Neighborhood Store Brings Community Together

There's a little bit of magic taking place at the corner of 3rd and Phoenix in the Crosbie Heights Neighborhood. A funky little grocery store called the Blue Jackalope is achieving something no national chain ever could: bringing a sense of community back to one of Tulsa's oldest neighborhoods.

Proprietor Scott Smith is busy these days: taking calls, stocking shelves, and receiving requests from neighbors about items they would like him to carry.

But then the real magic occurs.

Kids race to the Blue Jackalope after school, where they can buy a soda, or work odd jobs in exchange for store credits. Neighbors bump into each other and get acquainted. A woman drops off a case of her locally made spicy sauce (Smith says his customers have been "clamoring for it.") Folks pop in for a coffee and a visit. They discuss philosophy or catch up on the latest neighborhood news. Another borrows a roto-tiller. (Did we mention the community garden that has sprung up across the street?) Each and every person is greeted by name, and welcomed warmly.

Just a stone's throw from the BOK Center, a community has formed around this unassuming little store, and it grows each time a neighbor steps through the door.

The old-timers see a return to the good old days. The younger generation gets a sense of hope for the future. Scott Smith recognizes a neighborhood full of potential...and knows the Blue Jackalope is just the beginning.

The Blue Jackalope is located at 306 S. Phoenix Ave. Hours are: Sunday-Friday from 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.