[Aptor hours]

LOL that is funny! I have to say I find the trend of eating very disturbing I live in northern NH and the amounts of food that people want to eat is amazing and the total lack of activity just crazy. I guess it should please me since this makes for an unhealthy population and good for my job since I sell drugs in a pharmacy

[Cali BassMan]

Nita, so tell us how do you like Bella Vista? You've been there for over year now haven't you?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Cali BassMan

Nita, so tell us how do you like Bella Vista? You've been there for over year now haven't you?

CAli Bassman, it will be a year in about 2 weeks and we have absolutely no regrets. The people are friendly, the homes well maintained, some on the lakes are absolutely stunning, we are close enough to civilization to have everything close and yet we feel like we live in a rural area. Just watching the birds (colors I have never seen) the deer, the chipmonks and Squirrels and even a fox now and then is amazing. We can do without the Armadillos digging up our yard.

My parents lived in Paradise, Ca for years, this is a little like Paradise,but much nicer..Not being able to buy our wine, I thought might be a hassle, but we are only a couple of minutes from the MO border so our problems are solved. I am so glad our granddaughter suggested BV to us.

Nita

[bagelw]

Originally Posted by nmnita

You know the difference between the NO/SO and E/West? I don't think is true. NY versus San Fran, maybe, but Phoenix versus Boston, very different. We have lived, which is more than visited in DC. L.A. S.F, Dallas, ABQ and now NWA. plus have relatives in Phoenix and lots still in various parts of CA. ABQ is as different from NYC as NWA is from DC. L.A. is different in another way and Sac (which we lived in as well as Eureka) is nowhere near like D.C. Eureka is nothing like any of the above. All of them have a mindset that does not match that of other parts of our country. The culture, the economics, the diversity and the attitude of each is very different. L.A and S.F are somewhat the same. Visiting gives each of us a little taste of the area, one has to live in an area to totally feel the vibes.

Nita

You haven't lived in any major southern city and I realize that everywhere is different. I'm not talking about obvious differences between them. I am talking about the difference that southern cities have compared to other larger cities in the US. Little Rock, Birmingham, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Baton Rouge, all these cities have deep issues that go well beyond the average issues of other major cities.

[Gallbaro]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

Ummmm....yep, some of us do like the Mayberry lifestyle, so why shouldn't we have areas of the country that are like that for those of us who do? If you are in one and you don't like it....go somewhere else.

What is so irritating is that some people automatically assume that those of us who CHOOSE simple lives are simple minded. Not so. But some of you are so high-minded and full of yourselves that you cannot appreciate simplicity. Your loss.

Where is this mythical Mayberry lifestyle you speak of? Where can I walk down to the square on calm residential roads, where can I go to the local butcher, the deli, the cafe, the grocery store, the repair shop at a vibrant neighborhood downtown where people live, work and entertain.

I dare you to find Mayberry in Arkansas, you will not. You will either find a dead downtown replaced by walmart or far flung developments that are cul-de-sacs rather than neighborhoods. I also do not recall seeing franchises outnumber locally owned businesses 10 to 1 on the Andy Grifith Show.

Heck NYC is far more congruent to Mayberry than Arkansas is, let alone its older suburbs, such as Bronxville and Roslyn, they even have train stations downtown, how quant. And remember, they do not let Walmart in NYC.

Originally Posted by jenni-b

where are you planning to move to, bchris? you really need to put a lot of consideration into it, or I'm afraid you're going to find the same problems other places as you have here.

I mean, I would love to live somewhere like NYC, where all the cool sh*t is easy to find. I'd love to be able to walk to fabulous stores and ethnic restaurants and museums. but I can't afford it, and my kid is in school here and I'm not uprooting him right now. so I find the cool things that are where I am. I live in a extremely diverse, historic part of town, and I seek out the local and ethnic restaurants and the funky little stores and the bars where the best bands play. and there are plenty. of course there aren't as many as there would be in a larger city. Little Rock IS a small southern city, and to me, that is part of its charm.

