Things to do - relocating from Manhattan to Little Rock? (North Little Rock: trip , job)

[LESNYC]

Hi there-

Does anyone have any recommendations for a New Yorker moving to Little Rock for dining, shopping, spas, gyms, yoga/pilates classes etc?

My boyfriend currently lives in Conway but will be moving to Little Rock to help me acclimate a bit easier to a slower pace city. So he does not know much about Little Rock places to see, do, eat.

I have been Googling, but would love to hear any and all recommendations about dining out (ethnic restaurants, dive bars, bar/lounges, live music etc), shopping ( Saks, Neiman Marcus, Macy's, funky small boutiques etc), Gym (good personal trainers, yoga, pilates, kick boxing, spin classes etc), Concert venues (small or large shows), Parks (anything like Central park?).

Finally, any place to volunteer? I am a long standing member of NY cares non-profit org which gives me a variety of activities to chose from, so maybe there is a comparable organization in Little Rock?

Well, its a tall order, but thanks in advance for any tips and hints.

[Sam I Am]

LES...

First, let me tell you that anything I sayhas no bearing on how I feel about Little Rock. I love it, plain and simple.

The second thing I would say is "bless your heart". There's some unspoken rule in the South that you can say almost anything about anybody or any situation if you follow it with "bless your heart" (Ms. Smith has such bucked teeth she could eat corn through a picket fence...bless her heart...)

This is Little Rock. There is no Saks. There is no Macy's. There is no Central Park. What has your boyfriend told you about Conway? Think Conway on a larger scale.

Be that as it may...I don't do exercise, but I know there is a kick boxing place on N. Rodney Parham just east of Shackleford. There's pilates classes in the Heights, I'll have to get you the name of the place that's supposed to be very good. There's also a yoga place in Hillcrest on Kavanaugh, I think it is Barefoot Yoga. Trust me, you will not have trouble locating these spots. There is Connie Fail's boutique next door which is fun..the Boxed Turtle...and I'm running out of ideas, someone help me here...there are neat little shops in Heights and Hillcrest all up and down Kavanaugh. Concerts can be at Riverfront or several of the bars downtown, Juanita's...ethnic food and bars seem to be springing up on every corner but mostly downtown since the renovation of River Market. There's live music several places, including outdoor concerts at Riverfront and the standard venues at Alltel Arena.

Volunteer opportunities are everywhere, I'm not sure what your specialty is, but I don't know of any one org where you can pick and choose. It's sort of like you find what you want to do, then pursue the org for that one thing.

You sound young - my best advice would be to make a trip to Little Rock and visit for a week. You will run out of things to do and that could be where your problem will lie. The city really does shut down early during the week and maybe 2 a.m. on weekends, for the most part, and that's if you're in the bars....past that it is all gone by 11:00 or so as far as dining, etc. You really need to make the trip before committing to this move. I'm not trying to be harsh, honestly I'm not, but I think with what you have asked above you just may not find this experience to your liking. I moved a couple of years ago to an area I can say now that I knew virtually nothing about and spent a year thinking "this is what I wanted, why am I miserable?"...because it was NOTHING like what I'd been raised in. Maybe being younger you will make the change easier...are you a native New Yorker?

[strumpeace]

'Bless your heart'. Seconded.

Best wishes on your move and the major adjustment. Little Rock is my favorite city in the US. Seriously. But you have to let Little Rock be Little Rock. It is not New York. It is not Chicago. Heck, it's not even Memphis. It is its own thing.

Come visit for a while and see what you think.

[Capt. Dan]

There is 1 thing you can do ahead of time to make the move easier. You need to practice saying SOOEEEEE real loud. If you can get this down pat, you will be easily accepted in Arkansas! GO HOGS!!

[CESpeed]

I think it will be helpful to look on the information side of the forum and scroll down it will tell you shopping and things like that. I also found the Arkansas Directory and looked for businesses that would fit the services I needed. Also check the Chamber of Commerce. I LOVE the Internet!

