Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is my first post to this forum and am hoping for some advice. Currently, I am a resident of Mountain View, Arkansas. It's a great town that everyone refers to as "God's Country", because the landscape is so nice here. There's a lot of very nice people, and people I love here.
Although, I didn't realize how lacking the town is in qualities I value until I stumbled upon this site and wikipedia demographics. Two qualities that concern me are the average income, and the average age. I do believe the last time I checked, Stone county was the 10/75 for the lowest average income in Arkansas and the 121/3200 lowest for all counties in the United States. The average age is also 51. I'll list a little about me below so maybe you can get an idea of what I'm looking for in addition to the above.
About me:
-25 year old male
-Recent college grad w/ bachelor in business administration with emphasis in management information systems
-Currently an auto mechanic. Have been an auto mechanic/equipment mechanic the majority of my career. Few small stints with other jobs slightly more relevant to my college major.
-I value expanding my life experiences and social experiences SLIGHTLY more then I do the financial aspects of my life at this time. Although, that will diminish as each day goes on, but I fell it should be spoken. I am 25, ignorant, with no commitments in my life. Although, this is a terrible way to rationalize my decision, I think I lean more towards the balance I stated above. You get the idea.
Sadly, I don't have much to compare to so I can be able to describe exactly what I am looking for. I have basically lived here the majority of my life and am ignorant of what is offered. I would actually be open to moving states. I have lived in Jonesboro for around a year, and Conway for around 2, but never really developed a life there. I felt like I just worked there.
The only negative quality I can attempt to touch on, which could be a perception issue on my part, would be the process of interactions most people followed. Here, I generally consider everyone my acquaintance, then my friends are my friends. Even though I don't really know my "acquaintances" I deal with these groups of people that I don't know differently then most bigger cities I've been to. This may be an mistake on my part, but I am generally nice, get doors for people, and ask them how their day has been. It does aggravate me to grab a door for a lady and her to respond, "Screw off creep" or to ask a common person I see how their day is and have them look at me its a hassle for them to go out of their way to have to respond to me. I also dislike issues having to escalate before people give me respect. Anyways, I figure those are just issues that arise as cities get larger and would concern me. So somewhere that isn't so ,"in your face" may be easier for me to adapt to. Although, if it really come down to it, that is not a deal breaker.
Sorry for the novel, but where would you guys recommend?
This is my first post to this forum and am hoping for some advice. Currently, I am a resident of Mountain View, Arkansas. It's a great town that everyone refers to as "God's Country", because the landscape is so nice here. There's a lot of very nice people, and people I love here.
Although, I didn't realize how lacking the town is in qualities I value until I stumbled upon this site and wikipedia demographics. Two qualities that concern me are the average income, and the average age. I do believe the last time I checked, Stone county was the 10/75 for the lowest average income in Arkansas and the 121/3200 lowest for all counties in the United States. The average age is also 51. I'll list a little about me below so maybe you can get an idea of what I'm looking for in addition to the above.
About me:
-25 year old male
-Recent college grad w/ bachelor in business administration with emphasis in management information systems
-Currently an auto mechanic. Have been an auto mechanic/equipment mechanic the majority of my career. Few small stints with other jobs slightly more relevant to my college major.
-I value expanding my life experiences and social experiences SLIGHTLY more then I do the financial aspects of my life at this time. Although, that will diminish as each day goes on, but I fell it should be spoken. I am 25, ignorant, with no commitments in my life. Although, this is a terrible way to rationalize my decision, I think I lean more towards the balance I stated above. You get the idea.
Sadly, I don't have much to compare to so I can be able to describe exactly what I am looking for. I have basically lived here the majority of my life and am ignorant of what is offered. I would actually be open to moving states. I have lived in Jonesboro for around a year, and Conway for around 2, but never really developed a life there. I felt like I just worked there.
The only negative quality I can attempt to touch on, which could be a perception issue on my part, would be the process of interactions most people followed. Here, I generally consider everyone my acquaintance, then my friends are my friends. Even though I don't really know my "acquaintances" I deal with these groups of people that I don't know differently then most bigger cities I've been to. This may be an mistake on my part, but I am generally nice, get doors for people, and ask them how their day has been. It does aggravate me to grab a door for a lady and her to respond, "Screw off creep" or to ask a common person I see how their day is and have them look at me its a hassle for them to go out of their way to have to respond to me. I also dislike issues having to escalate before people give me respect. Anyways, I figure those are just issues that arise as cities get larger and would concern me. So somewhere that isn't so ,"in your face" may be easier for me to adapt to. Although, if it really come down to it, that is not a deal breaker.
Sorry for the novel, but where would you guys recommend?
