Little Rock Named a Top 10 Downtown
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: October 29, 2012
Little Rock has been named a Top 10 downtown.
Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America's best places to live and visit, compiled the list.
The list is the second installment of an annual listing the best downtowns in America and includes communities with downtowns that are walkable, well thought out, and that have a wealth of dining and entertainment options.
For the 2012 list, editors narrowed down the more than 500 cities on Livability.com to those with populations between 100,000 and 300,000. They then considered the downtown's economic vitality, which was assessed by analyzing the city's unemployment rate, downtown vacancy rate, the distance between residential areas and downtown amenities, and residents' average income levels.
"This list highlights those cities with downtowns that offer residents and visitors valuable experiences - museums and theaters for families to visit, restaurants and coffeeshops where friends can gather, shops and boutiques for finding memorable keepsakes" says John Hood, spokesman for Livability.com. "We chose cities in which the residents and government leaders have invested in downtown revitalization projects, providing a favorable atmosphere for older businesses to thrive and for new businesses to grow."
Located along the Arkansas River, Little Rock's downtown offers vibrant nightlife and a broad dining scene. Downtown Little Rock Partnership, a nonprofit group, has teamed with city leaders to revitalize areas of downtown. The group is working to renovate old buildings, beautify street corners and bring in special events such as an ice skating rink in the River Market area for the holiday season. Downtown tourism also gets a boost from the state's most visited landmark - the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park.
Top 10 Downtowns:
Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America's best places to live and visit, compiled the list.
The list is the second installment of an annual listing the best downtowns in America and includes communities with downtowns that are walkable, well thought out, and that have a wealth of dining and entertainment options.
For the 2012 list, editors narrowed down the more than 500 cities on Livability.com to those with populations between 100,000 and 300,000. They then considered the downtown's economic vitality, which was assessed by analyzing the city's unemployment rate, downtown vacancy rate, the distance between residential areas and downtown amenities, and residents' average income levels.
"This list highlights those cities with downtowns that offer residents and visitors valuable experiences - museums and theaters for families to visit, restaurants and coffeeshops where friends can gather, shops and boutiques for finding memorable keepsakes" says John Hood, spokesman for Livability.com. "We chose cities in which the residents and government leaders have invested in downtown revitalization projects, providing a favorable atmosphere for older businesses to thrive and for new businesses to grow."
Located along the Arkansas River, Little Rock's downtown offers vibrant nightlife and a broad dining scene. Downtown Little Rock Partnership, a nonprofit group, has teamed with city leaders to revitalize areas of downtown. The group is working to renovate old buildings, beautify street corners and bring in special events such as an ice skating rink in the River Market area for the holiday season. Downtown tourism also gets a boost from the state's most visited landmark - the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park.
Top 10 Downtowns:
- Fort Collins, CO
- Charleston, SC
- Alexandria, VA
- Boise, ID
- Little Rock, AR
- Stamford, CT
- Lincoln, NE
- Provo, UT
- Hollywood, FL
- McAllen, TX
