Looking at a house, need to know if area is safe NLR

[JenniferH]

West 17th Street in North Little Rock. It's right near the tracks, but I've lived near railroad tracks before and the noise doesn't bother me.

The immediate neighborhood looks a little rundown, it's very urban, and there are some nicer neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity.

[2goingon2]

Jennifer - I think it may be iffy at best. If you like NLR and older homes, have you looked in the Park Hill area? To be honest though, I'm not THAT familiar with NLR...just the basics. Good luck.

[liberal_chick]

Just off Camp Robinson, right? I wouldn't, but I'm a pansy. I lived in one of the nicer surrounding neighborhoods though, one that is off Kierre. We actually still own a house there. That, to me, was fine, but I wanted to be up off of Camp Robinson.

The general rule for NLR is that the lettered streets are ok (that is mostly Park Hill), but stay away from numbered streets.

Wait, the school I taught at was on 22nd, so I bet 17th is more downtown as opposed to by Camp Robinson. Yea, I REALLY wouldn't in that case. They warned us, as teachers, not to stay in the neighborhood past dark. I did have a co-worker that rented a house on 18th and he talked about the vast amounts of prostitutes at night.

[JenniferH]

Damn. I was hoping the bad things I heard weren't because of the actual crime. I knew there was a reason such a cute house was so cheap. The previous owners completely remodeled the interior. I'm not going to live somewhere I don't feel safe. Someone on another msg board said "you probably won't get shot or mugged, but your house will probably be broken into." What a shame.

It's not that I like NLR as opposed to LR, but it's just a house I can afford AND I've heard the schools are better than LRSD on the whole. I can't afford to rent anywhere that I've seen. I'd love to live out in Maumelle, but the housing prices are ridiculous out there!

Back to the drawing board.

[liberal_chick]

What is your price range?

[JenniferH]

IF I sell my current house for what I want to sell it for, I will have a decent down payment. In that case, up to $90,000. If not, it goes down dramatically. There's not much to be had for under $100K unless I can find a REO that is in a nicer neighborhood. Even if I get a house for $90K, my mortgage payment will still be cheaper than renting a house, and I won't have to worry about paying pet deposits.

I was really shocked that rent is so expensive. My biggest concern is a good school zone. Public schools are iffy in Little Rock, from what I hear. I'm looking at another house that is in the Jefferson Elem. attendance zone. I've read some reviews of it, and it seems to be ok. It's a little more expensive, but it's huge and SEEMS to be in a nice neighborhood.

My problem is that I don't make enough to live where I want. I'm hoping that my interview goes well Friday and they make a good offer. Even a couple more dollars an hour over what I'm making now will boost my yearly income.

Thanks!

[liberal_chick]

Well, if you end up still needing a place in May/June, LMK. We own a house in NLR that we are currently renting out and I don't know if the current renters will want to do another year lease or not. (And we're fine with pets. )

[2goingon2]

Jennifer:
Re: the schools. I've actually heard the opposite. LR schools have more fine arts and magnet schools than NLR. I've known of folks who have moved their kids (not sure how) into the LR district out of the NLR one. A co-worker of mine has a friend that teaches in the NLR district and she is not an advocate. My ex-husband taught music as an artist-in-residence for a little while in NLR (funded by a non-profit agency until the $$ ran out) because there is no fine arts program in the NLR district...something that is very important to me.
Hope you and liberal chick can work something out!

[JenniferH]

Originally Posted by liberal_chick

Well, if you end up still needing a place in May/June, LMK. We own a house in NLR that we are currently renting out and I don't know if the current renters will want to do another year lease or not. (And we're fine with pets. )

It may be then before I can move. I'll PM you.