[latunafish]

if i were your age and raising kids, and i could live in any of the 8 towns/cities you mentioned, i would choose cabot, searcy, conway or hot springs. not necessarily in that order, as they are all good places to live and raise a family.

i assume you are not having to drive to little rock everyday or you would not have put marion in the mix. but if you are a daily commuter, i would say cabot or conway.

i see you also mentioned crime, i would say that searcy is the safest of all mentioned.

i own property in little rock and hot springs, but my kids are grown and i was just giving you my honest opinion of what i would do.

[REM08]

I REALLY appreciate all of the feedback so far. Its been very helpful and has greatly helped me try and get familiar with a place that I've never been.

After reading your posts so far and talking again to my prospective employer, its looking as if Conway might not end up being an option (although it may have been my first pick). As of now its looking like the actual job location options are Cabot/Austin and Hot Springs. I could choose to live anywhere obviously, but I'm not a big fan of long commutes. So, of course, I have a couple more questions:

Cabot and Austin appear very close to each other. Are they much different or practically the same place? It looks like the schools would be the same, right?

I know its a little far away from Cabot, but what about Vilonia. It appears to be a tiny town between Conway and Cabot. Is there any reason it'd be an attractive option? Or is there really no advantage over a place like Cabot or Austin?

I'm intrigued by Hot Springs Village. It appears to be quite a unique place. The availability of homes in my price range (especially considering the fact that I prefer newer homes) appears to be relatively lacking, but I'm intrigued nonetheless.

Are the schools decent in HSV?

What about the commute to Hot Springs?

Another concern I have is that it looks like many of the residents in that community aren't permanent. Is it so much that way that you lose the neighborhood feel where you don't know your neighbors as much?

Thanks again!

[Luvvarkansas]

Do a search on this board on Hot Springs Village....we have been discussing it quite a bit lately, and there are a good many threads for you to explore, with lots of detailed info from people who actually live there. I know for sure the question about exactly how long the commute into Hot Springs is, because I asked it. It was around 20-30 minutes...but I'm retirement age, so I don't remember the exact answer.

I don't believe there are any schools in HSV (as it was built for a retirement village originally)....I believe the kids go to Jessieville, which is a small town just a few miles up Hwy. 7, but I could be wrong about that. You'll know soon enough, as the posters who actually live there are here pretty regularly.

[Rock Climber]

I'm told that Cabot and Vilonia both have excellent schools. Vilonia being a smaller school district, Cabot might offer more options for extra-curriculars. I don't know anything about Hot Springs as far as schools. It is not a very big city, and it has beautiful mountains around it. Hot Springs seems to have a bit of a bad part of town to it as well.

[Sam I Am]

I think...I THINK...some of Austin attends Lonoke School District. I would imagine it's the more rural areas (that's a joke, all of Austin is rural!). But no, they aren't really the same place at all. Austin is tiny and blends more with Ward, or at least from what I recall. I like Vilonia, but really....you're moving further away from any amenities at all. Your child isn't school-aged yet, but considering that you want to buy I'm thinking Cabot is your best bet of all in that regard. Your re-sale will be good there, probably better than average, and Cabot has grown significantly in the last 30 years. Lots of newer construction, but your home prices will probably be higher, too, since it's a very desirable area. Kids? Lots of kids. Lots and lots. And then some more. The one thing about the Cabot area - you're moving into more eastern Arkansas topography. It's flatter and not nearly as picturesque. As far as getting to know your neighbors, Cabot is more settled now. There used to be a lot of coming and going of neighbors when the Little Rock Air Force Base was in full swing, but not so much now.

I'm guessing you're going to work primarily in the LR/NLR area and you're trying to find a place away from there but close? If you don't like long commutes, either of those could be dicey. 67/167 from Cabot to LR is a real bear at commute time, as is I-30 to Hot Springs. It may not be far in distance but traffic moves slowly, especially at the interchanges. Old Fossil is right - at commute times, the interstates are just packed in any direction.

All that being said, Hot Springs or HSV may really be an option for you. There are lakes in HS if you like those types of activities, and Lake DeGray in Arkadelphia is close. I'm not sure where you're getting your info that there aren't a lot of newer homes but I haven't been there in a while....or the newer construction is in a way different price bracket. I know a LOT of police officers and firemen who have retired there. Maybe that's your safety factor :-)

What type activities DO you enjoy in your off time? Maybe that would help narrow it down.

[latunafish]

i was told recently, there are 9 elementary schools in cabot. most of them are new construction. that will give you some idea of the young people moving to the cabot area.

as for schools in hot springs, most of my friends have lived in the lake hamilton school district and were very pleased with the system. i understand the lakeside school district is also very good.

my information on hsv and the schools they attend, is just too dated to repeat.

[REM08]

Some great info from all of you - really appreciate it!

9 elementary schools??? Wow. Honestly it sounds good to a family that has one toddler and plans to have more in the future. Still cant' believe there are that many elementary schools in such a small town!

Sam I Am - you brought up a great point about potential home appreciation. Its something that's very important to me when I'm considering different areas. I know it can be hard to predict but the logic you're suggesting makes sense.

The company I'm talking to actually has clinics in most of the towns around LR. If I worked at the Cabot location, I'd choose to live in Cabot, Austin or would even consider a place like Vilonia if there was reason to. I wouldn't have to commute to LR though. If I worked at the Hot Springs location, the only place I see within commuting distance to there that I find interesting (might be missing places though) is HSV.

Honestly, Cabot sounds tough to beat from what everyone has said. Sam, you mentioned homes maybe costing a little more in that area and I think I've noticed that - but I've still seen many newer homes in my price range. So I'm struggling to see the downside of Cabot right now.

We aren't too dependent on where we live for our entertainment. We're pretty much home bodies who also enjoy being involved with a church, going to toddler activities at local libraries, fishing if its available. We don't need a huge mall in town but we do prefer the basic necessities to be within 5-10 minutes or so. Really most of all, I want to live in a place where I don't have to worry about my wife and daughter when they go places.

We'll be visiting for a few days at the end of next week. The insight/info you guys have given us have been a HUGE help in helping us narrow things down and create the itinerary of places we want to check out in person.

[Sam I Am]

I'm sure you've seen this -

Cabot Public School District | Cabot, Arkansas

Nine - yes, nine...one of them is Ward, but wow...that's a lot of little ones!

I raised 2 kids in Cabot - although that was 20 years ago - I couldn't have asked for a better place in most regards. There are a ton of churches of all denominations....and I always felt safe in Cabot, and my friends that still live there say true crime just isn't on their radar at all.

I hope you enjoy your trip - most of all, I hope you'll come back and tell us the up side and down side to the places you visit...it's interesting to see Arkansas through someone else's eyes.

Glad we could help a little bit, and come back and chat us up soon!

[latunafish]

cabot and hot springs are both places you can go to walmart or kroger at 9 pm and not only be safe, but feel safe.

[blu banks]

Originally Posted by sam i am

i'm sure you've seen this -

cabot public school district | cabot, arkansas

nine - yes, nine...one of them is ward, but wow...that's a lot of little ones!

I raised 2 kids in cabot - although that was 20 years ago - i couldn't have asked for a better place in most regards. There are a ton of churches of all denominations....and i always felt safe in cabot, and my friends that still live there say true crime just isn't on their radar at all.

I hope you enjoy your trip - most of all, i hope you'll come back and tell us the up side and down side to the places you visit...it's interesting to see arkansas through someone else's eyes.

Glad we could help a little bit, and come back and chat us up soon!

when looking for a good follow i like to follow you because good guy normal human is always good for me sam..thanks for the normal....... Blu banks