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1) If Sufficient Grounds in Hillcrest is still open, it's a cool place, imo. Good conversation and free WiFi access.
6) The best Mediterranean food in LR is, imo, Leo's Greek Castle, the name of which is funny in itself because it's definitely not a castle. (In fact, the doorway is so short, I have to duck to get through it.) Anyway, it's in Hillcrest on Kavanaugh.
8) The Weekend Theatre on the edge of Downtown--near Vino's, which is an excellent dive, btw--is pretty nifty. Definitely cutting-edge for this area.
11) There are no new urbanist suburban developments in LR. However, Hillcrest offers true urban. No need for new when you have true. There is a new urbanist development called 'The Village at Hendrix' going up near Hendrix College in Conway, 30 miles north of LR. The guru of new urbanism, Andres Duany, himself designed it. Another new urbanist community is planned in Bryant, which is just a few miles south of LR. As far as I know, though, nothing's been built there yet; Duany also designed that one.
12) Retail in LR is scattered. Big time. For chain stuff and strip malls, your best bet is Chenal Parkway in West LR. For chain stuff and an indoor mall, your best bet is the University/Markham area. For non-chain stuff, your best bet is the Heights area just off Cantrell Rd.
That's all I got. Don't expect Louisville. Little Rock is not Louisville, even on a smaller scale. If you're coming here expecting something like that, you are wasting your time. Little Rock is its own place with its own vibe, and it's not for everybody. (In that way, I suppose it is like Louisville; on the Louisville board, one would get the impression that Louisville is Loserville USA -- but I suspect it ain't so.)
I was just giving my frame of reference. I am not expecting a big city out of Little Rock. I do need to know there is a little culture. With regards to Louisville, the comments are almost universally positive, so not sure what would make you infer posters on the board thought it was Loserville. That said, it is a big city compared to Little Rock, as is Memphis, and I am not expecting that. I am coming to Little Rock not expecting anything, and will judge it based on a blank slate, I was just giving a frame of reference. I have lived in many cities and Louisville has been one of my favorite midsized ("smaller") cities as I come from Chicago. Even on the Chicago boards you will read asinine comments like "I cant make any friends" or there is "nothing to do here" which is laughable for a city like Chicago.
Thanks for the help. I will check those spots. Any more answers to the above are welcome.
I need to know the most impressive streets in Little Rock area from an urbanites perspective. It sounds like Kavanaugh in Hillcrest has a decent pedestrian and urban culture. Is there any other street with pedestrian activity and cool shops? How about streets impressive architecurally, either residential or commercial? I will explore every street downtown probably, but any district that stands out either for pedestrians, retail, restaurants, or business, noth day and night? this inlcudes any working class area with those corner taverns and locally owned barber shops, pet stores, etc.
Also, where do young professionals go for drinks after work on Wed and Thurs night? Ill be in town those nights this week and driving around for drinks. I am into the indie culture, yet you could also find me at a "fratboy" kind of bar hitting on blondes If there are no good places in LR for young professionals, then what will the most crowded bars those nights be?
That said, I want suggestions for (AND PREFERABLY THE PLACES YOU THINK WILL BE MOST CROWDED AS I WANNA SEE AND MEET LOCALS):
1) The top independent coffee shop in town (preferably one open til midnight if it exists)
2) The top 5 bars for young professionals to "see and be seen"
3) Indie or otherwise dive bars (I dont care) with a good vibe, with lots of good brews on tap and the number one microbrewery
4) The most happening and best Sushi bars
5) Indian Buffet for lunch one day
6) Any places serving Hookah or good gyros or medeterranean street food
7) Independent, indie record shops
8) Is there an alternative theatre/art theatre
9) The best restaurants open Wed and Thurs night after midnite (and I am not talking Waffle House or White House or is it Krystal down there?)
10) authentic mexican neighborhood and the best taqueria in it (or if you have any traveling taco trailers)
I'd also like to explore the suburbs a bit (or the newer parts of town if they are not considered suburbs)
11) are there any new urbanist suburban develeopments? ala Norton Commons
12) The best mall. where is the retail center of Little Rock. Any upscale boutiques I should know about or computer stores that may be local versions of Apple store?
13)The best park for people watching or any dog park. Also any other cultural things to see besides the typical city hall/capitol stuff pluse the Clinton Library and trolley?
Anyone willing to answer all 13 questions plus my precluding questions about city streets and urban hoods would be greatly appreciated! And if you ever need help when traveling to any city, I know the midwest cities and several others on the coasts and down south inside and out!
Remember, I am coming from Louisville, which although substantially larger and more urban, has all these things, so I am looking for a similar vibe, if even on a smaller scale.
1) Little Rock is a Starbucks town. If you don't want that, I think there is an independent coffee shop on Kavannaugh and I know there is a few in West Little Rock, but I am not sure on specifics.