Welcome to City Data, it is a great place to get acquainted and get a good cross section of ideas.
Let me say, first, don't put a lot into averages, these things change as time goes by and charts only tell part of a story. Let me also add, average age 51 isn't as high as it might sound, remember that doesn't mean everyone is 50 or older. Now, if I were you, I would just simply take a trip to various areas in the state and see what you think. Probably, unless you are looking for a huge city, the NWA region would fit your needs. There are so many cities to choose from and yes, a lot of younger people, especially in the southern part of the region toward the university. I do have one question: do you intend to try and find a job in your field of education or are you planning on continueing working as a mechanic? Not that it makes a lot of difference, just curios.
Another area you may want to check is the Russelville or maybe even Ft Smith.
Get a piece of paper, divide it into 2 parts and on one side, write down things you like, want to do, of importance and on the other side, what you don't like and what is not important to you.
If you want to stay in Ark., check out the areas you think you may be interested in. I haven't been to Mountain Home but I'm researching the area to see if it's a fit for me. MH seems to have a diverse group of people.....I've heard mostly retired people but there is a college there also. Seems a good place to live a good life.....but I'm 30 years older than you are.
It's been a while since I've been to Little Rock but it's a nice city. Has a lot of things to do also. If I were to choose a city to live, LR would probably be it. The people are nicer than some of the cities I've been to.
For a woman to say ********* creep for opening the door is just pathetic. Don't think we're all that way. I very much always have and always will appreciate a gentleman and am grateful when they hold a door open for me.
Sorry I can't be of much help because I'm checking out things in the state also but welcome to City-Data.
We live here in Little Rock and last Saturday our granddaughter graduated with the exact degree you have. A couple weeks before graduation she had her first "official" job interview, and was hired into a very good paying position. I wrote that to say that if you would like to work in your degree field I think your best bet would be Little Rock because things are really moving here. So, as suggested in the previous Post, after you make your "pro and con" list, see if L.R. fits into the mix. And for the attitude of the people you experienced; The world is full of and you will find them everywhere, small towns and large, and you should not let them affect your own attitude. Be true to yourself and most people will recognize and appreciate that. Please keep us posted on your quest because those of us here on C-D who try to help, do care. Take care, and have a great holiday season.
Welcome to City Data, it is a great place to get acquainted and get a good cross section of ideas.
Let me say, first, don't put a lot into averages, these things change as time goes by and charts only tell part of a story. Let me also add, average age 51 isn't as high as it might sound, remember that doesn't mean everyone is 50 or older. Now, if I were you, I would just simply take a trip to various areas in the state and see what you think. Probably, unless you are looking for a huge city, the NWA region would fit your needs. There are so many cities to choose from and yes, a lot of younger people, especially in the southern part of the region toward the university. I do have one question: do you intend to try and find a job in your field of education or are you planning on continueing working as a mechanic? Not that it makes a lot of difference, just curios.
Another area you may want to check is the Russelville or maybe even Ft Smith.
I would like to find a career that is suited towards my field of education as a primary concern. I would like to develop my skills further. Although, if I could do that and stay in the automotive field I would be very happy. For example, helping automotive technicians with their diagnostic equipment or helping automotive businesses use their information systems in ways to better their business would be a dream job for me. I've been around the industry long enough to know how important those issues are and I could take pride in that type of job.
I have only traveled through Russelville and never even visited Ft. Smith.
Quote:
Originally Posted by songinthewind7
Get a piece of paper, divide it into 2 parts and on one side, write down things you like, want to do, of importance and on the other side, what you don't like and what is not important to you.
If you want to stay in Ark., check out the areas you think you may be interested in. I haven't been to Mountain Home but I'm researching the area to see if it's a fit for me. MH seems to have a diverse group of people.....I've heard mostly retired people but there is a college there also. Seems a good place to live a good life.....but I'm 30 years older than you are.
It's been a while since I've been to Little Rock but it's a nice city. Has a lot of things to do also. If I were to choose a city to live, LR would probably be it. The people are nicer than some of the cities I've been to.
For a woman to say ********* creep for opening the door is just pathetic. Don't think we're all that way. I very much always have and always will appreciate a gentleman and am grateful when they hold a door open for me.
Sorry I can't be of much help because I'm checking out things in the state also but welcome to City-Data.
