I have a shot at a job opportunity in Little Rock. I would appreciate any input as to the immediate area, both pro and con. Things like cost of housing, cost of living, crime rates, etc., etc.
Thanks for any and all input.
Well I havn’t been there since I was a little kid. All I remember were BIG BUGS!!
I haven’t been in a long time, but I remember thinking it was very Southern (probably enhanced by the fact that the natives pronounce it “lil-rah.”)
–Cliffy
I’m there once a year in June.
Little Rock is the home of the international headquarters of the American Taekwondo Association and they have their World Championships there each June. It’s the largest convention in the state.
From the time that I have spent there over the years, it seems like a very nice place.
I go there on business a lot. Seems like a decent town. Quite hot and muggy in summer. It’s not a very large city, despite being a state capital.
Little Rock does have a remarkably high crime rate for a town its size, I gotta tell you. According to This site, the crime rates are twice to three times the U.S. average and appear to me at least to be utterly appalling. Of course I’m Canadian, so that murder rate is like twenty times what I’m used to. But it’s still very high relative to other U.S. locales.
The barbeque there is phenomenal. Try The Whole Hog’s pulled combo. Fantastic.
I grew up there. Met mizPullin there. Went to college there. My folks lived almost their entire lives there (except they retired to Hot Springs).
Hmmm. How to describe it. Average to above-average medium sized town. Good night life (bars/restaurants) for it’s size. Not sure about the culture side of things (I know of one decent dinner-theatre, but not sure about the rest). Crime rate is high, but was very ummm, “geographically confined” (if you get my drift). The odd thing that I and my folks remember was that neighborhoods seemed to have a “lifespan”. That is, most neighborhoods seemed to deteriorate at a fairly predictable rate. If I remember right, we moved 4 times as I grew up, fleeing the standard bugaboos (crime/vandalism/noise/etc.). It’s been a while, but if I were moving back, I’d probably rent for a while (before committing to an area). And I’d quiz the locals as much as I could.
Sticking my neck out… I think you’ll probably be pleased with the traffic and cost-of-living. If you’re any type of outdoors-person, you’ll find Arkansas to be nearly Nirvana. (The only problem will be us durned Texans driving up I-30 and crowding the parks :D)
I’ll try to check this thread periodically, and if you have any particular questions, I’ll try to find the answers.
PS. You can email me too.
Did you notice that I now live in Florida? BIG BUGS don’t skeer me none.
As RickJay says, the crime rate is extremely high, but if you stay out of the high crime areas, you probably won’t ever realize it. If you don’t stay out of the high crime areas, you may not live to regret it.
I only actually lived in Little Rock for about three months, between college graduation and starting graduate school, but I was there at least a couple of times a week for most of my college years (I went to school in Conway, 40 miles up the freeway), and probably one a month on average during my childhood. I’ve been away for nearly 20 years now, but I’ve spent time there several times in the last couple.
First off, if you’re into the cultural life, forget LR. There’s never been a whole lot going on. The Arkansas Art Center is little better than OK, despite their efforts to focus on works on paper to avoid competing with bigger art museums. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre is passable, but not much more. I’m told the restaurant scene is a bit better than when I lived there, which wouldn’t be too hard.
Frankly, I have a hard time imagining anyone moving to Little Rock and liking it. I know a lot of people who grew up there and who have lived elsewhere and moved back and who wouldn’t move away again, but I think you have to have some sort of tie to the place in order to give it enough of a chance for its positives to begin to outweigh the negatives. Other than Arkansas Travelers baseball at Ray Winder Field, there’s nothing about it I’d pick up and move to where I live. But of course everyone’s different. The West Little Rock area has exploded in the last 20 years, and now has one of practically every national chain store and restaurant, and the cost of living is still reasonably low (by comparison with major metro areas around the country). And if you’re into outdoor activities, there’s almost no end to what you can find within an hour or two of LR, as long as it doesn’t require snow or salt water.
HBO has done several specials on it. According to them, it is possibly the gang capital of the USA.
