Potential move to Fayetteville

[hognoxious]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

Commuting to Fayetteville to Eureka Springs is going to be a 4-hour commute round trip. On a daily basis, that seems excessive.

Well maybe not '4 hours' as it is only about a 40+ mile distance between Eureka Springs and Fayetteville - and can be done in less than an hour (pending getting behind a truck / traffic) - but it would be a longer commute than I would care to make on a daily basis.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by hognoxious

Well maybe not '4 hours' as it is only about a 40+ mile distance between Eureka Springs and Fayetteville - and can be done in less than an hour (pending getting behind a truck / traffic) - but it would be a longer commute than I would care to make on a daily basis.

Well, I just googled the route between Eureka Springs and Fayetteville and it 59.6 miles. It's not just getting behind a truck/traffic that slows you down. Once you're in Carroll County, those hairpin curves slow you down quite a bit as well.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by davekatey

I like the way Eureka Springs looks and am wondering if there is a part of Fayetteville like that. I was originally interested in Eureka Springs and commuting to Fayetteville but it seems that is too far. Plus, it would be nice to live in more of a city than small town. Any fedback I would really appreciate!

Eureka Springs is awesome but very touristy;; summers are crowded, almost wall to wall people and winters are totally dead..

As for Fayetteville, we do not live there, visit on occassion as our granddaughter does live there. I can't answer your questions but it sounds like it might be a good place for you.

As for the job market, as mentioned,we haven't been hit as badly as many places and yet, it depends on your field..I would hope you will get the job, before you decide to move.

also, yes Fayetteville is more liberal than most of our area, still you will run into those who will try to convert you to their way of thinking. Don't let this stop you, just be prepared..

Nita

[hognoxious]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

Well, I just googled the route between Eureka Springs and Fayetteville and it 59.6 miles. It's not just getting behind a truck/traffic that slows you down. Once you're in Carroll County, those hairpin curves slow you down quite a bit as well.

And I just checked Mapquest and it says 46 miles from Fayetteville to Eureka Springs.

With the recent improvements to 412 (it's now divided 4 lane all the way to Hindsville) and the increased speed limits due to the improvements, it is really an easy drive between the two towns. But again, more than I would want to commute on a daily basis.

My guess is that if your running into the hairpin turns and experiencing a 59 mile trip, you take the 'northern' route to Eureka Springs - the route that goes through Gateway on Hwy 62.

[bagelw]

Originally Posted by davekatey

I am also interested in moving to Fayetteville. What neighborhood is affordable and historic? Looking for a good place for young family in trendy, nice neighborhood with older homes. We definitely only want to live in a home that is from 1930's or older and I can only find new homes when I try to search. Want to stay under $200,000 if possible. How is the job market? We are liberal and not religious. Is that going to be a problem?

The Mill District is an older part of town that the city is currently trying to rebuild and restore. It's just south of downtown but right now it is hit and miss. You would be able to find a place for under $200,000 but you may have some undesirable neighbors. You might possibly find something on Mount Sequoyah also. The Wilson Park area is the prime older but trendy area to live but you'd have a hard time finding something for under $200,000.

I would say that commuting from Eureka would not be wise since it could be an unpredictable drive. It would take over an hour on a good day but traffic and weather would be a big issue and the commute time could easily double.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by hognoxious

And I just checked Mapquest and it says 46 miles from Fayetteville to Eureka Springs.

With the recent improvements to 412 (it's now divided 4 lane all the way to Hindsville) and the increased speed limits due to the improvements, it is really an easy drive between the two towns. But again, more than I would want to commute on a daily basis.

My guess is that if your running into the hairpin turns and experiencing a 59 mile trip, you take the 'northern' route to Eureka Springs - the route that goes through Gateway on Hwy 62.

And even Mapquest puts it at 1 hour 19 minutes 1 way going your route. And that's not considering rush hour traffic and the time you lose in congestion. Which you would certainly lose in the traffic congestion getting to Hwy 412 from Fayetteville.

[hognoxious]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

And even Mapquest puts it at 1 hour 19 minutes 1 way going your route. And that's not considering rush hour traffic and the time you lose in congestion. Which you would certainly lose in the traffic congestion getting to Hwy 412 from Fayetteville.

My suggestion is next time you drive from Fayetteville to Eureka Springs to drive the 'southern' route.

I drive it somewhat regularly and it is less than an hour drive from town to town - but I also leave from east Fayetteville so access to 412 is straight up Crossover. If your departure point is central, west or south of town obviously it will be longer due to traffic congestion.

The post above inquired about commuting from Eureka Springs to Fayetteville, while it is longer than I would want to drive on a daily basis, it is also not that unrealistic. My neighbor a few houses down (lives in Fayetteville) and commutes to Berryville every day ...

[LocalType]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I'm a late 40-something gay WM apparently having my mid-life crisis and considering a move to Fayetteville from my very urban, very different existence on the East Coast. I'm a Retail Store Manager (have been for several years) and the prior 15 years a Waiter/Bartender and Restaurant Manager.

Everything I've heard about Fayetteville is pretty much what I'm after...a somewhat liberal/laidback/relatively inexpensive college town. I've heard how it's quieter (yippee) and relatively isolated in terms of proximity to major cities. I have two concerns that are unanswerable thus far through research.

First is whether or not I'll be able to find a job there. With the state of the current economy aside, what are the job prospects for someone looking for a
job as a waiter/bartender with years of fine dining experience?

Secondly, I'm entertaining the thought of opening a small business (food oriented) once established and wonder what is the current state of the gourmet food-to-go scene in town.

Thanks...I know it's a lot to process but would appreciate any firsthand feedback.

I know if you open a small business of gourmet to-go food, I'll be stopping by!

Yes, you'll definitely find life here slower and more relaxing compared to the pace back east. I used to live in DC and can't compare it. I like both for their own reasons.

Regarding jobs, the situation here is tight just like many places, but because the population density thins a bit this far back west, you might not find that you're competing with as many people for the same work. Lots of waitstaff jobs are available but from a lot of experience dining out, most of the waitstaff in Fayetteville are kids. Bartending might be a better gig if you can stand mixing drinks at a sports bar, though there are plenty of quality bars and dance clubs around the university, then again further north up around Joyce and College's intersection.

We have our share of fine dining establishments, but you're more liable to find Tex-Mex diners, well-loved greasy spoons, Chinese buffet, and chain restaurants than you are family-run one of a kind restaurants. But they're there, like Mary Maestri's in Tontitown. Check out the restaurants and pubs and coffee houses on Dickson Street, I have a feeling you'll enjoy the atmosphere and constant flow of university traffic going through the area means business.

College Avenue during the day is VERY busy and is the main artery of the city. Traffic here can be quite a wakeup call if you're used to driving in traffic back east. You'll find people are a lot slower, don't drive on offense, have no idea how to drive in the snow and are not very good at driving in the rain.

Hours of driving to cities near Fayetteville:
Tulsa - 2
Oklahoma City - 3.5
Little Rock - 3
Memphis - 5
DFW - 5.5
Chicago - 10
St. Louis - 5.5
Kansas City - 4

It's very nice to be able to plan a weekend around a quick getaway by car and have a lot of great options to choose from! And from XNA airport, you can fly to practically anywhere else. Pretty cheaply, too. And a quick jaunt to Tulsa might even net you a cheaper fare.

You might also want to get involved with the Home - NWA Center for Equality (http://www.nwacenterforequality.org/homepage.html - broken link) which is brand new. I helped co-found it a couple of years ago and it's the first of its kind in the area. It's very active and an asset to the area and worth checking in to.