Community Works To Change Image Of Tulsa High-Crime Area

A south Tulsa neighborhood with a reputation for high crime and violence is getting a new name – and with it, community members hope will be a fresh start.

Community leaders hope to change the reputation of the 61st and Peoria neighborhood, and they are asking the students at Marshall Element to help with the process.

People living in the community got together and came up with five different name ideas to call the area:

• Mountain View 
• Hope Avenue 
• Hope Valley 
• Riverwood Village 
• Sunrise 
• There is also a write-in option.

A vote was held Monday and the students can vote throughout the day on their favorite name.

The decision will be announced at the end of the year.

"When you have a positive sounding name you have a positive perception of the community. This is changing how we think of 61st and Peoria," said Nate Dorfman with the City of Tulsa.

This vote is all part of a grant from the U.S. Justice Department for community-based crime reduction. The new name will refer to the area from 56th to 65th and from Riverside drive to three blocks east of Peoria.

The name change is just one part of a bigger plan to revitalize the area and is part of the “Ignite the Change” movement – a project aimed at showing Tulsans that residents in the area are serious about changing the area’s image.