If this area became "Bentonville metro" instead of NWA

[KJW]

Mr. Talley's comments at the very end of today's WNBA article in the Morning News have me wondering...would it be a bad thing if instead of "northwest Arkansas" we became the "Bentonville metro" or the "Rogers metro" area...

How bad of that concept might that be?

Would there still be a chance that this could become the "Fayetteville" or the "Springdale" metro area.

How long would it take for the "slighted" metro area (the city that doesn't get "naming rights") to recover and move on. (I'm guessing perhaps not long in an area where you have so many transplanted people).

[Mith242]

Mr. Talley's comments at the very end of today's WNBA article in the Morning News have me wondering...would it be a bad thing if instead of "northwest Arkansas" we became the "Bentonville metro" or the "Rogers metro" area...

How bad of that concept might that be?

Would there still be a chance that this could become the "Fayetteville" or the "Springdale" metro area.

How long would it take for the "slighted" metro area (the city that doesn't get "naming rights") to recover and move on. (I'm guessing perhaps not long in an area where you have so many transplanted people).

I don't think that would go over well. I'm sure the other NWA cities will feel slighted. Especially if it was the 'Bentonville metro', it's the smallest of the major NWA cities. If it was just going to go by one city I'd imagine it would be Fayetteville. It's still the biggest city in the metro and traditionally has been the 'center' of the area. But I like 'NWA metro' myself. I know the Rogers/Bentonville has a lot going on for itself. But I just don't see any one city being able to dominate the others. Maybe you could say that in the past with Fayetteville but not anymore. Offcially this is the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro. Bentonville isn't even listed, partly because I think it had been too small. But I also think three cities is the most they'll list. Anyway I don't think you get to pick what the name of your metro is. It's just based on the largest city or cities in the metro.

[dimebag1980]

They'd probably just do like my area and mix it up a bit. The official name for this area is Shreveport-Bossier, but with the rapid growth of Bossier City, more and more people are calling it Bossier-Shreveport.

I like the name Northwest Arkansas, but if it had another name, like Rod said, it's officially Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers.

[masons_dad1]

Mr. Talley's comments at the very end of today's WNBA article in the Morning News have me wondering...would it be a bad thing if instead of "northwest Arkansas" we became the "Bentonville metro" or the "Rogers metro" area...

How bad of that concept might that be?

Would there still be a chance that this could become the "Fayetteville" or the "Springdale" metro area.

How long would it take for the "slighted" metro area (the city that doesn't get "naming rights") to recover and move on. (I'm guessing perhaps not long in an area where you have so many transplanted people).

With Bentonville quickly becoming a household name NWA may be officially known as the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro, but may become popularly known as the Bentonville metro or just Bentonville. Fayetteville could be what it's popularaly known as locally, but to the rest of the country Fayetteville is a larger city in North Carolina. A few short years ago when Lee Scott went on national television for an hour long interview, people asked "where's Bentonville" afterwards and not "where's Fayetteville." As Wal-Mart grows and improves it's image so will the image of Bentonville on everyone's mind.

[Mith242]

With Bentonville quickly becoming a household name NWA may be officially known as the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro, but may become popularly known as the Bentonville metro or just Bentonville. Fayetteville could be what it's popularaly known as locally, but to the rest of the country Fayetteville is a larger city in North Carolina. A few short years ago when Lee Scott went on national television for an hour long interview, people asked "where's Bentonville" afterwards and not "where's Fayetteville." As Wal-Mart grows and improves it's image so will the image of Bentonville on everyone's mind.

I don't know if I tottaly agree with that. I think Fayetteville is known. I recently even had someone from the Arizona forum mention he was thinking of driving through here to see the Fayetteville because he had heard good things about it. I think Fayetteville also gets a lot of recognition because of the university and the fact it's always rated so highly as a place to live.

[mcheiss]

I don't know if I tottaly agree with that. I think Fayetteville is known. I recently even had someone from the Arizona forum mention he was thinking of driving through here to see the Fayetteville because he had heard good things about it. I think Fayetteville also gets a lot of recognition because of the university and the fact it's always rated so highly as a place to live.

I agree with you Mith.

Fayetteville is known for the University, Dickson Street, Downtown Area, and it's high rankings.

Bentonville is only known as Wal-Mart HQ and Vendorville.

Most people know where the Razorbacks play, not where Wal-Mart is headquartered.

[Mith242]

I agree with you Mith.

Fayetteville is known for the University, Dickson Street, Downtown Area, and it's high rankings.

Bentonville is only known as Wal-Mart HQ and Vendorville.

Most people know where the Razorbacks play, not where Wal-Mart is headquartered.

I'm not trying to take anything away from Bentonville. It is becoming a lot more well known that it used to be. I think it just shows that this area isn't dominated by any one city anymore and I don't really see it going back to that way either.

[masons_dad1]

I don't know if I tottaly agree with that. I think Fayetteville is known. I recently even had someone from the Arizona forum mention he was thinking of driving through here to see the Fayetteville because he had heard good things about it. I think Fayetteville also gets a lot of recognition because of the university and the fact it's always rated so highly as a place to live.

