Reviews & Comments
Hot Springs, AR
Hot Springs : Dismal, Scenic, Calm -
4/21/2009We have lived 15 miles outside HS for nine years and are retired. I have not once seen a child swing on a swing or go down a slide. I've not seen a park for kids with the exception of what is called The Tank. Traveling from Hot Springs Village to downtown (which is Hot Springs proper)there is an area on a corner that has a stream with ducks with a small bridge you walk across to get to the tank and the pavilion. It is very shaded so there are no flowers or landscaping so it is not attractive. For birthday parties the kids can crawl all over a WWII tank then eat on a picnic table under the pavilion. There are no swings or slides. They do have a portable toilet thingy. it is right at the entrance to a National Park. Boy, is that a stretch. It is simply a 1/4 mile winding road with hills on one side and on the other side is an RV "Park" with Zero facilities. People say you can hike up the hill behind the RV park but I never see anyone doing it. The speed limit is 30. If you get caught going over that the ticket is $100. Across this street that has the tank is a shack like structure that sells tough, dry BBQ. People actually go there, not knowing what great BBQ tastes like. Ugly place. Take-out only.
If you choose to go straight and not go down the 1/4 road thru the National Park, in about ten minutes you'll be in Hot Springs. Some people think it's scenic and pretty; some say it's dismal and poor looking. It's just Central Avenue
with stores and eateries (a few, half are for sale) on one side and the Bathhouses on the other. The bathhouses are very pretty and nicely landscaped; very old and to me depressing inside. In front of them are in-ground pools of steaming hot water with smoke coming up. Sort of like a baby Yellowstone. I have never had a decent meal on Central-at least not on this part which is the old part. It is Very poor eating at best. Tourists walk up and down, looking at the art galleries. We bought a Thomas Kinkade painting in one. And they have a few very nice boutiques with upscale ladies' clothing. Keep going straight a few miles and now you're in the newer part of HS. There is a great Lowe's,
a TJ Maxx, Petsmart, San francisco Bread Company, Pier One,
Chick Fila, a bakery, a Shoebox, Office Max and a department store. This entire ride from the tank to here is slow , pleasant driving, not over 40mph. Go another 2 miles and you come to a huge Walmart, then past that are all the new great hotels like the Embassy Suites.
When you are downtown, in the old section, if you turn off Central you will or could find where the drug dealers hang out. I would NEVER go downtown past dark. Around these neighborhoods are something that seems unique to me: men who can walk that are in wheelchairs to collect disability. I have SEEN them walk down steps then get onto their electric wheelchairs. If a person is very poor and can get on disability , HS is a great place. These guys go up and down the streets, up to bank drive-up windows, into restaurants then can go inside an old hotel and ride the elevator to their hotel room (lots of people here live in old hotels).
You can eat for almost nothing at Levi Hospital.
I haven't heard much about the HS school district but Fountain Lake and Lakeside are good schools. Very little racial diversity and Ft Lake is really big and nice . They had tennis courts which are being moved and a new Middle School is going up now. The baseball field is in the back of the school complex and a bus actually drives you from the front parking lot up to that field! And they have a LOT of different foods to eat during the games. Lots of school spirit, great band, caring, warm teachers and principles.
In fifth grade, Ms Crook and Ms Lampo come to mind as very caring people who want to be involved with your children.
The elementary principle is top-notch. The kids HUG HIM when they come into the school building. You simply feel "at home" in Ft Lake Schools. Miss Tracy, the Middle School receptionist / secretary is a lovely, precious person. A real asset to the school's image. Much loved. The students will come into her office just to say hi.
Taxes are Really low here. Home prices are low. you can get an old, unheated house for 25K and that is higher than it used to be. On Lake Hamilton you can pay 450K for a house.
Night life? Forget it. There is one nightclub and we've never been inside and never will be. One thing I miss about Texas is the sandy loam soil. The soil here is awful; full of rocks. I can't grow any veggies here.
