The area is tradtionally home to large numbers of Catholic immigrants from Ireland as well as at one stage housing the vast majority of Scotland's Jewish population (although this group has subsequently abandonend the area).
The renowned Scottish socialist political figure John Maclean stood for election in the area in the 1918 General Election.
The Gorbals has long had a reputation as a gritty, rough area, and attempts to clear the slum tenements and replace them with new housing in the 1960s did little to improve this reputation. However, the area has changed in recent years with more and more private housing development changing its demography somewhat.
The well known Citizens Theatre is based in the area.