Conway is not only the hometown of American Idol winner Kris Allen (reason to move tomorrow – at the latest), it’s a home to three colleges, a revitalized downtown, and an apartment with your name on it! Located just over 30 miles from Little Rock, Conway is the seventh most populated city in Arkansas and it’s waiting to add one resident (or 2+) to the count!
A majority of the land within the city limits of Conway is East of Interstate 40, and this is where you will find most of the available housing
Conway is not only the hometown of American Idol winner Kris Allen (reason to move tomorrow – at the latest), it’s a home to three colleges, a revitalized downtown, and an apartment with your name on it! Located just over 30 miles from Little Rock, Conway is the seventh most populated city in Arkansas and it’s waiting to add one resident (or 2+) to the count!
A majority of the land within the city limits of Conway is East of Interstate 40, and this is where you will find most of the available housing. Many of the newer multi-unit apartment buildings are two-three stories and include a magnitude of amenities. A little digging (and more bones) will uncover upscale apartments overlooking Oak Street and other areas of downtown. Other than that, you won’t have to scratch the surface very hard to find a good deal (studios or one bedroom apartments for under $500 and three bedrooms for under $1000). Whew!
Now a little lesson in geography…
The city is geographically divided east from west and includes a downtown area, and two historic districts.
East Side (East of Donaghey Avenue): The East Side includes Hendrix College--a smaller private college of around 1,500 students, Hendrix Addition (one of the two historic neighborhoods) and Central Baptist College with a 15 acre campus but a small student base. Many apartments in the area are 2-3 level apartment complexes.
West Side (West of Donahey Avenue): University of Central Arkansas is located on Donahey Avenue, but just barely on the West side and is home to around 12,000 students a year (keep this in mind if finding a new place during late summer). It didn’t get the nickname “The City of Colleges” for nothin’!
Downtown (Toad Suck Square): In the last twelve years or so the downtown area has received a little tender loving care from investors and the outcome has been galleries, shops and added dining opportunities for residents of Conway. You’ll recognize the center of downtown known as Toad Suck Square when you find a giant emblem painted on the intersection of Oak Street and Front Street. Wondering what this Toad Suck stuff is all about? Most people will tell you it has something to do with locals’ perception of sailors long ago: “They suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads.”
Historical Roots
Asa P. Robinson Historic District is an early twentieth century residential district and the 1st residential neighborhood in Conway. These tree-lined streets have had very little development in the last 50 years, so enjoy the early 1900s architecture here. Hendrix “College” Addition, is the other historic neighborhood located on the East Side near the college.
And now for the tragic news
Conway is in a dry county (Nooooooo!) so in order to purchase liquor by the bottle, you’ll have to go to another county. If you want to throw back cold ones in public you can pay for a membership and be allowed to purchase drinks at that restaurant. Some places have separate seating for non-members, so keep in mind that you may be asked to sit in these designated areas.
Now that you’ve got some geological footing, you’re on the right track to finding a new apartment in Conway, let the searching begin!
