library first opened. West Houston Medical Center was constructed in 1985 as well.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. June 14, 1985. Retrieved July 2, 2011."'. ''West Houston Medical Center''. (c)1999-2010. Retrieved July 2, 2011. The Alief General Hospital building was abandoned. The Fame City entertainment complex and water park (which later became Fun Plex and Adventure Bay) held its grand opening in 1986.Spies, Michael. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. June 12, 1986. Retrieved July 3, 2011. Fame City featured roller skating, movie theaters, a sound studio, miniature golf, bumper-cars, bowling, alley, games, rides, an arcade, restaurants and shops indoors, and a 10-acre water park outdoors. The Alief Brown and Root building closed in May 1987, but was reopened in November 1988 when the industry saw increased growth. Andrau Airpark was sold to the Camden Trust in 1988, although the airport continued to operate.
Population boom (1990–2010)
The size and diversity of Alief's population continued to grow. Alief's population increased by 45% from 1990 to 2005. By 1991, Alief ISD was growing at a rate of approximately 1,500 new students per year."". ''Houston Chronicle''. September 16, 1991. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Houston City Council District F (which included Alief and Sharpstown) had a population that was approximately 46% white with quickly growing African American, Hispanic, and Asian segments.Johnson, Stephanie. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. November 3, 1991. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Previously, District F had a mostly white population. Alief ISD's student population was 24% African American by 1991. By 1993, there were 34% more Asian businesses than there had been in 1982.Yip, Pamela. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. March 21, 1993. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Canterbury United Methodist Church began offering services in Vietnamese in 1995.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. March 2, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 1996. By 1996, Alief was one of the most ethnically diverse school districts in the country.Sallee, Rad. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. August 25, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The district's students spoke a total of 57 different languages. Christ the King Episcopal Church was offering an "African Thanksgiving Feast" since many of the church members had African heritage.Holmes, Cecile S. and Robert Vara. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. December 14, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The district's main high schools, Hastings and Elsik, were the two largest high schools in Texas. Alief ISD estimated a total enrollment of 39,000 students in the district, with 8,582 students attending either Hastings or Elsik. Mik Giglio of the ''
Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' said in 2000 that in 1997 Alief "was a blend of its affluent, white former self and the predominantly poor, ethnic enclave it has since become."
In the first 1991
Mayor of Houston
The following is a list of people who have served as mayor of the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.
Until 2015, the term of the mayor was two years. Beginning with the tenure of Bob Lanier, the city charter imposed term limits on offi ...
election, most Alief voters voted for
Bob Lanier
Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who was a center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lanier was inducted int ...
. However, in the community Sylvester Turner, Lanier's opponent, had a large second-most following in terms of votes. In 2008, M. J. Khan represented the District F (which includes Alief). By December 3, 1991, increases in crime and changes of demographics in southwestern Houston neighborhoods led to many challengers desiring to fill the city council seat of District F.
By 1997, street signs in Alief near Bellaire and Corporate were in both English and Chinese.Hoffman, Ken. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. March 23, 1997. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The Chinese signs had the Chinese phonetic pronunciations of the English names so that English and Chinese speakers could understand each other. In 1997, Hong Kong Development announced plans to build a center called Hong Kong City at the corner of Bellaire and Boone.Bivins, Ralph. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. March 16, 1997. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The developers hoped that building west of Beltway 8 would move the center of the growing Asian business community further west. The Hong Kong City Mall opened in 1999."" ''Hong Kong City Mall''. (c)2008. Retrieved July 6, 2011. At the same time that the African American, Hispanic, and Asian populations increased, the white population decreased.Rodriguez, Lori. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. April 15, 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2011. Researchers cited social class differences as the reason most white people moved away from Alief. People with greater financial means of all ethnicities moved to further outlying suburbs with greater amenities and better performing schools during the period, while people with lesser financial means moved into the area to take advantage of newer housing and better amenities and schools than those that they left behind. The change was seen disproportionately in the white population since the white population was disproportionately wealthier. Allen G. Breed of the ''
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
'' wrote: "Alief is an impoverished, multicultural enclave where many of the business and street signs are in both English and one of several Asian languages. The district's 47,000 students speak nearly 70 tongues, and the number of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch over 70%.".
Many developments in education took place in the 1990s in Alief. In 1993, Alief ISD instituted a rule which made passing the statewide standardized test, the
Texas Assessment of Academic Skills The TAAS, or Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, was the third standardized test used in Texas between 1991 and 2002, when it was replaced by the TAKS test from 2003 to 2013. It was used from grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Passing the Grade 11 level wa ...
