Hipper and more laid-back than its cousin to the north, Hillcrest is full of beautiful turn-of-the-century homes and cottages. Home prices are lower than in The Heights, and there are more rental options as well. Artsy types and young professionals tend to gravitate toward Hillcrest.

LIVE
Charming Craftsman bungalows, “American Foursquare” houses and two-story Tudor-style homes sit cozily along softly curved, sloping streets lined with old trees. As the sun rises, residents emerge to walk pets along Kavanaugh Boulevard, speaking good mornings as they pass. As the day wears on, the historic district’s diverse shops and restaurants bustle with customers. By nightfall, voices carry across the neighborhood from the patios of favored gathering spots.

WORK
Like The Heights, Hillcrest’s industry consists mostly of retail, dining and service-oriented businesses. In both neighborhoods, most businesses are located along the main thoroughfare, Kavanaugh Boulevard, and the patrons tend to be middle- to upper-class residents. So, if you’re looking to open a business targeted to that demographic, consider this area. Otherwise, you’re near all the major employers in Midtown, like the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as wells as jobs downtown. Other areas are a quick commute as well.

PLAY
Hillcrest is always having people over – especially when the local merchants host “Shop ‘N’ Sip” (on the first Thursday of every month). Businesses stay open late and invite the public to enjoy a glass of wine and other refreshments while they shop. Plan on dinner at a local eatery, many of which are well-known all over central Arkansas. When Midtown’s War Memorial Stadium hosts the University of Arkansas Razorbacks (which it does twice a year), football fans from across the state and locals converge to tailgate in the neighborhood.

EXPERIENCE
Hillcrest is home to an eclectic crowd that includes students, young families and old money. Its diversity is based on history, as Hillcrest was once a large, mostly undeveloped tract of woods before becoming Little Rock’s first suburb. Nature’s influence remains today, enticing for pedestrians, families and hikers who explore the trails and playgrounds at Allsopp Park, one of the city’s most popular parks. It features a baseball field, tennis courts, a playground, a pavilion, and biking and hiking trails, perhaps the park’s most widely favored attractions.