Sherwood

The once-independent community of Gravel Ridge officially became part of the city of Sherwood in 2008, but residents will still attest to it being its own, readily distinguishable area. Densely wooded streetscapes and bayou access invite homebuyers seeking countryside living, while still offering proximity to amenities in greater Sherwood and downtown Little Rock, 14 miles away. “It still has a semi-rural feel. People use the bayou for fishing and paddling. You don’t have that in the city,” says Valentine Hansen, a Realtor with Re/Max Properties, who has been selling homes in the area for 40 years. “You have the best of both worlds. You are 5 minutes from any stores you need and you can go in your backyard and shoot squirrels.” Residents head to The Bayou Meto Urban Canoe Trail off Main Street to paddle a two-mile stretch among forested scenery. Anglers are also regulars here, as the waterway is rife with largemouth bass and catfish. At Don Hughes Park in the heart of the neighborhood, locals can lay out a spread at the picnic shelter, let the kids run around the playground, shoot some hoops or get their steps in on the paved walking trail. “With the greenery comes the quietness, the relative safety and the community aspect,” says Casey Moser, a Realtor with PorchLight Realty who lives in the area. “It’s close to the action, but far from the noise.” A mix of 1960s and ‘70s ranch homes and contemporary brick homes with two-car garages make up the bulk of options in Gravel Ridge. Older homes typically offer roomy lots, marked by grassy front yards and wooded fenced-in backyards. Newer subdivisions have more compact yards and sidewalk-lined streets. “A lot of these developers are coming in,” Hansen says. “It’s going to be a little boomtown soon.” Vintage homes range from $150,000 to $225,000, while recent construction runs from $250,000 to $350,000. “Homes are going within 20 days. Things are selling really quickly there,” Hansen says. “We have a lot of new people moving to Arkansas. Mostly from the West Coast. People will sell their $2 million house in California, buy something here, and put the rest of the money in the bank. We have a low cost of living here.” According to the CAP Index Crime Score, Gravel Ridge's overall crime score is 3 out of 10, slightly lower than the national average of 4. Locals look forward to the annual Sherwood Fest in September, with carnival rides, a 5K run and a disc golf tournament. The event takes place at Sherwood Sports Complex on Bear Paw Road, 4 miles southwest. The Winter Fest celebration at City Hall Park downtown features a Christmas parade along Kiehl Avenue, a holiday market, live music and a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. There are plenty of dining options along Arkansas Highway 107, including Marco’s Pizza and Catrina Taqueria Cantina, a go-to spot for street tacos. For quick essentials, Dollar General is along the same stretch of road, and there’s a Walmart Supercenter and Kohl's department store 4 miles away in greater Sherwood. Public school students may attend nearby schools like Cato Elementary, Sylvan Hills Middle and Sylvan Hills High. Part of the Pulaski County School District, the schools earn Niche grades of B-minus, C, and C-plus, respectively. However, students in the Pulaski County School District are free to apply for their school of choice. Home of the Bears, the high school girls’ track and field team has won seven state championships since 2003. U.S. Highway 167 is just east of the neighborhood, and a 14-mile drive south on the roadway leads to downtown Little Rock. The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport is a 17-mile trip on Interstate 30 West. CHI St. Vincent North, a 70-bed hospital, is 5 miles south on Wildwood Avenue. Downtown is 3 miles away by way of Arkansas Highway 107 South.

One of the earliest settlements in the Arkansas territory, Gibson was on the Southwest Trail that most Americans used when migrating to the Republic of Texas in the mid-1800s. Today, it is a census-designated place and a rural area with convenient access just north of Little Rock, Arkansas. “It is a pretty rural area, but people like it because of its ease of access to everything,” says Brittany Hopkins, an executive broker with Re/Max Real Estate Connection, who has been in the market for nearly a decade. “You can hop on Batesville Pike, avoid traffic and stoplights, and get everywhere you need to be in 5 to 10 minutes.” Tight streets are underneath the shade of scattered trees in the handful of subdivisions in Gibson. Home inventory includes ranch styles, split levels, and Colonial Revivals, and they are lined closely together on compact lots. More recently, some new developments with similarly styled Craftsman-style bungalows have been built. Prices range from $93,000 to $682,000, but buyers can expect a three-bedroom ranch to sell for approximately $175,000, while a new construction Craftsman-bungalow rises to about $400,000. “If it is a good house that is priced right, it will move fast, but if something is wrong with the property and it needs work, it will sit,” Hopkins says. Gibson is zoned for the Pulaski County Special School District, which scores a B-minus on Niche and serves nearly 12,000 students in Central Arkansas. Children will attend Cato Elementary, Sylvan Hills Middle and Sylvan Hills High School, scoring a B-minus, C-minus and C-plus, respectively, on Niche. The high school is undergoing a $1 million renovation to upgrade its band room, and the project will be completed in June 2024. “The school district is doing a lot of facilities upgrades, and some of the districted schools for Gibson’s students are receiving those funds,” Hopkins says. Opened in 1968, Pine Valley Golf and Disc Golf Course is located on Old Tom Box Road and offers a spot for recreational golfers to hit the links. Both the disc and traditional golf courses are public tracks. Residents are less than 5 miles away from Don Hughes Park in Sherwood. Situated on a large privately owned field and wetlands, the green space offers visitors a recently re-built area with a covered playground, a quarter of a mile walking trail, a fully paved basketball court and a picnic pavilion. Along Batesville Pike, residents can find weekly groceries at an affordable price at the Dollar General. Come N’ Gitit Grill is just across the street, a convenience store serving hot fried and smoked foods. A little bit further away, residents can head to the Walmart Supercenter on Arkansas State Route 107 in Sherwood. The surrounding shopping center features several restaurants, including Senor Tequilas and U.S. Pizza Company. The Rock Region Metro provides a bus line for Little Rock and surrounding areas but doesn’t service Gibson. However, the Levy/Amboy route does have a stop at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, which is about 8 miles away. Batesville Pike in Gibson is a commuter's connector to downtown Little Rock, Interstate 30 and Interstate 40. Gibson is also less than 17 miles from the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. The Venue at Oakdale provides a space where residents and local businesses can host private events. Surrounded by lush greenery and flowers, the venue is entirely customizable and available to host weddings, corporate events, fundraisers and more. Gibson is practically sandwiched between Camp Robinson and Little Rock Airforce Base, two of the three military bases in Arkansas. Camp Robinson is the headquarters of the Arkansas National Guard, the Arkansas Air National Guard, the 77th Combat Aviation Brigade and the 87th Troop Command. The Little Rock Air Force Base is the training base for the C-130 Hercules for the Department of Defense.