Neighborhood Gentrification, A Photography Documentary

My Old East Dallas gentrification project shows a neighborhood in between what’s still standing, what’s being built, and what has disappeared.

This is the final post in my photography documentary about gentrification in Old East Dallas. These photos are from the last three rolls of film I used for this project. I started photographing this neighborhood because I saw it changing fast. I wanted to capture the disappearing homes, streets, people, and small details that gave it so much character.

These photos show that change clearly. Small older homes sit next to large modern buildings. New construction crowds porches, fences, trees, and yards. Some scenes feel quiet. A front door sits behind trees. A small house stands in the shadow of a new development. Other scenes feel more direct. Such as, an excavator sits in the mud, ready to tear into another piece of land.

The photo of the construction workers resting in the shade stands out to me. It brings people back into the story. Gentrification is not just about houses and buildings. It affects workers, renters, homeowners, families, investors, and neighbors. It changes who gets to stay and who can afford to come next.

I don’t think this story has a clean ending. Old East Dallas keeps changing. It will keep changing. But these final rolls feel like the right place for me to stop. The photos say what I have tried to say all along. This neighborhood had history, texture, personality, and life. Some change may bring new energy. But it also leaves behind a real loss. Once that character disappears, no new building can fully bring it back.

Neighborhood Gentrification, A Photo Documentary

This photo documentary has been exploring neighborhood gentrification in Old East Dallas on medium format film since 2016. You can see the best of this series in this gallery.