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Hi, I was hoping to gain some insight about life in Little Rock before I move there.
I am moving to LR for the City Year program so I will be living on a budget for a year (possibly with roommates.) I want to know what the neighborhoods are like, which ones should I try to move to and which ones should I steer clear of. I have been doing some research and it seems that anything that isn't in South is some what safe. Is this true? Also, what area would be the safest and cost effective?
How is the schooling system in LR? I will be working in one of these three schools: Meadowcliff Elementary School, Mabelvale Elementary School, or Mabelvale Middle School. I know I am going there to help in an under resourced school, but if anyone knows anything about these schools it would be EXTREMELY helpful.
Is crime extremely bad in LR? During my research, I found that LR was ranked as the 15th worst city in America as far as crime is concerned. Coming from Philadelphia (which was 25th worst) I have an idea as far as what to avoid, but are there areas of LR I should avoid altogether?
How is the public transportation system in LR? I am trying to determine whether or not I want to bring my car with me next year (depending on auto-thefts, break ins, etc.), but if I do not how reliable would you rate the public transportation system?
Finally, what is there to do in LR for fun? Coming from a big city I am used to there being something to do all the time. However, I just finished up a year of service in a small town in Alaska with literally nothing fun to do, so I wouldn't be opposed to a slower pace in comparison to Philly.
Hopefully I can get some good, positive insight. Thank you.
You definitely want to bring your car. If you live north of I-630 (or anywhere else for that matter) your public transportation would be a nightmare. Little Rock falls somewhere on the nonexistent end of the spectrum in that regard. You need your car for everything since I doubt you want to live in your employment area.
You weren't real specific on your wants or needs for housing - age, budget, house, apartment, interests?
One area you might consider - well, a couple - Bryant is south of Little Rock and might make more sense for you if the majority of your time is going to be spent working. Decent shopping, easy access to Little Rock, probably less in rent. I-30 isn't a cake walk, but thousands of people make that trek daily.
Another area would be Otter Creek, which is on the west side of town, west of I-430 and north of I-30 and south of I-630. It would put you in good proximity to where you intend to work and it's a nice area.
Yes, there are whole chunks of Little Rock you want to avoid. Here's a map - zoom around and X off these areas - but bear in mind there may be pockets of good. I'm just sweeping with a broad brush.
Anything south of 12th Street, and between I-630 and 12th it can be dicey. The nicer areas are Capitol View and Stift Station...See Little Rock Union Station? Draw a north/south line there to I-630 and go north and west. On the south end of that, when you get to UAMS and the State Hospital, stay north. Basically just stay north of I-630 and west of the train station. When you get further out west past I-430, 12th St. becomes Kanis Road. Your southern boundary there would dramatically change in a southerly direction.
There's you something to think about - if you need more specifics, just check in and I'm sure we can all offer up our stupendously brilliant suggestions!
Hi, I was hoping to gain some insight about life in Little Rock before I move there.
I am moving to LR for the City Year program so I will be living on a budget for a year (possibly with roommates.) I want to know what the neighborhoods are like, which ones should I try to move to and which ones should I steer clear of. I have been doing some research and it seems that anything that isn't in South is some what safe. Is this true? Also, what area would be the safest and cost effective?
How is the schooling system in LR? I will be working in one of these three schools: Meadowcliff Elementary School, Mabelvale Elementary School, or Mabelvale Middle School. I know I am going there to help in an under resourced school, but if anyone knows anything about these schools it would be EXTREMELY helpful.
Is crime extremely bad in LR? During my research, I found that LR was ranked as the 15th worst city in America as far as crime is concerned. Coming from Philadelphia (which was 25th worst) I have an idea as far as what to avoid, but are there areas of LR I should avoid altogether?
How is the public transportation system in LR? I am trying to determine whether or not I want to bring my car with me next year (depending on auto-thefts, break ins, etc.), but if I do not how reliable would you rate the public transportation system?
Finally, what is there to do in LR for fun? Coming from a big city I am used to there being something to do all the time. However, I just finished up a year of service in a small town in Alaska with literally nothing fun to do, so I wouldn't be opposed to a slower pace in comparison to Philly.
Hopefully I can get some good, positive insight. Thank you.
I honestly cant tell ya if crime is getting worse or better here. Seems like we have a murder here every week, but it tends to be in the danger zones to avoid.
You might be in a for a bit of culture shock if you live in the fringe areas. Hunting is huge here, and people might look at ya funny if you are not into that. Also, there is only one major sports team here, Arkansas Razorbacks, and people are fiercely loyal to them. It's best to just stay quiet if you don't support the team. The drivers here are nuts ,and think they own the road. They have no probably running you off the road or refusing to let you get on the freeway.
On the plus side, there is quite a bit to do. River mart has a downtown mix of restaurants and clubs. There is a comedy club here. You have the Verizon arena which brings in some big name acts. Also Juanitas has some pretty big rock bands come perform. To the west, there is the Pinnacle Mountain state park which has beautiful trails and views. Hot Springs is also a short drive away which offers amusement parks, historical sites, botanical gardens, horse races and a casino.
