DEAD TOWN - 11/14/2021

I lived here for over a year and it SUCKS. The major grocery store is Walmart. And two other grocery stores and they are high price. One Sams Club , one target ,one Best Buy and etc. The traffic on Rogers Avenue is like **** it’s always busy car accidents. people don’t know how to drive or slow down when they’re supposed to. Sure the weather is pretty good In the middle of June all the way thru October it is a heat wave hot and humid. The winters are kind of cold especially at night and it does get damp. and for the schools I don’t have much to say about all of them but but my kids went to Ramsey and they liked better than their hometown schools I do here stories here and there. The north side is ghetto and a lot of crime. They close the pools early September . pirate Island water park is small their parking lot is bigger than their waterpark. and they open in May until September. it’s not worth it. There’s no place to sit if it’s packed there’s not much to do there either. all the stores early too. Some of them are close on the weekends. You think they would want to stay open for business when people are off work & want to do some shopping or to do something on her day of. The other thing is there is way too many animals homeless. Their animal Society is NOT a good system. So .what I’m trying to say is this city is a dead town. It’s supposed to be a city but really it’s like a small dead town. too much traffic and accidents too many homeless animals Stores close to early some of them look like trash not kept up clean and organize. and it’s also hard to find job I give it a negative one star

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FORT SMITH SUCKS - 6/22/2021

I have been here since 2005. The only good thing about Fort Smith is they have 2 Aldi locations. The cost of living might be cheaper but you also don't have renter's rights (you will need those rights) and the area is overrun with slumlords. 911 does not send out units when needed, a woman was abducted out of a parking lot and the manager called 911... no one was sent out, and this woman had to save herself by escaping her rapist in another town. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FORT SMITH, THESE PEOPLE ARE LYING TO YOU.

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Live here bruh - 5/16/2019

Dis place lit no cap

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Fort Smith is a wonderful place to live! - 3/22/2017

I have lived in Fort Smith my whole life and I love it here. I enjoy traveling so I have seen many small towns and big cities to compare it to. Being a part of "The Natural State", it is beautiful. Its parks a gorgeous and the people are great. Downtown Fort Smith is a site to see with its colorful murals painted on the side of buildings by the two high school art departments. The schools here are impeccable and are some of the best in the state. It is great place to raise a family and I am proud to tell people that I am from Fort Smith, Arkansas, whenever I travel.

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Great City for Physicians and Families - 12/12/2014

Very physician-friendly community. Great community for families with top-rated schools, low crime rates and low cost of living!

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DO NOT MOVE TO FORT SMITH ARKANSAS!! - 7/22/2013