(TAAS) Exit Exam, a requirement for high school graduation.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. June 2, 1993. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Many parents protested the measure. In 1995, voters decided to allow Alief ISD to build the Hastings and Elsik Ninth Grade Centers.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. December 2, 1995. Retrieved July 15, 2011. In 1998, voters approved funds for Alief ISD to use to build a new high school,Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. September 13, 1998. Retrieved July 15, 2011. which would later become Alief "Doc" Taylor. The period was also marked with political scandals. In 1991, a ballot box from the Boone Elementary polling location containing over 700 ballots went missing after the poll closed.Staff. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. December 9, 1991. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
In late 1994, David M. Henington, the director of the Houston Public Library, retired. In an article about his retirement plans he told the reporter he wanted personal computers placed in all of Houston's branch libraries so that all Houstonians could access the internet "information superhighway" during their visits.Dyer, R.A. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. Section A, Page 33, 2 STAR Edition. November 26, 1994. Retrieved July 24, 2011. In 1996, the Henington-Alief Library began offering free internet access to the public.Sallee, Rod. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. February 8, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The service was text-only and was limited to 20 minutes when other users were waiting to use the computers. The move by the Houston Public Library was intended to bring internet access to Houstonians who did not have a home computer and therefore did not have home access to the internet.
In 2005, Alief became home to many
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
evacuees.Radcliffe, Jennifer. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. April 21, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2011. More than 3,000 evacuees enrolled in Alief ISD schools. Alief ISD spent $12 million to accommodate Hurricane Katrina evacuees in 2005.Breed, Allen G. "." ''
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
''. April 9, 2006. The United States government promised to reimburse the district, but in 2006 Alief had not yet received the money. Many of the students who were displaced by the hurricane were academically behind their Texas peers. In 2006, former United States President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
and Houston Mayor Bill White led a fundraising campaign to help Alief ISD and other districts pay for educating the displaced students.
Between 2005-2010 more than 30,000 evacuee families lived section 8 based apartment complexes throughout southwest Houston. Alief had the biggest concentration of Katrina evacuees in the city. Shortly after Katrina refugees moved in, the complexes and the area began to rapidly decline. Locals residents stated "the neighborhood already had problem before but nowhere near as bad as it is now." With overcrowded apartments, many landlords were forced to stop leasing after numerous property violations such as vandalism became a problem. Some apartments were completely demolished due to poor living conditions. The influx of evacuees caused an escalation of gang violence and crime. Houston’s homicide rate has shot up 18% since the storm, and police statistics show that one in every five homicides in the city involves a Katrina evacuee as suspect, victim or both. Locals fed up residents and community leaders began filing complaints to push out evacuees due to the rise in crime stating "It’s time for them to go home,” In response, Houston Police Chief Harold L. Hurtt hired 400 additional officers to deal with the city’s evacuee-fueled crime wave. HPD added the rise in murders were committed by New Orleans teenagers from rival housing projects shooting at each other over long-standing beefs.
Leahy, Jennifer. "." ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. October 21, 2006.
Cityscape
The Alief Community Association defines the boundaries of Alief as, " Westheimer on the north,
Sam Houston Tollway
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to:
Places
* Sam, Benin
* Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Iran
* Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place
People and fictional ...
on the east,
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days.
The ...
Line on the west and
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...
/
U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA superhighway, NAFTA ...
on the south,"Lee, Marie. "." Alief Community Association, Inc. Retrieved June 28, 2011. while the
Alief Independent School District
Alief Independent School District is a school district that is based in southwest Houston, Texas, United States.
Alief ISD, which covers of land, covers a small portion of southwest Houston and parts of unincorporated Harris County. In Housto ...
boundaries extend as far east as Gessner in some places."."
Alief Independent School District
Alief Independent School District is a school district that is based in southwest Houston, Texas, United States.
Alief ISD, which covers of land, covers a small portion of southwest Houston and parts of unincorporated Harris County. In Housto ...
. Retrieved June 28, 2011. The Alief Super Neighborhood Council (ASNC) and the
International Management District
The International Management District (IMD) or simply the International District (ID) is a management district in Harris County, Texas, Harris County and Fort Bend County, Texas, Fort Bend County, Texas. Most of the district is within the city ...
(IMD) have their own boundaries.
Government
Municipal
Alief is partially annexed by the City of Houston, and partially unincorporated. This section pertains only to the annexed portion of Alief. Please see the "County" section for unincorporated Alief.
As of 2011
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.
Currently, there are sixteen members, 11 elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every four years, w ...
District F covers the parts of Alief in Houston.
The portion of Alief in Houston is within Super Neighborhood #25 Alief. Its recognized council was established on June 25, 2000. Each super neighborhood represents a group of civic clubs, places of worship, businesses, and other institutions and community interests.
