[nmnita]

Originally Posted by northbound74

...but summers are horrid and hot..
try breaking down in Little Rock. good luck with that...
rural people will stop and help in most parts of the country that I'm familiar with... Arkansas doesn't have the market on that, not by a long shot....
Arkansas has some of the goofiest liquor laws out there...

Come on people, let's try coming up with something unique about Arkansas that is good...

I guess you are better off just driving through the state and not living here.

Liquor laws, you haven't lived many places if you think they are goofy.. of course they are, so is Texas, OK and a few other states I can think of..

Humid summers, where else have you lived? Sure, AR isn't AZ, but it isn't Texas, La, Ms or Fl either, just to mention a few states.

There isn't a perfect place except maybe where you live, but AR comes close...

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I guess you are better off just driving through the state and not living here.

Liquor laws, you haven't lived many places if you think they are goofy.. of course they are, so is Texas, OK and a few other states I can think of..

Humid summers, where else have you lived? Sure, AR isn't AZ, but it isn't Texas, La, Ms or Fl either, just to mention a few states.

There isn't a perfect place except maybe where you live, but AR comes close...

Many places in that region have odd liquor laws, I know. I was amused by the "easy to get beer" post from the guy in a dry county.

I said horrid, not humid. It's the heat that bugs me, mostly. Humid, dry, I don't like any of it. I've lived in the southwest desert, the midwest, and in three states in the southeast. The midwest is by far the most tolerable for me personally. It's still way too hot in the summertime, but at least it doesn't last very long and the worst of it just comes in short spurts. Northern New England seems the most ideal for a hot-natured weirdo like myself.
Where I live is far from perfect, but I can handle it much easier than the parts of Arkansas I lived in.

What I'm trying to understand is, and I'm being totally honest here, what makes Arkansas stand out? I really need to know.
So far, all I've heard is rose-colored half-truths, and stuff one could easily find in 25 other states, most of which have better jobs and schools, higher standard of living, lower crime, similar cost of living ratios, etc.

I really want to know what makes Arkansas stand out in a good way for once. I was born there and lived there for 20+ years. I never saw anything that would ever make me want to stay. I lived in two different areas, I've travelled quite a bit in every corner.. but nothing made me think, "wow, this is a cool place!" Now that I'm older, nothing about Arkansas makes me want to raise children there, either. The reports I get from family who are still there, only solidify that feeling.

[Kaye02]

Northbound74- Different strokes for different folks I suppose. I love the hot summers, I've broken down in Little Rock and a nice guy stopped and helped in just a few minutes. And, yeah, Arkansas has weird liquor laws but that doesn't stop people from drinking themselves into a stupor . I never said AR was some Utopian society, nor did I say that those good points were unique to the state. Truth is all states have their good points and bad points, and many of those points are similar. I get the feeling you will be unsatisfied wherever you go.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by Kaye02

I get the feeling you will be unsatisfied wherever you go.

You may be right. I have lived in places where I was less unsatisfied than others, though. By the way, some of those moves were with the fam before I got out on my own. I've moved a few times as an adult, but I've managed to be much more stable than my parents so far.
Believe it or not, as long as my job is going well, and the weather's not too hot to bother me, I'm capable of being pretty content.

[Fasder]

Why live in Arkansas


Green – maybe not green in sense of Eco green, but you truly have green landscapes, plants, forests, farm landscapes, rolling hills.


Seasons – maybe not full winter seasons so don't count on snow or winter time pastimes, but you have strong spring, summer, fall seasons with the richness of turning leaves, flowering trees (dogwoods), and wildflowers everywhere.


People – this is a state of wandering transplants mixed with southern backdrop. People from Arkansas are used to travelers as 'folks drive through' on their way to other places. However, this is not a large state in population sense, so you can still find the wide open spaces and forgotten hideaways. With a overall population of entire state less than nearby Metro communities ... it is easy to get lost in Arkansas enjoying the scenery.


Variety – many a state would love to have the water, climate, farm land, rivers, or rich make up of geology. Lots of Water, trees, open land ... with a landscape that encourages stepping into the wilderness.