[bchris02]

Memphis is 2 hours away and Dallas is 5 hours away if you need a larger city "fix". They have Macy's, Saks, etc. You might like Little Rock but you have to come into it with an open mind. I can't say it will be an easy adjustment for you, going from a world-class city having everything you could want at your fingertips to what is really a very large small town. As for things to do, there is some culture. There is an independent theater downtown as well as a music hall where they have concerts and plays and stuff. There are nice restaurants (by Little Rock standards) in Hillcrest and the Heights and a few downtown. Most of your chains are in west Little Rock. I say Little Rock is the best and most urban city in Arkansas, but if you are looking for a genuine "big city" experience look elsewhere. Come into it with an open mind and you might like it.

[Aporkalypse]

There is an excellent international non-profit based in Little Rock called the Heifer Project, it's designed to help people in third world countries all over the world learn to raise their own food with better farming techniques. Lions International, the organization for the blind, is also based here and would be a good opportunity for charity involvement. As far as parks, there's no Central Park but there are many beautiful parks, just with more of a naturist slant. Pinnacle Mountain State Park has a mountain you can hike in less than an hour with beautiful mountaintop views of the river valley and city. It's located just outside city limits, 15 min from anywhere in the city. Burns Park in North Little Rock is one of the 5 largest municipal parks in the U.S. with a wide variety of sports and activities. Murray and Rebsamen Parks just west of downtown have beautiful scenery and are part of a giant trail loop.

Shopping is going to be very limited compared to what you are used to. Like Sam said, no Macy's or Neiman Marcus. Dillard's is based here and tends to be dominant. Most of the good shopping is in the central part of town - Park Plaza Mall, Midtown shopping center, the boutiques of Hillcrest and the Heights along Kavanaugh.

[rackensack]

Motion to "bless LESNYC's heart" passed by acclamation. Any new business?

Seriously, you're going to have a huge, difficult adjustment on your hands -- and that's if you hate NYC and love the idea of someplace smaller and slower. Best advice I can offer is to be ruthless with yourself about not letting the comparisons between LR and NYC take over your thinking. You have to get over what LR doesn't have that NYC does (i.e., darn near everything) and be able to truly appreciate what it does have to offer. You have to be prepared to find things to like about it rather than expecting it to grab you by the lapels and shake you and demand that you like it -- LR's not like that, and doesn't really care much what you think about it.

Don't even bother going there if you're going to come in expecting it to change to suit you, or expecting that you're going to "make the best of it until <whatever>". Go in committed (really committed) to making a reasonable life for yourself out of what is there and you might stand a chance.

[Aporkalypse]

Originally Posted by rackensack

Motion to "bless LESNYC's heart" passed by acclamation. Any new business?

Seriously, you're going to have a huge, difficult adjustment on your hands -- and that's if you hate NYC and love the idea of someplace smaller and slower. Best advice I can offer is to be ruthless with yourself about not letting the comparisons between LR and NYC take over your thinking. You have to get over what LR doesn't have that NYC does (i.e., darn near everything) and be able to truly appreciate what it does have to offer. You have to be prepared to find things to like about it rather than expecting it to grab you by the lapels and shake you and demand that you like it -- LR's not like that, and doesn't really care much what you think about it.

Don't even bother going there if you're going to come in expecting it to change to suit you, or expecting that you're going to "make the best of it until <whatever>". Go in committed (really committed) to making a reasonable life for yourself out of what is there and you might stand a chance.

I know more than a dozen physicians that are native New Yorkers that relocated to Little Rock, stuck and ended up loving it. Part of that is probably just improvement in standard of living with lower housing costs. Nonetheless, I never knew anyone that missed it and went back.

[CAAR2008]

For a New Yorker coming to live in LR, I do agree you are in for a big adjustment. But LR is a very charming place and you have to let Little Rock be Little Rock. It took me about a year moving from Los Angeles to adjust.
Dining options - LR has a lot of fine dining options if that's what you are looking for. It also has cafe-type places to hang out. Personally I like Capers, Vermillion Water Grille, and 1520 for fine dining. Ciao, Brave New Restaurant, Arcadia and Vieux Carre are great places too.

