Jennifer Lopez Fan Petitions For Bronx Street To Be Named After Her

One of JLo’s most devoted fans is begging the city to have a street named after the Bronx-bred star. Edgardo Luis Rivera, a Pelham Bay resident started an online campaign to plead for supporters to join the cause, which has already gathered 1,300 signatures. “Her story is like the American Dream story,” said Rivera, who met the pop icon while she was on her 2012 “Dance Again World Tour” in New Jersey. He praises his idol, not only for being “an inspiration to all Bronxities” but also because she’s never forgotten where she comes from, “Throughout her career, she’s made a point of telling people she’s from the Bronx,” he said.

While the City Council has strict rules on street naming, these have been bent in 2013 to name two streets after still-alive Hall of Famer Willie Mays, and one more after Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera. The renames gave Rivera much more hope and confidence to try and convince the Community Board 9’s transportation committee on November 7, even though their guidelines state that street co-naming street nominees to be “deceased or terminally ill,” and must have served the community for at least 10 years.

Historian Jacob Morris said that, “She’s at least as worthy of a lot of other street renamings, and probably more, because of her potential as a role model in that community.” The ‘Jenny From The Block’ star has been long criticized for not coming back to the Bronx, but hosted a free summer concert in Orchard Beach to please fans.