I am the EXPERT on Fort Smith Arkansas. I use an alias since I was never proud of my "home town city". I grew up in Arkansas for many years. Let's just say that my family has been in the town for millennia and I know it very very well. Too well. I know the people, the culture and the history. I know how the typical "Fort Smithian" thinks to a "T". I know what they are gonna do before they even do it as I can predict events in that town and always have and been able to. Since leaving Fort Smith to go over to MUCH GREENER PASTURES IN THE USA, I NEVER tell ANYONE that I am from Arkansas, let alone the south. I lie like a rug. I do not want anyone to know I was born in Fort Smith Arkansas. It's heyday has come and went many moons ago. Arkansas is one of those states that is the butt of jokes on TV constantly along any mention of a "pet pig", the movie Deliverance, banjos playing, kissing cousins, or bestiality. When I "LEFT" Fort Smith in 1988, I left for good. I have read many of the postings on this site and I agree with all of them. Fort Smith is only a good town if you are a retiree, or you want to raise children in a largely "bible belt judgmental atmosphere" and you have money from OUTSIDE SOURCES TO SUSTAIN YOU. The economy has ALWAYS SUCKED in Fort Smith and the town fathers and the "elite" families LIKE IT THAT WAY because then they CAN CONTINUE TO PAY slave wages! This is "how" they get ahead there, by screwing everyone else financially. For such hateful people who are always saying "We're Christian!" with a toothy grin, they will also stab you in the back in a New York minute or sue you for any infraction. I never met a more sue-crazy people in my life. The one guy wrote about the jobs there and the "wonderful interview" at the medical facility. Of course he did! 'Cause people in Fort Smith get sick all the damn time! Doctors do well there, and lawyers for suing everyone. Tons of ambulance chasers there. I know. The city council and the city fathers DO NOT LIKE CHANGE of any kind, never kid and never will. It's a ghost of a town of what it once was. You are completely wasting your time there if you are out of town. Get with the program and get to Texas as soon as you can! If your grandpappy did not take a miniball during the Civil War - they are still fighting the Civil War by the way - and if your daddy is not a doctor, lawyer, or owns Central Mall in town - you don't stand a chance. The people there only care about WHAT YOU HAVE and WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR THEM TODAY!? There is ALWAYS an ulterior motive to conversation. They either want you to go to their church or they want money from you. The apartments are dilapidated plantation shacks that probably have a germ infestation rate more than the national average. There are some "nice" people there, but few and far between. Most of the people are onry, broke, fat from eating all the fried foods, and stupid to be honest. Fort Smith once had the unique qualifying award in the 1970's of "having more fast food restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country!" Geez, something to "take pride" in huh? More fried food. Go to the local Fort Smith Walmart and you'll see more fat Walmartians than you can throw a fried chicken stick at. I don't mean "pleasantly plump", I mean gargantuan FAT. Men and women alike. Their pants barely fit over their fannies. There has always been a "rich elite" running Fort Smth - and there are some damn nice homes there. But......there is NOTHING to do but go to Central Mall, eat out, and go home. Golf is limited. Fianna Hills and Riley Farms have some beautiful homes as does the "old money" in town namely the Free Ferry area. DO NOT GO THERE TO WORK as you will STARVE. COME TO DALLAS TEXAS INSTEAD! Tons of jobs here, more cosmopolitan, still family oriented, great weather, and tons of nice people too for locals and transplants alike.

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Living a life - 12/5/2012

It's ok in the Fort Smith. Not too big, just rednecks to contend with.

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Living n Fort Smith, Ar - 10/27/2012

Good place to raise a family. City of 80,000 with lots of good churches. Schools are pretty good with a very good 4 year university. Low cost of living. Housing is low compared to many places with bargains for those that can be selective. Winters last only a few weeks with cold weather being 15-25F for lows to 40-60F daytime highs in Jan and Feb. Summer months of Jun-mid Sept can be very hot 75F lows to 100F highs and humid. Must have A/c in your house and auto to be comfortable.

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Crime rate climbing - 8/14/2012

The crime rate is climbing in Fort Smith. It is still not as bad as crime rate within a larger city; however, it is becoming more noticeable.

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Crime - 8/12/2012

Feels safe!

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Relieved - 11/29/2011

I'm VERY relieved that some people don't like it here. This city is just the right size as it is...don't need more people, more crowds, or more traffic. Born and raised in Madison, WI, lived in St. Paul,MN, Seattle, San Antonio, and Omaha. Wife lived in Westchester County, NY until 8 years ago. We LOVE it here in Fort Smith. More Western than Southern. Yes, it's conservative (and we're not) and yes it's religious (and we're not) and yes, good restaurants are rare. It's still a good place to live and we're glad we retired here. Great for history buffs, mild spring, winter and fall. Summer is hot and humid. Not paradise, but paradise is no good if you can't afford to live there. People are very friendly - and by the way, they are from all over!!

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Awful place to live. - 11/5/2011

The people of Fort Smith are nosey,rude and confrontational...If you are having a private conversation with another person,they butt in and offer their opinion even though they were not asked...They are also a city full of deceptive liars and if you are looking for a great place to live,move somewhere else.

