Westwood

Western Hills Park spans 127 acres of Westwood’s rolling, tree-covered terrain. The green space was once home to a country club under the same moniker, but after it closed in 2007, the land reverted to its original landscape. Today, the parcel and its past represent the Little Rock neighborhood’s current natural appeal and prestige. “Like the rest of West Little Rock, Westwood is filled with well-maintained midcentury homes,” says Debbie Teague, a sales associate with The Janet Jones Co. “However, these houses are a bit smaller, and they have a lower price tag. It still sells just as fast as any other neighborhood in the area.”

To live in Westwood, expect to pay anywhere between $150,000 and $300,000, whereas a home in West Little Rock neighborhoods like Pleasant Valley can sell for upwards of $500,000. You can get a two-to-three-bedroom ranch-style house on a quarter-acre plot for this price. The area also has split-levels with Colonial Revival-style symmetry and two-car garages. There are even a few contemporary-style homes with loosened shapes and flat roofs, though they are rarer.

With sidewalks cutting through patches of wide-open land, Western Hills Park is still filled with the remains of its former golf course. However, you can also enjoy a nature hike surrounded by loblolly pine trees and the flowing Fourchee Creek. As you explore the forest, you may see beavers building dams, blue herons soaring in the sky and rabbits hopping about. Anglers will especially love Western Hills Lake, which is regularly stocked with catfish and rainbow trout. Perhaps most uniquely, the park is covered in blackberry vines, providing a sweet snack for your outdoor adventures.

Before the Western Hills Country Club closed, The Jack Stephens Youth Golf Academy opened next door in 2001, and it's still open today. It has two options available for play: the 9-hole championship course and the par-3 honors course. While adults can still book tee times, the academy was specifically founded to teach children ages 5 to 17 the fundamentals of golf. The center's First Tee program also imparts life skills and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to its students.

Children in Westwood can attend Western Hills Elementary, home of the Eagles. Every week, one student is deemed an “eagle-eyed reader,” and they celebrate this title by choosing a book to keep from the library. After fifth grade, students go to Cloverdale Middle. Thanks to the school's partnership with Verizon, every student receives an iPad with free data. Lastly, at Little Rock Southwest High School, students benefit from a campus that reopened in 2020 with 65 classrooms, a fully equipped science lab, two media centers and a gymnasium. The school also has a career magnet program that allows students to take classes focused on medical science, business or public service. Each pathway leads to an industry certification or college credit.

Westwood also has a small commercial corridor in its northeastern corner. Grab groceries at Edward’s Cash Saver or Value Foods. If you’d rather go out to eat, stop by one of the several Latin food eateries. La Cabañita is a local favorite known for carnitas tacos made with handmade tortillas. The neighborhood is also near Interstate 430, making the Outlets of Little Rock a quick 6-mile drive away. Get new tennis shoes at Nike, browse the kitchen gear at Le Creuset or buy a new outfit at Old Navy. The city’s bustling Midtown district is just as close, offering residents more retailers at the Park Plaza Mall and locally owned restaurants along Cantrell Road.

Whether it’s acres of unique parkland or Little Rock retail destinations, you’re never far from anything when you live in Westwood.

Written By

Meghan Baker

Photography Contributed By

Michael Denison

Video By

Paris Lape