I didn't mean for it to sound bad, because I wasn't saying Fayetteville is unknown. I realize the University draws a lot of people to Fayetteville, but I'm talking about just everyday people just sitting at home would probably recognize mention of Bentonville more than Fayetteville and if not they would probably think you were talking about Fayetteville, NC. Our Fayetteville does have a following, but it's not a general consensus.

[Mith242]

I didn't mean for it to sound bad, because I wasn't saying Fayetteville is unknown. I realize the University draws a lot of people to Fayetteville, but I'm talking about just everyday people just sitting at home would probably recognize mention of Bentonville more than Fayetteville and if not they would probably think you were talking about Fayetteville, NC. Our Fayetteville does have a following, but it's not a general consensus.

You might be right. I do know Fayetteville NC got noticed more in the past. But I think as the whole area has grown both cities have become a lot more well known.

[masons_dad1]

You might be right. I do know Fayetteville NC got noticed more in the past. But I think as the whole area has grown both cities have become a lot more well known.

Now I am speaking of general knowledge though and when people think of vacation spots in this little part of the country Fayetteville will always be the name that comes up whereas nobody would ever consider vacationing in Bentonville! That would be ridiculous, why would anyone want to vacation in Wal-Mart's back yard?

[mzweig]

I agree with you Mith.

Fayetteville is known for the University, Dickson Street, Downtown Area, and it's high rankings.

Bentonville is only known as Wal-Mart HQ and Vendorville.

Most people know where the Razorbacks play, not where Wal-Mart is headquartered.

Amen, amen, amen. I agree on all counts. I will add it would hurt us in F-Ville if this were the Bentonville metro area due to the negative association with Wal-Mart so many people seem to have.

I am not worrying about this ever happening. It would be like the DFW area being known only as Dallas. Fort Worthians would never tolerate that!

M

[Aporkalypse]

When you talk to people from outside of the region many only know of Little Rock. The next two best known cities are Hot Springs and Fayetteville. If anyone has heard of Bentonville, it's because they know it's Wal-Mart's HQs. Nobody has heard of Rogers or Springdale unless they've been to NWA. I think the metro benefits from having Fayetteville at the top of the list. The hip college town rep is one that makes people want to visit.

Now, based solely on population Springdale may very well be the largest city before long and in 20 years it could be Rogers. I still think keeping Fayetteville at the top makes the most sense.

There are areas that are eclipsed by their suburbs. Ft Myers at 55,000 is the core city of their metro though Cape Coral has 130,000 residents. San Jose is larger than San Francisco, etc.

[masons_dad1]

When you talk to people from outside of the region many only know of Little Rock. The next two best known cities are Hot Springs and Fayetteville. If anyone has heard of Bentonville, it's because they know it's Wal-Mart's HQs. Nobody has heard of Rogers or Springdale unless they've been to NWA. I think the metro benefits from having Fayetteville at the top of the list. The hip college town rep is one that makes people want to visit.

Now, based solely on population Springdale may very well be the largest city before long and in 20 years it could be Rogers. I still think keeping Fayetteville at the top makes the most sense.

There are areas that are eclipsed by their suburbs. Ft Myers at 55,000 is the core city of their metro though Cape Coral has 130,000 residents. San Jose is larger than San Francisco, etc.

Thanks to Eric Estrada, Beautiful Bella Vista may be 3rd before Fayetteville on that list. And I'm not knocking Fayetteville, because I don't think Fayetteville or Bentonville is well known outside of Arkansas, college crowds or people from Arkansas.

[KJW]

Thanks to Eric Estrada, Beautiful Bella Vista may be 3rd before Fayetteville on that list. And I'm not knocking Fayetteville, because I don't think Fayetteville or Bentonville is well known outside of Arkansas, college crowds or people from Arkansas.

Eric Estrada?

[thewizard16]

I think the NWA metro name is perfectly fine, and is probably what it will continue to be called. There are too many significant cities in this area to have a naming battle. There's no reason to have a naming battle. Names like "NWA metro" work fine. Consider the "Quad Cities" up in Iowa/Illinois. They don't call it the Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island metro area, and there's no way they could figure out which is most significant (their airport is even called the Quad City International Airport), so it stuck. I think the same will happen here.

[Aporkalypse]

Eric Estrada?

He makes money pimping retirement communities all over the country. I've never seen his Bella Vista ads but I've seen several ads for other communities.

[Mith242]

I think the NWA metro name is perfectly fine, and is probably what it will continue to be called. There are too many significant cities in this area to have a naming battle. There's no reason to have a naming battle. Names like "NWA metro" work fine. Consider the "Quad Cities" up in Iowa/Illinois. They don't call it the Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island metro area, and there's no way they could figure out which is most significant (their airport is even called the Quad City International Airport), so it stuck. I think the same will happen here.

I agree with you there.

He makes money pimping retirement communities all over the country. I've never seen his Bella Vista ads but I've seen several ads for other communities.

Yeah I haven't seen his Bella Vista one either. But I have seen a lot of his others especially the Hot Springs Village.

