Moving to NW Arkansas

My wife will most likely be transferred to Bentonville (the Walmart central hive)

I have heard that in Bentonville and much of the surrounding area are inhabited by an especially virulant form of fundamentalist Christianity and conservatism.

I have also heard that Fayetteville, seemingly not far to the south, is a socialist utopia with a strict tofu requirement :)

Is there a sharp mason/dixon line, or are there shades of purple in between? I live in a rather conservative part of Massachusetts. Most of my friends are conservatives, and I respect them.. I'm used to being the "nutty liberal"

Basically we (my family) are looking for a rural area where we can buy affordable land, build a cob or strawbale house, live a simple life, and not get lynched by the neighbors and/or building inspectors.

Any suggestions?

Fayetteville is indeed cool. Springfield, which is just north is OK too, but it's a chicken (Tyson) town.

If you want land, check out Elm Springs, just north and west of Springfield.

Be sure and go to the AQ in Springfield and have a meal. Bill Clinton did. :-)

Springfield is in southwest Missouri. I lived in both Fayetteville and in Rogers for many years.

From someone else who is well acquainted with Rogers and Fayetteville :hi:

it's all they have as a social network. Most people misunderstand the
fundies down there, church is a social gathering and the only place for
people to meet and talk on a regular basis in a non alcohol environment.
I have 40 acres around Hardy Ark. and my family lives there now. There are actually a couple of nudist colonies around there so you get a variety. There is also some great fishing both trout and bass and plenty of parks and land. I intend to retire there or move there if things get to bad.

but with the spawling burbs came alot of * supporters. There are many smaller communities in the area and with you coming from MA, you'll probably be able to buy plenty of acreage. Fayetteville has the University of Arkansas, the Walton Art Center, Dickson Street, etc. which gives it a more 'liberal' attitude. Bentonville is growing so fast that the infrastructure is in bad shape. It is the GOP base along with Bella Vista to the north. Currently, Benton county is 'dry', but you can drink yourself silly in their private clubs. Washington county is a wet county.

When I came here in Dec. 1991, Bentonville only had a single traffic light and Fayetteville was the 'growing city'. Although, it's doubled in population, I still like Fayetteville alot better. Springdale was slow to put in zoning and sign laws and is kind of 'dumpy' looking and sometimes smells bad due to Tyson's.

I spent two years or so at WM's Home Office, although I did not work directly for them (I'm retired IBM). I feel sorry for your wife if she is one of their employees. It's a mandatory 45+ hours a week at the HO.

LOL, a 45 hour work week sounds like heaven. :)

I grew up in NW Arkansas and still have family there.

If you want to buy affordable acerage that is near enough to commute to the Bentonville Rogers area easily then consider MacDonald county in Southwest Missouri.

Let me assure you that the particular form of fundamentalist Christianity and conservatism that inhabits NW Arkansas is mild compared to that in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Though they assuredly are related. The distinction being that you will find more folks motivated by pure greed in NW Arkansas while you will find more kooky religious idealogues in the Tulsa area some 100 miles west.

Fayetteville is not a socialist utopia though it certainly is more liberal than the surrounding area. If you are looking for liberalism in Arkansas then you should go to the Eureka Springs area.

Like anywhere else, it is what you make it. If you come here thinking it is a backwater, hick town then you'll probably get what you expect. In the past 7 years many changes have been made: the economy here is booming,businesses are growing, national outlets are opening every day, cultural diversity is slowing being acknowledged, housing starts are way up--though land is expensive (I agree with the earlier post -- look for land in rural southern Missouri). Benton County Democrats do exist (go to their website), you can raise a family safely, etc. The virulent form of Christianity to which you refer is unfortunately present, yet not more so than hundreds of other places. And your wife should do well at the HO -- the surrounding area is very supportive of W*M, regardless of all the negative press -- so don't let anyone talk you out of coming here. Give it a chance yourself. BTW -- they haven't lynched me yet and I am a loud, proud, liberal, openly gay man with a sharp tongue and a critical rebuke for everything dubya-related. Good luck!

