From KC to Austin to Fayetteville--what should I expect? (Little Rock: rental, home)

[Pipermackie]

Over the last few years I'm progressively downsizing. I recently applied to various MFA programs, including UofA, and am waiting to see what my offers are. I am originally from Kansas City and have lived in Austin, Texas for the last two years (I prefer the urban grit and indie culture of KC to Austin's shiny-happy, SoCal-Big Dallas vibe). I know that Fayetteville is probably a far cry from either locale, but I'll only be staying for three years max. That said, I'm curious as to the transition any of you who hail from larger metros have experienced.

Are there any areas near UofA that are highly walkable and affordable (i.e. around $700 a month rent)? I prefer to drive as little as possible. Also, what is public transit like there?

Is there a good arts/music scene in Fayetteville?

How would you id the the grad student population at UofA? I went to KU. in Lawrence, KS for my BA and am finishing my MA at U of T (much more traditional, straight-laced feel than KU).

I'm in my late 20's and single. I've heard this is aberrant in Arkansas. Is this true?

Very curious and eager to hear your responses! Thanks.

[CDAgirl]

We are moving to Fayetteville in six weeks. From my search for a home lease, I can tell you it seems a rental for about $700 near the Univeristy will be easily found. There are a ton of listings on Craigslist. The area around the University and downtown is very walkable and full of restaurants, clubs, and the kind of shops you find in a college town.

[BDubLR]

Originally Posted by Pipermackie

Over the last few years I'm progressively downsizing. I recently applied to various MFA programs, including UofA, and am waiting to see what my offers are. I am originally from Kansas City and have lived in Austin, Texas for the last two years (I prefer the urban grit and indie culture of KC to Austin's shiny-happy, SoCal-Big Dallas vibe). I know that Fayetteville is probably a far cry from either locale, but I'll only be staying for three years max. That said, I'm curious as to the transition any of you who hail from larger metros have experienced.

Are there any areas near UofA that are highly walkable and affordable (i.e. around $700 a month rent)? I prefer to drive as little as possible. Also, what is public transit like there?

Is there a good arts/music scene in Fayetteville?

How would you id the the grad student population at UofA? I went to KU. in Lawrence, KS for my BA and am finishing my MA at U of T (much more traditional, straight-laced feel than KU).

I'm in my late 20's and single. I've heard this is aberrant in Arkansas. Is this true?

Very curious and eager to hear your responses! Thanks.

Fayetteville is like a much smaller version of Austin. The NWA is very suburban and car-centric, but Fayetteville is the place to be if you are young and single. While its true that in rural Arkansas, most get married in their late teens or early twenties, there are still a fair amount of people in the more populated areas who are single into their late 20s. Fayetteville is also pretty liberal by Arkansas standards so that should be helpful as well.

[ridicter]

Originally Posted by BDubLR

Fayetteville is like a much smaller version of Austin. The NWA is very suburban and car-centric, but Fayetteville is the place to be if you are young and single. While its true that in rural Arkansas, most get married in their late teens or early twenties, there are still a fair amount of people in the more populated areas who are single into their late 20s. Fayetteville is also pretty liberal by Arkansas standards so that should be helpful as well.

Fayetteville's a nice college town. Check out Fayetteville Flyer for more info about it--it's a nice alt literature piece based up there.

I hope somebody else can answer the OP's questions. I have some grad student friends that go to UA, and they're progressives, but I can't ID the whole campus. You'll hear a lot about the Dickson street area if you haven't--the whole indie/arts scene is concentrated there. Here are some great photos of Fayetteville and Dickson street from a native http://www.flickr.com/photos/74465517@N00/ (broken link) (There's a Fayetteville section.) It'll give you a feel for it.

I believe Fayetteville and Little Rock were the only non-Delta cities to go Obama, although all Washington County went McCain.

[bagelw]

You will definitely want to be near the Dickson Street area. Finding a place for $700/month shouldn't be an issue. That area is close to campus, is very walkable and it is the arts/music scene of NW Arkansas. The U of A and ORT bus routes will get you everywhere you really need to go but other than your occasional trip to the grocery store or mall you should find everything you need within walking distance around Dickson. One thing to consider is that the area around campus and Dickson is very hilly so it's not exactly easy walking.

I'm in my early 30s and single so there are a few of us around. However, some people still get very surprised when they find out I'm not and have never been married. I think it's because a lot of people that move here are from a small town and think Fayetteville is huge in comparison to what they left. I was the opposite and thought that Fayetteville was puny when I first moved here. Little Rock was the smallest city I'd lived in before moving here. For a city of it's small size Fayetteville actually has a lot to offer.

[Luvvarkansas]

Wow, those Fayetteville photos (Flicker link above) were great. Fayetteville is really a nice town. I'd love to explore it more in the future.