by Lacy Morris ~ photographs by nancy noLan

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t r a v e l + c u l t u r e s o u t h w e s t

N e x t G r e at N e i G h b o r h o o d

The soul of this once-forgotten stomping

grounds for neighborly love shines

through a storied past

street view outside Boulevard Bread

Company

1. Community

Bakery

standing as the heart of

this neighborhood since

the fifties, this cozy bistro

is a go-to spot to splurge

on French silk pie ($3.50/

slice), an apple fritter

($3.50/slice), or bread

pudding with rum sauce

($3.25). Though you’ll love

the small treats, special-

occasion cakes such as

german chocolate and

lemon buttercream ($17.50)

are CB’s bread and butter.

communitybakery.com

2. the BerniCe

garden

sprinkled with whimsical

sculptures made of

various materials by local

artisans, this vibrant com-

munity greenspace hosts

sunday farmers’ markets

for Little rock locavores.

The garden is also home

to the annual arkansas

Cornbread Festival, where

the southern staple is

open for interpretation

by 20-plus competitors.

thebernicegarden.org

3. esse purse

museum

Owner and soma mover

and shaker (she also owns

The Bernice garden) anita

Davis displays her 300-

piece handbag collection

alongside contents that

are commonly found

within—think cat-eye

sunglasses next to a fifties

poodle purse. in the gift

shop, find high-end,

handmade, and vintage

purses and jewelry, all

designed by women.

$10; essepursemuseum.com

p 4. Boulevard

Bread Company

This laid-back bakery is a

one-stop shop for summer

picnics. Loaves such as

ciabatta ($5.25), sourdough

($5.75), and pagnotta

($5.75) are baked fresh

daily and served alongside

salt-cured pancetta

($5.25), house-made

pimiento cheese ($5.95/

half pint), and farm-fresh

salads (from $7.25) and

sandwiches (from $5).

boulevardbread.com

l i t t l e r o C k e r s a r e v e n t u r i n g o u t

of the highly developed downtown banks of the

Arkansas River and heading for the close-knit

community of Southside Main Street. Nearly 60

years have passed since the desegregation of the

neighborhood’s Central High School and “white

flight” left SoMa to stand as a desolate reminder

of the city’s darkest hour. Now, folks have moved

in and set up shop along the art-lined streets,

which are slated to have new bike lanes installed

later this year. It’s all the more reason to visit one

of our favorite emerging neighborhoods.

little rock’s

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W. 12th Street

W. 13th Street

E. 14th Street

E. 15th Street

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t r a v e l + c u l t u r e s o u t h w e s t i n s i d e r

5. sweet home

Furnishings &

Clement

arkansas natives John Bell

and Chris Clement opened

this quirky store stuffed

full of oddities and collect-

ibles found in antiques

stores, flea markets, and

estate sales around the

region. The artful arrange-

ments feature pieces

for vintage-lovers, like a

full-scale model of the

spinal cord and a glittering

1870s French chandelier.

sweethomefurnishings.net

p 6. the green

Corner store &

soda Fountain

Little rock’s first eco-store

stocks everything from

soaps and soy candles

to greeting cards and

pickling kits. Loblolly

Creamery (loblolly

creamery.com), the in-

house soda fountain,

churns out small-batch ice

creams such as rum raisin

and Buttermilk (from

$3.50), scooped on top of

hand-rolled waffle cones.

thegreencornerstore.com

8. the root CaFe

Jack and Corri sundell

spent three years prepping

to open their vibrant tribute

to local ingredients—and

due to the support of the

local community, did so

debt free. Fan favorites are

the burger ($7.75) with beef

from nearby simon Farm

served on an arkansas

Fresh Bakery bun and the

bratwurst served “old

world” or “state fair” style

($7.25). therootcafe.com

p 7. south

on main

Chef matthew Bell, for-

merly of the Capital hotel,

opened this culinary ode

to southern cuisine last

year in conjunction with

the literati-favorite Oxford

American magazine. every

Wednesday night, dine

out while Local Live (a free

concert series showcasing

the best music talent in

the area) takes the stage.

southonmain.com

The front waiting area at south on main restaurant