County
State representation
National representation
Demographics
In 2015 the Houston portion of the Alief Super Neighborhood had 106,657 people, with 7,544 people per square mile. 49% were Hispanic, 22% were non-Hispanic black, 19% were non-Hispanic Asians, 9% were non-Hispanic whites, and 1% were non-Hispanic others. The median income was $46,187.
The annexed portion of Alief had a population of 108,971 people which was growing at a rate of 1.15% annually in 2009.Houston, City of. " emographic and Income Profile: ALIEF 2000-2009. ''City of Houston, Planning and Development Dept., Public Policy Division''. April 20, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2011. The City of Houston stated on its website that the "legendary diversity" in Alief "is evident in the large section of Asian residents and businesses along
Bellaire Boulevard
Bellaire Boulevard (also known as Holcombe, and as 百利大道 ''Bǎilì Dàdào'' in Chinese and ''Đại Lộ Sàigòn'' in Vietnamese) is an arterial road in western Houston, Texas, United States. The street also goes through unincorporated a ...
."". City of Houston. nd. Retrieved July 1, 2011." According to the Alief Independent School District in 2011, "Virtually every culture of the modern world is represented in he district's45,000 student enrollment; more than 80 languages and dialects are spoken" among its students.
In 2009, the population of the annexed portion of Alief??? was 11.1% white(non-Hispanic), 28.4% black(non-Hispanic), 21.2% Asian, and 37.9% Hispanic. The number of Asians and Hispanics in the annexed portion of Alief increased between the years 2000 and 2009 while the number of people from all other ethnic groups listed by the City of Houston Planning Department either declined or showed no change. The number of households in the annexed portion of Alief increased from 31,033 in 2000 to 33,654 in 2009. The average size of households in the area increased as well, from 3.15 to 3.22. The median age of residents in the annexed portion of Alief was 29.6 in 2009. The median household income in 2009 was $50,028 annually and the average household income was $54,295 annually for Alief households located in Houston. The unemployment rate increased significantly, from 7.4% in 2000 to 11.5% in the annexed portion of Alief.
In 2000 the Alief Super Neighborhood had 41,820 residents, with 2,962 people per square mile. 31% were Hispanic, 28% were non-Hispanic black, 21% were non-Hispanic Asian, 17% were non-Hispanic white, and 3% were non-Hispanic other.
Media
As of June 2012, Alief had its own online news portal, www.aliefpost.com. In addition to the online portal, as of November 2013, the Alief Post began printing a tabloid-sized monthly newspaper, distributed through grocery stores and gas stations around the Alief area.
Prior to the Alief Post, there was the Advocate, which ceased publication in the late 1980s.
The major citywide newspaper for Houston is the ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'', and the ''
Houston Post
The ''Houston Post'' was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper shut down, and its assets were purchased by the ''Houston Chronicle''.
History
Gail Borden Johnson founded the ''Houston Po ...
'' previously was a major daily newspaper.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Public school students the vast majority of areas considered to be Alief are served by the
Alief Independent School District
Alief Independent School District is a school district that is based in southwest Houston, Texas, United States.
Alief ISD, which covers of land, covers a small portion of southwest Houston and parts of unincorporated Harris County. In Housto ...
(Alief ISD).
As of 2011, the Alief Independent School District has 24 elementary schools.Alief Independent School District. " ''Alief Independent School District''. June 9, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2011. Youens ElementaryTexas Education Agency. "". ''Texas Education Agency''. November 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2011. and Chancellor Elementary go all the way to fifth grade,Texas Education Agency. "". ''Texas Education Agency''. November 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2011. however most students are also zoned to an intermediate school for fifth and sixth grade. The district has six intermediate schools as of 2011. Students attend middle school for the sixth through eighth grades.Texas Education Agency. "". ''Texas Education Agency''. November 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2011. The district has six middle schools as of 2011. High school students in Alief ISD are assigned by lottery to either
Alief Elsik High School
Alief Elsik High School is a high school in the Alief region of Houston, Texas, United States.
Elsik is divided into two campuses: the main campus (12601 High Star in Houston, zip code 77072), and the Alief Elsik Ninth Grade Center (located at ...
,
Alief Hastings High School
Alief Hastings High School is a public high school in the Alief area of Houston, Texas, United States. Originally Alief Junior-Senior High School, which became Alief Middle School, housed all of the secondary students in the district. The schoo ...
, or
Alief Taylor High School
Alief Taylor High School is a public high school in the Alief Independent School District. It is located in an unincorporated area in the Alief community of Harris County, near Houston. Opened in 2001, Alief Taylor is the newest high school in ...
during October of their eighth grade year.Hainline, L. Scott. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. August 4, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2011. They can also choose to apply for admission to
Alief Kerr High School
Alief Kerr High School is an Alief ISD public school located in the Alief community, and in the limited purpose city limits of Houston, Texas, United States. The school is a part of the Alief Independent School District and serves grades 9 throug ...
