[GetmeoutofAR]

Originally Posted by Former Anaheim-ian

We moved to Bentonville from Anaheim Hills in 1999. We have EVERYTHING here except the beach, Nordstrom's, traffic, Whole Foods Market, smog, Neimann-Marcus, earthquakes and drive-by shootings.

We own a retail business in which we meet at LEAST two new AR residents every day, and at least 75% of those newcomers we meet are from California.

We're thrilled to meet them. They have the same "deer in the headlights" look as we did when we first landed here, but after they get plugged into the kids schools, kids sports, church and the other social venues, they feel right at home.

Here's a very interesting social phenomenon: A full 60% of the residents in Benton County (Bentonville, Bella Vista, Rogers, Lowell) are not Arkansas natives and have NO family here because they are transplants. Thus they make friends very quickly (and neighbors, classmate parents, sports parents and church friends) are extremely open and welcoming to newcomers, because "we" all had to move here sight unseen also!

Case in point: We unloaded our moving van here on Tuesday of Thansksiving week, 1999. By Wednesday, the next day, we had received THREE invitations to join different neighbors for Thanksgiving dinner...and we were perfect strangers from a strange land called Cahli-for-neah. We were pleasantly stunned. They had all move here from other parts so we had that "we're all in this together" bond.

Moverover, those transplants from CA, NY, TX, FL and IL are all accustomed to big city amenities and have very high expectations for their kids' education and extra-cirricular activities. There is also a very high level (because it's so affordable here) of "stay at home Mom's" so they are very active in the school districts, in study groups, in PTO groups and in extra-cirriculars. It's an amazing energy and source of tremendous contribution to the community! Plus all the transplants have raised the educational standards to all time highs (Benton County now has the highest school testing scores in the entire state.)

We visit CA about every 2 years and can't stand it at all. We can't wait to "get back home" to our 2800 SF home on 3 acres of land (that would have cost us $4.5 million in CA but only cost us $200K in Bentonville!)

Moderator cut: edit

Another Californian........

[luvarkansas]

Originally Posted by Former Anaheim-ian

We moved to Bentonville from Anaheim Hills in 1999. We have EVERYTHING here except the beach, Nordstrom's, traffic, Whole Foods Market, smog, Neimann-Marcus, earthquakes and drive-by shootings.

We own a retail business in which we meet at LEAST two new AR residents every day, and at least 75% of those newcomers we meet are from California.

We're thrilled to meet them. They have the same "deer in the headlights" look as we did when we first landed here, but after they get plugged into the kids schools, kids sports, church and the other social venues, they feel right at home.

Here's a very interesting social phenomenon: A full 60% of the residents in Benton County (Bentonville, Bella Vista, Rogers, Lowell) are not Arkansas natives and have NO family here because they are transplants. Thus they make friends very quickly (and neighbors, classmate parents, sports parents and church friends) are extremely open and welcoming to newcomers, because "we" all had to move here sight unseen also!

Case in point: We unloaded our moving van here on Tuesday of Thansksiving week, 1999. By Wednesday, the next day, we had received THREE invitations to join different neighbors for Thanksgiving dinner...and we were perfect strangers from a strange land called Cahli-for-neah. We were pleasantly stunned. They had all move here from other parts so we had that "we're all in this together" bond.

Moverover, those transplants from CA, NY, TX, FL and IL are all accustomed to big city amenities and have very high expectations for their kids' education and extra-cirricular activities. There is also a very high level (because it's so affordable here) of "stay at home Mom's" so they are very active in the school districts, in study groups, in PTO groups and in extra-cirriculars. It's an amazing energy and source of tremendous contribution to the community! Plus all the transplants have raised the educational standards to all time highs (Benton County now has the highest school testing scores in the entire state.)

We visit CA about every 2 years and can't stand it at all. We can't wait to "get back home" to our 2800 SF home on 3 acres of land (that would have cost us $4.5 million in CA but only cost us $200K in Bentonville!)

Moderator cut: edit

I'm glad you like it! I'm thinking that I heard there is a Whole Foods somewhere in NW Arkansas?

[AllenKarber]

Originally Posted by Former Anaheim-ian

We moved to Bentonville from Anaheim Hills in 1999. We have EVERYTHING here except the beach, Nordstrom's, traffic, Whole Foods Market, smog, Neimann-Marcus, earthquakes and drive-by shootings.

We own a retail business in which we meet at LEAST two new AR residents every day, and at least 75% of those newcomers we meet are from California.

We're thrilled to meet them. They have the same "deer in the headlights" look as we did when we first landed here, but after they get plugged into the kids schools, kids sports, church and the other social venues, they feel right at home.

