Why Our Metro is Better Than Theirs
THE SCENERY
SCENIC SETTING
Little Rock and North Little Rock flank the Arkansas River giving residents a beautiful view every single day. Outside magazine recently named Little Rock in their list of “Best Towns,” citing the scenic beauty and access to nature as well as our 24-mile river trail system.
Residents of Dallas/Fort Worth just don’t have the scenery. This led to DFW being named Travel + Leisure’s No. 7 “Dirtiest City in America.” To top it off, DFW ranked last for their public parks. St. Louis and Memphis also made it onto the “Dirtiest Cities” lists.
THE ECONOMY
STABLE OUTLOOK
Our metro is not just stable, it’s growing. In fact, there’s so much happening in our metro that media across the country have made it a point to spotlight us. Forbes recently ranked Little Rock among the top 15 cities for young adults, and ZipRecruiter touted Metro Little Rock among the top 10 places to find a job.
Similarly-sized, Southern neighbor and fellow capital city Baton Rouge, Louisiana, can’t make the same claims. Bloomberg.com lists their city as one of the most impoverished in the country. MSN Money called out neighboring Shreveport, Louisiana, two years in a row for having one of the worst economies in the country.
THE TRAFFIC
NO GRIDLOCK
The average commute time is 17 minutes in Little Rock. However, you’ll see that most can make it into downtown within 10 minutes. Folks residing in nearby communities like Benton and Cabot also make good time, thanks to our easily navigable highway system.
Consider yourself warned. The metros of Austin, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth, not to mention those in Atlanta, Kansas City and St. Louis, are all notorious for long commutes, traffic congestion and gridlock — making rush hour a nightmare.
THE DINING
FAMOUS FOR FOOD
From soul food to food trucks to fine dining, the metro’s menus hold their own among the country’s best. The fare in town is good that it’s no wonder Forbes named Little Rock a “Secret Foodie City” in 2014. And Thrillist.com said folks who move here will be in “foodie heaven.”
El Paso and Fort Worth, Texas, as well as folks in western San Bernardino, California, and eastern St. Petersburg, Florida, were all named in Movoto.com’s “Worst Cities for Food Lovers" list, proving that all Southern food is not created equal.
