As times go by, cities evolve
Regarding the expression “Keep Fayetteville Funky”—it may be too late for that. Amid the old hippie vibe, there is evidence of sophistication-creep downtown.
We used to visit the city regularly to spend time with friends like Jordan and Miller Williams (he was co-founder with history professor Willard Gatewood of the University of Arkansas Press in 1980, which published my husband Philip’s books “The Shortstop’s Son” in 1997 and “The Artificial Southerner” in 2001) as well as to attend book-related events, concerts, film screenings, and social gatherings.
It took longer to get there then; the current interstate speed limit of 75 shortens the journey from North Little Rock to about two hours, 45 minutes.
We used to walk about a zillion miles up and down its hilly streets, critiquing the creative architectural mix of super-modern and classic designs such as Tudor, craftsman, cottage, contemporary, colonial, Georgian, and prairie, among others, and enjoying its unique restaurants including Hoffbrau, 1936 Club (formerly the D-Lux), Uncle Gaylords, A Taste of Thai (still open at 31 E. Center St.) and AQ Chicken House (back when it was really good).
We never stayed at Mountain Inn Motor Lodge, but recall the sight of the seven-story hotel on College Avenue and Center that was built in 1866 and, according to Fayettevillehistory.com, had a swimming pool on the third floor and views of the Boston Mountains to the southeast, which earned it the moniker of Motel in the Sky.
In its heyday in the early 1960s the Mountain Inn had 95 guest rooms, a bar on the second floor, a lobby and retail space on the first floor, and a six-floor parking garage. It had been vacant since 1998, and the rapidly deteriorating building was razed in 2005—gone but not forgotten.
Currently, the Fayetteville Square is stylish and intentionally walkable. Its shops, with artistically arranged window dressing, are filled with trendy fashion boutiques, yoga studios, hairstyling salons, Fayetteville Mercantile (with goods produced by local makers), Boho Boutique (crystals, jewelry, vintage clothing), Houndstooth Clothing (regional outdoors wear), Block Street Records (new and vintage vinyl, CDs, tapes, T-shirts, posters), Fox Trot Boutique (fashions for women from college students to professionals), Shindig Paperie, Lululemon (upscale activewear), Alchemy Macarons (15 flavors daily!), Joon Bridal, Savoy Tea, and Pearl’s Books. Funky, it’s not.
Two fabulous finds during this visit: Graduate Fayetteville (previously the Chancellor Hotel), a chain of 33 hotels (and counting) that can be found in university towns such as Ann Arbor, Mich., Athens, Ga., Berkeley, Calif., Bloomington, Ind., Chapel Hill, N.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbia, S.C., Iowa City, Iowa, and Nashville, Tenn. (I’ll let you figure out the institutions of higher learning at each location.)
Centrally located at 70 N. East Ave. in the Fayetteville Town Center, its rooms are an up-to-date blend of contemporary and UA/Arkansas influences. Our room’s carpeting bore a camouflage pattern. Artwork featured brightly colored photographs of singer/songwriter Beth Ditto (born in Searcy) and Little Rock native Gil Gerard (in his uniform from his signature role in “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century).”
Within the dead-quiet room with a huge window displaying Old Main in the distance, we enjoyed a comfy king-size bed, in-room coffee, super-hot showers, luxe soap, shampoo, and moisturizer. There’s a wellequipped 24-hour fitness center (free weights, rowing machines, and cardio gear, including a pair of Pelotons), an attractive bar and restaurant, and a friendly staff that seems to consist mainly of college students.
Graduate’s location is convenient to Folk School of Fayetteville at 207 W. Center St. (in the historic Walker Stone House) where we caught a show by singer/songwriter Dan Bern (who invited Philip to be his opening act). It’s a non-profit organization that creates community connections by staging concerts and educational events in northwest Arkansas.
Founded by Bryan and Bernice Hembree (founders of the Fayetteville Roots Festival, which ended in 2022) the nonprofit’s roomy location has spaces for lessons, classes, workshops, jams and other music-infused activities, along with a breathtaking array of instruments, equipment and backline gear that can be checked out for students and performers.
It’s the kind of venue where a performer, upon messing up a harmony or a guitar phrase, can say “Whoa,” then back up and correct the mistake; a move appreciated by an attentive audience that’s there to listen.
Plenty of workshops and other events are coming in March; here’s the schedule: https://www.folkschooloffayetteville.org/calenderview.
Along with Fayetteville, you may think that since you’ve already been to Hot Springs, Eureka Springs, El Dorado, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Mount Magazine, and other of Arkansas’ unique towns, you’ve been there, done that. Guess again.