[masons_dad1]

Eric Estrada?

He makes money pimping retirement communities all over the country. I've never seen his Bella Vista ads but I've seen several ads for other communities.

I agree with you there.

Yeah I haven't seen his Bella Vista one either. But I have seen a lot of his others especially the Hot Springs Village.

I've seen his most recent Hot Springs infomercials, but earlier this year they ran the same nightly infomercials for "Beautiful Bella Vista!" Granted that Bella Vista is a much harder sell than Hot Springs Village, yet that loveable Eric Estrada treated them both with the same "over-the-top" enthusiasm.

[dimebag1980]

I had no idea Eric Estrada was pushing retirement communities.

But I did know he was a pimp.

I've worked on a couple of homes in Bella Vista, and it's been talked up to me. But one of my co-workers was up there a couple years ago and he said it was very rural. Of course I haven't been there personally, so I have no idea.

Anyone care to give me an idea (photos if you have them) of what Bella Vista is like? Or am I asking too much?

[Mith242]

I had no idea Eric Estrada was pushing retirement communities.

But I did know he was a pimp.

I've worked on a couple of homes in Bella Vista, and it's been talked up to me. But one of my co-workers was up there a couple years ago and he said it was very rural. Of course I haven't been there personally, so I have no idea.

Anyone care to give me an idea (photos if you have them) of what Bella Vista is like? Or am I asking too much?

I haven't been up there yet to take pics. It's changed a bit in the last decade. It started off as a retirement community. But as the metro suddenly boomed prices jumped up everywhere and suddenly Bella Vista ended up being one of the cheaper areas to buy a house. I could be wrong but when I first moved up here I always got the impression that it was one of the more expensive areas to live in the area. But anyway with cheaper houses families started moving in. So it's not really just a retirement community anymore. Actually I have been up there to take pics but I only took pics of a particular building, one of E Fay Jones chapels. You could see those if you wanted in the E Fay Jones picture topic. But there isn't really anything else to see of Bella Vista in those pics.

[masons_dad1]

I had no idea Eric Estrada was pushing retirement communities.

But I did know he was a pimp.

I've worked on a couple of homes in Bella Vista, and it's been talked up to me. But one of my co-workers was up there a couple years ago and he said it was very rural. Of course I haven't been there personally, so I have no idea.

Anyone care to give me an idea (photos if you have them) of what Bella Vista is like? Or am I asking too much?

There's city, then there's town, then there's rural, then there's Bella Vista. It is a village after all. That's been changing though with the addition of a Lowes and a first school. They may end up incorporating into a "city" which would destroy BV as we know it. I don't have any pics of BV, but it's extremely hilly up there and the most you'd see is a couple houses and a lot of trees. But hey they do have a 6-screen (?) movie theatre.

[KJW]

There's city, then there's town, then there's rural, then there's Bella Vista. It is a village after all. That's been changing though with the addition of a Lowes and a first school. They may end up incorporating into a "city" which would destroy BV as we know it. I don't have any pics of BV, but it's extremely hilly up there and the most you'd see is a couple houses and a lot of trees. But hey they do have a 6-screen (?) movie theatre.

Interesting thing, MasonsDad1...

In the summer with all the foliage in bloom, you see more than a couple houses but for the most part driving on U.S. 71 you see what appears to be hilly countryside interrupted by golf courses and strip malls.

But in the winter when the trees are barren, at night it sometimes looks like a miniature version of what one sees driving southward into Little Rock across the I-430 Arkansas River bridge at night...hillsides covered with lights, lights and more lights of many houses.

Funny how in the same state one can see variations of certain scenes hundreds of miles away.

[Aporkalypse]

Interesting thing, MasonsDad1...

In the summer with all the foliage in bloom, you see more than a couple houses but for the most part driving on U.S. 71 you see what appears to be hilly countryside interrupted by golf courses and strip malls.

But in the winter when the trees are barren, at night it sometimes looks like a miniature version of what one sees driving southward into Little Rock across the I-430 Arkansas River bridge at night...hillsides covered with lights, lights and more lights of many houses.

Funny how in the same state one can see variations of certain scenes hundreds of miles away.

I grew up one of those hillsides. I love Bella Vista and the area around Beaver Lake because of the views.

[rjp212]

I'm from North Carolina and I heard of Bentonville before any of these other places. Sorry no offense.

[Mith242]

I'm from North Carolina and I heard of Bentonville before any of these other places. Sorry no offense.

Interesting, I thought maybe you'd heard of Fayetteville just because of the Fayetteville there in NC as well. But Wal-mart does certainly make Bentonville get noticed by some people who would otherwise know nothing about our area. But I still seriously doubt the metro will ever be renamed Bentonville. As it was pointed out earlier San Jose is bigger than San Francisco but the metro is named after the latter. But San Fran was always the significant city in that area for decades. I just think Bentonville would have to have a lot more huge growth for quite a while before it was considered the 'center' if NWA. That and considering the already factured status of multiple cities rather than one central city I just don't see any one city in the metro dominating the others.