Are you moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas? Maybe you feel like you don’t know enough about the city? Are you feeling stressed?
I’ve got you! This short blog post will tell you the 3 things that you need to know about moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas. That way you feel more relaxed and confident about your big move. Make sure you read all the way through to the end because the most important one is number 3!
# 1 Fort Smith is Part of the River Valley
Fort Smith is the largest city in what we natives call the River Valley area. This includes Fort Smith’s neighboring cities like Van Buren, Alma, Greenwood, etc. Fort Smith is in the middle and the smaller cities surround us. So on the positive side, living in Fort Smith means that you’ll be living where the main attractions and action is for our area. On the negative side, if you’re moving here from a big city then “main attractions and action” is definitely going to be an adjustment.
Side note: My husband is from the Dallas/Fort Worth area and while moving here was definitely an adjustment for him, he is always telling me how thankful he is for low traffic and that you can get anywhere in Fort Smith in about 15 minutes or less!
#2 The Downside
Just like moving to any city, moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas is not all rainbows and butterflies. We have crime. We have a homeless population. We have stunning multi-million dollar mansions on hillsides and we have run down neighborhoods. So if you’re moving here, you can expect these things.
But my tip here is to do your own research. Did you know that you can actually search online to find a crime rate map? It literally shows you the density of the crime rate in all the neighborhoods. You can go to neighborhoodscout.com and crimegrade.org as a couple of resources.
Now as a Realtor, we’re not allowed to talk about test scores or share opinions on schools due to Fair Housing Laws. But if you’re moving here, you can do research online to learn more about the different private schools, public schools, and homeschool co-ops that we have here. Some online sites are greatschools.org, publicschoolreview.com, and usnews.com.
#3 Fort Smith is Lively and Growing
You need to know the positive side of Fort Smith too! We are continuously getting new businesses, building new parks, and expanding. Fort Chaffee (which is the southeast part of Fort Smith) opened up to development in recent years and there’s so much growth happening there right now.
It really makes me excited about the future to see all of the dreams people have for our area. We have two universities – UAFS and Arkansas College of Health Education, that both have big plans for the future. We’ve got a new pilot program and so much more.
Fort Smith’s growth gives me a lot of hope. The best is yet to come!
Where’s the Best Place to Live in the River Valley?
Alright – Now that you’ve been told the 3 things that you need to know about moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas, you may be interested in another video – Finding the Best Place to Live in Fort Smith Arkansas is Easier Than You Think
If you’re overwhelmed by all of the different neighborhoods in Fort Smith and just trying to figure out which location is best – you won’t want to miss this video. I’ll walk you through an easy decision making process to find the area that’s perfect for you.
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