What's the best place to live in western NC or eastern TN with with a small town feel?

[hymnsinger]

Since I was the one who suggested Ashe County, I guess I should respond! Movin' East, I am so sorry you have had such a bad experience in Ashe County. I don't know you, or the trouble you've seen or why you've had so much trouble, but I do know that people who have bad attitudes towards life generally have the most trouble. Not saying this is you of course!!

According to Ashe County Schools in Jefferson, NC | GreatSchools the Ashe county school district rates a 7 out of 10 for test scores, and out of the five schools in the county, 4 have ratings of 8 and 9. I don't know what happened at Blue Ridge Elementary to cause the low test rating score, but it was an excellent school when my son attended.

According to http://www.healthycarolinians.org/library/pdf/profiles/2007/Ashe_County_07_CHA.pdf (broken link), between 2002 and 2007 only 23 meth labs were busted in Ashe County. One is one too many, but I think that this is comparable to the rates in the rest of the country. Hard core manufactured illicit drugs are found everywhere if you know where to look. Most come in through the college pipeline in Boone.

As for the weather, all I have to say is that most transplants come here because of the cool summers, and winter isn't all that bad most years. The winter is comparable to western New England and nothing is prettier than a midnight snowfall under a full moon! I can do without the occasional blizzard but hey, it's a trade-off! 70's in the Summer is totally worth it!

Nothing to do? Let's see . . . fishing, camping, bike riding and mountain biking, hunting, skiing, canoeing, horseback riding, golfing, and for the school kids there is extracurricular sports and other activities, as well as church events depending on the activity of the youth group in the church. There is also cruising into town on Friday nights to show off your hot-rod or connect with friends. There is a small bowing alley/arcade too where my daughter spent a lot of time with her friends. Then there's boy scouts, girl scouts, 4-H . . . Then there's four wheeling and dirt bikes and . . . OK you get my point.

There are no gangs in Ashe, no racial violence, very little in the way of major crimes, though petty crimes have picked up a bit in the recession. There's no clubs, no stand alone bars, no drive by shootings or other random violence. I love Ashe County and if I could, I would be there in a heartbeat!

Living in a rural town is as good as you make it. If your kids get in trouble in the city, they'll get in trouble in the country! If they get bad grades in the city, they'll most likely get bad grades in the country. It's not for everyone for sure, but for those who appreciate clean air, postcard scenery, open spaces, farm animals, and a slower paced life then Ashe County is a great place to live. Of course jobs are a little hard to come by these days anywhere you go!

I hope you are happier wherever you land eventually and if I can be of any assistance to you while you're still here please let me know. I would be glad to help if I can!

Blessings!
Tracey

[AllenSJC]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

If you can afford it Boone, NC is the only way to go! Good healthcare amenities, Appalachian State University, a fair amount of diversity, excellent outdoor recreation, and a true 4 season climate! The elevation of Boone is right around 3200ft with some rural areas of town over 4000ft.

I second this. Knew someone from Boone who said it's a real nice place!

[NCSkiGull]

Originally Posted by yearnformountainliving

Hi all,
We're hoping to move to the mountain area of either North Carolina or Tennessee (haven't decided yet) within the next 1-2 years after my husband retires. We are eager to buy property soon, but because of work, don't have much time to travel. In the past we've visited many areas in both states (mostly the south side, not much up towards VA), unfortunately we haven't had the time during our visits to spend much time talking to locals about the area they live in.

I'm hoping some of you that live up in that area can give us your advice on what you think are the best towns for what we're looking for.

1) We'd like to live in a town that's at a higher elevation and has cooler summers

2) We're looking for a place that has a "small town" feel with friendly locals and neighbors, and low crime rates.

3) We don't want to live in a highly "commercialized" area and would rather have access to more small town businesses...but we also don't want to drive too far if we need to access bigger chains (Walmart, Lowes, etc).

4) A town that's not too far from a hospital, and also one that has a good choice of "small town" type doctors" (the kind that view their patients as people and not numbers).

5) A town that is not too "touristy". I realize during peak seasons, many people go to the mountains, but we don't want to live in a "tourist trap".

6) We're hoping to buy around 5-10 acres with a creek on the property. We'd also like to be within an hour's drive to a nice lake for boating.

Any advice you can give us about the town's that you live in (or have lived) in the area would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch!

