Little Rock vs. Larger cities (North Little Rock, Harrison: apartment complexes, rent, condo)

[bchris02]

Hey,

I am from the Ft. Smith area graduating college and I might be taking a job in Little Rock when I get out. I am wanting a more progressive urban area and it was my initial intention to move to a large metro such as Dallas/Ft. Worth but this job offer would be very attractive if I can get it. I know VERY little about Little Rock. Question - how does living in Little Rock compare to larger cities as far as shopping, food, culture, nightlife, etc? Second question - I have heard a lot about how bad crime is in the LR area - what areas should I avoid? What areas, as a single guy, would be the best for me to live?

Thanks for replies

[Sam I Am]

bchris, use the search feature at the top right of the screen and do a "search this forum" for posts by MitchArk87. He recently moved to Little Rock to attend school and there is a TON of information provided to him in those posts about where to live, the night life, shopping, etc. There's also info on the baseline roads so that you can orient yourself.

Crime and where to live seem to have pretty set boundaries...stay north of I-630, definitely west of I-30, and preferably west of about Rice or Dennison, which run off Markham. As far as crime, use your good common sense that you would use in any other city - stay out of areas that look marginal, try to travel in a group for a while until you know your way around, and don't drink to the point your ability to comprehend what is going on around you is compromised.

Downtown has really boosted and there's all sorts of entertainment and great places to eat, but it certainly isn't all Little Rock has to offer.

Where to live...give us a rough age group and marital status...and price range. Apartment or house? What area of town will you be working in? Rent is pretty high in Little Rock right now but there are bargains to be had, and in areas that previously were considered off limits. The restoration of the older homes in Little Rock is amazing, and the transformation of the neighborhoods that even just a few years ago were looking kind of rough has followed along. Traffic can be awful - if you can live relatively close to where you work it is really to your benefit...between traffic, trying to go west on I-630 or Cantrell at sundown, and gas prices it can make getting home another chore.

I think you will actually be very pleased...of course there is the Clinton Library, but there is Robinson Auditorium, which has a lot of plays and concerts. Alltel Arena is around the corner...in the summer there is the new ballfield. Downtown always has something going on, even during the middle of the week. I was down there a couple of nights ago and was amazed at how many people are milling around downtown - something you wouldn't have seen even a dozen years ago. I think it's a very wonderful place to be...and don't forget to look across the river at North Little Rock. I don't know as much about that, but someone here does and we'd love to help!

[GCSTroop]

You know,

I just moved from Little Rock to take a job in Memphis. I was in the military and had transplanted from Tokyo to Little Rock. Well, Tokyo is about as urban as it gets so my first impression of Little Rock was ill conceived and I had a mindset going in there that it would stink. And to be honest, I lived with that mentality for several years. Towards the end of our stay in Little Rock I grew to appreciate the downtown area because it was actually very nice. Now, I am in Memphis (where I grew up) and to be quite honest, I kind of miss the place. The grass is always greener huh?

I guess what I'm getting at is that it is what you make of it. I'd move back to Little Rock any day if I could but I don't think my job would ever take me there.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Where to live...give us a rough age group and marital status...and price range. Apartment or house? What area of town will you be working in? Rent is pretty high in Little Rock right now but there are bargains to be had, and in areas that previously were considered off limits. The restoration of the older homes in Little Rock is amazing, and the transformation of the neighborhoods that even just a few years ago were looking kind of rough has followed along. Traffic can be awful - if you can live relatively close to where you work it is really to your benefit...between traffic, trying to go west on I-630 or Cantrell at sundown, and gas prices it can make getting home another chore.

Thanks for the reply. I am 22 and single. I would be working downtown (considering I get the job) and prefer an apartment to start out. I want to live within 15 minutes of downtown. Right now I commute to Ft. Smith from a small town of about 1,000 people 45 minutes away and I want to get away from that kind of lifestyle. On google earth I was noticing many apartment complexes right on the river. Are they safe and affordable?

[Sam I Am]

Safe, yes, pretty much. Affordable, not so much unless you're landing a killer job. At least, if you're talking about the apartments down behind Alltel and Riverfront. I think they can run pretty pricey.

I think what you might want to look at is a guest house or duplex or something in Hillcrest or the lower Heights area. Very, very safe...and Hillcrest is very trendy, with an eclectic mix of folks. There are also some apartments on Kavanaugh by the promenade, which would be about where Cedar Hill Road comes in from the north from Cantrell Rd., and more apartments at Kavanaugh and Allsop Park Road. There are quite a few carriage houses or guest houses in Hillcrest/Heights and it would afford you the privacy of a regular residence. If you're looking for an apartment for the amenities, I would say west Little Rock would be your best bet. However, at heavy traffic hours you will definitely not be within 15 minutes of downtown. Across from the Med Center going north there are quite a number of smaller complexes, although I actually wonder how many are left standing since the revitalization of the east/north side of University and Markham - someone else might be able to help you with that. But for fun and funky, I'd stay in Hillcrest. You're really close to the downtown area for your job and for your night life and there are all kinds of little cafes, grocery stores, and specialty shops.

There are some apartments off Rebsamen Park Road that are very close to the river - Holcomb Heights and some others I can't recall just off the top of my head. That may be a great place to look - the last I heard they were affordable, had a lot of young professionals, and it's close to the Big Damn Dam, the golf course, and all the biking and jogging trails. You'd go west on Cantrell from downtown until you see Sonic - about 3 blocks further or so you'd take a right at what used to be Riviera Apartments - I think it is going condo...go down a few blocks and take a left at Faded Rose and then all those complexes would be on your left. You're pretty much on the river there, although you won't have the view, but the price is probably right. Definitely within 15 minutes of downtown, you just have to watch for school traffic there at Cathedral in front of Dillard's corporate offices - the police love that one for a speed trap!

If you need more help with names of complexes please let me know...or you might want to use one of the apartment relocation services that are available free...you tell them what you want and they tell you if what you want is anywhere close to being in your price or amenities range.

Hope that helps...you can direct message me for specific names if you need to.

[JohnN]

Little Rock is horrible, period. The crime is awful and it's so small, it's always near you.

[Sam I Am]

So small??? He's coming from a town of 1000 people??? Whatever...

[eric1]

Little Rock Metro area 600,000+ I wouldn't call that small.

[goozer]

As a new college graduate, I would recommend that you go to where the best job opportunity for you is. It sounds like you may have a very good opportunity in Little Rock and if it came down between that and a lesser job in Dallas, I would definitely go with Little Rock. You are young and there will always be time for you to move elsewhere in a few years if you decide you don't like it.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by goozer

As a new college graduate, I would recommend that you go to where the best job opportunity for you is. It sounds like you may have a very good opportunity in Little Rock and if it came down between that and a lesser job in Dallas, I would definitely go with Little Rock. You are young and there will always be time for you to move elsewhere in a few years if you decide you don't like it.

Yeah, I plan on doing this to a certain extent, as long as the place is somewhat decent. There are some places that I have job prospects such as Harrison, AR that I refuse to go. I also refuse to stay in the Ft. Smith region. As for Little Rock, from the little bit I read, I am excited. I am taking a trip there later this month so Ill get to see for myself. Ive lived in the river valley area for 6 years and have never been to Little Rock. Most people on this side of the state go to NW Arkansas, Tulsa, or OK City to find big city amenities.