Tulsa-area residents and frequent travelers of Route 66 in Oklahoma probably have noticed the decline of the Crystal City shopping center in southwest Tulsa.
The shopping center, which once featured a bowling alley, was built in 1958 and became a big shopping draw in the region for many years.
However, in at least the past decade or so, Crystal City deteriorated a shell of its former self because of neglect. When a Med-X drugstore moved to a separate building a few blocks away, Crystal City had dwindled to less than a half-dozen business tenants.
However, Crystal City has started to see an overdue upswing this year. According to several articles in the Tulsa County News, the son of the shopping center’s longtime owner has renovated much of the structure’s exterior and, as a result, a couple of new tenants have moved in.
One symbol of Crystal City’s potential rebirth suddenly appeared in recent days. A Route 66 shield was sculpted on one wall of an outside wall of the long-closed bowling alley. You can easily see it from Southwest Boulevard, even though it’s hundreds of feet away.
It’s hard to tell how much Crystal City will improve in the coming months. And this Route 66 shield isn’t a big thing in the overall scheme of the property. But every time I see it, I smile.