[grnthumber]

Definitely Jonesboro is a much better place to consider for a move, for all of the reasons mentioned above. Crime is on the rise there, as meth is prevalent.. just be careful about where you buy/rent and you'll probably never encounter it.

[argal]

Originally Posted by Stefano

Dear girlfromthesouth, you wrote about "other, better cities around". Could you suggest any of them? I'm afraid I'll have to move there too for job reasons. Thanks a lot, ciao

Jonesboro would be my choice. I lived in Blytheville 20 years and still go back to visit family. As far as scenery. . there is none, unless you like flat dirt and cotton fields. The only natural beauty is to drive a few miles east to the Mississippi River and then plan to just sit in your car and look at it becaue the only park on the river is not maintained and can be dangerous. There are no lakes or streams for fishing. No wooded areas for hunting or hiking. The wind blows all of the time. Shopping: there is only Wal Mart and JC Penney. There was supposed to be a mall several years ago, but the downtown merchants killed that and now even downtown is dying. The schools: Blytheville is on the state list for academic improvement for low test scores. Armorel is very small and is a pretty ok school and has maintained a pretty good academic average, but has little to offer in the line of variety of activities and extra-curricular. Race: yes, there is still a lot of division, blacks in one part of town, whites in another. Crime: at one point years ago, it was known for it's drug problems and trafficing. I55 goes right on the edge of town and is only a few miles from Missouri. Drug busts are made off of the interstate frequently as this is a direct favorite route for this type of traffic going north and south.

Nucor Yamato steel and Nucor Hickman are the two major employers in the area. New industry related to steel comes in often. That is where employment opportunities are, but there is little else but retail, education, and your normal office work.

[grmasterb]

I travel through Blytheville on my way to Jonesboro, and I don't see any reason to consider moving there. IMO, Jonesboro is the only place to live if you wish to live in NEA. If you're willing to consider other parts of the state, want a smaller community surrounded by scenic beauty and places to hunt/fish, then I think you should consider Mountain Home.

[movingfromatlanta]

You might be a redneck. Other than cheap rent on a doublewide, I can't think of any reason to move to this desolate, redneck infested hell hole. I had an ugly encounter with one of the local cretins in this ugly little burg yesterday while returning to St. Louis from Little Rock. The camouflage wearing motorist was screaming obscenities and threatening me with his wife and kids in the car.
My offense was pulling out of the Wendy's and in to a nearby turn lane without properly calculating just how over the speed limit he was driving as he beared down on me from the opposite direction. Made a real nice impression on me. Next time I make that trip, I'll resist the temptation to drop money on the local economy and get lunch in another desolate NE Arkansas burg.

[HANNU]

Originally Posted by movingfromatlanta

You might be a redneck. Other than cheap rent on a doublewide, I can't think of any reason to move to this desolate, redneck infested hell hole. I had an ugly encounter with one of the local cretins in this ugly little burg yesterday while returning to St. Louis from Little Rock. The camouflage wearing motorist was screaming obscenities and threatening me with his wife and kids in the car.
My offense was pulling out of the Wendy's and in to a nearby turn lane without properly calculating just how over the speed limit he was driving as he beared down on me from the opposite direction. Made a real nice impression on me. Next time I make that trip, I'll resist the temptation to drop money on the local economy and get lunch in another desolate NE Arkansas burg.

So you are judging the whole area by one incident, when you pulled out in front of a man and his family (who had the right of way on the road). I am sure that your contributions to the local economy will not be missed (was it a Wendy's value meal?).

[marmac]

maybe it's the driving habits of outsiders that cause hard feelings from the locals?

[movingfromatlanta]

Well now I guess I can base my opinion of this ugly little @#$% hole on the experiences I've had with two of the locals. I didn't even come close to causing an accident, but in your opinion that would justify me being dragged out of my car and beaten to a bloody pulp. Nice place, nice people.

[HANNU]

Originally Posted by movingfromatlanta

I didn't even come close to causing an accident, but in your opinion that would justify me being dragged out of my car and beaten to a bloody pulp. Nice place, nice people.

But you didn't say that in your original post:

Originally Posted by movingfromatlanta

The camouflage wearing motorist was screaming obscenities and threatening me with his wife and kids in the car.

Your story is not making sense.

[marmac]

------"being dragged out of my car and beaten to a bloody pulp"--------

quite the drama --( I didn't notice that happening to you in your previous post )

I have , once or twice in my life, made a stupid move while driving in another state that irritated a local.

If it was --me-- making a stupid mistake, I have found it best to acknowledge it to the other driver by by holding up your hands and then pointing to your head in an ackmowledgement that you were in the wrong.

Yes, getting mad may feel better, but many times acknowledging you made a driving mistake is the most honorable thing to do and helps to reduce road rage.

[RogMar]

I'm looking at a route from St. Louis to Little Rock via Oklahoma if anybody needs it.