."". September 11, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2011. Students selected to attend Hastings High School attend the Hastings Ninth Grade Center during their ninth grade year, and students selected to attend Elsik High School attend the Elsik Ninth Grade Center during their ninth grade year.Reents, Jennifer Newton. "". ''The School Administrator''. March 2002. Retrieved July 4, 2011. It also operates
Alief Early College High School
Alief Early College High School (AECHS) is a magnet high school in Houston, Texas and a part of the Alief Independent School District, in conjunction with Houston Community College
Houston Community College (HCC), also known as Houston Community ...
, which opened in 2010 and allows students to take courses for dual credit and graduate with both a high school diploma and the equivalence of an associate degree at the same time.Foster, Robin. "." ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. April 2, 2009. Retrieved on July 4, 2011. The district also has two alternative schools. The Alief Learning Center has its own campus,"" Retrieved July 4, 2011. while the Crossroads/ Night High School/ LINC/ SOAR (Crossroads) meets in the annex between Hastings and Elsik.Wickliffe, Tremayne "" nd. Retrieved July 4, 2011. The Crossroads program is designed for "at-risk students with discipline problems who are behind in academic credit and are at risk of not graduating from high school," as well students who are pregnant or parenting, emancipated minors, and students who have failed the TAKS/ TAAS tests." nd. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
A portion of the City of Houston-defined Alief Super Neighborhood within Fort Bend County is in the
Fort Bend Independent School District
The Fort Bend Independent School District, also known as Fort Bend ISD or FBISD, is a school district system in the U.S. state of Texas based in the city of Sugar Land.
The district spans covering almost all of the city of Sugar Land, the city ...
. Some residents are zoned to Meadows Elementary School in Meadows Place along with Dulles Middle School and
Dulles High School
John Foster Dulles High School, more commonly known as Dulles High School, is a high school in Sugar Land, Texas. It was the first site purchase and new build, in the 1950s, of the newly formed Fort Bend Independent School District, which held i ...
in Sugar Land, while others are zoned to Townewest Elementary School, Sugar Land Middle School, and
Kempner High School
I.H. Kempner High School, better known simply as Kempner High School, is a public high school in Sugar Land, Texas and a part of the Fort Bend Independent School District.
It was named after Isaac Herbert Kempner (1873–1967), the founder of ...
.
Charter schools
Alief is served by multiple
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
s, which are not affiliated with Alief ISD nor Fort Bend ISD.
Alief Montessori Community School is a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade school following Montessori philosophy." ''Alief Montessori Community School''. nd. Retrieved July 4, 2011. Students are typically between 3 and 12 years old. The school is located on 6th Street in the historic townsite of Alief. As of July 2011, the school is undergoing an expansion. Groundbreaking on the expansion was held on March 26, 2010."". March 26, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011. In 2011,
Children at Risk
CHILDREN AT RISK is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that drives changes for children through research, education, and influencing public policy. Founded in the year of 1989 in Houston, Texas and with an office opened in North Texas in 2011, ...
, an education advocacy non-profit, ranked the Alief Montessori among the ten best Houston-area elementary schools. The school has been recognized as an "exemplary school" by the
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States.
every academic year since 1999 and was a recipient of the Honor Roll School Award from the Texas Business and Education Coalition. Its 2011 per-pupil spending of $3,587 was one of the lowest in Houston.
Harmony Public Schools
Harmony Public Schools is the largest charter management organization in Texas, with sixty campuses serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The headquarters are located in Southwest Management District (formerly Greater Sharpstown), Ho ...
offers two campuses in the Alief area, Harmony School of Innovation (grades K-8)"". ''Harmony Public SchoolsSchool of Innovation''. nd. Retrieved July 5, 2011. and Harmony Science Academy High (grades 9-12).
Knowledge Is Power Program
The Knowledge is Power Program, commonly known as KIPP, is a network of free open-enrollment college-preparatory schools in low income communities throughout the United States. KIPP is America's largest network of charter schools. The head of ...
(KIPP) operates charter schools which serve Alief, including KIPP SHINE Preparatory (pre-kindergarten through grade 4),"". ''KIPP''. nd. Retrieved July 6, 2011. KIPP Academy Middle School (grades 5-8),"". ''KIPP''. nd. Retrieved July 6, 2011. KIPP Houston High School (grades 9-12),"". ''KIPP''. nd. Retrieved July 6, 2011. and KIPP Unity (pre-kindergarten through grade 2).
Private schools
Christ the Lord Lutheran School is located at 4410 S. Kirkwood Rd."" ''Christ the Lord Lutheran''. (c)2011. Retrieved July 14, 2011 The school instructs preschool through the eighth grade as part of the 4th largest private/parochial school system in the United States,
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee ...
