I Reviewed Downtown Little Rock (It Didn’t Go Well)

Comments · 660

• DA

  @daveweiss5647 · 6 months ago

  The amount of parking lots is insane...

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• YO

  @YourLoyalDeserter · 6 months ago

  As a local, yeah this is pretty accurate.  We got absolutely wrecked by urban renewal, and downtown is mostly dead as hell.  There are pockets of life, SOMA, the river market, Hillcrest, but, as you said, they are separated and small.

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• PI

  @PittsburghRocks · 6 months ago

  It was cooler when the tallest building was known as the TCBY Tower.

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• SA

  @sardisironworks · 6 months ago

  The downtown area has suffered from a rise in crime that chased off a lot of the foot traffic business. Took about 10 years to go from busy to vacant and closing of most of the restaurants and entertainment. The town really just shuts down at 8pm. And charging for parking took care of the part that still wanted to go downtown for what was left.

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• MU

  @MurphyRailwayEquipment · 6 months ago

  Actual citizen of Little Rock here. The best way I describe Little Rock is we are a small town pretending to be a city.<br>While I agree the land use/parking lots around downtown is awful and I&apos;d love to see downtown better revitalized, I disagree on your transit score. Rock Region Metro does a decent job serving the central part of Arkansas. Yes, they could definitely do better, but like all transit in America, it is a funding issue. Also, you should have rode the River Rail trolley. Yes, it is slow, but it&apos;s supposed to be. They give a great tour of the River Market and Argenta areas, providing unique historical facts and great pointers on things to do in area.<br>Speaking of Argenta, if you come back, check out North Little Rock and it&apos;s Argenta Historic Distric. Things are moving faster on the northside of the river. Recently 3 large parking lots were ripped out next to Simmon&apos;s Bank Arena for mixed-used housing, a conference center, and an independent hotel. Argenta also focuses more on the arts, and feels like the perfect small town. <br>And to address the deadness, downtown LR only comes to life on weekends. Its just the way it is here. Infact most stores and museums are closed Mondays. <br>I do hope the city can do better in the future. I volunteer my time with a city organization, as a Urban Designer and Transit Planner.

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• JO

  @Joel-n3s5k · 6 months ago

  There are an astounding number of homeless people around that river on the trail that is used by tons of people every day.

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• SC

  @scottygdaman · 6 months ago

  i was there 2 weeks ago on a saturday evening and was surprised at how much actvity there was.. lines for ice cream lots of people walkng around fancy loud cars . <br>it was fun. lots of familys the Robinson theater was very busy.

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• MA

  @matthewconstantine · 6 months ago

  What you mention about the downtowns that are supposed to be the heart of the city, but are empty, corporate voids...that hits home. &nbsp;I think one of the things I like most about visiting Philly is, while not perfect, even Center City still has local stuff and still feels alive. &nbsp;I didn&apos;t realize how special that was until I noticed it there. &nbsp;Where I live in DC, most of the touristy stuff is in the Downtown, Georgetown, or Navy Yard area. &nbsp;And to say those areas don&apos;t give you a feel for the city would be an understatement. &nbsp;You&apos;ve got to go north of U St, or Florida Ave., or east of Capitol Hill before you start to get a sense of the real place. &nbsp;Except for a few little pockets of the old city that remain, anything within about a 20 minute walk of the National Mall feels like a sanitized, empty zone. &nbsp;Full of 8th grade school trips, tourists, and suburbanites who only work in the city, but don&apos;t do any living in it. <br>Stopping in several cities in the South, I found much what you did in Little Rock. &nbsp;Birmingham, Alabama was the one I think that stood out the most. &nbsp;Spent a couple hours on a weekday in the downtown, and I think the whole time I was there I saw maybe two other people. &nbsp;It was CREEPY.

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• ER

  @erichamilton3373 · 6 months ago

  First reaction to the aerial view of downtown: This is a sea of parking lots!

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• AM

  @amyroberts935 · 6 months ago

  I miss Riverfest! 😢

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• RO

  @rovertales · 5 months ago

  I was really impressed with their waterfront park area. It was still warm out so there was a decent amount of people when I went. I was pleasantly surprised

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• SH

  @ShawstinAu · 6 months ago

  You know a city isn&apos;t doing so hot when a video with this title has locals coming out of the woodwork to say &quot;Yeah you&apos;re right. &nbsp;It kinda sucks.&quot;<br>Watching 4th of July fireworks over the river from the park is always nice, but I dream about what it would be like to actually have a downtown that isn&apos;t comprised of 60% parking and rundown buildings

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