ed ▁to ▁two ▁sho el aces ▁tied ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁gran ny ▁kn ot , ▁the ▁neighborhood — only ▁ ▁a ▁half ▁mile ▁wide ▁at ▁some ▁points — was ▁known ▁for ▁years ▁as ▁the ▁" city ▁strip ," ▁the ▁" sh o est ring ▁strip " ▁or ▁simply ▁" the ▁strip ." ▁ ▁The ▁strip ▁was ▁simply ▁open ▁fields ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁but ▁" Then ▁came ▁fact ories , ▁attract ing ▁workers ▁who ▁needed ▁housing ," ▁and ▁build ers ▁" filled ▁those ▁fields ▁with ▁small ▁houses ▁and ▁du ple xes ." ▁ ▁Cub ans ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁Mexican ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁some ▁sevent y - five ▁single - family ▁homes ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁nearly ▁five ▁hundred ▁a partment ▁units , ▁and ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁gained ▁some ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁residents , ▁with ▁" no ▁plan , ▁no ▁thought ," ▁as ▁the ▁area ' s ▁leading ▁developer ▁put ▁it . ▁ ▁A ▁Lat ino ▁gang , ▁the ▁ 2 0 4 th ▁Street ▁Gang , ▁came ▁into ▁existence , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁African - American ▁population ▁rose ▁from ▁ 3 1 3 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁to ▁ 8 3 5 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁a ▁black ▁gang ▁also ▁formed — the ▁ 2 0 8 th ▁Street ▁C ri ps . ▁" The ▁C rip