[1Patois]

Originally Posted by kdb05f

Pine Bluff has had a lot of loss in a very short time. That's another difference between it and Hot Springs. HS is growing... slowly, but growing... Pine Bluff has been shedding people. In 2000 its population was 57,000 and today its under 40,000. The losses started after cuts by the biggest employers in town. The PB Arsenal and the National Center for Toxicological Research cut well over a thousand jobs just by themselves, plus factories and poultry plants closed too. A town that size losing as many jobs as it did is pretty devastating. But there are a lot of people who hope and believe that it has bottomed out and you are not the only out of stater investing there and trying to help turn it around. It does have things to build on like presence of the University, that it is a historic town as far a Arkansas goes, and it has historically been the biggest town in southern Arkansas and the economic and cultural hub of the delta.

One thing about living in PB though. No if ands or buts, your house will get broken into.

Thanks for listing the types of businesses that left. Living life mostly as an outsider,I appreciate learning things about a the past of a local because it helps me fit in better... The house was indeed broken into, and it is evident that several others have too...but I am looking to
have wooden board and batten storm shutters that lock on the inside installed to each of the windows. The fixer-upper showed signs of more than one forced entry

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by 1Patois

TRUE. I have a history with New Orleans and don't think at all that they can even be uttered in the same sentence...Hmm, so what you are saying that that despite the danger of New Orleans, its worth THEIR investment? I read in the Pine Bluff COmmercial that a California rice flour milling company is moving to Pine Bluff...they're supposed to open their doors Jan 2018 creating many jobs...another guy is FIGHTING to develop 10 acres into multifamily housing, and many homes in Pine Bluff are foreclosures waiting to be re-sold...and I'm taking all of this into account to assume that there is a small possibility that even with minute growth, Pine Bluff may attract the attention it needs to turn things around... who knows? I've got fingers crossed.

I guess the only thing that can be said at this stage is: you made your decision, you came here to ask what we thought (after the fact) so now it is simply good luck and hope it works our for you. I will remodeling can be fun, but that is about all there is to say in this case. Just remember as you just said, there are a lo of foreclosures. And a small flour mill isn't going to attract that many jobs.

[sub]

Originally Posted by 1Patois

LOL That comment says it all. I bet you're thinking "Who in their right mind DOES that, AFTER doing their homework?" *cough cough* me, I guess.

Let me tell you more about where I'm coming from:

1. I asked because I read threads on here about people 'loving' and preferring Hot Springs, so I was beginning to think I had to look there instead.

2. Then, I actually looked...and discovered that on paper, it's not so different (I had only seen Hot Springs once) For example, their populations are within the same class i.e. mid-size town...There crime rates aren't that far apart. Hot Springs exceeded Pine Bluff in some particular types of crimes...and THEN, I looked at the racial makeup of the town... and then I put it in perspective. I reminded myself "this is The South, even though Louisianans wouldn't consider it so, and that the opinion on the towns may be based on "who lives there." So I wanted to dig further by "asking," but I didn't want to come out and say "Do most people in the forums love dangerous-a** Hot Springs, AR MORE because the city is majority white and hate equally-bad Pine Bluff, AR because it is predominantly "black?"

CLARIFICATION: Pine Bluff does have more murders, but that's about it...aside from the tragic loss of businesses.

3. So what wound up happening is that the nice old, affordable home in Hot Springs SOLD. and I continued viewing Pine Bluff as an option (because I never took it off my list before I finally purchased there)

By the way, I went back down there on Jan. 4, literally just got back last night.

You just made a quirky, off-beat choice for a town. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself.
Remember I said hilly areas get a pass on here, even though they're not much better.
I don't venture down into the city of Pine Bluff that much, but I've driven in that area not too long ago. There are a fair amount of nice, even upscale developments not too far away from Pine Bluff. That region has potential.

[hitpausebutton2]

Besure to setup traps for future break-ins.. Like a shotgun at the door. Never in my life seen a town that has daily break-ins on the same house, much the same block. I can think of many reasons why you should never ever go to PB to live or work. Not to turn this in to a racial issue or thread.. but when you have a town majority of one race, you bound to have major issue.

//www.city-data.com/crime/crime...-Arkansas.html

//www.city-data.com/city/Pine-Bluff-Arkansas.html

[1Patois]

Originally Posted by sub

You just made a quirky, off-beat choice for a town. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself.
Remember I said hilly areas get a pass on here, even though they're not much better.
I don't venture down into the city of Pine Bluff that much, but I've driven in that area not too long ago. There are a fair amount of nice, even upscale developments not too far away from Pine Bluff. That region has potential.

LOL Quirky? That defines me. Off-beat? Definitely. Thanks for your input <3

[1Patois]

Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2

Besure to setup traps for future break-ins.. Like a shotgun at the door. Never in my life seen a town that has daily break-ins on the same house, much the same block. I can think of many reasons why you should never ever go to PB to live or work. Not to turn this in to a racial issue or thread.. but when you have a town majority of one race, you bound to have major issue.

//www.city-data.com/crime/crime...-Arkansas.html

//www.city-data.com/city/Pine-Bluff-Arkansas.html

A shotgun? I'm not going to be there most of the time until after I "get" to live in it. Tell me more of what you know.

And "the same house?" Hmm, And i thought that one would go form house to house. I guess the criminals arent smart? I have no issue with it being or 'becoming' racial...I brought up the issue of race earlier on in this thread. Don't worry, as a French Creole, I have dark-skin. I will somewhat blend with the existent LARGE African-American populous there. It'd be obvious that I don't look like locals, but I'm certainly not white...

[1Patois]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I guess the only thing that can be said at this stage is: you made your decision, you came here to ask what we thought (after the fact) so now it is simply good luck and hope it works our for you. I will remodeling can be fun, but that is about all there is to say in this case. Just remember as you just said, there are a lo of foreclosures. And a small flour mill isn't going to attract that many jobs.

yes...after the fact. I guess the posts others' made weren't enough. And thank you very much. I have many months to figure out how to make this an enriching experience and if I have questions during THAT process, I will totally sign in and ask those too. Y'all have been pretty helpful. As some that has lived where I've lived, it's hard to say whether certain locales pose a threat to me, which is why i posted here ! I've learned quite a bit. The flour mill was projected to create only 25 jobs initially...so you're right on that count too...but if word gets out that a CA company came...then others may try to escape exorbitant CA taxes and come too...these things take years. I'm not holding my breath for an overnight transformation.

[hitpausebutton2]

Originally Posted by 1Patois

A shotgun? I'm not going to be there most of the time until after I "get" to live in it. Tell me more of what you know.

And "the same house?" Hmm, And i thought that one would go form house to house. I guess the criminals arent smart? I have no issue with it being or 'becoming' racial...I brought up the issue of race earlier on in this thread. Don't worry, as a French Creole, I have dark-skin. I will somewhat blend with the existent LARGE African-American populous there. It'd be obvious that I don't look like locals, but I'm certainly not white...

Good friend of mine got broken into twice in the same week, then a month later again. Their are business that gets rob daily just about. The town is the toilet bowl of the state. Its like the mini-me of Chicago.

[sub]

Twinkie to Gary maybe. Chicago is actually a pretty cool town overall.

[1Patois]

Originally Posted by sub

Twinkie to Gary maybe. Chicago is actually a pretty cool town overall.

I thought Chicago took turns with New Orleans being the murder capital. I've never been, but don't let regentrification fool you... I was turned off when I read about the crime AND that Walgreens racism scandal. Phew ! I won't write the WHOLE city off, but I definitely will never "visit" it alone.