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Fort Smith - 8/26/2011

Fort Smith’s pluses are low crime, low cost of living, and mild winters. The person who said we have “cold winters” must be from southern Florida. Compare the average Fort Smith winter to one in Minnesota and you’ll see what a cold winter truly is. That said, the downsides outweigh the benefits. This is a very Republican and religiously conservative area. If you don’t fit into that mold, you might not feel like you fit in. This is the South. “Good ol’ boy-ism” is still fairly strong, and it might turn up in places that would surprise and annoy you. Chain stores (Walmart is everywhere!) and chain restaurants dominate, and aside from the mom & pop Asian and Tex-Mex places, the local restaurants are really mediocre. Central Mall, the shopping area that everyone abandoned a formerly thriving downtown for in the early 70s, is clean but doesn’t seem very busy, nor does it have much to offer. Your bookstore options are limited, and I hope you like buying your music from Walmart, Target, or Best Buy. The cool places with a vibe closed long ago. The culture is very monotone. There are a few stabs at the creative arts, but it seems like most bands and festivals are for country, blues, or contemporary Christian. There’s a small theater group that puts on plays several times a year, and it seems to have decent community support. Museums are limited to frontier history, though there is an art center I haven’t visited lately that exhibits paintings by local and regional artists. Public transit is a joke. I checked to see if I could get to work (which is five miles from home), and it would have taken over an hour by bus. The routes are few and very limited. Amtrak doesn’t come here, which is disappointing, if predictable. The airport is nice with word-class bathroom facilities (some award was given, see Wikipedia), but it’s also not entirely adequate (Dallas and Memphis are the only cities it supports). Finally, there’s a grubby Jefferson Lines bus terminal downtown. Enjoy that. Summers are freakishy hot. This summer, we’ve seen triple digit days with little or no rain for weeks on end. Springs can be wildly stormy at times, but autumns are nice. If you’re a conservative Christian with a young family, this would be a great place for you, provided you can get work. If you’re Republican and Jesus-centered, then you really need to think hard on whether moving here is best for you. If you like the idea of Arkansas but want something more cosmopolitan (which wouldn’t be difficult), you might check Fayetteville. It actually feels like a real small city, has a nice downtown, a lot of culture, and a lot of good, local restaurants.

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You Think You Want To Move Here, But You Don't---I - 7/24/2011

In today's economy, nearly any town has it's problems with unemployment, etc. However, Fort Smith, Arkansas has ALWAYS had high unemployment. This skews the statistics and enable bogus comments such as, "Fort Smith's unemployment figures haven't changed much because of the economy." It's true---the figures haven't changed much because unemployment here is still above the national average. But to make it seem that Fort Smith is a stable place is deceptive. The large manufacturing firms that relocated here many years ago to escape states that allowed labor unions have decided that even Ft. Smith is too much trouble and they're all heading down to Mexico. Everyone that worked in these plants was from Oklahoma, anyway. Anyone living in Fort Smith is generally shunned by the firms---not sure why. In fact nearly ALL jobs in Fort Smith are held by people from rural Oklahoma. Ask anyone you meet at the dentist office, the schools, retail---you name it. They're ALL from Oklahoma. I think a toll bridge on the Arkansas river would be nice, or maybe a tax for Okies coming here to take jobs from Fort Smith citizens. Once a business allows Okies to work there, it isn't long before one of them becomes a supervisor or some form of lower management. After that, it's all over. From then on, they'll hire nothing but Okies. In fact, in Okie-infested businesses in Fort Smith, the Okies will deride Ft. Smith and talk about how much they hate it. Go back to Oklahoma is what I say. This is also the Bible Belt, so if you're a normal person from somewhere else, be advised that in no way is diversity tolerated here. I've seen many a Californian who had a relative in this area try to move in, only to give up and head back out West. Ft. Smith is a strange bird, indeed.

