I probably live in the less segregated area in Gothenburg - Gamlestan. Here is where SKF once started and I have relatives who worked there and were proud of it.
It all started in the fifteenth century and then it was called Nya Lödöse, that was long before Gothenburg became, exactly Gothenburg. Gamlestan, as it is called now, had a bad reputation for many years. My grandparents managed to get a small flat here in 1949, the house was brand new. It had a fridge and a flushing toilet, what a luxury! (I, myself, live in the same house now.) Not all houses here were that modern. A lot of immigrants/working labour came to work in SKF and the company started to build good houses for their employees. It was a workingclass area, and it still is. Here you can find all kinds of people from all over the world.
20-30 years ago there were many problems with gangs, shootings and dealing. That´s not the case now, they have moved to other places. But still, we had a bad reputation.
I love this part of the city. There is a lot of creativity, music, a lot of things going on here. And we have social problems as well. But it seems to work.
Now Gamlestan is the new prospect, they are building houses, a new central station, a lot of enterprises will move in, new infrastructure. New cafés and restaurants. In 2030 it will all be settled and a lot will have changed. Gamlestan will be the place where people would like to move to and to live in.
I think this old part of the big city earns this facelift and I enjoy to follow the progress. It´s no longer the barrio that God forgot.
