Are you thinking of moving to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and are wondering what living in this city is like? In this episode of Naturally NWA, I’m going to give you a tour of my favorite city: Fayetteville. From the historic downtown Fayetteville Square to catching a game at the University of Arkansas, there’s so much to love about this amazing area.
The Fayetteville Square
I moved to Fayetteville in 2003 from east Texas, about four and a half hours south. Before moving, I had no idea what Fayetteville was like or what to expect. I fell in love with this city on the hill going north on 49, and every time I’ve gone back to Texas to see my family and friends I always look forward to topping this hill and seeing my favorite city welcoming me back home.
One of the first things I love is the downtown historic Fayetteville Square. There are many reasons why people come down here, with plenty of events that take place throughout the year. Right now we’re in the holiday season, which means the Lights of the Ozarks is going on. All the trees and everything in the Square are completely covered in Christmas lights in the millions. There are also little places where you can get hot cocoa and different Christmas treats. You can also ride a buggy that’s pulled by horses, and there are sometimes camel rides that the kids can enjoy.
During the summer and spring months, the Fayetteville farmer’s market is held in the Square. It’s been rated one of the top farmer’s markets in the country. There are also some really cool shops and restaurants on the Square within a block or two, providing plenty of fun and shopping to keep you entertained.
Dixon Street
If you’re looking for a place to grab a drink and hang out, Dixon Street is the heart of the entertainment district here in Fayetteville. Dixon has the largest concentration of local bars and restaurants in town, and it’s typically crawling with college kids on Friday and Saturday nights—and Thursdays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so basically every day of the week. Now that I’m twice the age of most college students it’s pretty rare that I come down here on the weekends, though I do come down on game days before games and after big wins. When I was a regular down here, I always ended up at Brewski’s.
In addition to a full bar, Brewski’s has 72 beers on tap. If you’re more of a beer drinker than cocktails, Brewski’s is the best place to hang out. Recently, Fayetteville passed an ordinance that allows people to drink outside of bars. There are now parklets, which used to be parking spaces, where you can chill and drink a beer outside on the street just like in New Orleans. If you’re into that and you want to get a drink, walk around, and check out what’s going on up and down the street, now it’s legal.
The University Of Arkansas
Another reason why people love living in Fayetteville is that the University of Arkansas is located here. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium is where the Razorbacks call home. This stadium just went through major renovations in 2018 and 2019 and now seats a little over 76,000 fans. This place goes wild on fall Saturdays—except when Chad Morris was our coach.
The Old Main lawn and the Old Main building are must-sees. The Old Main is the very first building on the University of Arkansas campus from 1871. You can see it from so many places in Fayetteville, and it’s an awesome sight to catch. There are a lot of trees on the big lawn, and on football Saturdays in the fall the colors of the leaves are gorgeous. I graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2008, and the Sam Walton College of Business is in the top 25 business schools in the nation. It’s the perfect place to learn how to be a good Walmart employee.
One cool thing that the University of Arkansas does—that you don’t see anywhere else—is that every student who graduates gets their names engraved on the sidewalks. Here you can see proof that I graduated and what I’m paying $50,000 in student loan payments for. Pretty awesome right?
Cost Of Living In Fayetteville
Now that you see all there is to do in Fayetteville, you might be wondering about housing costs. There are lots of different options, including condos, townhouses, and single-family houses. Most of them are going to be older and have a lot of character, though there are also newer construction options that are more modern. The average cost for a single-family home in this area is roughly around $330,000, or about $220 bucks a square foot. That will roughly get you around 1500 square feet down here in this area.
The average cost of a condo or townhouse in this downtown area ranges from $200,000 up to about $625,000, with $385,000 being average. For that price, you’ll get roughly 1300 square feet. This area is very desirable, so homes don’t typically last very long. If you have any questions about houses or condos in the downtown area, give me a call at 479-263-1075 and I’ll take care of you.
Is Fayetteville Right For You?
Fayetteville is definitely a funky place, and I would recommend that you check it out. If you ever have any additional questions about the local area, want more detail about what it’s like living here, or are curious about the local real estate market, feel free to reach out to me. Thanks for watching another episode of Naturally NWA, and make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.