Moving to Little Rock at the end of July (Lewisville: apartment complexes, rentals)

[angiecoli]

Hi everyone, I am new to this board and looking for some information on Little Rock. I am a single African American mother of two moving to Little Rock at the end of July. I would like some input on the schools and the best place to live, my children are 14 and 6. I will be attending grad school at University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Thanks!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by angiecoli

Hi everyone, I am new to this board and looking for some information on Little Rock. I am a single African American mother of two moving to Little Rock at the end of July. I would like some input on the schools and the best place to live, my children are 14 and 6. I will be attending grad school at University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Thanks!

I think looking into school districts is very important and yes, within a very small radius you can have a wide spread. Dallas is a prime example: go to Plano, Lewisville/Flower Mound, Southlake districts just to mention a few and the scores are very high, Go about 10 or 15 in either direction and the situation changes dramatically. Of course even within a school district the ratings are only as good as the school itself or the student. The best schools have kids that do not or can not learn and the worst school have over achievers.

Nita

[Sam I Am]

Try Broadmoor, just west of UALR. It's a nice little pocket neighborhood with some streets being better than others. The area around Fair Park Blvd. is also undergoing renovation and upgrading. Are you buying or renting? There should be a decent amount of rentals through there, as well as some bargains. I'm not sure what school district that is - there's an elementary school north of UALR just off Fair Park. The middle schools aren't so great...there's one on Wright Avenue, which is a little bit of a trek, definitely not within walking distance. My niece attended there. Are you wanting to be close to UALR or does it matter?

[angiecoli]

I will be renting and I would like to be fairly close to UALR, are the neighborhood safe in that area.

[Sam I Am]

Don't wander too close to 12th St. - it's a major thoroughfare and kind of the line of demarcation......and don't go south of Asher Avenue, which is on the south side of UALR....and don't go east too much.....so that leaves you with Broadmoor and the UALR immediate area, which would be around the south end of Fair Park for being very close to the school.

If you wanted to stray west a few miles, I'd consider the Col. Glenn area, or more importantly, the Stagecoach Road/Otter Creek area...very nice and multi-ethnic. Several nice apartment complexes, don't know about rentals right in that neighborhood. It grew quickly, went into a stale period, and now is rebounding again. If you go north of 12th St. up University, there are some neighborhoods west of University from I-630 to Markham that are nice, and anything north of Markham and west of Stift Station (Kavanaugh and Markham) is nice. You will run into higher rent the further north up University or Mississippi you go. For close proximity, I'd stick with Broadmoor....it's a diverse neighborhood but the neighbors are actually very close. Quite a few rentals through there, but mostly to singles and couples, not so much to the university crowd.

Are you looking for an apartment or a house?

[strumpeace]

angiecoli --

If you're looking for an apartment complex, I can tell you about the ones I lived in when I was in LR. Shadow Lake is a large complex in West LR on Markham behind Old Navy. It's secluded from the other apartment complexes in West LR, which is a good thing, imo. It was ok, but very large.

A newer complex, which I lived in for one year when it was brand new, is Capitol Hill, which is in West LR, but is in a more secluded area. It's off Cooper Orbit Road between Kanis and Col. Glenn. You would be probably 8-10 minutes from UALR there. The rent was higher-than-average, but still reasonable. It's a smaller complex occupied mostly by medical people (it's close to Baptist.)

There are some great houses and neighborhoods in the area that surrounds UALR. If you can find a rental, that would also be a good spot. I wouldn't cross Asher, though.

[angiecoli]

Thank you all for your help and I will be renting an apartment. I would like to rent a house but sense I am new to Little Rock I will wait until I am more familar with the area.

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by angiecoli

Thank you all for your help and I will be renting an apartment. I would like to rent a house but sense I am new to Little Rock I will wait until I am more familar with the area.

Look at the apartments behind Sears off University...you might find something reasonable there....also, Otter Creek apartments are very nice. There are a lot of apartments on Reservoir, but sometimes they have a very transient population - I just wouldn't recommend it. Up off Cantrell behind Steinmart (about the 7000 block west) are a bunch of apartments...tons...oh, wait - Markham and University, go east - then cut back north before you get to Fair Park Blvd. - there are a LOT of apartments back in there, mostly medical students.

If you find anything and you want to ask me about it I'll be happy to tell you whatever I know....again, don't go south of UALR, and stay away from those apartments right on the NW corner of Asher and University...just not a good idea.

[angiecoli]

Does anyboby know what is the cost of living in Little Rock, AR.

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by angiecoli

Does anyboby know what is the cost of living in Little Rock, AR.

As compared to what? What is it you are looking for - it's kind of all over the board, depending on the amenities you want/need and the lifestyle you lead.