Warning: not too many ethnic restaurants. Will talk about "not-chain" restaurants here; I favor Asian food (I'm Aisan) so that is what I know most about. As of Feb 2008: two Vietnamese restaurants - Saigon is pretty good, there is another one that is good on South University Ave (cannot remember the name - Van or something like that) but go there during the day. Japanese cuisine - fares better but if you are looking for Teppanyaki aside from BeniHana, Shogun, there is one restaurant along Cantrell near Mississipi that does a decent job. ALso highly recommend Mt. Fuji along Rodney Parham and Osaka in West Little Rock. Korean - the Chi's restaurant which formerly was run as a Chinese restaurant has been taken over by new management as of a year ago by a Korean family so some Korean items are on the menu. Chinese - suggest Forbidden city at the mall along University (the updated one; not the one that is going to be torn down; the one across Midtown Shopping center); also suggest Hunan Oriental Cuisine along Pleasant Ridge Drive along Cantrell in West LR. Lilly's Dim Sum and some is OK especially with their appetizers; but otherwise I don't have anything else to say about it despite the reviews it gets (it really depends on where you are coming from...). Don't expect Ethiopian or Moroccan food in LR... There is no Filipino or Thai restaurant in LR. Italian - suggest the Italian couple along Cantrell near downtown (looks like a hole in the wall but highly recommend their lasagne and tiramisu). There is another Italian restaurant along Bowman Drive south of West Markham in West LR. Certainly, the variety of cuisine in LR is not match for what is in NYC and in LA partly because of the relative lack of immigrants/or lack of immigrants seeking to open up restaurants. Indian/Pakistani - there is a sizeable population of I/P professionals (mostly MDs) in the area - there are two restaurants in LR that you will not miss. BeneVita and La Luna Loca (I think that's the name... it was featured by Rachel Ray on one of her TV shows) are pretty good too - they are next to each other in the Riverdale area.

Bars? Not too much; didn't look for it in LR just because I had tons of good friends who had really nice houses where we would hang out for drinks and food. You can look at the other replies...

Concert venues, Museums - Alltel sometimes would get good shows (eg. Michael Buble) but for the most part you may have to drive to Memphis for Broadway shows, Camille Pissaro exhibits etc. Robinson's theatre is another concert venue. LR has its own Arkansas Repertory - they are pretty decent for a small group. LR also has the AR symphony orchestra - pretty decent too; they also have quartets playing during the off season. But I know of friends who would still fly out to Dallas or Boston for the symphony or orchestra. All i am saying is the culture is there for the taking...

They updated the Midtown shopping center about a year ago so finally LR now has Pottery Barn, Ann Taylor Loft, Williams Sonoma. A newer shopping mall is going to open up near Chenal in West Little Rock - I'm back in LA for job reasons but am planning to go back to visit friends once this mall (which is advertising as having tons of higher-end shops) opens up. Tons of boutiques in the Heights/Hillcrest area.

Volunteering - try Arkansas Children's Hospital, or the Cancer Center at University of Arkansas. I'm sure there are other groups but these are ones I'm most familiar with.

Gym - The Little Rock Club along Sam Peck Road in West Little Rock is decent. The YMCA is pretty good too. But if you want to go hiking (at beginner level) you can try out the walk/jogging path that snakes along the Arkansas River from Downtown to the Bridge at the west end. The path is pretty level - there is no "Central Park" in LR but this path has some pretty breathtaking views. You can also try Pinnacle Mountain way past Chenal/West LIttle Rock. There are spas and yoga places too in/around the city.

More on shopping - there is no Neiman Marcus, Saks. The most decent department store is Dillards on University Ave; the Belk (unfortunately took over Parisian) along Cantrell in West LR is decent. BUT the one surprising thing about LR is that although you will not always find ultra-high-end stores here with top of the line/designer brands, you will be surprised to find you can get relatively bargain prices on good products --eg. $100 for a Cole Haan or Coach bag. If you look for it, you will find them. BTW there is a NEW shopping mall opening up along Chenal Parkway that is promising some pretty good stores - will open in Spring 2008 (I haven't been back so I am not sure if it has opened or not).

LR has a good magazine that comes out I think every week or every month detailing the social life there. Grab one when you fly in.

Good luck. I imagine you will have a culture shock one way or the other (I did) but now that I am back in Los Angeles, I miss Little Rock terribly.

But really, in LR, our friends and I joke about it this way (and all of us came from somewhere else like NYC, LA, Chicago) -- live in LR, "play" elsewhere - because living in LR is what affords you to play elsewhere.