I grew up in a standard suburban environment, the kind with a neatly trimmed lawn, a basketball hoop in the driveway, and an Applebee's only a stone's throw from my front door.
My family enjoyed a comfortable life in a nuclear oasis. But by the time high school rolled around and I'd gotten my driver's license, I realized there was more to life than strip malls and Starbucks - specifically, the big city. I imagined streets lit up every hour of the day and night, living in a studio apartment with an exposed brick wall, and finally being able to give up my car in favor of public transportation.
Fifteen years ago, central Arkansas suburbanites might have laughed at the idea of living and raising a family in the city, but downtown Little Rock's cleaned up its image. Young professionals are leaving the suburbs and embracing downtown life, and groups of dedicated residents are working hard to promote settling in the city.
Rett Tucker and Jimmy Moses, partners in Moses Tucker Real Estate, are among those encouraging people to move to the heart of the city. To that end, they have begun a Life in the City tour that showcases different cultural points and residential spaces in downtown Little Rock. The first installment of the series was on Oct. 23, with a sneak peak at the River Market Tower and a discussion of the Arkansas Arts Center's contributions to downtown life.
Ashley Taylor, 25, lives downtown in the Moses Tucker-owned Tuf-Nut building at Commerce and Third streets. She said she chose to live there because she wanted a more metropolitan feel in her surroundings than the suburbs could offer.
Taylor attended the first Life in the City tour and said she thinks the program will go a long way toward attracting people to downtown Little Rock.
"I think it'll help. The main thing is to get people downtown," Taylor said. "You can still have a community and a family feel [outside of the suburbs]."
Tucker, a lifelong resident of Little Rock, said he has a similar passion for the city. He moved to Virginia to get his undergraduate degree and earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. But, he said, he ultimately returned to Little Rock because he considers it home.
"The quality of life, the access to recreation and culture, and of course the wonderful people set us apart," Tucker said. "You can know almost everybody and still make a difference."
Tucker and his partner Moses aren't the only ones working to attract more people to the downtown area.
The Downtown Partnership has been busy cultivating business, culture and residential life in downtown Little Rock for the past 15 years. The Partnership's initiatives have included working closely with developers and improving the aesthetic aspect of busy streets like Capitol Avenue - resurfacing sidewalks, replacing benches and trash cans, and maintaining landscaping around buildings.
The Downtown Partnership will hold its first Destination Downtown tour on Sunday. Heather Allmendinger, the organization's marketing and communications director, said the goal of the tour is to make it easy for participants to see a diverse assortment of properties and what downtown living is like.
"Whether they're interested in buying or just interested in what's going on, it's a relaxed entertaining event with no pressure," Allmendinger said.
The event is open to the public, and tickets are available at trolley stops on the day of the event for $5. Allmendinger said the event is a chance to expose people to the developments taking place in the city - regardless of whether they're looking to relocate there.
"If it doesn't appeal to them, it will appeal to the 20 people they talk to this week," Allmendinger said.