Riverdale
DARINGLY DIVERSE
There are two or three different scenic drives through Allsopp Park to the Riverdale area located at the foot of Cantrell Hill. As the name implies, the area is bordered by the Arkansas River, which passes Murray Lock and Dam and Rebsamen Park as it flows toward downtown.
A drive on the flat plane of Riverdale provides a variety of perceptions about this section of town. Large grassy areas on Riverdale Drive serve as soccer fields for hundreds of young players most afternoons and weekends of the year. The fields are a gift from Alltel, one of the nation's top telecommunications companies, which resides in Riverdale. Alltel's corporate campus is surrounded by quiet office buildings, including Winrock International's new green building. Both offices are side by side with zero lot homes on Canal Pointe. Waterfront-inspired homes enjoy magnificent views of downtown to the south and rugged clay colored cliff to the east. The area also features Treetops, a condominium complex overlooking Riverdale from a hillside vantage point. Several apartment complexes occupied by professionals working in the area are located near Rebsamen Park. A favorite of golfers, the city-run park is used by bicyclists, joggers and soccer players. Warm weather finds families and business groups enjoying the picnic area. Rebsamen Park boasts the city's first dog park, which has an enclosed running area.
Residents enjoy numerous dining choices. Waffle House and Dixie Cafe fill with families after morning soccer games. And several restaurants in the area are consistent winners on several critic and reader polls. Bene Vita has caught the attention of the folks at Bon Appetite magazine for its creative northern Italian cuisine. Authentic Cajun delicacies can be found at the Faded Rose, and Buffalo Grill's burgers are a favorite. Brave New Restaurant overlooks the Arkansas River and delights diners at lunch and dinner. For more than 20 years, Cajun's Wharf has offered live music and New Orleans inspired foods.
Within a few blocks of speciality shops such as Cynthia East Fabrics is a neighborhood known as Easter Egg Village, so named because the small World War II bungalows and ranches originally were pastel-colored.