(WELS). The school has been in operation since 1972.
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (properly referred to as Strake Jesuit or Jesuit but often informally called Strake by students and alumni) is a Jesuit, college-preparatory school for Single-sex education, boys, grades 9–12, in the Chinatown, ...
and St. Agnes Academy are located in proximity to Alief.Asin, Stephanie. "". ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. August 8, 1993. Section C, Page 1. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
The Darul Arqam Schools Southwest Campus is located in Alief, Houston, with a
Sugar Land
Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around th ...
postal address. Quote "An AdvancEd accredited Islamic School in Sugar Land and a member of the IEIT School System." and "10415 Synott Rd. Sugar Land, TX 77498" However the school is actually in the Houston city limits. See the City of Houston and Alief super neighborhood maps. From the : "The U.S. Postal Service establishes ZIP codes and mailing addresses in order to maximize the efficiency of their system, not to recognize jurisdictional boundaries." and - Compare these maps to the Shri Krishna Vrundavana address: "10223 Synott Road" to the Masjid At-Taqwa address: "10415 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX, 77478", and to the Darul Arqam Southwest address, same as that of Masjid At-Taqwa.
Colleges, universities, and higher education
The
Houston Community College System
Houston Community College (HCC), also known as Houston Community College System (HCCS) is a Public college, public community college system that operates community colleges in Houston, Texas, Houston, Missouri City, Texas, Missouri City, Greater ...
(HCCS) has served the Alief area since 1982."." ''
Houston Community College System
Houston Community College (HCC), also known as Houston Community College System (HCCS) is a Public college, public community college system that operates community colleges in Houston, Texas, Houston, Missouri City, Texas, Missouri City, Greater ...
''. Retrieved on April 8, 2009. The HCC Alief Campus, a part of the Southwest College, is located at 2811 Hayes Road in the Westchase area of Houston. The HCC Alief Continuing Education Center is located at 13803 Bissonnet Road in an
unincorporated area
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in Harris County. In 1982, HCCS expanded classes to
Alief Elsik High School
Alief Elsik High School is a high school in the Alief region of Houston, Texas, United States.
Elsik is divided into two campuses: the main campus (12601 High Star in Houston, zip code 77072), and the Alief Elsik Ninth Grade Center (located at ...
. In 2001, HCCS opened the Alief Center on Bissonnet. In 2007, the new Alief Campus in Westchase opened. In 2008, the former Alief Center became the Continuing Education Center.
Public libraries
Alief is served by both the
Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States.
History Houston Lyceum and the Carnegie Library
The Houston Public Library system traces its founding to the creation of the second Houston Lyceum in 18 ...
and the
Harris County Public Library
Harris County Public Library (HCPL) is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States.
Since its inception in 1921, HCPL has grown from a system of small book stations in homes, stores and post offices to 26 branch librarie ...
.
The David M. Henington-Alief Regional Branch of Houston Public Library is in Alief. The branch is located at 7979 South Kirkwood Street and was originally named the Alief Branch Library when it opened in 1985. The library was later named for David M. Henington, who served as the Director of the Houston Public Library for 26 years."". ''Houston Public Library''. Retrieved July 4, 2011. The area is also served by the Judson W. Robinson-Westchase Neighborhood Library of HPL at 3223 Wilcrest Drive, within the Alief ISD boundaries.
Residents of Alief within Harris County may obtain library cards for the
Harris County Public Library
Harris County Public Library (HCPL) is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States.
Since its inception in 1921, HCPL has grown from a system of small book stations in homes, stores and post offices to 26 branch librarie ...
(HCPL) system.Admin. "". ''Harris County Public Library''. June 3, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2011. There are no HCPL branches in the Alief area.Admin. "" ''Hsrris County Public Library''. June 9, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
Fort Bend County Libraries
Fort Bend County Libraries is a public library system serving the county of Fort Bend, Texas. The main library, the George Memorial Library, is located in Richmond, Texas.
History
Prior to the founding of the Fort Bend County Library there exis ...
serves the Fort Bend County areas.
Emergency services
Fire service
Alief residents in Houston receive fire services from the
Houston Fire Department
City of Houston Fire Department (HFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States. HFD is responsible for preserving life and ...
. The Houston Fire Department has operated Station 76 Alief Community since 1985. A part of Fire District 83 is also in Alief.Rodriguez, Lori. "." (). Alternate version without Chinatown map: "." ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. Wednesday May 9, 2007. A1.
For residents of unincorporated Harris County,
emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
(EMS) and fire service are provided by a
volunteer fire department
A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond t ...
, the Community Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD). CVFD is a combination career and volunteer fire suppression and EMS provider which operates two stations in the Alief area. CVFD also has a training center in the Alief area, where a bi-yearly cadet program takes place. A new training center is proposed next door to the current Station 1.
