[bblondee]

First time on this site. I would really appreciate some input regarding our pending move from California to Arkansas. We are looking in the NE area. We are in our early 60's and not used to humidity. I've visited Arkansas and loved it. My main concerns are for the weather, health care and basically the quality of life. My husband loves to fish for bass. I love to shop and we both love to go to the movies. We are looking at Rogers and Fayetteville. I am scared to death of tornados but have researched having a shelter installed. Is there anyone out there that has relocated from CAlifornia? Please let me know how you adapted. I would also love to hear from people my age who have lived in Arkansas or are living there now that can give me any insite to my concerns. Thank you so much.

[junkman18]

Well, we moved from California to Cherokee Village last year and we are having a house built on one of the lakes here and we love it, the himidity doesn't really seem to bother me all that much, but then we came from the high Desert area and are use to the heat...

Shopping from here is in Jonesboro which is an house away, good fishing and really nice people... I think you will enjoy it and the lower taxes is quite nice!

Godd luck

[Sam I Am]

We're in our early and mid 50's and have lived here all our lives, except my poor spouse was born in New Jersey....I've forgiven him for that, though. Of course we love it, and that's after spending a year in the Caribbean! I think it's a beautiful state and one that I am very, very proud of.

You say you are moving to the NE corner but then talk about Fayetteville and Rogers, so I'm thinking you meant NW corner?

Tornados....they are a fact of life, but I would say more common in the central, southern and eastern parts of the state. We live in a tornado alley and I'd bet I don't know 3 people who have a shelter....we just cope, like people on the coast do with hurricanes or in some parts of CA, earthquakes. Yes, it is scary and awe-inspiring, but it doesn't happen as much as people imagine....the NW corner seems to get a lot less because of the hills and different topography. The flatter the region, the more prone to tornados, I guess.

Fayetteville is quite a little commercial center and epicenter for NWA - plenty of entertainment and gorgeous countryside. The health care community there is very good as well - of course, the very, very specialized medicines are in Little Rock, but you also have Tulsa and OKC not too far away. As far as emergency medical care and the regular stuff, you will find the Fayetteville area more than adequate to meet your needs.

My suggestion is to visit again and take a tour of the whole quarter of the state you think you're interested in. South of Little Rock and east it becomes quite flat and basically delta, which doesn't sound like what you are interested in, and I think it's just hotter and more humid down there....I'd be looking around one of the lakes up NW if I were you - breathtaking beauty everywhere. Mountain Home and Mountain View are also great retirement areas, but not as cosmopolitan. Okay, there's NO cosmopolitan!

Welcome - when do you plan to move?

[nmnita]

Bblondee, We have only visited AR but have a granddaugther that will be a senior at the Unitversity this fall (actually a few weeks). We are going to re-locate (retire again) in Bella Vista which isn't far from Fayetteville and the area you are speaking about. BTW, it is NW, not NE but that's ok. I don't know north from south so who am I to talk?

WE have met with a wonderful realtor. In fact our daughter and son in law will be retiring there as well (early retirement for them) they too are using her. She is great.

As for tornados: ok, what we have been able to gather, in the NW area they aren't nearly as bad or as frequent. Of course they exist, just like earthquakes in Calif. We are originally from California and have seen some ot the wrost.

Health care: Bentonville and Fayetteville have great hospitals I have been told. Of course Fayetteville, being a university town you would expect that.

Humidity: BAD, I can tell you that. We left Texas because of the humidity and now we are moving back into it. The saving grace: the summers are not nearly as long as they are further south.

As for quality of life, I think you would get everything you are looking for if you consentrate on the NW corner which is where you seem to be looking. Of course this doesn't mean other parts of AR suffer from some of the stereotyping you read about. Sure, there is going to be some racism, that is everywhere, backwards people can be found in any state, some lack of education and the "good ole boy" attitude will be there but that is part of the charm.

The most important thing about re-locating to an area totally different from where you have lived is to your best to fit in and not do your best to make the locals fit into what you think life is all about.

Think of the beauty, the quiet life, the availability of fishing etc and enjoy the years ahead of you. We are a little older than you. We too know there will be adjustments but are more than ready to make the move. And, coming to these boards is one way to learn about the state. Lots of Calif people are moving to AR.

