[DC2BE]

I'm currently living in Dallas... And going to be opening a small business in the next year. I recently visited Northwest Arkansas, Fayettevile, Bentonville, and Rogers. I really liked it, but just recently I discovered Hot Springs on the internet and it looks beautiful and like a really nice place to live. But my only question is... Is Hot Springs solely a tourist destination or is it a good place to raise a family and open a small business?

[PurpleLove08]

What kind of small business do you plan on opening?
You would have to really make sure your business can weather an environment where it is/can be cyclical. That is with any business though, some seasons are better than others.

I primarily see Hot Springs as a tourist town. I don't know a lot of people who go there when it's not the summer time if they don't live there or don't have family that live there.
If your business is really unique though and you market it right, you might be able to convince people that a drive down to Hot Springs, outside of going to Magic Springs (the main reason I go....) or the horse races, is worth it to frequent your business.

http://www.aypn.org/pdf/MLRAREPORT.pdf

I wish you the best in your small business endeavor.

[DC2BE]

The small business would be a chiropractic office...so I'm not worried about how many people come into town during the off seasons. I'm more concerned about the permanent population. Is there a large number of families with good jobs...Is there enough industry for good paying jobs..What kind of people live there? ...etc...

[PurpleLove08]

Ahhh...gotcha.
Why not Conway or Sherwood?

[HotSpringsLiving]

However biased my opinion might seem here it is
We moved to Hot Springs last year for my spouse's job relocation. When visiting, it did seem primarily geared for tourists. Once you are a resident, you discover more and more that makes Hot Springs a good place to raise and family. We have enjoyed the city in all seasons. To my surprise, so do others (including tourists) during the late fall and winter months.
As for employment: Hot Springs Jobs (AR) - AOL Find a Job has an overview of our job market.
Residents vary greatly from artsy and hip to conservative and old-fashioned. We seem to have it all.

[DC2BE]

LiveTodayLez08.....
After you recommended Conway and Sherwood....I looked them up on CityData and they both had great numbers....I couldn't find many pictures though...I really like the rolling hills of the northwest corner and hot springs..It's really beautiful, with all the fall colors and the green during spring and summer...Is Conway and Sherwood like that as well or is it flat... The reason I am drawn to Arkansas is because I drove cross country when I was a kid with my family when we moved from Virginia to California and Arkansas was by far the prettiest state we drove through...probably Tennessee coming in second....So I want to make sure if I move somewhere it has those views and scenery...

[DC2BE]

HotSpringsLiving......
Would you say Hot Springs has a retirement and vacation feel to it...or do you get an everyday family life as well?

[Stormcrow73]

Originally Posted by DC2BE

LiveTodayLez08.....
After you recommended Conway and Sherwood....I looked them up on CityData and they both had great numbers....I couldn't find many pictures though...I really like the rolling hills of the northwest corner and hot springs..It's really beautiful, with all the fall colors and the green during spring and summer...Is Conway and Sherwood like that as well or is it flat... The reason I am drawn to Arkansas is because I drove cross country when I was a kid with my family when we moved from Virginia to California and Arkansas was by far the prettiest state we drove through...probably Tennessee coming in second....So I want to make sure if I move somewhere it has those views and scenery...

I'd recommend Conway over Sherwood personally since you could set up shop in Conway and not need to commute to LR. Conway has a good bit of hilly country around it but the town itself is built on flatter land. You can go 15 minutes north of Conway and be getting into the Ozark foothills. Sherwood is pretty hilly in the northern parts of town, the area is commonly referred to as either Sylvan Hills or North Hills. There's some swampy mess right around there though.

My only word of caution about Conway is that the schools are getting a bit overcrowded from the growth. People I know however tell me the school system is still providing a pretty good education.

[houseofpayne]

Originally Posted by HotSpringsLiving

However biased my opinion might seem here it is
We moved to Hot Springs last year for my spouse's job relocation. When visiting, it did seem primarily geared for tourists. Once you are a resident, you discover more and more that makes Hot Springs a good place to raise and family. We have enjoyed the city in all seasons. To my surprise, so do others (including tourists) during the late fall and winter months.
As for employment: Hot Springs Jobs (AR) - AOL Find a Job has an overview of our job market.
Residents vary greatly from artsy and hip to conservative and old-fashioned. We seem to have it all.

Hi,

I, too, will be moving to HS as soon as my house sells. Hopefully before the new school year. I currently have t-mobil as my cell phone carrier. I want to upgrade my cell phone, but with the idea of moving I don't want to pay for all the bells and whistles of a phone that will have no service when I get down there. I hear alot of ATT service, but are you aware of t-mobil. Any other inside info you can give me, any better areas of HS than others. I am a mother with 2 young boys. I was thinking I would probably rent for awhile so I could get a feel for the place so as to not make a wrong decision. I will also be starting a new career in Cadd as a drafter so employment will be crucial as well. If at all possible I would not live to travel to LR for employment but to stay in the town, either working for the city, forest, or constructions companies. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

[Ira500]

When I visited Hot Springs recently, my T-Mobile service worked fine. Granted, I wasn't everywhere in town, but it worked well in downtown Hot Springs and further south as well.