For third straight year, this Fort Worth neighborhood is voted best in U.S.
A west Fort Worth neighborhood was named the best in the country for the third consecutive year for its service and community impact.
The Lake Como Neighborhood Advisory Council received the honor at the Neighborhoods USA virtual conference in May. The neighborhood also won Fort Worth’s Neighborhood of the Year during the Mayor’s Community Engagement Neighborhood Awards in March. The neighborhood was recognized by the City Council in June for its accomplishment of winning the award three years in a row.
Kendra Williams and Carol Brown, a Como Community Center coordinator for 35 years, represented the community at the national awards. For Williams, Como is viewed as having negative aspects, but the neighborhood is a family, with people who have brought about positive change and youth who have become successful.
“We’re trying to shift and change that narrative that Lake Como is not just a crime-filled neighborhood,” Williams said. “But we are a historic, resilient community that has been in existence for over 120 years, and it’s more to us than just violence.”
The Lake Como Neighborhood Advisory Council works to promote civic spirit, improve public services and work with governments on neighborhood issues. The council was established by the Citywide Citizen Participation Plan, which encourages residents to participate in decision-making across the city.
In March, Como won Neighborhood of the Year at the 2025 Fort Worth Neighborhood Awards. The neighborhood also won first place for Code Compliance Officer of the Year, Community Collaboration and Engagement, Fort Worth Pride, and Safety First Neighborhood awards. Williams was also the first runner-up for the Neighbor of the Year award.
As the winners of Fort Worth’s Neighborhood of the Year, Como was able to compete in the Neighborhood USA Conference against other neighborhoods across the country.
The nonprofit Neighborhoods USA, founded in 1975, is committed to building and strengthening neighborhood organizations by sharing information and highlighting experiences that have strengthened communities.
The Como community is proud of the multiple events and programs it has, Brown and Williams said. This includes Como Fest, an annual family neighborhood festival run by Legacy Lake Como with music, food trucks and vendors, and the annual Como Parade held July 4. Brown and Williams also lead Friday Night Lights, a weekly initiative that provides meals, a safe space, and programs for youth.
Williams runs her nonprofit, Richelle’s Heart, in memory of her mother, Richelle Williams. The nonprofit is in charge of a Juneteenth celebration, which includes an annual walk, a financial workshop, and will soon introduce its Next Step Scholarship Success program. Individuals will teach children from pre-kindergarten through high school how to get scholarships and graduate from college debt-free.
For Brown, the award demonstrates the effort that all of their programs and events are pushing toward a better future for their community.
“We are growing up leaders, we are growing up people who care about our community, and what was in the past is in the past,” Brown said. “We are now one of the most wonderful communities in the U.S.A.”
