NWA Folks - A Penny For Your Thoughts

[Kazimierz]

The wife just had a job offer at UofA. I'm swinging through that area for a few interviews week after next.  We are also looking at Texas (Austin/Houston) but we both like the idea of returning to our home state. 

I grew up in Little Rock and am more familiar with the Delta/Memphis-area (lots of driving to Ole Miss and back) than I am NWA.  Any suggestions for nice places to live?  We have always lived in "historic areas" (i.e. not McMansions on the outskirts of town) but I am not sure if NWA has many nice older areas. 

School district would be a consideration as well... but it is my understanding that Fayetteville, Har-Ber, and Bville all have pretty nice schools.  So I guess you cannot go that wrong. 

I will probably look at lots of info, but I thought I would pick the giant brain-trust that is FF before I ventured too far down the rabbit hole.

[AirWarren]

Go to Texas. I cannot wait to get there one day.

[Breitontime]

Austin, not so much Houston.

Austin is in my top three favorite cities.

[AirWarren]

The woodlands in northwest Houston is awesome. With Exxon Mobil moving their headquarters there soon, a new skyline is being prepared to be erected in that area. The area is going to known as the "Oil District". Talked to a banker on our cruise who relocated there from South Carolina. Filled me in on it. His wife works in the oil business.

Austin is very cool. So is San Antonio. But I'm Texas partial. Would choose there over NWA any day of the week.

[Breitontime]

I have an ex that lives in The Woodlands, along with a good friend in the MLB. Very affulent area. But, Houston itself, I dislike.

[ricepig]

I have an ex that lives in The Woodlands, along with a good friend in the MLB. Very affulent area. But, Houston itself, I dislike.

Way too much traffic in Houston, and really, these two areas aren't similar.

[beach bum]

Bre summed up Houston to a tee. Katy and Sugar Land are decent after The Woodlands being Houstons best.

[Valleysports]

My paychecks have always came from the Woodlands, have friends who live there.  Growing up thinking Texas was the only place on earth, I'd say to strongly consider NWA.  NWA is night/day from the rest of Arkansas.  I'll PM you the FF Posters to get advice from...  And Har-Ber is the correct school 

[Brian G]

Lots of differences in the districts.  It really comes down to what you are after.  Can you afford to live where you want your kids to go? Does sports matter?  Can your kids handle a crowded school?  Do you want to count successful education potential by number of Merit Semi-finalist, average ACT scores or some other ranking?  Do you prefer to live close to the school?  Do you want them to blend in or stand out from the crowd?  Do you prefer certain kinds of neighborhoods? 

Some real upside to several districts. 

Rogers:  some decent schools, more affordable neighborhoods but very generic overall.  This goes for both high schools.  It's very balance around most of the town.

Springdale:  A very divided culture that manifests itself in a unhealthy way in the district at the high school level.  Overall a very large district that is still adding new schools.  There is extreme variation in elementary schools from a socio-economic standpoint and the lines drawn for high school reflect the worst forethought possible.  A true "have" and "have nots" difference.  Not noted for high end academics but with that head count you will find many choices.  Housing tends to be cheaper than the other three districts.

Bentonville- Money all over.  Of course that leads to many of the best things like newer buildings and equipment.  But it can lead to politics more than the norm.  New money and old money can be a bear.  But if you can stay clear of that it offers a lot.  Most of the places to live are expensive and new.  But you can find older housing.

Fayetteville- (Homer alert).  The only one high school town of the four(BHS splits soon) yet not as many students in the building.  The district is not growing at a rate like the others and things tend to be more settled.  Currently with a lame duck superintendent.  Plenty of diversity all over Fayetteville.  The UA's influence is an overall positive but you can bump into things similar to the vendor money that pushes things in Bentonville.  Typically near the top statewide in several academic categories.  Cost of housing runs the whole gamut.

[ricepig]

If you post this on HV you'll get a lot of responses, lots of posters live in Texas and will tell you the benefits of those two areas. My niece and husband live in Fayetteville, she teachers at Springdale, and he works in Bentonville. They just had a child and bought a new house and chose to stay in Fayetteville.

[Brian G]

That scenario is not unique.

[Kazimierz]

Thanks, I knew I could count on the FF think tank. 

All of our options (NWA, Houston, Austin) are because of jobs (not just packing up to head to Austin). 

I lived in Austin for several years and really enjoyed it (although if you actually live there... it can be kind of tiresome... it is full of Californians escaping high taxes/college kids/self-absorbed people).  It is especially nice when you get out into the Hill Country and leave Cali-Austin behind.  Plus my wife is a Native Austinite and we have family in Austin. 

I don't have as many connections in Houston... but the jobs there are with much larger corporations, so... money (Also, no income tax in Texas).

NWA is the comfy shirt of the three.  Not a big city (used to 3 million+ metro areas), close to core family, and just two hours from the lake house.  And actually, NWA reminds me of Austin 25 years ago. Hasn't quite hit the big leagues (US wide) but has great underlying wealth and enormous potential.

B.G., thanks for the info on the school district. That is helpful.



Feel free to keep on adding advice. 

[Uncle Ivan]

it is full of Californians escaping high taxes

Yet bring the politics and voting habits with them that elected the politicians that enacted those bad policies.

[Valleysports]

Kazimierz - ever thought of getting a plane / license.  Easy little pop over the Ozarks, from Central to NWA.

[Kazimierz]

Kazimierz - ever thought of getting a plane / license.  Easy little pop over the Ozarks, from Central to NWA.

No never thought about that... although it would be a tough sell.  Lost one college classmate and AF Academy grad (B1b Lancer pilot) to a small singe engine plane crash. Lost a cousin to another small plane crash.  Both were pilots. 

Needless to say, the wife isn't keen on me obtaining a pilots license.  I know folks who say it is safer than driving a car... but I'll let you tell my wife.

[Valleysports]

Well it's just that you're obviously highly intelligent, which is a prerequisite for becoming a pilot.  Let me know if you change your mind.

[ricepig]

Well it's just that you're obviously highly intelligent, which is a prerequisite for becoming a pilot.  Let me know if you change your mind.

Lol, I've known plenty whom I wouldn't consider intelligent, much less highly intelligent.

[Valleysports]

LOL - served that up for you.  Do you have a pilots license - think you could pass the test?

[ricepig]

LOL - served that up for you.  Do you have a pilots license - think you could pass the test?

I'm not sure I could pass a bar these days, much less a test, haha. Seriously, yep, I believe if forced to, I could. I don't do well in small planes, I've always suffered from motion sickness so I never had a desire to get my license. I do want to know how to land a King Air, just to be safe.

[Brian G]

Farmers really shouldn't be pilots.

[ricepig]

Farmers really shouldn't be pilots.

Well, this one shouldn't, but a whole bunch do, great way to look at their crops. Like I said, every time I went up, I was lucky not to barf. My ag pilot always wanted me to ride with him, I told him, he really didn't.

[Valleysports]

You could definitely pass the test -   It's not my desire in life, but this crop duster fellar, thinks I need to do a little flying with him. 

[ricepig]

You could definitely pass the test -   It's not my desire in life, but this crop duster fellar, thinks I need to do a little flying with him.

I've had two pilots that worked for me wreck, one is in a wheelchair, the other didn't survive.  It's not a question of if with them, it's when and will they walk away.

[Breitontime]

I'd love to have a little MXS acrobatic aircraft. If I'm going to go out, might as well be in a blaze of glory.