2) Big Whiskeys, Cajun's Wharf, Vino's, the Flying Saucer, Boscos, basically any place along President Clinton Ave is pretty popular with young people. Big Whiskeys is a sports bar and it is packed everytime I drive by it, even on weeknights
3) The Flying Saucer, Boscos, Diamond Bear Brewing Co, Vino's, etc all great for beer
4) Sushi is a dime-a-dozen. Crazy Hibachi, Benihana's, Sushi Cafe, Kanpai, and Kobe are some of the more popular ones, though there are many others.
5) Star of India, in West Little Rock
6) There is a hookah bar on Cantrell somewhere between University and I-430. For Mediterranean, a new Greek place called Taziki's just opened on Cantrell. Then of course there is Leo's Greek Castle and there is also a mediterranean place in the River Market if I am not mistaking.
7) I think there are a few small shops but not sure on the specifics
8) There is the Arkansas Repertory Theater. There is also Murray's Dinner Playhouse. Of course they have events at Robinson Music Hall quite frequently. There is also Weekend Theater by Vino's.
9) This might be tough to find if its a weeknight. Little Rock is not a 24/7/365 city. If you find anything it will be either on Kavannaugh or President Clinton. If not, you'll just have to settle for the Waffle House.
10) The hispanic community is in southwest Little Rock but I wouldn't advise hanging down there too much. There is plenty of options for mexican food. Senor Tequilla is my favorite and they have several locations scattered through the LR area. La Hacienda is another good one. If you aren't bothered by national chains, Cantina Laredo is pretty good for tex-mex.
11) There are some in the works but have been postponed due to the national economic conditions
12) Retail is probably one of the most dissappointing things about Little Rock. Park Plaza is the best mall, but that really isn't saying much. Most people looking for unique/specialty or upscale shopping go to Dallas or Memphis to shop because there really isn't much in LR. For electronics you are pretty much stuck with Best Buy. We were supposed to get an Apple store along with several other upscale chains in a new lifestyle center in West Little Rock, but that has all been put on hold due to the national economy.
13) The Rebasaman Park area has several parks all along one road ending with the Big Dam Bridge. It is also home to the River Trail, a popular location for biking, jogging, rollerblading, etc.
Like the other posters have said, DON'T COME EXPECTING LOUISVILLE. If you do that, you'll be very dissappointed. Little Rock has its own charm to it and a lot of people enjoy the slower pace of life. It sounds like you will be making a lot of money so you'll be able to enjoy the low cost of living Little Rock offers and afford weekend road trips to Memphis or Dallas when you need an urban vibe. You also might acquire a new appreciation for the simpler things in life as well.
1) Little Rock is a Starbucks town. If you don't want that, I think there is an independent coffee shop on Kavannaugh and I know there is a few in West Little Rock, but I am not sure on specifics.
2) Big Whiskeys, Cajun's Wharf, Vino's, the Flying Saucer, Boscos, basically any place along President Clinton Ave is pretty popular with young people. Big Whiskeys is a sports bar and it is packed everytime I drive by it, even on weeknights
3) The Flying Saucer, Boscos, Diamond Bear Brewing Co, Vino's, etc all great for beer
4) Sushi is a dime-a-dozen. Crazy Hibachi, Benihana's, Sushi Cafe, Kanpai, and Kobe are some of the more popular ones, though there are many others.
5) Star of India, in West Little Rock
6) There is a hookah bar on Cantrell somewhere between University and I-430. For Mediterranean, a new Greek place called Taziki's just opened on Cantrell. Then of course there is Leo's Greek Castle and there is also a mediterranean place in the River Market if I am not mistaking.
7) I think there are a few small shops but not sure on the specifics
8) There is the Arkansas Repertory Theater. There is also Murray's Dinner Playhouse. Of course they have events at Robinson Music Hall quite frequently. There is also Weekend Theater by Vino's.
9) This might be tough to find if its a weeknight. Little Rock is not a 24/7/365 city. If you find anything it will be either on Kavannaugh or President Clinton. If not, you'll just have to settle for the Waffle House.
10) The hispanic community is in southwest Little Rock but I wouldn't advise hanging down there too much. There is plenty of options for mexican food. Senor Tequilla is my favorite and they have several locations scattered through the LR area. La Hacienda is another good one. If you aren't bothered by national chains, Cantina Laredo is pretty good for tex-mex.
11) There are some in the works but have been postponed due to the national economic conditions
12) Retail is probably one of the most dissappointing things about Little Rock. Park Plaza is the best mall, but that really isn't saying much. Most people looking for unique/specialty or upscale shopping go to Dallas or Memphis to shop because there really isn't much in LR. For electronics you are pretty much stuck with Best Buy. We were supposed to get an Apple store along with several other upscale chains in a new lifestyle center in West Little Rock, but that has all been put on hold due to the national economy.
13) The Rebasaman Park area has several parks all along one road ending with the Big Dam Bridge. It is also home to the River Trail, a popular location for biking, jogging, rollerblading, etc.