The climate is great. It snows about 2" a winter then is gone in 2 days or less. June to September are hot and humid with 99 degree weather for 2 wks straight not unusual. Temps go down to about 20 at night in the winter; I love it. This is not a windy area. We have hundreds who have moved here from Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York. Older people.
We have an outlet mall down near the Walmart I mentioned that is small in comparison with others I've seen and again, the traffic is nothing and slow moving. We have a new Ruby Tuesday, lots of new banks, a Chili's, lots of Sonics,
a PIZZA BUFFET that is really good but crowded with a gameroom in the back. They even have chocolate pizza.
Our large new Chinese buffet is good and never crowded.
And there are two older ones that are smaller.
The people are friendly, not as much as East texans and the food is not nearly as good as there but, then, we don't have the traffic.
Tyler, TX
Tyler: The Good and the (Possibly) Bad -
4/19/2009>>the Good: sweet, friendly people, gorgeous azaleas in the "azalea district", wonderful restaurants and plenty of them, low taxes, great diversity and prices of homes that almost anyone can afford, incredible new Imax, a church on every corner, nice zoo, fabulous country clubs, great University with pool.
>>the Possibly bad: Super Conservative (talking)attitudes, hypocrisy (dry county w/many drunk on the weekends), months of horribly hot and humid weather, lots of ticks and chiggers keep kids inside (or scratching for weeks), enormous influx of illegal aliens making traffic worse, corrupt local government that is NEVER WRONG regardless of the evidence, forever existent "snobby" attitudes regarding what kind of car you drive, what size dress you wear, what your husband does, what neighborhood you can afford all poorly concealed under the guise of Spirituality, huge pressure to attend church (Baptist preferred), summer glare that burns the eyes and the steering wheel.
If you are Baptist, live in a lovely home and drive a great car and don't mind almost dying from humidity you may love Tyler, the City of Roses. Each year, the girl who wins the title Rose Queen, is the one whose parents have spent the most cash on her dress!! 5K is just average!!
Hot Springs Village, AR
Very Nice Retirement Area -
4/17/2009 We have lived here nine years. I would call "the village"
very boring but fairly scenic. The nine golf courses are gorgeous but I don't golf. The lakes are lovely and clean with no fish. There is almost NO traffic. It is Very quiet.
with lots of lovely deer in the fall and winter.
Besides July, August and September the climate, for me, is great. In those three months it is hot and humid. Forget sitting on the grass or even walking on the driveways; the chiggers will eat you alive just like in Texas. Be content with simply Looking at your yard.
We have a fabulous bridge club and building but I don't play bridge. No crime, we're gated. The houses range from nice to gorgeous and are very cheap (no million dollar homes)even if right on a lake. Nine gorgeous golf courses.
There are dozens of boats at the marina but that is where they stay parked. I know one lady who has a job; a waitress.
All the other ladies are mid-seventies and don't work. The restaurants in the village and in Hot Springs proper are generally poor so we don't go out to eat much. Our property taxes are $2200 a year and our house is 3300 sq ft on top of a hill with woods all around. It is rare to find anyone living in the village under fifty. Winters here are nice; two days of snow, a couple inches. Last winter we had no snow, just two ice storms. They were gone in a few days.
It is fifteen miles to Hot Springs (downtown)and it is quirky. Interesting. Boring. Traffic is fine.
Lots of obviously poor people , walking and looking dangerous. There is a small pocket of drug dealing downtown with car theft and violence, even against women, but you never hear of anyone getting arrested or murdered; just roughed up if the "items" are not paid for. You'll be fine if you do not go outdoors past dark downtown.
In summary, Hot Springs Village is gated, pretty, quiet, no traffic to speak of, lots of golf and bridge, great weather, lots of sunshine, 2% are school kids, very few places to eat, cheap everything, lovely lakes without fish and a wonderful set of 3 community swimming pools with lifeguards next to a golf course with a mountain view. And they have pizza and corn dogs!