Thanks for the help. I'm going to do that. People call me weird because I do put a lot of my thoughts like that out on paper. I actually went to Mountain Home today to do some Christmas shopping. I have been there a bunch, but it was the first time I have ever really looked at it with the consideration of living there. The people seemed SLIGHTLY younger, and the town seemed SLIGHTLY better financially. One thing I will note that I found extremely important was that everyone I spoke to was extremely nice. I made it a point to attempt to have an interaction with everyone I came in contact with, and most people responded well when I asked them how their day was or if they were going to survive the holiday stress. There were a few aggravated mothers bickering on their cell phones, stomping through the stores and a few aggravated husbands grumbling in chairs waiting while their family shopped. Although, that seemed normal to me. The atmosphere overall was very good, in my opinion.
My only concern for the town would be how well the industry/job market is there. Just from driving through, I saw more places to dine and more retail stores, but nothing I felt was substantial. I do here there is Eaton corp. there and Baxter lab. So, i'm sure this could be debated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Fossil
We live here in Little Rock and last Saturday our granddaughter graduated with the exact degree you have. A couple weeks before graduation she had her first "official" job interview, and was hired into a very good paying position. I wrote that to say that if you would like to work in your degree field I think your best bet would be Little Rock because things are really moving here. So, as suggested in the previous Post, after you make your "pro and con" list, see if L.R. fits into the mix. And for the attitude of the people you experienced; The world is full of and you will find them everywhere, small towns and large, and you should not let them affect your own attitude. Be true to yourself and most people will recognize and appreciate that. Please keep us posted on your quest because those of us here on C-D who try to help, do care. Take care, and have a great holiday season.
This is great to hear. I need all the encouragement I can get as I don't really know anyone with a career similar to mine. I graduated December 13 from UCA after 7.5 years of a blundering mess of a trainwreck that was my life as an undergrad. I hope my career goals and life go much better. I am also not completely familiar with little rock. I can tell you that I enjoy the music scene there! Which is also a quality I have completely overlooked in my location selection. I guess you could label it community interests/scenes/events/values....etc. For example, I have huge interests in softball leagues, and automotive events. Moderate intersts in musics. Me and a few of my friends host the car shows for the town events around here. Two of the biggest ones are Mountains, Music, & Motorcycles and the Grand Marshall Ozark Tour. I've been a car show judge and staff member for these shows the last 3 or 4 years. So i guess these community interests/scenes/events/values are something that means a lot to me as well.
Thanks for all the help everyone. I may head to Searcy tomorrow to do some more Christmas shopping. I'll let you know what i think about it there.
I would like to find a career that is suited towards my field of education as a primary concern. I would like to develop my skills further. Although, if I could do that and stay in the automotive field I would be very happy. For example, helping automotive technicians with their diagnostic equipment or helping automotive businesses use their information systems in ways to better their business would be a dream job for me. I've been around the industry long enough to know how important those issues are and I could take pride in that type of job.
I have only traveled through Russelville and never even visited Ft. Smith.
Thanks for the help. I'm going to do that. People call me weird because I do put a lot of my thoughts like that out on paper. I actually went to Mountain Home today to do some Christmas shopping. I have been there a bunch, but it was the first time I have ever really looked at it with the consideration of living there. The people seemed SLIGHTLY younger, and the town seemed SLIGHTLY better financially. One thing I will note that I found extremely important was that everyone I spoke to was extremely nice. I made it a point to attempt to have an interaction with everyone I came in contact with, and most people responded well when I asked them how their day was or if they were going to survive the holiday stress. There were a few aggravated mothers bickering on their cell phones, stomping through the stores and a few aggravated husbands grumbling in chairs waiting while their family shopped. Although, that seemed normal to me. The atmosphere overall was very good, in my opinion.
My only concern for the town would be how well the industry/job market is there. Just from driving through, I saw more places to dine and more retail stores, but nothing I felt was substantial. I do here there is Eaton corp. there and Baxter lab. So, i'm sure this could be debated.
This is great to hear. I need all the encouragement I can get as I don't really know anyone with a career similar to mine. I graduated December 13 from UCA after 7.5 years of a blundering mess of a trainwreck that was my life as an undergrad. I hope my career goals and life go much better. I am also not completely familiar with little rock. I can tell you that I enjoy the music scene there! Which is also a quality I have completely overlooked in my location selection. I guess you could label it community interests/scenes/events/values....etc. For example, I have huge interests in softball leagues, and automotive events. Moderate intersts in musics. Me and a few of my friends host the car shows for the town events around here. Two of the biggest ones are Mountains, Music, & Motorcycles and the Grand Marshall Ozark Tour. I've been a car show judge and staff member for these shows the last 3 or 4 years. So i guess these community interests/scenes/events/values are something that means a lot to me as well.
Thanks for all the help everyone. I may head to Searcy tomorrow to do some more Christmas shopping. I'll let you know what i think about it there.
let me also add, as for using good manners, most places should welcome this, no one should be put down because a man opens a door for a woman or a kid says excuse me. In fact when we moved to AR one of the things that impresses us was how polite children were here. Of course this is a generalization. there will always be rude people in the world.
