United States / Arkansas / Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Metro Area / Pulaski County / Little Rock / Zip Codes

Review of Little Rock, Arkansas

Beautiful city, very diverse, lots of yummy food
Star Rating - 12/5/2018
I have lived in the Little Rock area for 18 years, but have lived in Mid/West LR for the past 5. We have a great food scene, it's not too big or small, and there's plenty to do. Lots of nature, which you can see driving through town or visiting some of our trails/Pinnacle Mountain. Yes there's a high crime rate but if you stay in the northern areas of the city you're very safe.
Full of beautiful homes, especially in the affluent Heights area (Kavanaugh north of Cantrell) or the hipper Hillcrest (Kavanaugh south of Cantrell). West Little Rock/Chenal is growing steadily and is one of the richer parts of town. Some places can be "sketchy", like Murray Park at night or the southwest region of the city. Quapaw Quarter (near the Governor's mansion) is nice but borders on a more dangerous, slowly gentrified, neighborhood near historic Central High School. Downtown is unremarkable but the River Market is fun and they have an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter. The Heights and Hillcrest are fun to walk around and explore, and the Promenade shopping center in Chenal has lots of options and an IMAX movie theater.
You'll see people of all kinds in this city, most of the more stereotypical Arkansans live outside of the metro area. An island of blue in a sea of red, like Austin, TX. Very political culture, as this is the capital city.
The interstate is the fastest way to get around but you'll miss the best stuff. I-630 is undergoing construction until 2020 so right now the lanes are narrow and stressful. Cantrell/Highway 10 and Markham both stretch across the entire city and are more fun to drive.
Highlights of LR: SoMa (South Main St), west Little Rock (WLR), Heights/Hillcrest, La Hacienda (delicious Mexican food on Cantrell), The Pantry (fantastic German-style food, and they're known for their brulee-topped cheesecakes), The Fold (taco place recently featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives), Big Orange (expensive but tasty burgers and shakes), and Kemuri (best sushi I've ever had). Obviously, I love food.
Chloe | Little Rock, AR
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2 Replies

I could not disagree more. I live in the River Market district, right in the heart of the city. I moved here from L.A. 20 years ago (sigh). I'm obviously a city guy and I know what life is life in cities, as well as this pathetic town. Little Rock has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. 1. WEATHER. The weather sucks. It is either cold, hot, or raining. If you try to go outside you will be eaten alive with mosquito bites. I actually counted mine yesterday (42). I was outside for less than 15 minutes and got 42 bites. 2. The PEOPLE. Yes, for the most part they act nice, but that is the end of it. Sadly, it is an act. While they pretend to be nice they are uneducated, unsophisticated, bigoted, biased, narrow minded overly religious, and very dishonest. I have met more liars and cheats here than anywhere else I've ever been. 3. NO CULTURE. The entertainment venues keep going out of business. The shows that come to town are very expensive. The local talent is good but there is nowhere for them to play. The River Market is a joke. No parking, traffic, drunk kids everywhere. 4. NO HEALTHY FOOD. If you are vegan, vegetarian or health conscious, forget eating out. Everything is battered and fried, which is why the great majority of the residents are morbidly obese. 5. CRIME. Since moving here, I've experienced auto theft, vandalism, carjacking and assault. I could write all day about the shortcomings of this place, but it is just too depressing. In short, it sucks. There aren't enough negative adjectives to describe how much it sucks.
dan | Little Rock, AR | Report Abuse
Agree 97   Disagree 122
I could not disagree more. I live in the River Market district, right in the heart of the city. I moved here from L.A. 20 years ago (sigh). I'm obviously a city guy and I know what life is life in cities, as well as this pathetic town. Little Rock has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. 1. WEATHER. The weather is awful. It is either cold, hot, or raining. It rains so much that everyone has mold issues. If you try to go outside you will be eaten alive with mosquito bites. I actually counted mine yesterday (42). I was outside for less than 15 minutes and got 42 bites. 2. The PEOPLE. Yes, for the most part they act nice, but that is the end of it. Sadly, it is an act. While they pretend to be nice they are uneducated, unsophisticated, bigoted, biased, narrow minded overly religious, and very dishonest. I have met more liars and cheats here than anywhere else I've ever been. 3. NO CULTURE. The entertainment venues keep going out of business. The shows that come to town are very expensive. The local talent is good but there is nowhere for them to play. The venues in the River Market are old, dirty and nasty. 4. NO HEALTHY FOOD. If you are vegan, vegetarian or health conscious, forget eating out. Everything is battered and fried, which is why the great majority of the residents are morbidly obese. 5. CRIME. Since moving here, I've experienced auto theft, vandalism, carjacking and assault. I could write all day about the shortcomings of this place, but it is just too depressing. There aren't enough negative adjectives to describe this place. I can't wait to leave.
dan | Little Rock, AR | Report Abuse
Agree 86   Disagree 92
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