110 replies to this topic

[Rock2uf]

Hey all,

Anyone with pics of Hot Springs, Arkansas, please post 'em.  I haven't been there in about eight years.  From what I remember, it was beautiful.  Also, general comments about Hot Springs will be appreciated.  Is it a decent place to raise a family?

[Rock2uf]

Uhh, not a very popular city on this site, huh?

[Aporkalypse]

I grew up in Little Rock and my family had a condo in Hot Springs where we went in the summers.

It's a gorgeous, historical place with terrific amenities for a city of its small size.  Excellent restaurants, decent shopping, art galleries, an amusement park and water park, 8000 seat arena, good horse-racing track, and lakes for boating, swimming, and fishing.  They have some nice botanical gardens and a decent science museum. Little Rock is one hour away and has a decent airport and msot things you can't get in Hot Springs.

Hot Springs Lakeside and Lake Hamilton school districts are very good, Hot Springs school district proper is not though nearly all nice areas are in the former two districts.  It's a nice place to grow up and I would move there if the right opportunity came along.  Real estate prices there, as in most of Arkansas, are terribly affordable compared to most places.  Hot Springs offers rare opportunities if you're interested in historic buildings.













[img]http://http://www.arkansas.com/images/photos/large/hotsprings_021_l.jpg[/img]

[Rock2uf]

Thanks for the info.  Excellent pics, also.  That place is gorgeous.  I remember as a kid going to a lookout observatory on top of a hill/mountain.  Are you familiar with this site?  It seems like it was almost in town.  Oh, sweet!  I see it in the pictures.  Man, as a kid, I thought that was awesome.

Do you have more pics of downtown?

[Miesian Corners]

I have been hearing a lot about Hot Springs lately.  The place is supposed to have some architectural jewels.

Are the baths in business still?  How much for a visit to one of the spas?

[Mith242]

There's only one bath house operating at this time.  But I visiting Hot Springs a few months ago and apparently the government is restoring the other bath houses.  I didn't see any details on what exactly they were going to do with them though. I would guess lease out the space, but that wouldn't mean they would reopen at bath houses though.  I had visited several times in the 80's and the downtown/bath house row area was pretty run down.  But it was nice to see the area looking very nice on my last visit.  It does have interesting architecture.  People from all over the nation came to Hot Springs back in the 20's,  presidents and the rich and famous.  Even baseball teams were going there before they started going to Florida and Arizona.  Al Capone and gangsters also came and helped establish underground gambling.  When the governor and the Arkansas Natl Guard finally got rid of the underground gmabling in the 60's they reappeared in some place called Las Vegas.  Nowadays Hot Springs still has a unique feel to it.  I had always wondered why it had attracted a number of Italians.  But the hills, the climate and the fountains does make you feel it does have a slight Italian feel to it.

[johnnydr87]

Ok, I kept out of this discussion pretty long.  Especially considering I'm from the place.

Anyhoo, various pictures, courtesty of the Arkansas Department of Tourism (sorry if repeats):














Hot Springs is a nice place.  It is a pretty good place to raise a family, depending on where you go.  I'm in high school still, and I'm very opinionated about the different schools.  The schools around here are definitlely good for Arkansas standards, and decent for national standards.  I'm still in high school, so I have my issues with some of the individual schools, like the lack of technology courses.  The Arkansas School for Math, Science, and Art is here too, which I presently attend.  If you have a son or daughter heading into the 11th or 12th grade, this is the place you would want to send them.  It's a residential public school for academically gifted students, and students are accepted based on their application.  It was ranked one of the top twenty schools in the nation based on ACT/SAT scores, and there are a host of programs and classes for students to compete with the best around the nation (how's that for a plug?).  My parents prefer Hot Springs to New Orleans, our previous home.  I think it's a little small for my liking, but I too like it more than LA in general because of the natural scenery and it just feels cleaner.

Edited by johnnydr87, 15 June 2005 - 12:40 PM.

[Mith242]

I didn't go to school here, but I've always heard good things about the school system here in Fayetteville.  Seems like they tend to get ranked pretty well, especially on Arkansas standards.

[Rock2uf]

Hey, thanks for the info.  Keep it coming.

[Mith242]

Since I know we have someone from Hot Springs around.  What's the city population and metro population of Hot Springs?  Just trying to get an idea of how it compares to other Arkansas cities.  I know Jonesboro has passed up Pine Bluff.  I think it's also passed it up in metro also, just curious where Hot Springs stands.

[johnnydr87]

Well, Hot Springs only recently was designated an MSA.  I remember the article in the newspaper a few years back.  You have to have over 90,000 to be an MSA.

Here's from wikipedia my MSA:

Hot Springs is located at 34°29'50" North, 93°3'19" West (34.497138, -93.055393)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 85.5 km² (33.0 mi²). 85.2 km² (32.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.36% water. Hot Springs is now a Metropolitan Statistical Area. For now, the MSA is only Garland County, with a 2003 estimated population of 93,000. The population of Hot Springs is very misleading. While its official population is only about 36,000, there are an additional 45,000 residents that surround the city that just aren't in the city limits. When you add 45,000 to the official 36,000, you get a more accurate picture of Hot Springs. When you add all of the tourists and the traffic, it appears to be very much more than a little city of 36,000.