Lastly raw potential. If you were looking for a place where you can do your own thing ... Arkansas could be your gig. Yes, others point out the “you are trying to change us, talk about how to do it your way, or trying to influence culture” but that is not the real issue here. If you are a free spirit, Arkansas is a place you can find your place, escape to the your private corner, and do your own thing.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Fasder

If you are a free spirit, Arkansas is a place you can find your place, escape to the your private corner, and do your own thing.

Very true.

It's different when you live here, than when you visit.

For years and years, I would visit my farm for a week or so, then return to the salt mine. I knew a *couple* of people, and they were good folks.

However, after moving here and meeting more & more people, it took on a much different light. Now, having been here long enough to be considered a "local", I can't think of any point in my life that I've had so many friends. Yes, I said *friends*, not just people I know or say hi to.

After the disasters that we've had, the areas become much like a disturbed bee hive. People driving, calling, all touching base with each other, "Are you OK? What do you need? Billy's got his generator going and has hot showers, his mother's cooking".......Folks that really care about you and like you.

BTW, vote that we appoint Norhbound to head the Department of Tourism.......

We could stabilize the growth in Arkansas with one swift blow!

Just joshin' ya, bud.

[J Arp]

Originally Posted by RogMar

BTW, vote that we appoint Norhbound to head the Department of Tourism.......

We could stabilize the growth in Arkansas with one swift blow!

Just joshin' ya, bud.

I second the motion.

[pau]

Here is my experience so far here in Central Arkansas.

First a little background.

I grew up in Oklahoma and left at 20yrs.

After getting married I have lived in Indiana, Iowa, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, California

I spent 12 years in Northern California the longest place I have ever lived.

If I could compare Arkansas to any state I have been in , it would be Colorado in terms of beautiful scenery. But, the sierras up toward Lake Tahoe Nevada are beautiful and can be compared to Greenbrier area I live in. I lived in the countryside. We have beautiful sunrises, fantastic clouds and gorgeous sunsets. There are many bodies of water around here and lots of critters.

We moved here in oct 2008 from Texas. Texas has more humid days in the winter than I have experienced here so far. I love the winters because they really are wintery and cold. But, it seems to be sunshine here more than in Texas during the winter. The taxes are much better than Texas and California. So we love that part and actually will not have to worry about scraping up 1000's of dollars like 11,000. in Texas. My house is more open like my house was in California so I really love it.

The newer home styles here are different than Texas and California and I love that as well.

Its hard to get liquor because of the dry county.

The library here is better than the one in Texas for they offer great free classes to all and have speakers come in. There is an abundance of games here if you are a hunter. This is natures gift to the people who live off the land. People say yes mam here more and seem to be respectful. I have run into a few who would love to keep Arkansas a secret but they will have to get over it or don't mingle with the new people. For the most part I have really enjoyed living here although there is a trade off I think it was a great move for us. When I want to see a casino I will just take a trip to Oklahoma.

For you Arkansas people, we love it here and hope to stay here a long long time. There were a lot of people out of work in the construction business in the dead of winter. I begin building a studio and have employed several of these great Arkansas workmen. This has helped keep them feeding their families. I have made some wonderful friends this winter.

I love this place. The summer and bugs will probably be a different story but so far its been fantastic!!!

[PurpleLove08]

Which library do you mostly attend? I mostly go to the Sanders branch (I wish it was bigger and had more seating but I've been going there for years) and the main library.
I love the Central Arkansas Library System. Laman in North Little Rock is okay but it's a hassle trying to keep up with which books I got from which library system and their selection is smaller than the CALS.

[Luvvarkansas]

I'm just going to do a few at a time, as I think of them, because my hand is hurt and typing a lot aggravates it.

Why YOU should move to Arkansas:

(1) You're tired of the rat race. You've realized there's more to life than making money, accumulating "stuff", keeping up with the Joneses. You want a nice, quiet place where you can breathe and relax a little, be more peaceful.

(2) You want a little piece of land to call your own, to raise some chickens, have a garden, listen to birds sing instead of traffic zing....OR....you want to live in a small town with friendly people who value family and a simple existence.

(3) You want to embrace (not change) a culture that has grown up around self-sufficiency, hard work, folk wisdom, old-time ways of doing things that have been passed down through the generations, loving the outdoors and gleaning a living from it. There are some real characters in them thar hills, and they're very interesting to get to know.

More later!