After 31 years in historic and quaint Hillcrest, we wondered if there was a more ideal home in Little Rock for the next phase of our lives. Certainly not unhappy where we were, the search criteria was strict. There were many characteristics of Hillcrest we loved and wanted to maintain as much as possible, including proximity to downtown, the airport, shopping and dining, our church home at Trinity United Methodist, and west Little Rock, where many friends live and where Southwest Power Pool [where Nick serves as President and CEO] was building its new campus. We also wanted more inside and outside space for entertaining, a circle and side drive for plenty of parking and separation, a circle or cul-de-sac street to avoid through traffic, a great backyard view — preferably over a golf course — a north-facing house for backyard shade, a relatively level lot but not boring, and a pool would also be nice.
Such constraining criteria set an expectation for a long search, but Susan Desselle surprised us with 51 Pinehurst Circle in Pleasant Valley, a neighborhood that both of us viewed as quintessential “high living” in our youth. The location and layout were ideal, but the property and house were in need of a facelift, as homes in this neighborhood were originally built in the late ’60s and early ’70s. You’ll find that many homes in Pleasant Valley have been through one update and have just undergone or are ready for round two. After two years of work with many fine local contractors, the interior and most of the exterior is nearing completion and we’re settling into our new home.
Pleasant Valley consists of about 1,000 homes with large lots and mature trees and landscaping. The rolling hills of “the valley” and ample green space make it a wonderful area for walking, jogging and biking, which you will see year-round as you drive through the beautiful, tree-lined streets. Two neighborhood pools and parks are an added plus for outdoor activities and, of course, there’s Pleasant Valley Country Club, with 27 holes of championship-level golf and wonderful tennis and fitness centers.
Little Rock’s continued expansion west, the resurgence of downtown and the growth of the hospital district along I-630 make us feel right in the middle of everything at the eastern edge of west Little Rock. We’re a very short drive from shopping at Rodney Parham, Bowman Curve, Chenal Parkway, The Promenade at Chenal, Pleasant Ridge Town Center and Pavilion in the Park.
Susan and Nick’s Pleasant Valley Top 10
1. Whole Foods Market (10700 N. Rodney Parham Road). You know there are some things you can only find at Whole Foods! It’s a great place to eat lunch or grab something prepared on the way home from work.
2. 1620 Savoy (1620 Market St.). We love the new look, incredible menu, AND they still have two of our favorites, smoked duck salad and Grand Marnier soufflé — YUM!
3. Little Rock Jams/David Dunavant (10301 N. Rodney Parham Road). Susan is learning to play guitar and the instructor, recommended by friends, just happened to be located in the Breckenridge Village Shopping Center.
4. Vesuvio Bistro (1315 Breckenridge Drive). We really like their new location. They have a wonderful menu, and although we’ve tried many things, more often than not we order the spaghetti chittara — incredible!
5. Pleasant Valley Country Club (1 Pleasant Valley Drive). This is a beautiful club and course, and the back of our home overlooks the 15th, 9th, 10th, 19th and 27th fairways. The practice area is 150 yards from our backyard and Nick REALLY needs to spend more time there!
6. U.S. Pizza & Damgoode Pies (9300 N. Rodney Parham Road & 10720 N. Rodney Parham Road). First of all, what can we say … it’s U.S. Pizza! Secondly, we do get cravings quite often for Damgoode’s spinach salad and hog pie on thin crust with pink sauce.
7. Ray’s Massage (1225 Breckenridge Drive, Suite 102). Used to be located in Hillcrest and we were pleasantly surprised when they moved to our neck of the woods. Ray understands the meaning of deep tissue!
8. Terri-Lynn’s Bar-B-Q & Deli (10102 N. Rodney Parham Road). A fixture on Rodney Parham for decades and home to Nick’s favorite coleslaw.
9. Fifth Season (10020 N. Rodney Parham Road). Another fixture on Rodney Parham. It’s so nice to rediscover this beautiful shop. After looking for quite some time to replace some old dishes, we found a wonderful set of Simon Pearce Pottery to go with our new kitchen!
10. Pleasant Ridge Town Center (11525 Cantrell Road). So close to our house and there are so many wonderful places to shop and dine! It’s home to another couple of our favorites, Fresh Market and Bonefish Grill. Sometimes an afternoon just calls for Bang-Bang Shrimp and a great cocktail!