[johnnydr87]

I think they should expands the city limits somewhat.  It's been pretty stagnant around 35,000 for a while.

[Mith242]

johnnydr87, on Jun 17 2005, 07:42 PM, said:

Well, Hot Springs only recently was designated an MSA.  I remember the article in the newspaper a few years back.  You have to have over 90,000 to be an MSA.

Here's from wikipedia my MSA:

Hot Springs is located at 34°29'50" North, 93°3'19" West (34.497138, -93.055393)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 85.5 km² (33.0 mi²). 85.2 km² (32.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.36% water. Hot Springs is now a Metropolitan Statistical Area. For now, the MSA is only Garland County, with a 2003 estimated population of 93,000. The population of Hot Springs is very misleading. While its official population is only about 36,000, there are an additional 45,000 residents that surround the city that just aren't in the city limits. When you add 45,000 to the official 36,000, you get a more accurate picture of Hot Springs. When you add all of the tourists and the traffic, it appears to be very much more than a little city of 36,000.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like the MSA isn't too far behind Jonesboro or Pine Bluff's.  I wouldn't be too surprised if it able to pass up one or both eventually.

[Mith242]

It was a long time ago but do they still have that aquarium on Hot Springs?  I remember seeing a mention of it while I was there in town and surprised I hadn't heard anything about it before.  The other tipoff I guess should have been the price.  It was pretty cheap.  It certainly wasn't anything like what you see in a lot of the big cities.  After being a little disappointed after getting inside it wasn't too bad.  It's more than any other city in Arkansas has got as far as I know.

[Khashbaatar_Tsagaanbaatar]

There's still a tiny little aquarium in an ofshoot of the Arlington Hotel and Spa in downtown Hot Springs.

Now, if my memory serves me correctly, Hot Springs has not been growing for quite a while (I think it's remained in the mid-30,000s for a while) as it is a slightly different city than others.  While it is not quite a normal city, it is also not completely a tourist town.  These factors, I believe, combine to form a city with a stable population.

Now, I'd also like to tell you all a little story about ASMSA.  Never in the history of mankind has there been anything better than the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts!  The collective wonder of everything in the Universe is merely a molecule in the Ocean of greatness that is ASMSA!  Okay, maybe that was a little too emphatic.  But seriously, it's a really good school.

Also, I went to school with young johnnydr87 at ASMSA.  He was the great individual that directed me to this website.  Round of applause, everyone!

[johnnydr87]

And let me add, Khashbaatar Tsagaanbaatar (or "Chase" as we like to say---crazy middle eastern folk!) was possibly one of the nicest ladies I've ever met in my entire life---no joke!  The spirit of the savior truly eminated from her southern ladylike aura of daintyness!

I kid....

Edited by johnnydr87, 23 June 2005 - 09:16 PM.

[Arkansawyer]

Khashbaatar_Tsagaanbaatar, on Jun 23 2005, 10:09 PM, said:

Now, if my memory serves me correctly, Hot Springs has not been growing for quite a while (I think it's remained in the mid-30,000s for a while) as it is a slightly different city than others.  While it is not quite a normal city, it is also not completely a tourist town.  These factors, I believe, combine to form a city with a stable population.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, the city has been growing at a steady rate, just not a booming one.
Hot Springs:
1990 (pop. 32,462)  
2000 (pop. 35,750)
2003 (pop. 36,770)

The metro area (Garland County) is growing at a much faster rate than the city.
Garland County:
1990 (pop. 73,397)
2000 (pop. 88,068)
2004 (pop. 92,141)

I don't know if the city has expanded its land area recently, but those are still good numbers. Just from visiting the city, one can tell that it is doing well because of all the new development.

Edited by Arkansawyer, 23 June 2005 - 11:29 PM.

[Mith242]

I've noticed on maps that there's been a section of 270 (I think) being built on the east side of the city.  I know that maps aren't always very up to date.  How is that project coming along?  Looks like Hot Springs is getting close to having an expressway circling the city.

[Mith242]

This might fit in another topic but it also does nicely here and helps bring back this topic.  Especially since we do have one rather active person in this area.  I've never heard much about very much hispanic growth in Hot Springs.  Although being in western Arkansas would make it more probable.  When I visited Hot Springs earlier this year I do seem to recall hearing some Spanish spoken.  But I also believe I heard something else and I have heard there there is a small group of Italians that have also migrated into the area.  Could anyone fill us in on of any of the immigration trends going on in Hot Springs?  Is there really much of an Italian community developing?  Is the are seeing very much growth in hispanics as compared to some other areas of the state?

[johnnydr87]

There has been a huge Hispanic influx here over the past few years.  I've definitely noticed it.  Hispanic stores are popping up everywhere.  However, I'm not sure if it any more than any other place in the state.  I'm guessing it's just part of the normal trend.  

I have no idea about the Italian population.

The Asian population is a lot larger now...and growing very fast.  Hot Springs almost looks like a completely different place ethnically than it did 10 years ago.  It used to be a rare occasion to see another asian....but it seems whenever I head out to a major market like the mall, I always see a few.