So does your wife work with a Supplier?

After living in Massachusettes, I'm sure any bit of land you find in Arkansas will feel like a bargain. Here's a hint: be wary of any land close to a WM distribution center unless you like hearing "BEEP BEEP BEEP" of backing trucks at 2 am. And let me tell you - sound travels very well across open farmland. ;)

I would recommend getting in touch with an area realtor. Harris McHaney is really good for land, as is Lindsey.

There's still loads of land in NW Arkansas, I suppose it just depends how far out you want to be. Commuting in B'ville is a nightmare at best - every major road in town is undergoing expansion so expect loads of delays. I used to live in Los Angeles and I find Bentovnille traffic loads more frustrating.

Although F'ville isn't that far south, you put your life on the line during the afternoon/morning commute on I-540. You'll love all the Bubbas in their super-big pick up trucks riding your ass at 90 MPH. I used to commute from F'ville from B'ville for work and I would use Hwy 112. It's about 15 minutes longer but it's scenic. And safer.

And you're pretty much spot on about fundy religious folk in B'ville. The churches here seem to be very business-ey; almost like a country club. They're really places where locals "network" and go to be seen.

If your afraid of fundamental Christianity then the only place you really need to avoid while looking for your new home is Springdale. During the last election I was at a dem meeting where the child of another member told me about being harassed by students and teachers alike for supporting Kerry.

Bentonville isn't a bad place to live. I agree that its what you make of it. If you come in with a good attitude then you will enjoy yourself. The only thing I don't like about this area is its transient nature. With supplier families moving in and moving out some of our communities don't feel so connected. That disconnect is also fanned by the insular nature of Wal-Mart employees. They seem to keep to themselves. Those of us on the outside of the machine and without children can have a hard time meeting people.

if you're moving to Springdale, fayetteville, Rogers, you don't have to worry about the fundamental Christianity, major part of the population are democrats, but if you go to the suburbs and towns like Bentonville, Bella Vista, Centerton, Tontitown, Westfork, Madison, Huntsville, etc there are banch of religious rocky minded people. Please feel free to contact with your questions about north west Arkansas I will be glad to help.

Peace

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

about Sprindale being Democrat. Last election Springdale went for shitwipe with close to 70% of the vote. All of the the state reps and our senator are repukes.

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in Springdale for supporting Kerry. Springdale is a shithole Rogers and Bentonville isn't much better. The First Baptist church here in Springdale basically runs the school board and city government here.
Fayetteville is the most liberal progressive city in the area.

Sometimes one of the local radio stations would (still does?) carry Sunday morning broadcasts from the Pentacostal Church (sometimes the minister would even start talking in tongues!). The Springdale Baptist Church service was (still is?) broadcast on a local TV station.

Lots of people are moving in and out of both places. New housing developments are going up everywhere, it seems.

Relatively cheap rural land is still available, but there are lots of meth labs, especially out by Monte Ne and Beaver Shores. Lots of house burglaries out there, too.

Land in Pea Ridge (10 miles out of B'ville on Ark 72) is also cheap, especially toward the Missouri border, but don't move there if you have school age children.

Bentonville public schools aren't too bad. There is some rural land in B'ville, but chances are, you'll get crowded out by a housing development.

Fayetteville is hardly a "hotbed" of socialism (even the co-op has gone "upscale"), but in some ways it is a little more liberal than the other municipalities in the area (they even had a "floodplain" zoning designation once, but the developers put an end to that, like they ended the tree protection ordinance a few years later). Fayetteville was MUCH more liberal in the '70s, but really yuppified in the '80s.

I live in Newton County, and there are no building codes. You are invited to the Dances of Universal Peace at the Unity Church in Fayetteville-take I 540 south to Hwy 16 (Wedington Road). Go east until you see the sign for the church-it sets back from the road, just after an electric transformer station. We do the Dances there on the fourth Saturday, 7-9 pm.

There's also the Ozark Research Institute on Locust Street and the School of Metaphysics....neat people in both places.