[MommaO4]

Hello.. I am looking at buying a house in Camden and would like some info about the place before I do.. Like Jobs, Schools, Parks, any bigger cities nearby? Things like that... Actually any info would be appreciated.. thanks in advance.... Hildrea

[Sam I Am]

Camden is about halfway between Magnolia and Fordyce - neither of which is a metropolis but do have some conveniences. It's a big duck hunting area; the police and fire academies for Arkansas are located in Camden. I haven't been there in years...but how in the world did you come to pick Camden if you are looking for a job? I'm not sure there's much there to support anything very specialized, but again - haven't been there in years and it may have evolved.

[Passion]

I was born and raised in Camden, I now live in Texas, and don't regret the move nor being born and raised in Camden. However it is not a good place to live and has been going down since the mid 1990's. There are not any movie theatres, restaurants, or entertainment. The closest movie theatre is in El Dorado or Magnolia. Camden has one Wal-Mart and it is not a supercenter, but is open 24hrs. All of the grocery stores shut down around 9 or 10pm. So if you are looking for something to get into after 10pm you have to look farther than Camden. The economy is very poor. I visit Camden at least 2-4 times a year, but can't see myself moving back. As for any place you go, it's what you make out of it. Some people may say Camden is a great place; because they make it a great place, it's pretty much what you put in it is what you get out of it, and then there are some that just don't like it. As for me (in my opinion) on a 1 to 10 scale with 10 being the best. I give Camden a 3.5 due to lack of economy, growth, restaurants, entertainment, shopping, and schools.

[matto]

Only been there once, seemed very run down.

[anjoe]

I've lived in Camden going on for 47 years. Camden is just a slow placed small town of about 11,000 people. It was booming during 1985's when President Reagan was heavy into creating defense industries. We had General Dynamics and the Camden Paper Mill. Since then our population has declined from around 20,000 to around 11,000. Many families have moved elsewhere. Camden is getting a Wal-mart Super Center in the future. Not much to do here but the people are friendly and help each other out alot. Crime is present, but isn't it everywhere these days? If you have any questions, just email me.

[Oryliss & Mariranne]

I lived in EL Dorado almost all my life, commuted back and forth to camden alot. The place is basically nasty!!!! Crime is bad there and so are drugs. I agree with matto. Not a place to live or raise children.

[Trapped In ElDorado]

Yes, stay away from this area. You'll regret it. No jobs, bad area to live. No convinces. Quality of life is poor.

One more time.

THERE ARE NO JOBS AROUND HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trapped In ElDorado]

Originally Posted by Oryliss & Mariranne

I lived in EL Dorado almost all my life, commuted back and forth to camden alot. The place is basically nasty!!!! Crime is bad there and so are drugs. I agree with matto. Not a place to live or raise children.

[anjoe]

It's attitudes like "Trapped In Camden" that hurt any small town. I say if you are so unhappy then you need to go and move and start finding a dream and start making it come true somehow. There are lots of opportunities in the United States. If this were not true then why are so many from other countries willing to risk everything to just get to the United States to find work? I would think that being a resident in our country would give us the benefit of finding jobs anywhere. It may not be a dream job at first but at least we have the opportunity to better ourselves through education and years of devotion to a company if we find the right company to work for. There are some good people in Camden and good jobs, if you are fortunate and educated enough to find them. No....don't move here if you expect to make top salaries like California, New York, etc. but our cost of living is cheaper. Prayer and dedication from the top town members of Camden and surrounding towns would make a difference in South Arkansas. Camden has old families with old money and they own most of the rentable buildings. To me they are holding Camden back. Just the average Joe can't afford to pay $600 to $800 dollars a month rent in one of Camden's shopping centers. It's probably that way in El Dorado also. Camden was suppose to get a Walgreen Drug Store and one of our business men bought & donated or rented a empty eatery to a local church for a youth video arcade where Walgreen wanted to build because it would interfere with his business. The residents were happy because we thought we'd be getting our Burger King back, but not true! It's people like these that are hurting Camden. Camden is a friendly town with some crime like other places also. It's just the way of the world these days. It's the families fault of some of these kids that are not made to care or have pride in education, family values or the work ethic. Therefore, these kids run around selling drugs, getting hooked on drugs and committing crimes, etc. It's like this everywhere these days, just not Camden. It's just the world in which we have to live in and its not going to get better.

[RArnold99]

Hello all, I´m living in Peru with my family. I´m an ESL teacher here and thinking of going back to the states. What are the chances of an American finding work teaching English to Non-English speakers? As for my wife, she is bilingual. but only with a Peruvian high school diploma. Can we make it there? We really want to live in a small town atmosphere but at the same time have our children exposed to America and all that it has to offer. Any advice or employment leads would be deeply appreciated