Mills River is probably a good fit.
It's only 4 miles from H'ville, probably about 10 minutes to H'ville on a lil 2 lane road, called route 191 which will also go up to the Blue Ridge Parkway if you keep on going and take it up near Asheville. Mills River is an incredibly beautiful little haven tucked away near the mountains of WNC. There is a greenhouse company there called Wingerden Greenhouses and they create flower arrangements in mass for Home Depot, Lowes garden depts. etc. They also sell greenhouses. There's more land there than in H'ville, so you have a better chance at getting property- if someone will sell - I have no idea how tightknit and determined to stay people are - it has a lot of history and families who stayed are still there according to the town website. Also, Hendersonville is proably less than 25 min. from Lake Lure, which is beautiful boating spot / beach lake down 64 west toward TN. also the Green River, is a good kayak spot, maybe 30 min down rt. 26. highway.

I'd be bored to death staying here for much longer (I'm only in my 20s still), but I live in H'ville now and it sounds like just what you want. Mills River would offer you some better chances at more property, H'ville is pretty packed with a town feel not too rustic.


1. Mills River just outside Hendersonville and 20 min from Asheville
2. Flat Rock, NC (more expensive and ritzy)
3. Spindale, NC or neighboring "Rufton" (Rutherfordton, NC) (near Isothermal College) is much more rural and out of the way, has fewer amenities, about 1 hr from H'ville which has more hospitals and Walmart type places like that. H'ville has a cute if old-timey boring Main Street which opens late in the am (8am or later, even for coffee!!!), and closes early in the pm (8pm most places except pubs and bars).




"
Mills River is among the oldest communities in Henderson County with its first landholder receiving a deed from the State of North Carolina in 1787. Mills River was considered the seat of public education in Henderson County, and was once a thriving agricultural community, often called the “fertile crescent”.
Many families living here today are direct descendants of the early settlers of the Mills River area and Henderson County. Many continue to own land that has been in their families since the 1700’s. Jesse Rickman, William Mills, and other early settlers fought in the Revolutionary War.
Through the years, the residents of the Mills River have had little input into how our community has grown. A few years ago, an Incorporation Committee consisting of many concerned residents and Mills River leaders said they wanted to incorporate to maintain the area’s character of farms, homes and businesses with minimal taxes and regulations. At 7:40 PM, Monday, June 23, 2003, while residents met in a humble concrete building where they have voted for decades and the drive to create the Town of Mills River passed its final hurdle in the North Carolina Senate.



We are no longer just a rural farming community. We are a Town of some 6,622 persons. There is a 5-lane highway that splits the Town in two, making easy access to a major interstate and a regional airport, and Mills River is one of the fastest growing areas in Western North Carolina. It is our desire to maintain the balance of our community, to protect our natural, historical and cultural resources and manage the growth of Mills River.

Town of Mills River

[Iconographer]

Hendersonville is a nice balance of small town feel and modern amenities. It's also a short distance from Asheville and from Lake Lure, which is IMO one of the prettiest lakes in the Southeast.

http://www.historichendersonville.org/

[jon1987]

Cleveland, Tennessee. One hour from Knoxville, 30 min from Chattanooga, and 2 hours from Atlanta.

[cammy82]

What would you recomend for a family with elementry to high school age children? We want similar things to the original post, but need a great place to raise a biracial family.

I am an RN, and my hubby will be out of the army soon. We've been looking at Maryville, TN. Does anyone think this is the best choice or have any other ideas. We will be moving from GA, and want 4 seasons, with cooler summers 90 or less preferably. Open to eastern TN or western NC mountainous towns or near mountains. But most important is to be a great place to raise a biracial family, with great public or Christian schools.

Thanks for any info/advice!!!

[MovinEast1106]

Originally Posted by hymnsinger

Since I was the one who suggested Ashe County, I guess I should respond! Movin' East, I am so sorry you have had such a bad experience in Ashe County. I don't know you, or the trouble you've seen or why you've had so much trouble, but I do know that people who have bad attitudes towards life generally have the most trouble. Not saying this is you of course!!

According to Ashe County Schools in Jefferson, NC | GreatSchools the Ashe county school district rates a 7 out of 10 for test scores, and out of the five schools in the county, 4 have ratings of 8 and 9. I don't know what happened at Blue Ridge Elementary to cause the low test rating score, but it was an excellent school when my son attended.