You definitely want to bring your car. If you live north of I-630 (or anywhere else for that matter) your public transportation would be a nightmare. Little Rock falls somewhere on the nonexistent end of the spectrum in that regard. You need your car for everything since I doubt you want to live in your employment area.
You weren't real specific on your wants or needs for housing - age, budget, house, apartment, interests?
One area you might consider - well, a couple - Bryant is south of Little Rock and might make more sense for you if the majority of your time is going to be spent working. Decent shopping, easy access to Little Rock, probably less in rent. I-30 isn't a cake walk, but thousands of people make that trek daily.
Another area would be Otter Creek, which is on the west side of town, west of I-430 and north of I-30 and south of I-630. It would put you in good proximity to where you intend to work and it's a nice area.
Yes, there are whole chunks of Little Rock you want to avoid. Here's a map - zoom around and X off these areas - but bear in mind there may be pockets of good. I'm just sweeping with a broad brush.
Anything south of 12th Street, and between I-630 and 12th it can be dicey. The nicer areas are Capitol View and Stift Station...See Little Rock Union Station? Draw a north/south line there to I-630 and go north and west. On the south end of that, when you get to UAMS and the State Hospital, stay north. Basically just stay north of I-630 and west of the train station. When you get further out west past I-430, 12th St. becomes Kanis Road. Your southern boundary there would dramatically change in a southerly direction.
There's you something to think about - if you need more specifics, just check in and I'm sure we can all offer up our stupendously brilliant suggestions!
Welcome to Arkansas and Welcome to Little Rock!
Sorry for not being very specific. I am a 24 year old male who loves sports (particularly basketball and football) and my budget for housing would be around $600 a month assuming it is a one-bedroom apartment since I will only be making around $1,000/month. I think my biggest concern was what to avoid and what to look for regarding areas of the city. I want to make sure I move to a safe neighborhood so I can have a positive experience when I am in LR. I really appreciate your input. I will research those areas more in detail since I know where I should look. Thanks again!
Thank you for your response. I can deal with people being obsessed with hunting since I lived in an area for a year where that was a very popular thing to do. I am glad that there are things in LR to keep me busy. That will be a big plus. Thank you for listing some of them, I appreciate it.
I hate to rain on your parade, but there aren't going to be many apartments that fall in that price range. I think I'd find those roommates pretty quickly :-) As with any other city, the more expendable income you have to enjoy your off time, the better you will be - and $1000/mo. doesn't leave you much left over. Tanglewood Apartments at Mississippi and Cantrell still include electricity and water in the cost of the apartment but beware - I think management also controls the temperature in the complex too. They are $625/mo. for a 1 BR. Most complexes will pay your water, few will pay the electricity. There's just really no quick way to southwest Little Rock from there, though. Actually, upon doing a web search I'm finding more than I thought in that range, but you might want to bring an address to the table if you find something that is actually open.
One thing you might also do is look for an apartment or guest house in Quapaw, which is downtown. It is the truly old area of Little Rock but is coming back. You just sorta have to pay attention to which street you end up on, as it's a mixed bag. If you live downtown, you could go south out Arch Street to work and come in on Baseline Rd. That might help you avoid University Ave. or the interstate. Otter Creek is a good choice too, although you end up in major suburbia in many ways. It does reduce your hassle on commute time, though, and puts you just that much closer to Hot Springs! Coming from Philadelphia the commute may not be what you consider bad anyway.
Petit Jean State Park is a little over an hour away to the northwest (mostly via Interstate) and offers hiking, camping, a newly renovated historic lodge, historic and newer cabins, and other outdoor activities in an extremely scenic setting atop Petit Jean (pro. "Petty Gene") Mountain. There are canyons, woods, waterfalls, a lake, rock formations, Indian petroglyphs, and more. It can be a great day trip that will cost you only the price of gas and a picnic lunch.
Sorry for not being very specific. I am a 24 year old male who loves sports (particularly basketball and football) and my budget for housing would be around $600 a month assuming it is a one-bedroom apartment since I will only be making around $1,000/month. I think my biggest concern was what to avoid and what to look for regarding areas of the city. I want to make sure I move to a safe neighborhood so I can have a positive experience when I am in LR. I really appreciate your input. I will research those areas more in detail since I know where I should look. Thanks again!
Since you are 24, I would recommend the Riverdale area. Riverwalk Apartments are very nice and run $600-$700 for a one bedroom and Brightwaters down the street run $500-$600. Lots of young professionals live in that area and its an easy drive to the bars in the River Market or in the Hillcrest/Heights area. It's also right on the River Trail which is a nice amenity to have.
Car is a must here...you can find some rent ads on Craigslist but be careful. I would think $600 is something you could find. When moving here last year I was lucky enough to find a mobilehome to rent for $525. Everything is electric which I pay but the owners pay trash, water, and sewer is septic. My challenge was having 2 large dogs. Found it by driving around and happened on a posted For Rent sign. Best of Luck and Welcome to Arkansas.
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