You are young, and if you feel that you have been missing out on the social scene, you probably shouldn't even limit yourself to only Arkansas. I can tell that your heart is in Arkansas, but you may even want to consider other prosperous nearby cities like Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Nashville, etc. I personally can't see myself anywhere other than Metro Little Rock because I am established and have my own family, and my hometown is not too far away, but 20 years ago I thought that after school I would leave Arkansas and NEVER come back. It's funny that you mentioned that the social aspect is "slightly" more important than the financial aspect, because you seem to recognize that as you get older, your interests and priorities will change. The stuff that I do for fun today seemed so boring to me 20 years ago. Just tell yourself what is most important to you, and if you have to leave Arkansas to find what you are looking for, then do it. Get your career started in a large city with an abundance of jobs in your field, then you can always move back to Arkansas after a few years, and you would have a lot of work experience under your belt. I lived in Atlanta after school, and once I got the socializing scene out of my system, I got married and moved back to Arkansas. You'll be fine.
You are young, and if you feel that you have been missing out on the social scene, you probably shouldn't even limit yourself to only Arkansas. I can tell that your heart is in Arkansas, but you may even want to consider other prosperous nearby cities like Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Nashville, etc. I personally can't see myself anywhere other than Metro Little Rock because I am established and have my own family, and my hometown is not too far away, but 20 years ago I thought that after school I would leave Arkansas and NEVER come back. It's funny that you mentioned that the social aspect is "slightly" more important than the financial aspect, because you seem to recognize that as you get older, your interests and priorities will change. The stuff that I do for fun today seemed so boring to me 20 years ago. Just tell yourself what is most important to you, and if you have to leave Arkansas to find what you are looking for, then do it. Get your career started in a large city with an abundance of jobs in your field, then you can always move back to Arkansas after a few years, and you would have a lot of work experience under your belt. I lived in Atlanta after school, and once I got the socializing scene out of my system, I got married and moved back to Arkansas. You'll be fine.
Thanks for the positive words. Got a call from a friend today that moved to Portland and is loving it there. He keeps telling me to move there and to stay with him until I get on my feet. Which, I find exciting, but completely daunting considering the distance.
You know what, man? You raise a point that has been raised many times here. The first thing to do is define what you want your lifestyle to be, and then move in that direction.
Arkansas has a number of urban areas with sophistication and unlimited avenues. I know because a number of years ago we had a poster that defined Little Rock as a cesspoool of hillbillys and homophobics. I got interested, and took some trips down there on weekends, spending time and, I must say, more than a little bit of money.
So, a number of weekends later. A large number. After spending $$$$$, perusing shops, restaurants, bars, residential sections, I had to conclude that the poster was full of that which I try not to step in at the sale barn.
Understand, it's not for me, but from much past experience, I can blend anywhere. If I were young, did not have my past, wanted a social scene, job opportunities, the chance to make roots and perhaps build a life, Little Rock would be a very viable target.
Portland?? Just remember their motto, "Keep Portland Weird".
Gotta find what you want, and grab it, dig your spurs in, and ride it.
Mountain Home is nice for a mid size city. Opportunities are there and it's what you make it. I'm there every now and then and it does good while I'm in town. There's no ripping nightlife by any means, but it's got a university, lots of medical, lots of recreation, summer tourist flow, restaurants, retail, good real estate opportunitie, the kind of stuff you can live with. A mix of both semi-urban and rural, Baxter county is wet, has a great Sheriff's dept., and those lakes are a killer.
I can understand your frustration with Mountain View, that's more for fuddy duddys like me.
So, Little Rock, Mountain Home, Portland.....That is a huge crevice to jump across. I hope you find the fit that is right for you.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
and you will find them everywhere, small towns and large, and you should not let them affect your own attitude. Be true to yourself and most people will recognize and appreciate that. Please keep us posted on your quest because those of us here on C-D who try to help, do care. Take care, and have a great holiday season.
I am also not completely familiar with little rock. I can tell you that I enjoy the music scene there! Which is also a quality I have completely overlooked in my location selection. I guess you could label it community interests/scenes/events/values....etc. For example, I have huge interests in softball leagues, and automotive events. Moderate intersts in musics. Me and a few of my friends host the car shows for the town events around here. Two of the biggest ones are Mountains, Music, & Motorcycles and the Grand Marshall Ozark Tour. I've been a car show judge and staff member for these shows the last 3 or 4 years. So i guess these community interests/scenes/events/values are something that means a lot to me as well.