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Ft smith - 2/14/2011

Ft. Smith sucks big hairy monkey balls..... I just moved here, winters are cold, there are NO JOBS here wirlpool and riverside shut down and the others have lay-offs, the summers are sticky and the people r not nice like my next door neighbors they r old and don't like Lil kids, there r no deed restrictions so anyone can do anything to their yards or should I say do nothing to their yards better yet! I would think twice about moving here! And good luck if u r trying to lease and the schools suck too! I have have nothing nice to say about it. The schools would have u drive in ice so they can make their money for the day, plus good luck on getting a school bus to run. So...stay away from ballman ele school and 37th street (beware of the hateful neighbors)

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Ft smith - 2/14/2011

Ft. Smith sucks big hairy monkey balls..... I just moved here, winters are cold, there are NO JOBS here wirlpool and riverside shut down and the others have lay-offs, the summers are sticky and the people r not nice like my next door neighbors they r old and don't like Lil kids, there r no deed restrictions so anyone can do anything to their yards or should I say do nothing to their yards better yet! I would think twice about moving here! And good luck if u r trying to lease and the schools suck too! I have nothing nice to say about it. The schools would have u drive in ice so they can make their money for the day, plus good luck on getting a school bus to run. So...stay away from ballman ele school and 37th street (beware of the hateful neighbors)

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I thought it was a cute town - 10/30/2010

I just came back to FL from Fort Smith, had a job interview at a medical center over there. Everyone I met was as nice as could be, gas was cheaper there than my hometown, and the rates on apt rentals are awesome!! I can certainly get ahead in this town and be able to save money. Fort Smith is about to gain a new member of their little community.

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Ft. Smith,Arkansas....Well, it sucks!! - 9/8/2010

Yes there is crime in Ft. Smith.It's not the stuff of big city life, but it's here.That's not you should be worried about though, be worried about the economy here.Jobs in this area are very scarce.Here, it's not what you know, it's who you know.This city is all about the "good ol' buddy" system.You could work in a poultry plant, but those jobs are taken by immigrants, legal and illegal.As far as attractions go...not much.Once a year there is a traveling fair that comes through.It's has a very generic feel to it.If you rent here, the northside of town is cheap, and you'll see why.You'll find out first hand just how much crime does happen here.If it's the southside, way overpriced.The schools here are at best,lacking.Don't take my word for it, just look up how Arkansas schools rank nationally.In most categories, we rank bottom, or pretty damn close.This town is controlled by the same 20 or 30 people that has been in control for 60 years.Very behind the times!!I've lived here for 36 years, born and raised.That's about to change, it has to, or me and my family will starve to death.Like I said, no jobs here.So, take my advice, DO NOT move to Ft. Smith,Arkansas, it really has nothing to offer.

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I love Fort Smith! - 1/9/2010

We moved here in 1978 and it has been a wonderful experience. The town is large enough to have everything I need but it isn't so large that I am afraid to get out in it. Fort Smith is a friendly family oriented town. It has been a wonderful area in which to raise a family. Many summers are hot and humid but not as bad as many southern states. The winter consists of only 2-3 months. Usually it doesn't even get cold enough to wear a coat. I will take heat in the summer if I can usually have mild winters and little to no snow.

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It's not bad - 8/4/2009

Fort Smith is ok. The people are fairly nice. It would be better if they used their turn signals when driving. Being a transplant from the Northwest I kinda feel out of place. We have a mall and most of the big chain stores. We're not near the ocean, so fresh seafood is hard to find. The taxes are high compared to Oregon which has no sales tax, but the cost of living is less. Good Chinese food or a proper pizza is nonexistent. The BBQ is good. The climate is super hot (air conditioning is mandatory) in summer and super cold in winter. Best time of year is Fall which lasts about a week. Spring time is high winds, hail and tornados. As long as you have a bomb shelter in your backyard you'll be safe. Also, we're in the Bible Belt so be prepared if you were raised otherwise.

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