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Fayetteville - Springdale - Rogers Northwest Arkansas
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Old 12-16-2013, 11:58 AM
 
384 posts, read 594,259 times
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I am curious about the discernible differences between the Ft. Smith area and the Fayetteville/Springdale area.

I am aware that the WalMart influence is in the Northern part of that corridor.

Since I have never been to either, feel free to discuss anything.

Which area has more services, better quality of life, access to outdoors activities, affordable housing, etc.

My girlfriend may be moving to the area in late Spring so safety is a bit of a concern as well.

Thanks
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Old 12-16-2013, 12:09 PM
 
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Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers is an hour north. Ft Smith is located on the Arkansas River. Fayetteville has the University of Arkansas.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "WalMart influence".

Services ,quality of life, outdoor activities, housing costs, would all be very similar.
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Old 12-16-2013, 12:38 PM
 
384 posts, read 594,259 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge View Post
Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers is an hour north. Ft Smith is located on the Arkansas River. Fayetteville has the University of Arkansas.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "WalMart influence".

Services ,quality of life, outdoor activities, housing costs, would all be very similar.
Thanks for the reply.

WalMart influence was not meant to be negative. I simply meant that they have a lot of vendors, employees that are in the Northern area. It primarily influences the population.
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Old 12-16-2013, 02:47 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cy_flembeck View Post
Thanks for the reply.

WalMart influence was not meant to be negative. I simply meant that they have a lot of vendors, employees that are in the Northern area. It primarily influences the population.
I'm not taking "Wal-Mart influence" as a negative. I'm just not sure what it means.

To me, Wal-Mart is just another big employer. Like J B Hunt or Tyson's.

I've always liked Ft Smith. It's an old, old town, and I would like to see it develop that aspect of its identity more, but the key word is "develop". Ft Smith, to me, hasn't changed all that much in the past 50 years. Restaurants, stores, have come and gone. Highways have been built and widened. But Ft Smith doesn't seem dynamic to me. I like the blues festival down by the river. I'm looking forward to visiting the Marshall's museum. I love the ABC arts center. And the UAFS has really grown. I just feel like the city itself is static. And that's not a terrible thing. It's nice that it seems so familiar every time you visit there. It's a nice city to begin with, so staying the same means staying nice.

Once you get over the mountain into Northwest Arkansas, it's very different. Change is the only constant. You find yourself wondering, "where did that come from? when did they build that? didn't the old so-and-so used to be here?" It's not just restaurants and stores coming and going. It's new neighborhoods and new roads appearing, an entire landscape remade. Fayetteville is busy. Sometimes too busy. Sometimes you want to pause and take a breath, and remember what it used to be like. That said, there are some things preserved. Old Main never changes. The Fayetteville Square is still a magical place during the winter, and one of the best farmer's markets in the country in the summer. Hugo's is still serving up huge, dripping hamburgers and way-too-big baskets of fries. The mall is bigger than ever. And Fayetteville is complemented by all the development north of it. If you can't find it in Fayetteville, look to Rogers or Bentonville.

Ft Smith and Fayetteville are just big towns to people who live in cities like Chicago or San Francisco or even Dallas. Ft Smith might be a little cheaper to live in, depending on where you live and what your budget is. Ft Smith is closer to Little Rock, and to me that's a plus. And I like the river meandering through the valley. But the amenities are fairly similar. And I like Crystal Bridges and the trail system up in Bentonville. And I love Wilson Park and Devil's Den in/near Fayetteville.

I think in the end, it depends on the person which they prefer.
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Old 12-16-2013, 08:24 PM
 
Location: Fayetteville
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Fort Smith probably won't grow very much, according to this it won't even hit 100,000 people until 2035. Fort Smith Residents Asked To Imagine Alternative Futures | The Times Record

Maybe Barling will grow faster after they open the interstate and the mall.

The last I heard UAFS had decreasing enrollment, ATU Ozark seems like its becoming more popular with people in the area and they have a cardiology tech program in Fort Smith now that I almost enrolled in. I wouldn't be surprised if they opened more programs in Fort Smith.
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Old 12-16-2013, 08:59 PM
 
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas via ATX
1,349 posts, read 2,116,266 times
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I think the two areas are actually quite different.

Fayetteville has always had the university influence, and so it tends to be a liberal city. It also has higher quality local retauarants, a local-first shopping culture. The city planning in Fayetteville is actually much more thoughtful than Fort Smith.

I think Springdale is much more similar to Fort Smith, but still a newer, nicer town in many ways.

Fort Smith has always been industrial and blue-collar. Springdale is more like that.

I honestly think Fayetteville and Fort Smith are very different cities.
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Old 12-16-2013, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Fayetteville
1,205 posts, read 2,681,067 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock Climber View Post
I think the two areas are actually quite different.

Fayetteville has always had the university influence, and so it tends to be a liberal city. It also has higher quality local retauarants, a local-first shopping culture. The city planning in Fayetteville is actually much more thoughtful than Fort Smith.

I think Springdale is much more similar to Fort Smith, but still a newer, nicer town in many ways.

Fort Smith has always been industrial and blue-collar. Springdale is more like that.

I honestly think Fayetteville and Fort Smith are very different cities.
Actually I think Fort Smith started as a Fort, I don't think it really industrialized until after WW2.

I am kind of taking your post with a grain of salt though to be perfectly honest, you really are laying it on a little thick.
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Old 12-17-2013, 08:38 AM
 
291 posts, read 374,943 times
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Northwest Arkansas feels much more progressive & liberal than Ft. Smith.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:27 AM
 
Location: Western Colorado
12,858 posts, read 16,805,866 times
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Fort Smith is hotter and more humid in summer than Fayetteville. A lot more.
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Old 12-17-2013, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Fayetteville
1,205 posts, read 2,681,067 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wanderlove View Post
Northwest Arkansas feels much more progressive & liberal than Ft. Smith.
The last time i went to the NWA mall the food court was the chic-fil-a plaza, or something like that.
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