2017 Neighborhood of the Year

AOC7 Literacy Fair in Long Beach, Calif. wins 2019 NOTY Grand Prize

NUSA named the I Am Ubuntu: IndyEast Diversity & Inclusion Task Force of Indianapolis the 2017 Grand Prize winner of the NOTY Awards during its 42nd annual conference in Omaha, Neb. The Near Eastside ReEntry Expo brought neighbors, service providers, business owners, city represent-atives, and community leaders from across the city’s Eastside together to celebrate neighbors who have returned from incarceration by bridging relationships between those who are impacted by incarceration and those who are not.

Each year since 1984, the Board of Directors of Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) recognizes the commitment and work of neighborhoods in awarding the “Neighborhood of the Year” in multiple categories. A Grand Prize winner is then selected from the winner from each category. The 2017 award winners are: 

Physical Revitalization – Single Neighborhood

First Place

Year of Color

Whitely Community Council
Muncie, Indiana

The Year of Color was an ambitious series of public and private beautification projects consisting of painting, planting, repair and public art Installation.

Third Place

Westlink Neighborhood Association Tree Planting

Westlink Neighborhood Association
Wichita, Kansas

Trees are one of the vitality’s of life. Kansas drought lost thousands, so Westlink Neighborhood Association, Inc. stepped up to plant 77 along a “little ditch”, which enhances flood control and returns the area to proper physical revitalization.

Social Revitalization – Single Neighborhood

First Place

Meadows of Chantilly

Chantilly Youth Group
Chantilly, Virginia

Our mission at CYG is to unlock the potential of our youth, parents, and community members alike in order to build and sustain healthy communities. We are focused on improving the facilitation of diverse workshops available throughout Northern Virginia promoting a stronger emphasis on education, cultivating leadership, philanthropy, and foster respect for all.

Third Place

Kenwood Kidz

Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association
St. Petersburg, Florida

Kenwood Kidz brings together young families new to the neighborhood in a social networking environment to encourage involvement in the neighborhood, to develop new friendships, and to assure good, productive use of the neighborhood park.

Finalist

Trick or Treat on the BOO-levard

Miller Park-Minne Lusa Neighborhood Association
Omaha, Nebraska

The Minne Lusa Historic District transforms Minne Lusa Boulevard into the BOO-levard each Halloween where kids and families can come to themed “islands” to get candy and see family friendly decorations. The event promotes a feeling of neighborhood pride and safety for children and families throughout North Omaha..

Multi-Neighborhood Partnerships

First Place

Near Eastside ReEntry Expo

I am Ubuntu: IndyEast Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce
Indianapolis, Indiana

The Near Eastside ReEntry Expo brought neighbors, service providers, business owners, city representatives, and community leaders together from across the city’s Eastside to celebrate neighbors who have returned from incarceration by bridging relationships between those who are impacted by incarceration and those who are not. The Expo was a place where neighbors could begin building a network of relationships in a supportive community to promote successful reentry.