You’ve already gotten the basics from some of the other posters, so I’l try to give you a feel for it. I was born in Little Rock, but raised in Dardanelle.
Little Rock is indeed small, but has a lot of stuff because it’s the capitol and in the middle of the state.
If you are interested in hip cafe culture, you might be in for a bit of a letdown. But there’s some good BBQ and catfish to be had. Generally people are very friendly and, despite the overwhelming fundie atmosphere, like to party.
The bad news is that there’s no pro sports, just minor league. Better hope you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan, 'cause that’s all you’re going to see/hear/read about, pro-wise. The Arkansas Razorbacks are what passes for our pro team, in terms of amount of attention, etc.
The crime thing is, as others have said, very localized (mainly the east side and just south of downtown) and you are highly unlikely to be a victim unless you go somewhere that any idiot would know at first glance to be a high crime area.
If you are from the east or west coasts or a major metro area, you’ll be VERY pleasantly surprised at the cost of living. You may be unpleasantly surprised at what is considered a good salary there.
Some nearby attractions include Hot Springs, an old spa town that is a (delightful or tacky, take your pick) jumble of fun stuff to do, horse racing, water sports, amusements, etc. You can drive about an hour or so north and be in the Ozarks.
In summary, if you are into the great outdoors, have no desire for a double-decaf-no-foam soy milk hazelnut latte or beer other than bud or miller lite, and aren’t bothered by conversations frequently peppered with the words “jesus” and/or “nigger”, you’ll do just fine.
Well, never having lived there, all that I can say is that it’s bigger than where I grew up, Fayetteville. The 10 or so times that I’ve driven through there though, I can say that I didn’t get carjacked.
Oh, and good luck on the job. If you end up getting it, LMK. I live less than an hour away, and we could have a mini-Dopefest (Others invited, too, of course.)
Thanks for all the inputs. From what I can glean from the Internet, Little Rock is a nice place, for the most part, and the surrounding countryside seems beautiful. I grew up in Dallas and have visited Arkansas for the fishing quite a few times. Of course, the most recent visit was nearly forty years ago, so probably there have been some changes. I had forgotten that I read a few years ago about the gang and crime problem—as I recall, the local police were simply unprepared for the level of viciousness the drug gangs imposed. My paternal grandfather was a true believer in the benefits to be found in the baths at Hot Springs—I’ve heard many a tale of that part of the state though I’ve only been to Hot Springs once.
Anyway, thanks again and I will keep hoping re the job—I need a little good luck for a change.
Agreed.
You hang out with different people than I. 
There is a symphony orchestra, if you are interested in that sort of thing.
The Afterthought is supposed to have some nice blues Monday nights. Was popular with people from Washington, they say. I haven’t made it there yet.
Sims barbecue.
I’ve only been there once, in November 2002. I remember it as combining the best of small southern towns with the worst of growing cities and their attendant crime rates.
I had a gig at Juanita’s (which, if you like Mexican food and/or live music, you should probably check out if you’re in town).
As I pulled up in front of Juanita’s (the first time my wheels stopped turning in 15 hours) , a panhandler addressed me, using the words, “No weapon!” FWIW, he was telling the truth.
I had a good time – I opened for the Electraglides, and met a pretty little dental hygienist.
Whoa! I can’t let that one slip by. I wasn’t referring to people I hung out with, and I’m not at all pleased with the insinuation. However, I can agree that I shouldn’t be giving Yankees and such more fuel for their prejudices. The real deal is that for every person you meet there that uses that word, there’s at least two or three that wouldn’t use it and would be highly offended at hearing it. But you do hear it, unfortunately.
I didn’t mean to imply that. I was trying to be delicate.
PS
I hear it so infrequently as to be surprised when I do. YMMV in other areas of the state.
Yup. Up in the Fayetteville area, and actually, Little Rock and perhaps Hot Springs, you’re not going to hear it a lot. Down in the SE, moreso maybe.
So in spirit of the OP (sorry for the hijack), I reckon LR wouldn’t be the worst place to be, at all. If you like fishing, you’ll be in 7th heaven. There’s good places to go all over central Arkansas.