Pine Bluff, Arkansas

[kcexpress69]

Thanks for all the comments so far. Certainly, it was not my intention to portray Pine Bluff in a negative light. When I first arrived here to do the photoshooting, I wasn't sure if Pine Bluff would have a downtown like Conway, North Little Rock, or a gritty one like the one you just saw. As I started to walk down the main street, it didn't take long for me to notice that. I got quite a number of stares from people driving by. While nobody said anything to me, I'm sure many of them figured I was lost. So I felt that I should do as much as I can in a short amount of time as possible and leave. However, I felt that I wanted to as much as possible to not give PB a bad reputation, so I tried to get pictures of paintings, some of the newer developments downtown which was visable, but spread out. I was also impressed with the trees planted along the street. Despite the grit, the downtown was rather clean, and free of trash and debris. Really, the empty storefronts was all that needed changing. Of course, the outskirts were much different. Being late in the day, I didn't try to look for any neighborhoods.

[kcexpress69]

Originally Posted by flar

Wow, you're on a photo rampage across Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas.

Had it not been for the flooding, I would have gone to Iowa!! I'm glad I went to Arkansas, however. That state was severely underrepresented!!

[boden]

As a self-confessed lover of smaller industrial cities, these pics "took my time!"
Excellent thread.

[oak-sea]

Weird, I count 1 person in this thread outside of a car- and he's getting in his car! You got a lot of stares from people driving by because you were on foot. I hate walking around places like this and feeling self conscious taking pictures because you are the only one around. Thanks for sharing the pics- enjoyed.

[flar]

Originally Posted by kcexpress69

Had it not been for the flooding, I would have gone to Iowa!! I'm glad I went to Arkansas, however. That state was severely underrepresented!!

Both underrepped, I don't think I've seen pics of Arkansas or Iowa on here before.

[urbanactivist]

Originally Posted by oak-sea

Weird, I count 1 person in this thread outside of a car- and he's getting in his car! You got a lot of stares from people driving by because you were on foot. I hate walking around places like this and feeling self conscious taking pictures because you are the only one around. Thanks for sharing the pics- enjoyed.

exactly.

A) He's white
B) He's downtown (people don't go there to walk around)
C) He's walking around with a camera

This is Arkansas folks... if you're an adult and you don't have a car, people assume that you are either poor or disabled.

[denveraztec]

Nice clean and crisp shots!

[Shantytown Architect]

This is Arkansas folks... if you're an adult and you don't have a car, people assume that you are either poor or disabled.

White folks don't walk in Arkansas. If they do it's because their punks / thugs / youngsters / poor / disreputable / whatehaveyou... never mind the fact that aren't any sidewalks or public transport.

[dugdogmaster]

This city has so much potential, I can't believe how empty it is!

[kcexpress69]

Originally Posted by oak-sea

Weird, I count 1 person in this thread outside of a car- and he's getting in his car! You got a lot of stares from people driving by because you were on foot. I hate walking around places like this and feeling self conscious taking pictures because you are the only one around. Thanks for sharing the pics- enjoyed.

I still believe that it was a worthwhile experience to go down there and take pictures. As I said before, I didn't know what to expect when I got down there. As I started taking pictures of all the empty storefronts I felt a little uneasy. People stared at me but I never felt threatened and nobody said anything to me. Maybe I felt uneasy for nothing. After all, maybe this isn't such a bad place to live as it's being portrayed. It wasn't like I was in East St. Louis or Gary. It could use some good economic development in the downtown, but I didn't really check out anything else. I'm glad I went.

[xzmattzx]

I didn't realize that Pine Bluff's downtown was so desolate. I figured that it would be fairly healthy since it's one of the bigger cities in Arkansas. These pictures were a surprise.

[Comrade]

Not bad, dead, but definitely not rundown.

I bet the town is more lively when school is in session, though, right?

[urbanactivist]

No, not at all. Everyone at UAPB hangs out either on campus or in Little Rock.

The "best" downtowns in Arkansas in terms of people and foot traffic...

1) Hot Springs... by a loooong shot
2) Little Rock.... gaining in popularity
3) Fayetteville... all the college hangouts
4) Eureka Springs... tourist haven
5) El Dorado... Lots of good festivals and historic architecture

Arkansas towns that are sleepers, but full of potential...
1) Ft. Smith
2) Jonesboro (though I've heard it's picking up again)
3) Helena/ West Helena
4) Arkadelphia

[photoLith]

Man, looks like Pine Bluff has a dead and or dying downtown. Thats a shame.

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by Shantytown Architect

White folks don't walk in Arkansas. If they do it's because their punks / thugs / youngsters / poor / disreputable / whatehaveyou... never mind the fact that aren't any sidewalks or public transport.

I live in Russellville AR and go around downtown a lot with my camera and tripod and people stare at me and ask me questions all the time. They always are like, what are you doing? Then they look at me funny.