Montrose Texas part 3

Montrose is one of the most exciting, diversified neighborhoods in Texas, and over the years, was known for its anything-goes attitude, attracting hippies, artists, gays, runaways and others who fit in with the Bohemian atmosphere. By 1978, with the influx of so many newcomers to Montrose, community leaders realized the need for an agency to deal with quality-of-life issues, and the Montrose Counseling Center was formed. Now known as the Montrose Center, this one-of-a-kind non-profit organization offers mental health services primarily to gay men and women but reaches out to all of the Montrose community.
Houston was growing fast and really began to change in the 1990s. Montrose was greatly affected and the look of neighborhood began to change with remodeled bungalows, town homes and condominiums, office buildings, shops, and sidewalk cafes. All of this brought higher property values, higher taxes and higher rents.
In spite of its glamour and active nightlife, at the bottom of it all, Montrose is, and always has been, a residential neighborhood. Behind the glitzy neon lights and brand new townhouses, you will find an aging neighborhood with an aging gay population.
The Montrose Center, in an effort to reach out to the gay elders, developed an unusual social program called SPRY -- Seniors Preparing for Rainbow Years. SPRY reaches out to gay elders to offer needed services and to foster a spirit of community for these men and women.
"I believe you judge the heart of the community by how they treat their elders. I believe the elders are a resource," states Montrose Center representative Chris Kerr.
SPRY provides counseling, peer groups and social opportunities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors age 60 and older. Many of them have lost their partners and are struggling with their own health issues, as well as trying to hold onto a home, as property values -- along with taxes -- increase.
"It used to be such a strong gay neighborhood," says longtime resident Suzanne Anderson. "But the same thing happened in Montrose, that happened in Greenwich Village, that happened in Oak Lawn in Dallas, that happened in Atlanta, that happened in San Francisco, and that is once the gay community went in and fluffed it up, then here came the straight community and at that point the prices went up. It became more difficult for many of the people in the gay community to live there, and a lot of them were driven out. And so we have seen a change here."
Today, Montrose is going through a new transformation-as the historic bungalows and quaint homes are being quickly demolished and replaced with highrises and three story townhouses. Sometimes six or eight townhouses are built on one lot. Upper-income yuppies are moving in and the artists and gays are being forced out. Montrose has changed, and many residents are concerned that the area has lost its edginess.
"One thing is for sure, whether it goes upscale or keeps its anything-goes attitude, Montrose is a special place that will always tug at our hearts," states Chris Kerr.
"Montrose TX: The Transformation of a Neighborhood" is a television documentary that first aired on HoustonPBS. It is narrated by Ernie Manouse and produced by Sunset Productions.