Like the other posters have said, DON'T COME EXPECTING LOUISVILLE. If you do that, you'll be very dissappointed. Little Rock has its own charm to it and a lot of people enjoy the slower pace of life. It sounds like you will be making a lot of money so you'll be able to enjoy the low cost of living Little Rock offers and afford weekend road trips to Memphis or Dallas when you need an urban vibe. You also might acquire a new appreciation for the simpler things in life as well.
This sounds great, I think I may kind of like Little Rock for a smaller city. Wish me luck If anyone wants to meet for a beer, I may hit Big Whiskey on Thursday! Also, I am sure sushi is a dime a dozen, like any city, however, there are usually a few "see and be seen" types of places, especially in smaller towns. You can usually tell from pics posted on places like metromix for many cities (alas no metromix for little rock, I am hoping "sync" has some good photos). That said, what is the busiest, trendiest sushi bar? I am not looking for the traditional tatami room or one of those places with a hibachi grill, but the kind of place with low beat house or techno in the background and young, well-heeled 20 and 30 somethings lounging and eating rolls.
Last edited by Peter1948; 02-02-2009 at 08:23 PM..
This sounds great, I think I may kind of like Little Rock for a smaller city. Wish me luck If anyone wants to meet for a beer, I may hit Big Whiskey on Thursday! Also, I am sure sushi is a dime a dozen, like any city, however, there are usually a few "see and be seen" types of places, especially in smaller towns. You can usually tell from pics posted on places like metromix for many cities (alas no metromix for little rock, I am hoping "sync" has some good photos). That said, what is the busiest, trendiest sushi bar? I am not looking for the traditional tatami room or one of those places with a hibachi grill, but the kind of place with low beat house or techno in the background and young, well-heeled 20 and 30 somethings lounging and eating rolls.
Possibly Wasabi, downtown. It has more of a sports bar feel to it than a traditional sushi feel. Maybe Sushi cafe as well, though its a little more upscale. I figured you were seeking more of a habachi or a traditional tatami type of place.
By the way, I mentioned this earlier but I'm not sure if you saw it. Try Outontherock.com Its a pretty cool website for LR nightlife.
I also forgot to mention, you can stroll the Argenta district in North Little Rock as well. It has its own charm and is also popular with young people. Creegan's Irish Pub is one of the main attractions there.
you've gotten some great information from the above posters. I just wanted to add: you'll be fine in Southwest Little Rock, and that's definitely where you want to go for Mexican. there are lots of great taquerias and taco trucks on every corner. Taqueria Karina on 65th Street is a good one. there are also quite a few in the Levy area of North Little Rock. Taqueria Guadalajara on Camp Robinson is good. for less authentic Mexican, La Hacienda is good, also El Dorado (on Asher near UALR). for greasy burgers after midnight, try Midtown Billiards (downtown on South Main). it's a bit of a dive but a great place to go after hours. parks: Allsopp Park (off Kavanaugh) is great, as is Riverfront Park.
you've gotten some great information from the above posters. I just wanted to add: you'll be fine in Southwest Little Rock, and that's definitely where you want to go for Mexican. there are lots of great taquerias and taco trucks on every corner. Taqueria Karina on 65th Street is a good one. there are also quite a few in the Levy area of North Little Rock. Taqueria Guadalajara on Camp Robinson is good. for less authentic Mexican, La Hacienda is good, also El Dorado (on Asher near UALR). for greasy burgers after midnight, try Midtown Billiards (downtown on South Main). it's a bit of a dive but a great place to go after hours. parks: Allsopp Park (off Kavanaugh) is great, as is Riverfront Park.
When jenni-b talks....I listen.
She steered me to some great taquerias to satiate my taco-jonesing.
You'll find that most of the LR area has a very suburban feel and car culture reigns supreme here. Hillcrest and the Heights are the only real walkable semi-urban areas in the the entire city. Of course there is downtown but that is extremely expensive, and most people go downtown to party but don't live there. The Heights is probably out of your price range if you are 22ish, but you would probably like Hillcrest. Check out the entire Kavanaugh corridor. Its very walkable, in fact you will see people out walking around at all times of day. There are specialty shops and restaurants in the area. Its probably the closest thing you'll find to what you are looking for in Arkansas.
Riverdale is also very popular with young people, but its not walkable at all.
I think you've just tuned me into checking out Hillcrest!
It sounds like downtown and 'the Heights' are quite expensive, but Hillcrest has the urban feel, and isn't? Did I read that right, or is Hillcrest another expensive area?
Really? It only takes 4 hours to get to Dallas from Little Rock? Are you sure?
I'm asking because DH and I are considering retiring to the Hot Springs Village area and have several family members and friends in the Dallas area, and I've been wondering how long it would take to get there. That wouldn't be a bad drive at all....leave early and be there before lunch.
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If there are no good places in LR for young professionals, then what will the most crowded bars those nights be?