Police services
Alief is served by the
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department (HPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. With approximately 5,300 officers and 1,200 civilian support personnel it is the fifth-largest ...
, which has Alief in the Westside Patrol Division, headquartered at 3203 South Dairy Ashford Road,"." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on November 16, 2008. in the Alief area. In 2000 the police department's Westwood Storefront in the Westwood Mall was scheduled to open before May 2000; it is the first police storefront to open in Alief. Construction delays foiled plans to open the storefront at the end of 1999 and in March 2000.
Harris County Sheriff's Office
The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is a local law enforcement agency serving the over four million citizens of Harris County, Texas, United States. It is headquartered on the first and second floors in the 1200 Baker Street Jail in Down ...
serves unincorporated sections of Harris County. The Alief area outside of Houston is within the District IV Patrol Bureau, headquartered at the Clay Road Substation at 16715 Clay Road."." ''
Harris County Sheriff's Office
The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is a local law enforcement agency serving the over four million citizens of Harris County, Texas, United States. It is headquartered on the first and second floors in the 1200 Baker Street Jail in Down ...
''. Retrieved on November 16, 2008. The Mission Bend Storefront is located at 7043 Highway 6 South.Alief ISD Police Department serves the Alief Independent School District as its law enforcement agency. Alief ISD Police keep staff, students, facilities and the public safe. Alief ISD Police respond to other agencies in need of assistance in the surrounding Harris County and Houston area.
Medical services
Hospital
West Houston Medical Center is located on West Houston Center Blvd. The current location was constructed in 1985. West Houston Medical Center is an HCA member hospital."" (in scrolling graphic). ''HCA Gulf Coast''. nd. Retrieved July 6, 2011. The facility has 410 physicians, 742 total employees, and 195 beds."". ''US News & World Report Health''. (c) 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011. The center houses an emergency room which had annual visits of 47,156 in the year which was most currently reported as of July 2011. The center also has a cardiovascular services area, a women's center, a cancer center, a gamma knife, and many other services. ''US News & World Report Health'' ranked West Houston Medical Center the #18 hospital in Houston as of July 2011.
Government-funded healthcare
The El Franco Lee Health Center in Alief, operated by
Harris Health System
The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includin ...
(formerly Harris County Hospital District), opened on May 19, 2009. Prior to the opening, the closest facility was the People's Health Center. The district said in a 2006 ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'' article that it planned to build a health care facility in Alief. The center has of space. The previous designated health care center was People's Health Center, now Valbona Health Center. The nearest public hospital is
Ben Taub General Hospital
Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students fro ...
in the
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrate ...
.
Transportation
Mass transit
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) provides local bus services to the area.
METRO Park & Ride locations in Alief include:"". ''Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas''. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
*Gessner Park & Ride located at Westpark at Gessner, Houston, TX 77036 (Considered to be located in Alief when Gessner is considered the boundary line for Alief)
*Mission Bend Park & Ride located at 13855 Alief Clodine Rd. (at METRO Blvd.), Houston, TX 77083
*Westchase Park & Ride located at 11050 Harwin Dr., Houston, TX 77072
*Westwood Park & Ride located at 9990 Southwest Fwy. (south of Bissonnet), Houston, TX 77036 (Considered to be located in Alief when Gessner is considered the boundary line for Alief)
Major highways
*
*
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...
/
U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA superhighway, NAFTA ...
*
Beltway 8
Beltway 8 (BW8), the Sam Houston Parkway, along with the Sam Houston Tollway, is an beltway around the city of Houston, Texas, United States, lying entirely within Harris County.
Beltway 8, a state highway maintained by the Texas ...
Andrau Airpark
Andrau Airpark was a public use airport located in the Alief community of Houston, Texas, United States, formerly an unincorporated section of Harris County, from the late 1940s through 1998. The airport was southeast of the intersection of Ol ...
operated in Alief from 1946-1998 when it was closed to make room for the
Royal Oaks Country Club
Royal Oaks Country Club is a country club and subdivision in Houston, Texas, United States, in the Alief community. The country club is located at 2910 Royal Oaks Club Drive,
Parks and recreation
The Alief Community is home to public parks maintained by Harris County, public parks maintained by the City of Houston, and private parks and venues.
Harris County parks
Harris County operates parks throughout Alief which is in Precinct 3. Harris County parks are maintained by the Precinct's Parks Division."". ''Harris County Precinct 3''. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
* Alief-Amity Park, an park located along Westpark Tollway adjacent to
Alief Elsik High School
Alief Elsik High School is a high school in the Alief region of Houston, Texas, United States.
Elsik is divided into two campuses: the main campus (12601 High Star in Houston, zip code 77072), and the Alief Elsik Ninth Grade Center (located at ...