Here's a very interesting social phenomenon: A full 60% of the residents in Benton County (Bentonville, Bella Vista, Rogers, Lowell) are not Arkansas natives and have NO family here because they are transplants. Thus they make friends very quickly (and neighbors, classmate parents, sports parents and church friends) are extremely open and welcoming to newcomers, because "we" all had to move here sight unseen also!

Case in point: We unloaded our moving van here on Tuesday of Thansksiving week, 1999. By Wednesday, the next day, we had received THREE invitations to join different neighbors for Thanksgiving dinner...and we were perfect strangers from a strange land called Cahli-for-neah. We were pleasantly stunned. They had all move here from other parts so we had that "we're all in this together" bond.

Moverover, those transplants from CA, NY, TX, FL and IL are all accustomed to big city amenities and have very high expectations for their kids' education and extra-cirricular activities. There is also a very high level (because it's so affordable here) of "stay at home Mom's" so they are very active in the school districts, in study groups, in PTO groups and in extra-cirriculars. It's an amazing energy and source of tremendous contribution to the community! Plus all the transplants have raised the educational standards to all time highs (Benton County now has the highest school testing scores in the entire state.)

We visit CA about every 2 years and can't stand it at all. We can't wait to "get back home" to our 2800 SF home on 3 acres of land (that would have cost us $4.5 million in CA but only cost us $200K in Bentonville!)

Moderator cut: edit

I found this post to be somewhat condescending despite the posters claim to like the area.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by AllenKarber

I found this post to be somewhat condescending despite the posters claim to like the area.

golly I didn't see it quite that way. I just saw her enjoying a different life style than California. Maybe I missed something.

Nita

[GetmeoutofAR]

The post pissed me off entirely!

[Bail_Khan]

I'm very welcoming of Californians. In fact I hope they all move here because I would sure be heading for California.
But seriosly I don't have anything against Californians just kidding around.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Former Anaheim-ian

We own a retail business in which we meet at LEAST two new AR residents every day, and at least 75% of those newcomers we meet are from California.

I don't see any negatives here. I see someone who has relocated, to an area that a huge percentage has also relocated, and is finding happiness in that element.

I've seen that here in several different forms. I'm sure that a lot of word of mouth is going around like, "Have you been there? She's from California, *too*".

I don't see anything wrong with that, it goes on at some of the northern enclaves I'm familiar with, and at some of the "My family's been here for 5 generations" kinda places.

There's a town near me that I do commerce at and have a number of friends. If there's anyplace that the "yer a yankee" attitude prevails, they're it.

However, the worst of them has a business owned by a CA couple, and another business owned by a FL couple, both businesses doing well.

This fascinates me because I will assure you they don't have CA or FL customers there.

Yet....they get along..they flourish...and are swamped by hard-core locals.

Hmmmm.....what kind of hoodoo are they working to lure the "General Lee" set into their clutches, I wondered as my shakey hand pulled the door open....

They're just nice folks. They love the south, as the OP here does, they 'check their attitude at the door', as another poster in this forum coined, and when my work-booted, t-shirted backside came through the door, they made me feel welcome, responded to conversation in a 'real' way, and showed they were glad to be a part of the community.

OK..maybe some of us are still stinging from a previous "Neiman Marcus" post. That's not her fault. She's in Bentonville, and there ain't a lot of Magnolia/Mint Julep folks around the area.

She's blending in.

Nuthin' wrong with that.

[Bail_Khan]

Originally Posted by mafitz

I have heard that a lot of Georgia is going the same way. Its really hard to describe, but its weird just the same. Its like living outside of the DC area without the efficiency.

Don't sweat it, I don't think this state is for everyone. I am just greatful that we finally found a place that really became home. Ya know what I mean?

I stayed in Georgia a while it's pretty but it wasn't home. I saw a fourth of July fireworks display there and it lasted about 5 minutes, I was like OK that was the warm-up right and everyone else was ready to call it a night. I would love to vistit again though.

[RangerDuke08]

Originally Posted by AllenKarber

I found this post to be somewhat condescending despite the posters claim to like the area.

No disrespect to the OP, I'm glad she likes it and found her niche, I know it's not politically correct to say this but somehow I didn't feel a very positive vibe either. There's a joke that goes "noone wants to go there anymore because it's too crowded" and one of the first lines of the Northwest Arkansas Tourism page is "Welcome to Northwest Arkansas. No longer one of the country’s best-kept secrets".

[luvmybabies]

for the most part, we are very friendly. I have lived in Helena AR, my whole 38 yrs, and do know what the Southern Hosp is... we are just genuine, and good country folkd.. yes, you do run into some A holes, but most are genuine.. If i could go anywhere though it would be Northern Ar area,, i don' t know how friendly the people are,, but i would move for other reasons.. give a smile, and get a smile.. it works great!!