Living & Nursing in Little Rock, Arkansas
Renaissance City
Over the last 15 years, Little Rock has truly emerged as a cosmopolitan city. By developing the Downtown area and maximizing its political fortune, the capital city today is a bonafide destination for tourists and newcomers alike.
The Clinton Library and Presidential Center offered a boon to the revitalization efforts of the River 
Market Entertainment District along the banks of the Arkansas River. Other attractions followed including the expansion of the city’s Statehouse Convention Center.
Heifer International, a Little Rock-based organization dedicated to finding long-term solutions to world hunger and poverty, has built on 30 acres adjacent to the library. The 94,000 square-foot world headquarters is an environmentally sound facility composed of recycled materials and is open for tours featuring its “green” elements.
The River Rail trolley system connecting Little Rock to North Little Rock is reminiscent of the classic streetcar from the 1940’s. Tourists and residents use the trolley for inexpensive transport around Downtown.
Festivals and special events are also part of Little Rock culture. Each Memorial Day weekend, thousands of people fill the city’s Riverfront Park for Riverfest, the state’s largest music, arts and food festival. And Thursday evenings in May and September are “Big Downtown Thursdays”—fun-filled block parties on the streets of the River Market District.
Southern Living
Little Rock offers diverse communities and a variety of unique neighborhoods to choose from. From urban to suburban, modern to historic, you’ll find a place that’s home to you and your family.
Once an abandoned warehouse district along the banks of the Arkansas River, the River Market entertainment district has transformed downtown into a trendy living space, featuring specialty shops, art galleries, restaurants, popular nightspots, luxury condominiums, and loft apartments.
Situated between the Market and Riverfront Park, two pavilions house a farmers’ market, open on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Merchants in the inner pavilion offer everything from gourmet coffee to fresh sushi. The area has become a center of activity, which is continually fueled by the addition of new restaurants, hot local bars and unique shops.
Just a short distance from the River Market is the area of restored 19th century homes around MacArthur Park and the Governor's Mansion known as the Quapaw Quarter. This area is nine square miles of beautiful antebellum and Victorian homes included in the central business district.
Twice a year, homes in the quarter are open for tours under the direction of the Quapaw Quarter Association. The Villa Marre of Designing Women fame is located here. The Empress Bed & Breakfast, Trapnall Hall, Old State House Museum and the Little Rock Visitor Information Center at Historic Curran Hall are open for tours and are available for special occasion rental such as weddings, receptions and other events.
The area west of downtown along Markham Street is known as the Hillcrest Historic District. This is a National Register of Historic Places collection, being one of the earliest residential areas of the city, featuring beautiful turn of the century homes and cottages dating back to the early part of the 20th century.
The Heights is a trendy, upscale area on the northwest side of town with its own particular flavor. Here you will find quaint gift shops, exclusive boutiques, restaurants, cafes and antique shops, mixed into a residential neighborhood. Many of the homes overlook the Arkansas River, built high up on the bluffs - hence the name. You'll find established landscaping, small cottages, interesting shops and tree-lined streets.
Out West is Chenal Valley, one of the fastest-growing residential developments in the city. Chenal encompasses 31 neighborhoods, 14 of which line the prestigious green belt of Chenal Country Club’s world-class championship golf courses. Open-air shopping and fine-dining establishments make this area a preferred lifestyle choice.
Get Your Game On
Central Arkansas is home to the Arkansas Travelers, a Double-A minor league team. The Travs wrapped up their final season at the historic Ray Winder field in 2006 and moved into a beautiful new facility at Dickey-Stephens Park across the Arkansas River in North Little Rock. A short trolley ride from Dickey-Stephens or the River Market District, you’ll find Alltel Arena, home of the Arkansas Twisters arena football team.
Of course, if you live in Arkansas, you’re destined to be a Razorback fan. The University of Arkansas football team usually plays two to three of its home games each season at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock’s midtown.
The Great Outdoors
And while Little Rock is definitely a growing metropolitan area, it’s no concrete jungle. In fact, you are never far from nature in Little Rock.
There are many state and national parks within a 60-mile radius of Little Rock that provide recreation and camping facilities. They include Petit Jean State Park, DeGray Lake Resort State Park, Lake Ouachita State Park, the Ouachita National Forest and Pinnacle Mountain State Park.
The Arkansas River Trail, 24 miles of paved route for walking and biking, is also near completion. It includes a renovated railroad bridge near the Clinton Library and the world’s longest pedestrian bridge commonly referred to as the “Big Dam Bridge” that spans the Murray Lock and Dam over the Arkansas River.
Medical Industry
Little Rock is the state’s center for healthcare with over 180 healthcare facilities in the region.
Arkansas Children's Hospital is one of the ten largest children's specialty facilities in the nation and has been ranked by Fortune Magazine as one of the best companies to work for.
Baptist Health is the largest tertiary-care hospital in Arkansas and is known for its highly successful organ transplant program.
The state’s first and only accredited Chest Pain Center is located at the Jack Stephens Heart Center at St. Vincent’s. St. Vincent’s has earned a reputation for exceptional care particularly in select specialties such as heart, orthopedic, spine, stroke, vascular, seniors, and women’s services.
The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) serves U.S. veterans throughout the Central Arkansas region and the State. It is one of the largest and busiest VA medical centers in the country.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has "Centers of Excellence" ranging from cancer research and treatment, ophthalmology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, pediatrics, to geriatrics. UAMS is Arkansas’s only comprehensive academic health center with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, and a statewide network of regional centers.
Find Your Place in the Natural State
Little Rock is a mid-size city with a hometown feel. The low cost of living, affordable housing, and exceptional recreational activities make living and nursing in Little Rock a natural choice.
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