[v_hackenberg]

We are considering a job transfer to Pine Bluff. I understand most people commute from Little Rock, but dread an hour drive to work. Can you suggest any nearby suburbs? I have a 2 year old son- so we would like to find a neighborhood with a community center and/or park. Can you provide more information about White Hall or Sheridan and about the commute from LR? Thanks!

[shamrockrover]

Ummmm....you might want to read up a little more on the place. If you like it, that's great, but you need to consider the crime rate with such a small child.

[bchris02]

Pine Bluff is the worst place in Arkansas to live. People wouldn't commute from Little Rock if it wasn't that bad. If you want to live near Pine Bluff, look at White Hall. If not, look closer to LR.

[Sam I Am]

There's another thread on PB if you use the search box...well, a number of them. Here's one, not very pro Pine Bluff, but with alternate suggestions:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/arkan...fo-needed.html

I'd consider White Hall, or even Sheridan or East End.

There are a sprinkling of small towns within a 20 mi. or so radius, but they're generally pretty small. Don't know if rural is your thing or not...northeast is Wabbaseka and Altheimer, but they are very small. Use this link from City Data to find out more on the smaller towns:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Arkansas2.html

[v_hackenberg]

Thank you for your input- I think I was a bit unclear. I understand from other posts that Pine Bluff is not a place I want to live. I was raised outside of Philadelphia, so we aren't really small town folks (not against it- just only know city life). It looks like we'll look into Sheridan, White Hall, and a few suburbs of LR- perhaps West Little Rock & Maumelle. Are there any closer suburbs of LR that you can recommend?

[Sam I Am]

Those ARE the suburbs of Little Rock I'd recommend! Although they are a little ways from Little Rock, they're still close enough to count in my book. White Hall is slightly larger than Sheridan, but still only 5000 people or so. WLR and Maumelle would be wonderful, but quite the drive. If you're going to make a one hour drive a day, which is what Maumelle would lead you to, I'd consider Hot Springs as well. That's kind of part of the problem with Pine Bluff...it's the biggest thing in the area, but it isn't big at all and there's nothing really close. If you wanted to go south you could go to Fordyce...again, not very large.

Commuting is a straight shot on freeway all the way to PB - I'd think your traffic problems would be more if you were trying to commute to LR from PB rather than the other way around.

With a child that small I'd surely be looking at the schools if this is a long term relo ...unless you're going private, I'd mark LR off the map. The school system has pockets of hope but is still a long way from being where I'd want my child to be (and that's just a personal note - I know a lot of people are very happy with the schools and it's been a long time since I had a kid in LRSD). I think the East End kids go to Sheridan schools.

[Robert_J]

I have lived in most of the places mentioned.

Sheridan - Moved there out of grad school when I got a job in Little Rock. What a shock going from Fayetteville to the most backwards cities I have ever lived in (my opinion only). We were there for 3 1/2 years. About 3 years and 5 months too long.

Whitehall - Moved there when my wife got a job in Star City and I still worked in LR. It was the same commute for both of us. I liked WH. My wife's sister and her family still live there so we visit often. We were there for 6 months.

West Little Rock - Moved there when we bought a house near Bowman and Kanis. At the time, it was my favorite place we have lived. Great people and a lot of things to do. We we go through LR now, we will still drive through the old neighborhood and look at our old house. We were there for 3 years.

-Robert

[Aporkalypse]

Originally Posted by bchris02

Pine Bluff is the worst place in Arkansas to live. People wouldn't commute from Little Rock if it wasn't that bad. If you want to live near Pine Bluff, look at White Hall. If not, look closer to LR.

Nailed it.

[pinebluffex]

I was born and raised in Pine Bluff and lived there for 30 years before moving so I'll give you a native's advice (avoid it like the plague!). It's true that there are some very friendly people there but they are packing up and heading out in droves and the town is falling apart like a third world country. If you decide to buy a house you will be sure to lose money when you leave and the crime rate is out of hand. Once my parents move I'll never go back.
I've always heard there's no place like home and in the case of Pine Bluff, thank God for that!