Paragould Provides Excellent Parks, Many Opportunities

The city of Paragould, often called by it's nickname of "The Friendly City", is a progressive Northeast Arkansas city that has maintained a small-town feel.

Paragould, which is the only city in the world with that name, got it's start by being located at the intersection of two major railroad lines. The city's name is a combination of the names of two men who owned those railroads, J.W. Paramore and Jay Gould.

Originally a logging town, Paragould quickly distinguished itself as a prime location for industry thanks to the rail lines, US Highways 412 and 49, the proximity to Interstate 55, and Paragould's proximity to the world's largest cargo airport, Memphis International. Factories and plants began to pop up in the city, and the city of 24,000 now has over 5,000 industrial jobs. Paragould is now Arkansas's 17th largest city.

The citizens of Paragould are known for a sort of undying love for their town. When a program that will better the city comes up for a vote, it often passes even if it requires a tax increase. This spirit has given Paragould some of the nicest parks and public facilities in the state.

A recent recreation development, the Paragould Community Center, is the flagship park in the system. It has several soccer fields, walking trails, baseball and softball fields, four pools, a gymnasium, and convention and meeting rooms that include a full commercial kitchen.

The pools are perhaps the most recognizable feature of the community center. A glass domed building adjacent to the main building houses a Olympic-sized pool and a therapeutic pool. Behind the main building and the aquatic center building are two interconnected pools that have several large water slides and water playground equipment.

Adjacent to the entrance to the Community Center is a new business park that currently includes a Holiday Inn Express hotel and a Buffalo's Southwestern Grill restaurant. The combination of a restaurant and hotel within walking distance of the convention and park facilities has made this location very favorable to medium-sized conventions and meetings.

Other parks include the Reynolds Lake park which has several pavilions and camping sites overlooking Reynolds Lake and Harmon Park which includes playgrounds and pavilions as well as a football and track stadium.

The city has been bustling with commercial developments lately. In recent years, a new eight-screen movie theater and countless restaurants and banks have set up shop in Paragould and the growth doesn't seem to be slowing at all.

Jonesboro, a city of 60,000 which is just down Highway 49 from Paragould, is the undisputed hub of northeast Arkansas. But for citizens of southeast Missouri and Arkansas counties north of Paragould, Paragould has become a sort of mini-hub.

It is no longer a stop along the way to Jonesboro - Paragould is a destination in it's own right, with plenty of retail, restaurants, and entertainment options