. In 1975, the county acquired what is now the park site from the Cloud family. The park was dedicated in the early 1980s. The park, once upon a time, was the site of the original Alief railroad depot.
* Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Park is located north of Westpark Tollway along Eldridge Road in northwest Alief. This park includes a trail. Located on part of a Harris County Flood Control District site acquired in 1988, the park was dedicated in June 1999. It is named after
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
archbishop
Joseph Fiorenza
Joseph Anthony Fiorenza (January 25, 1931 – September 19, 2022) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the seventh bishop and the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas, serving from 1985 to 2006 ...
.
* Arthur Storey Park is a green space along Brays Bayou at the intersection of Bellaire Boulevard and State Highway Beltway 8, immediately west of
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
. In August 1995, the Harris County Flood Control District began acquiring land along the bayou, and in October of that year it agreed to allow the establishment of a park. The commissioner's court voted to rename the park in January 1997 after Arthur L. Storey Jr., who worked for the Harris County Flood Control District."." ''Harris County, Texas''. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.Williams, Sarah. "." ''Rice News and Media Relations''. May 10, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2011. Storey is credited with "modernizing and streamlining the county's flood control district operations while simultaneously considering he district's operations'environmental implications." The park opened and was dedicated on September 26, 1997.
* Mike Driscoll Park is a park located on West Center Boulevard between Westpark Tollway and Brays Bayou."." ''Harris County, Texas''. Retrieved on June 29, 2011. The park hosts a playground and a asphalt walking trail.
City of Houston parks
The City of Houston operates parks in the annexed portion of Alief. City of Houston parks are maintained by the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department."". ''City of Houston''. (c)2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011
* Alief Community Park is a park located at the southwest corner of Bellaire Boulevard and Kirkwood Road."." ''Houston Parks and Recreation Department''. Retrieved June 28, 2011. The park was acquired by the City of Houston in 1993 from the First United Methodist Church of Houston for $3.5 million."" ''Houston Parks and Recreation Department''. Retrieved June 28, 2011. The city originally named the park Southwest Park, but changed the name to Alief Community Park in 1997. It is home to Alief Community Center and Alief Pool. The park also boasts basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, paved trails, and multi-purpose fields. In 2011, a new hike and bike trail funded by a
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...
grant was constructed. Alief Pool was nearly closed in 2011 due to city budget cuts; however, corporate donors
Marathon Oil
Marathon Oil Corporation is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration incorporated in Ohio and headquartered in the Marathon Oil Tower in Houston, Texas. A direct descendant of Standard Oil, it also runs international gas operations ...
and
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational corporation engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and production. It is based in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas.
The company has operations in 15 countries and has production in ...
agreed to sponsor the pool."." ''H.P.A.R.D. Latest News''. Houston Parks and Recreations Department. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
* Boone Park is located on Boone Road between Bellaire Boulevard and Beechnut Street. It was created by the City of Houston in 1984, and has since been improved by the city, oil companies, and volunteers.Walker, Ronald Boyce "." ''Houston Chronicle''. February 9, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2011.Martin, Betty L. "" ''Houston Chronicle''. June 16, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2011. The parks amenities include a walking trail system,
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
field, playground, picnic pavilion, and multi-purpose fields, as well as a nature preserve recognized by the Texas Forestry Department.Walker, Ronald Boyce"." ''Houston Chronicle''. May 11, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2011.Staff. "." ''Houston Chronicle''. March 23, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
* Hackberry Park is located west of Boone Park on South Dairy Ashford Road between Bellaire Boulevard and Kirkwood Road."." ''Houston Parks and Recreation Department''. Retrieved June 28, 2011. The park features a outer-loop trail.Martin, Betty L. "." ''Houston Chronicle''. March 26, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2011. In addition, the park has a community center, a sprayground, and a playground. The park is the former home of Hackberry Golf Course and occupies . The park was acquired in 2007, at a cost of $5 million, and dedicated in 2009.Meeks, Flori. "" ''Houston Chronicle''. September 17, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
* Harwin Park is located in northeast Alief along Harwin Road near the intersection with Wilcrest Drive. It contains multi-purpose fields, a trail system, and a playground. The park is a property and was established in 1989.
Private parks and venues
Fun Plex is an indoor entertainment facility located at 13700 Beechnut St. in Alief."" ''Fun Plex''. (c)2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011. Opening in 1986 as Fame City, the venue features: roller skating, bowling, a ferris wheel, a two-story playport, bumper cars, go-karts, and an arcade."". ''Fun Plex''. (c)2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011. The company's website claims that the facility is the largest indoor entertainment facility in Texas, measuring 5 acres. Visitors may pay for each attraction individually or purchase a package entry to multiple attractions.
