The district

Central Avenue: the spine

Everything downtown organizes around Central Avenue, the spine of the National Register historic district. On its east side runs Bathhouse Row and the wooded slope of the national park; on its west side stand the historic commercial buildings — shops, restaurants, galleries, and the upper-floor spaces now home to condos and lofts. The park boundary literally runs through downtown, so one side of the avenue is city and the other is national park, an arrangement you won't find in many American cities.

Understanding this geography matters for buyers. The avenue itself is the busiest, most tourist-facing stretch; the residential historic homes climb the hillsides just behind it, quieter but still walkable. Knowing where a given address sits relative to the avenue and the park boundary tells you a lot about noise, parking, and daily life — the practical texture we cover in downtown living.

The creek beneath your feet

One piece of downtown's geography is hidden: Hot Springs Creek runs largely enclosed beneath Central Avenue, arched over long ago as the town was built up around its springs. That buried waterway is part of downtown's charm and part of its history, and it's a reminder that low-lying stretches of the core have a flooding past. Flood risk varies by exact location and elevation, so if you're buying downtown, check current FEMA floodplain maps and any flood history for the specific property rather than assuming. Meanwhile, the free thermal jug fountains along the row let residents and visitors fill jugs with the spring water that made the place famous.