Tell me what you know about Asheville NC

[Anonymous]

We summer up the mountain from Ashville. You are so lucky. I'd move there in a heartbeat!

[Anonymous]

I was just in Asheville right before Christmas and stayed 2 days.

My observations:
- clean, walkable downtown
- lots of bohemian types, hippies, and reasonable amount of homeless. (kind of like DC a few years back)
- lots of outdoor things to do
- lots of young people and families
- many smokers! for such an active community, I was surprised at the number of smokers. then again, it is NC
- there is an organic/natural materials toy store downtown called Nest. the owner's little daughter was there and i just got the sense she was a down to earth mom and was very helpful with picking out toys. (i am a new mom myself)
- fun but lowkey nightlife. bars and live music... there is a bar inside a double decker bus on the main street.
- didn't go to Biltmore, but did go to Grove Park Inn. beautiful, expansive resort with amazing views. we toured their gingerbread house display and enjoyed walking the beautiful grounds. (my great-grandparents honeymooned there and my grandmother was born just 9 months later... hmm...)

About the snow: we arrived days after our big snow here, so there was a lot of snow there, too. Apparently the surrounding mountains do get lots of snow, but not Asheville exactly.

I was impressed. Good luck, OP!

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone- we are excited! We will miss some things about DC, but thrilled about the life we are starting in Asheville. It is so unique. I just hope down the road it doesn't become overcrowded.....

[Anonymous]

We plan to move to Asheville in a year. I would love neighborhood recommendations, or a "lay of the land". How are the schools?

Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember the name, but there is a fabulous spa at one of the hotels in Ashville.

The Biltmore?

I've only ever been to Asheville as a tourist, on several occasions. I used to live just across the line in SC, so we would go for weekend festivals, and take visitors there. My impression is that it's a fairly divided area-- not that DC isn't, of course! But you have a minority of hippy/ professional/ educated types who make all the noise, and then you have a larger group of "locals", who keep to themselves and do the blue-collar work. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but my friends there tell me that they don't know anyone who hasn't had a run-in with a neighbor who won't clean up the junked appliances in their yard. I've also noticed the significant homeless problem.

Be prepared to join a church. I expect the UU congregations there are thriving. Asheville is still the South, and churches are important social centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember the name, but there is a fabulous spa at one of the hotels in Ashville.

The Biltmore?

I've only ever been to Asheville as a tourist, on several occasions. I used to live just across the line in SC, so we would go for weekend festivals, and take visitors there. My impression is that it's a fairly divided area-- not that DC isn't, of course! But you have a minority of hippy/ professional/ educated types who make all the noise, and then you have a larger group of "locals", who keep to themselves and do the blue-collar work. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but my friends there tell me that they don't know anyone who hasn't had a run-in with a neighbor who won't clean up the junked appliances in their yard. I've also noticed the significant homeless problem.

Be prepared to join a church. I expect the UU congregations there are thriving. Asheville is still the South, and churches are important social centers.

PP that plans to move there- this is my concern. We aren't church goers and don't plan to be. Did you live in Greenville? My sister lives there and is annoyed with the first question people ask "what church do you belong to".