Royal Oaks Country Club
Royal Oaks Country Club is a country club and subdivision in Houston, Texas, United States, in the Alief community. The country club is located at 2910 Royal Oaks Club Drive,"". nd. Retrieved July 10, 2011. It and the surrounding Royal Oaks Community was built on the old
Andrau Airpark
Andrau Airpark was a public use airport located in the Alief community of Houston, Texas, United States, formerly an unincorporated section of Harris County, from the late 1940s through 1998. The airport was southeast of the intersection of Ol ...
. The country club has a clubhouse, golf course, fitness center, tennis center, aquatic center with pools and a water park, the Palm Grille restaurant, and a child care area. The country club was developed by the Sunrise Colony Company.
Religion
Christianity
The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
operates Notre Dame Church in Alief. It opened in 1969 with 173 families and a church structure with room for 750. From 1970 to 1975 the Continuing Christian Education and parish hall structures were built. By 2008 the church had 2,600 families. It previously used a sancturary. By 2008 it struggled to cope with the demand, so it began building a new sanctuary and day chapel as part of a $5.7 million capital campaign, with of space. The South Continuing Christian Education structure previously on the site was to be razed. The church's site has of land.
Ascension Chinese Mission () is in the Alief super neighborhood. It originated from a Chinese worship service that was established in the 1970s. The parish was created in 1988,Vara, Richard. "Area Asian Catholics to come together in celebration." ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. August 21, 1999. Religion p. 1.
NewsBank
NewsBank is a news database resource that provides archives of media publications as reference materials to libraries.
History
John Naisbitt, the author of the book ''Megatrends'', founded NewsBank.Andrews 1998, p. 17. The company was launched i ...
Record: 3159522. Available from the ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'' , accessible with a library card and PIN. initially operating out of a commercial center in the southwest Houston Chinatown area. It relocated to its current site in Spring 1991.
Christ, The Incarnate Word Church ( vi, Giáo Xứ Đức Kito Ngôi Lời Nhập Thể), also in the Alief super neighborhood, opened in 1998. It is one of five Vietnamese Catholic churches in the Houston area.Latson, Jennifer. "." ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. September 8, 2008. Retrieved on May 5, 2014. The archdiocese operates another Alief church, St. Justin Martyr.
Wilcrest Baptist Church Wilcrest Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Houston Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
History
Wilcrest was founded in 1970 in what was then the primarily Caucasian race, Caucasian suburb of Alief, Texas, later annexed ...
is in the area.
Other religions
Shri Krishna Vrundavana has a
Sugar Land
Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around th ...
postal address, but is physically in the Alief super neighborhood in the Houston city limits. - This property but in fact is in the city of Houston. . Compare the address to the maps of the Houston city limits. and - Compare these maps to the Shri Krishna Vrundavana address: "10223 Synott Road" and to the Masjid At-Taqwa address: "10415 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX, 77478" It occupies the 450-person, former La Festa Hall. It was established in 2011 with about 200 people in its congregation; originally the temple rented its property. In October 2015 the temple organizers bought the current site for $1.3 million. In December 2015 its congregation had numbered over 800.
The
Islamic Society of Greater Houston
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) is a system of mosques in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at the Eastside Main Center in Upper Kirby in Houston.
There are women from south Asian backgrounds who do not believe in wearing the h ...
(ISGH) operates Masjid At-Taqwa (Synott Islamic Center), which has a Sugar Land postal address but is in the Alief super neighborhood in Houston. - At-Taqwa has a Sugar Land postal address but in fact is in the city of Houston. . Compare the address to the maps of the Houston city limits.
Community events and festivals
Lunar New Year Festival
The Lunar New Year Festival is an annual event"". Produced for event date February 5, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2011. which was first held in 1996. The event has featured dancing, cooking, and a beauty contest. The festival claims to be the "largest international celebration in the southwest."
International Parade
The International Parade was first held in 2008.Baird, Annette. "". ''Houston Chronicle''. September 23, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2011. The parade is held annually near the end of September. The parade strives to include many different ethnic groups and promote the diversity of the community. The route travels down Bellaire Blvd.
See also
*
Alief Independent School District
Alief Independent School District is a school district that is based in southwest Houston, Texas, United States.
Alief ISD, which covers of land, covers a small portion of southwest Houston and parts of unincorporated Harris County. In Housto ...
*
Wilcrest Baptist Church Wilcrest Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Houston Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
History
Wilcrest was founded in 1970 in what was then the primarily Caucasian race, Caucasian suburb of Alief, Texas, later annexed ...
Andrau Airpark
Andrau Airpark was a public use airport located in the Alief community of Houston, Texas, United States, formerly an unincorporated section of Harris County, from the late 1940s through 1998. The airport was southeast of the intersection of Ol ...
indicated.
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{{Houston, Texas
Neighborhoods in Houston