Its a popular myth, but NYC is only as expensive as you want it to be. You do not own a car, which might I add is one of the greatest feelings in the world, so your total transportation costs each month is only $82 but soon to be $90 or so dollars a month.

That and you do not need more than a very modest apartment. Your backyard is a park, there are many more parks like central park. There is always something free for entertainment, such as Shakespeare in the Park and the best Museums in the world are free, only suckers think the suggested donations are ticket costs. Your office is the most complete library system in the world, sparing of course the congressional library.

If fresh off the boat immigrants can afford to live in that fantastic human sewer, there is no reason you cant, unless you limit yourself to Park Avenue.

[Texsez]

Is a very logical choice. Visit and you will get here asap. From what you state u are looking for, you will be in very pleased.

[naomisday]

I think really to tell the truth---there is good and bad in every state..it really is just what fits a particular person/family.

[westvissouri]

Everyone,

From what I've seen on this thread, people like the OP and NCY1DAY are obviously the sort of people that think because they are from a bigger city, or from a more populated area - that they are better than everyone else. Those kind of people disgust me. Seriously. I don't think you came on here to outline the negatives about Arkansas and try to get help, instead, you came on here to insult most of the people that live here.

Seriously. Think about it. Just because people in rural areas are "rednecks" (which I see as a term of endearment instead of an insult) then so be it. But your haughty, condescending attitude certainly does not help things much.

I've lived in many big cities, but I moved back to my home state because I love the simple life, the peace and quiet, and the slow pace at which it moves. If you don't like it, fine. But you don't have to be outright insulting about it.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bagelw

You haven't lived in any major southern city and I realize that everywhere is different. I'm not talking about obvious differences between them. I am talking about the difference that southern cities have compared to other larger cities in the US. Little Rock, Birmingham, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Baton Rouge, all these cities have deep issues that go well beyond the average issues of other major cities.

Dallas isn't a major southern city? What would you call it? The cities you are mentioning with the exception of maybe Nashville and Memphis are hardly what I would call major cities, one of the gripes everyone seems to have about Little Rock is that it is not really a major city, now to try and prove a point, suddenly it is. Have you lived in these cities? I am not saying there isn't a different mind set in the south compared to say, New England, of course there is. This is part of our country and what makes it so great, we have many cultures, we are not a cookie cutter nation, that goodness.

I will say, you are not going to change any minds, nor am I, so I think I will bow out of this discussion for now. It is really beginning to get old.

NIta

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by westvissouri

Everyone,

From what I've seen on this thread, people like the OP and NCY1DAY are obviously the sort of people that think because they are from a bigger city, or from a more populated area - that they are better than everyone else. Those kind of people disgust me. Seriously. I don't think you came on here to outline the negatives about Arkansas and try to get help, instead, you came on here to insult most of the people that live here.

When did I say I was better than you? If you find your happiness living life as they did 60 years ago, then more power to you, but you can't expect everybody else to enjoy it as much. Part of the redneck inferiority complex is that people like you think that only "country-folk" living the simple life are "real" people and that anybody wanting to live in the 21st century is somehow "fake" or "shallow". Really, if the rural life is SO great, why can't you handle people critcizing it?

Originally Posted by nmnita

Dallas isn't a major southern city? What would you call it? The cities you are mentioning with the exception of maybe Nashville and Memphis are hardly what I would call major cities, one of the gripes everyone seems to have about Little Rock is that it is not really a major city, now to try and prove a point, suddenly it is. Have you lived in these cities? I am not saying there isn't a different mind set in the south compared to say, New England, of course there is. This is part of our country and what makes it so great, we have many cultures, we are not a cookie cutter nation, that goodness.

I will say, you are not going to change any minds, nor am I, so I think I will bow out of this discussion for now. It is really beginning to get old.

NIta

Little Rock is only lumped in with major cities when people are trying to downplay the problems it has. For any other purposes its a just a big town. People don't like to admit that Little Rock is really just a town that has many of the big city problems but without much of the big city fun.