Pecan Park is a neighborhood in
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 i ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
Pecan Park is located approximately south of downtown Houston inside
Interstate 610, known as "The Loop", to the east of
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Texas. While most Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the ...
in the
East End, Houston
East End Houston, managed by the East End District (EED), is a district in eastern Houston, Texas, United States, located between the eastern edge of downtown to the Port of Houston and South to Hobby Airport. The District is home to Houston's ...
area. The name Pecan Park generally refers to the larger neighborhood, of which there are over 30 individual subdivisions, with Pecan Park being the largest. The typical size of the lots is and the average size of the homes is . The Gulfgate Center, formerly the
Gulfgate Mall
Gulfgate Center, also known as Gulfgate Shopping City or Gulfgate Center, is a shopping center located in the East End, Houston, Texas, United States.[Gulf Freeway
Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Texas. While most Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the ...]
from Pecan Park. The neighborhood is served by the Pecan Park Civic Association.
This area also includes Ingrando Park, home of Dixie Little League. It also has a local library, the Lucille Yvonne Melcher branch of 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 1 ...
system.
History
The heart of the area was once a pecan orchard dating back to the late 19th century with platting of lots for sale by the
Magnolia Park Land Company beginning in 1926. The original streets were paved in shell, with asphalt paving becoming widespread during the 1930s and 1940s, when the majority of the homes in the area were constructed. The area was nearly completely built out by 1955, with the homes being examples of typical middle class residential architecture for Houston at the time;
Bungalow, both brick and wood sided,
Cape Cod (house)
A Cape Cod house is a low, broad, single or double-story frame building with a moderately-steep-pitched gabled roof, a large central chimney, and very little ornamentation. Originating in New England in the 17th century, the simple symmetrical de ...
, early
Ranch-style houses and many mildly Tudor influenced English
Cottages. Between 1980 and 1990 the area gained 1,000 to 3,500 people per square mile.
The
Pecan Park raid occurred in 2019.
Demographics
the Pecan Park Super Neighborhood had 16,245 residents, with 9,762 persons per square mile. 92% were Hispanic, 3% were non-Hispanic whites, 2% were non-Hispanic blacks, 2% were non-Hispanic Asians, and zero were others.. In 2000 the area had had 19,230 residents, with 11,584 persons per square mile. 90% were Hispanic, 5% were non-Hispanic white, 3% were non-Hispanic black, and 2% were non-Hispanic Asian.
[Super Neighborhood 70 Pecan Park]
City of Houston. Retrieved on April 3, 2019.
Education
Pecan Park proper and the Pecan Park Super Neighborhood are zoned to
Houston ISD
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
schools.
[Harris County Block Book Map: "Pecan Park Index Map", Volume 60, Page 125-127-33]
PDF
an
JPG
[ Three different elementary schools serve sections of Pecan Park proper: Southmayd, Davila, and Crespo. In addition, Sanchez Elementary School serves parts of the Pecan Park Super Neighborhood. All residents of the Pecan Park Super Neighborhood are zoned to Deady Middle School and ]Milby High School
Charles H. Milby High School is a public secondary school at 1601 Broadway in the East End, Houston, Texas, United States.[Map ...]
.
Houston Community College
Houston Community College (HCC), also known as Houston Community College System (HCCS) is a public community college system that operates community colleges in Houston, Missouri City, Greater Katy, and Stafford in Texas. It is notable for active ...
's Eastside Campus is located on the edge of the neighborhood near the Gulf Freeway.
Lucile Yvonne Melcher Library of 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 1 ...
, named after a woman who established a children's literature fund, is in the super neighborhood. Although the branch was closed for five years due to damage from Hurricane Harvey, as of August 2021, it is open to the public once again.
Infrastructure
The 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) designated the Ripley Health Center for the ZIP code 77012, while Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
Health Center is designated for ZIP code 77087.[ - See ZIP codes 77012 and 77087]
See this map for relevant ZIP code
In 2000 Ripley was replaced by the Gulfgate Health Center.
. Harris County Hospital District
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 ...
. Accessed October 17, 2008. The designated 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 f ...
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 concentrat ...
.[
]
Free Wireless
In 2005 Pecan Park was the first area in the United States to provide a super wireless hotspot for free or at a low cost. The service currently offers internet access close to 20,000 residents. Rice University students collaborated with the non-profit organization Technology for All (TFA).
Metro routes
Getting to Pecan Park can be accessed on the METRO (Houston)
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (stylized as METRO) is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service ...
system on Bus 76, which travels north to south on Evergreen Dr, and also on Bus 50, which travels also north to south on Broadway Blvd. Both routes have access to the Magnolia Transit Center on Harrisburg for additional transportation and also access to the METRORail Green Line
The Green Line is a METRORail light rail/tram, streetcar line operated by Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, METRO in Houston, Texas, serving the East End, Houston, East End area. The first seven-station segment of this line ...
when completed in late 2014.
Parks and recreation
Ingrando Park, named after Frank and Jennie Ingrando and originally named Southmayd Park, is in the Super Neighborhood and has about of area along Plum Creek. The city of Houston bought the property for $14,866 from a couple from Campbell, California
Campbell is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Campbell's population is 43,959. Campbell is home to the Pruneyard Shopping Center, a sprawling open-air retail complex which was i ...
, Malcolm and Nellie Sprague, on August 23, 1944. The city government gave it its current name as per a September 22, 1971 resolution, and the namesakes donated $100,000 for improvement of the park. Originally the park had of space, but on September 18, 1996, the city government by ordinance acquired an additional for $96,129.25 after 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 ...
member Gracie Saenz began advocating for its expansion two years prior. The estate of Eunice H. Johnson and the Will Frank Johnson Trust funded the 1996 acquisition. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...
(TPWD) funded additional improvements with a matching grant.
References
External links
*
{{Houston, Texas
Neighborhoods in Houston
East End, Houston