According to http://www.healthycarolinians.org/library/pdf/profiles/2007/Ashe_County_07_CHA.pdf (broken link), between 2002 and 2007 only 23 meth labs were busted in Ashe County. One is one too many, but I think that this is comparable to the rates in the rest of the country. Hard core manufactured illicit drugs are found everywhere if you know where to look. Most come in through the college pipeline in Boone.

As for the weather, all I have to say is that most transplants come here because of the cool summers, and winter isn't all that bad most years. The winter is comparable to western New England and nothing is prettier than a midnight snowfall under a full moon! I can do without the occasional blizzard but hey, it's a trade-off! 70's in the Summer is totally worth it!

Nothing to do? Let's see . . . fishing, camping, bike riding and mountain biking, hunting, skiing, canoeing, horseback riding, golfing, and for the school kids there is extracurricular sports and other activities, as well as church events depending on the activity of the youth group in the church. There is also cruising into town on Friday nights to show off your hot-rod or connect with friends. There is a small bowing alley/arcade too where my daughter spent a lot of time with her friends. Then there's boy scouts, girl scouts, 4-H . . . Then there's four wheeling and dirt bikes and . . . OK you get my point.

There are no gangs in Ashe, no racial violence, very little in the way of major crimes, though petty crimes have picked up a bit in the recession. There's no clubs, no stand alone bars, no drive by shootings or other random violence. I love Ashe County and if I could, I would be there in a heartbeat!

Living in a rural town is as good as you make it. If your kids get in trouble in the city, they'll get in trouble in the country! If they get bad grades in the city, they'll most likely get bad grades in the country. It's not for everyone for sure, but for those who appreciate clean air, postcard scenery, open spaces, farm animals, and a slower paced life then Ashe County is a great place to live. Of course jobs are a little hard to come by these days anywhere you go!

I hope you are happier wherever you land eventually and if I can be of any assistance to you while you're still here please let me know. I would be glad to help if I can!

Blessings!
Tracey

I see you obviously have love for the town and that is fine but I feel like I have to state what I observed in my time there as well. I am not someone who has a bad attitude toward life, quite happy except for my short time in Ashe County actually, but I did not like it there and I will be blunt and honest when speaking of my time there.

As for not having gangs there I have to completely disagree with you as I know from experience that there are gangs there, at the highschool I know of and I am sure outside of ACHS as well. There was mention of a group of girls at the middle school that called themselves a gang. Also to address the bowling alley, I am not sure when your daughter went there with her friends but when I lived there it was not a place I wanted to send my children with there friends. There is a bar in there, is there not?

There is hiking, fishing, fourwheelers and such to do, if that is what you like and if the weather is cooperative. That cuts down on the majority of the time in my personal opinion but if you dont mind cold and wind then those are certainly options. If you like shopping or anything girly (and I do you will not find it in Ashe County. There are no spas or anything of that sort. Also you mentioned cruising, I spoke to many locals who talked of how that had not been allowed in years so again I am not sure how long it has been since you lived in Ashe County.

Speaking of the schools and childrens activities. I wont argue what the reports say, I can only tell you that I attended other schools and my children now and the schools there are not up to par. No matter how it is written, they just are not. There are few programs for the children, there are a few things with parks and rec. Very few might I add, and getting information on them is difficult. The parents of the children run the programs and their children are showed favoritism, small town politics. There is no YMCA, no gym for children at all. Racism is alive and well in that little town as well, that I assure you.

Is it the worst place to live in Western NC. No I am sure it is not, but I will be blunt and honest when I say my experience was horrid and I would never recommend someone else to move there. I am fair and straight to the point. It is what it is, and that is how my time there was. Unpleasant. My children didnt get bad grades, they didnt get into trouble. None of that was my issue. I came from a bigger town and simply did not like it there. I did not like the quality of schools, didnt like the attitude of the locals (for the most part not all mind you) just didnt like the area. I also understand what I like and what others like are going to be different, but I think they need to see all sides of it as well. If it is where you want to be I certainly hope you get back there. I hope my circumstances dont take me back there.

[creeksitter]

Maryville does have excellent schools. The summers will reach 90 from time to time. It's down in a valley as are most towns in E TN.

[stlouisan]

I'd recommend Asheville. Great city....would prefer to retire there one day. Eastern TEnnessee is great too....I swear that when I have the means to I am moving to either Tennessee or North Carolina...the best two states in the South IMO, followed by Georgia.