Posted on 01/14/2016 3:26:52 AM PST by Johnny B.
I just accepted a job in Bentonville AR, for a company supporting Walmart. I'm moving "blind", as I've never been to that area.
I would welcome any useful comments or suggestions about moving to, and living in, the Bentonville area. In particular, any suggestions about good or bad neighborhoods as I start looking for a place to live.
I'd prefer to rent a house rather than an apartment, but I have a large dog (70lb husky mix), and I realize that may make it more difficult to find a place.
Thanks in advance!
Get a decent flyrod and waders. Wonderful trout fishing
You would have gone full-bore projectile if you’d have been there in person and believe me, nobody would have noticed.
The only explanation for the actions of the two guys were that they only came to town to eat once a week at the buffet. That, or their sister is out on a ‘real’ date Sunday evenings...if you get my drift.
We still laugh about it to this day.
I live in NW Arkansas, 25 miles from Rogers. I have been often to Rogers and have been to Tijuana. There is NO WAY Rogers looks like Tijuana!
LIke to fish, ski, hunt, hike? There is Beaver Lake right out side of town on the East, and Hobbs Wildlife hunting area. South in Washington County is the White Rock hunting area and miles of Ozark (Boston) Mountains.
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Dixon Street, Walton Arts Center for plays, Blues festivals.
No racial problems. A few blacks live here, Marshall Islanders, Hispanics, some Somalis in Noel, Mo. Martin Luther King Blvd (Hy 16) is actually a very safe area.
The best thing that ever happened in this area was when Sam Walton bought up some bankrupt Ben Franklin stores and reorganized Walton’s 5&10 as WALMART. He broke the economic stranglehold of the chicken producers who kept this area as a low wage hick area.
Now Springdale is another matter. ;-D (Actually Springdale is fairly nice. Some Latino crime problems over on the east side but still not bad.)
Winters are cool, some snow with an occasional ice storm or snow storm. Summers are hot and humid, but NOT as hot or humid as the Fort Smith area!
Tulsa is only 100 miles away, (Go armed!). Yes, Tulsa is that bad!
Yeah. Don’t.
***Fresh seafood is (expectedly) difficult to find, for example.***
What! Just get on Champions Blvd at the Cross Church going to South Pinnacle Hills Parkway. When you get to the Walmart grocery just past the new traffic circle check out their groceries! Because they are about a block East of the gated communities where most of the Walmart Executives live they have a FRESH Meat isle to die for!
Thick steaks!
Slabs of Salmon!
More goodies than you will ever see at any other grocery in the area, even other Walmart stores!
**Rogers and Bentonville are getting pricey.***
If worse comes to worst they can always go over into Oklahoma or Missouri, or even Siloam Springs Ar for better rents.
We’re talking about BENTON and WASHINGTON County! Not Jasper or Van Buren Counties!
Several years ago we went to Tennessee on a vacation taking Hwy 412 through Northern Arkansas. I expected to see backwoodsy hillbilly houses and cities. Instead I found modern towns and retirement communities everywhere.
When we came back we went through Southern Missouri through Springfield MO. Talk about POVERTY! That part of MISSOURI is still almost in the DARK AGES!
What a difference highways 50 miles apart makes.
General area rentals can be found on CraigsList:
https://fayar.craigslist.org/search/apa
Also, some real estate agencies manage rentals.
Depending on how far you are willing to drive, many live as far away as SW Missouri and NE Oklahoma.
Traffic is horrible. Highway construction has not kept up with population growth.
You might want to consider an apartment lease until you learn the area, but they are typically 1-year.
I live in Siloam Springs — about 35 miles WSW of B’ville. A lot of residents work in the Bentonville area.
Beautiful area, dad used to drive a horse and buggy in that area after he retired. (sorry to hijack the thread, nothing to add for Bentonville other than it's pretty too).
Yep, lots of gay folks there. Dad used to drive a horse and buggy for tourists and he wasn't known to keep his lip shut about the gay folks. In my hometown in Missouri, he got kicked out of a restaurant more than once (it was run by 2 lesbians who didn't tolerate his unkind comments about their situation).
No advice but it’s a beautiful area.
Don’t know where you’re from but the only thing that would bother me are the hot, humid summers.
We don’t eat beef (DW is Hindu), and while there’s a fair amount of salmon (usually a bit mushy) and tons of tilapia, finding any other type of fish is hit or miss. I’ll check it out, though. Thanks for the tip.
Tulsa isn’t that bad as long as you know the areas to avoid, but it is becoming more criminal AND more liberal.
Beautiful country. My family is from that area and the majority of them still live there. Rogers, Fayetteville, Siloam Springs and over into the Oklahoma towns of Locust Grove and Pryor. I visit twice a year. I’ll second what the other person said about Gentry and/or Cave Springs. If I was gonna move to the area that’s exactly where I’d buy but taxes etc. are friendlier in Oklahoma.
Awesome! We love it here.
First off, there are no bad neighborhoods. Even sorta sloppy looking ones are at least crime free. When we moved out we rented in a very pricey neighborhood because, coming from Atlanta, we thought we had to be super careful. But that was not the case. I am friends w/a B’ville cop and he says it’s pretty much a bubble of peace and tranquility.
New neighborhoods are really nice. $250 k will get you pretty houses with lots of nice details. But slightly small w/small yards. $300k will get a huge house but still a small yard. Older neighborhoods are a better bet for your dog and they will all be in good shape. Check out Overland in Rogers, off Horsebarn Rd. Great location on the border of B’ville and near the mall. We have a few friends there.
Tons of churches! I you are Baptist or non-denominational try Cross Church, it’s big, beautiful and super active. We are Catholic and attend Saint Vincent’s. It’s like home. Kids attend the school and it’s fantastic academically plus the kids are raised to be sweet and respectful.
Speaking of schools, the public ones are OK if you have to go that route. There are some good private (Shiloh $$$) or Providence, which is part time home school. I think Providence is the better of the 2. There is also NWA Classical Academy, a fairly new charter school but I think the jury’s still out on that one. Heard mixed reviews. Hass Hall Academy is one of the best high schools in the nation! Also a charter.
OMG, that does not sound the slightest like my home. Course we only got here 5 years ago.
Frankly this is one of the most civilized places I’ve ever lived and that includes both the Atlanta area and Greater Boston.
Right! One of the best things about this area is that everybody GETS ALONG. Could be because we all came here to WORK and are too busy bettering ourselves and our families to gripe. And there is so so so much sincere charity and loving outreach (again, all the churches), that no one accuses anyone else of exclusion. Shoot, even the richest lady I know is Mexican!
I am not the least concerned about the Hispanics here. They work hard and their kids are assimilating. And they have great restaurants and bakeries!
India Orchard! Curry Point! Awesome Indian restaurants!
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