Politically, there are many very liberal areas (I have heard) and some very conservative areas as well. If this is important to you, I would seek out the areas that will best fit with beliefs you can live with.
Nita

[bblondee]

Yes, you guys are correct.....we are moving to NW AR not NE AR. Guess I better learn where we are going before we take off for there eh????hahaha!

We have pretty much decided on Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers area. I will probably fly back there and look around in the next few weeks. Our house goes on the MLS listing tomorrow and we will see how long it takes to sell. My husband has sent in his retirement application and that should probably take a month to complete.

I am getting so excited now that I've received all your comments about Arkansas. It is so scary to just list your house and move somewhere you have never been. I knew we didn't want to go to Arizona or New Mexico because we don't care for the desert. We didn't want to go to Oklahoma because we prefer mountains and hills. We didn't want to move to Colorado or further North because it's too cold, so that is how we decided on Arkansas.

Thanks again for your comments. It really helped us make up our mind.!!!

[bblondee]

I forgot to ask one question...................Do cell phones work in area surrounding Fayetteville? I know if you get into some of the hills in CA, you have no reception. Also, do they have 'wireless' hook ups for computers? Thanks again, to all of you guys who have helped me out.

Bblondee

[Stage]

I grew up near LA- moved here about 2 years ago.

Tornadoes are scarry sure- but think about it this way- At least they give you a bit of warning. Earthquakes just happen. Plus they are very very survivable. Arkansas gets very very few tornadoes above and f-2. f-2 tornadoes will blow shingles off your house, it will destroy mobile homes, but it will not destroy a well built tornado shelter. So just make sure you buy or build a home that has a good shelter and buy a weather radio that will turn itself on when a weather alert is issued.

[Victor912]

I know I'm going to sound dense.... but help me anyway :>).

What kind of shelter do people build. (I'm moving to CV from LA, CA...won't have a basement or side of a mountain or hill) Is it in the ground like a root cellar??

[Sam I Am]

My computer is having a fit - if this double posts, please forgive -

Blondee - you will be fine unless you are out in the boondocks. Cingular seems to have the best coverage - they've had some glitches since merging with AT&T, but so far they seem to be the leader. DO NOT GO ALLTEL...they are being bought out and their coverage is HORRIBLE. There's a bunch of college kids in that area of the state who apparently have had their cell phones grafted onto their heads, so they must be getting reception!

Roz, the most common tornado shelters are like you saw in the Wizard of Oz - underground bunkers. Sort of like a root cellar - Arkansas rock isn't amenable to much but blasting, so sometimes the shelters are partially above ground, reinforced with concrete or whatever. Mostly if the weather is so ominous that there are numerous tornado sightings in the state, the schools will let you hide out there....tornados are tricky, though, and pop up at a moment's notice. Even with a shelter you may not have time to make it there....most people just hunker down in an interior room (including the idiot they will inevitably interview on the 5 o'clock news who has 3 teeth and says, "Ah sware, it sounded jus lack a freight train, I sware it did"...always a proud moment for us.... :-)

Let me edit my own post - please don't panic over the tornado factor. It's definitely something we think about when the pressure systems are changing, but it's nothing anyone lives their life around. The devastation CAN be impressive...an above-ground tsunami....but more frequently you will just have trees down and shingles blown off, not fatalities...

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by bblondee

First time on this site. I would really appreciate some input regarding our pending move from California to Arkansas. We are looking in the NE area. We are in our early 60's and not used to humidity. I've visited Arkansas and loved it. My main concerns are for the weather, health care and basically the quality of life. My husband loves to fish for bass. I love to shop and we both love to go to the movies. We are looking at Rogers and Fayetteville. I am scared to death of tornados but have researched having a shelter installed. Is there anyone out there that has relocated from CAlifornia? Please let me know how you adapted. I would also love to hear from people my age who have lived in Arkansas or are living there now that can give me any insite to my concerns. Thank you so much.

When I read the title to your thread "Welcome from California" my reaction was to DUCK from all the buck shot flying your way. Just don't tell anyone and you will be OK. Never Never say how great Cali is here. Don't try and change Ark, because Y'all are guest until you learn to say "Y'all" I just visited Fayetteville and Its Charming beyond all expecations. Very muggy however.
I was looking to move from Texas to Arkansas to get away from the flat, ugly and muggy, well flat and ugly are gone, but muggy continues to play a nasty part in my search for the promise land. Turns out, Im headed back to the Northwest. Ill miss Dickson Street.
Check out Bella Vista, I did, and I loved it too.