arriving 4 weeks from today (Charlotte, Asheville: houses, to buy, theatre)

[Father John]

We fly into Charlotte and drive to Lenoir, where we will stay with some friends for 10 days.

Our first couple of days will be spent in the area between Lenoir and Mountain City, TN with Boone getting the bulk of our attention. The we will survey Burnsville down to Asheville, over to Maggie Valley, Hendersonville, Rutherfordton, Marion, and Morganton. Depending on impressions, we may revisit some of these spots.

Any suggestions as to what we might look for in these places (or other places you deem worthy) is appreciated. We are looking for the town in which we can retire for the rest of our lives. Small is good. Quiet is good. Views are good. Cooler is better (summer) and less snow is better (winter).

We are getting quite excited about our visit.

[mm34b]

I'd throw Black Mountain and Brevard into your original list.

[the Parkies]

Father John,

We need to begin by saying that we do not live in NC (we will very soon, God willing!!). But we have visited the Greater Asheville Area many times over 16 years, and have done some intensive and extensive research, always with a huge smile on our faces and a prayer of thanks for the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains—which we call “God’s second home.” We’re flying out to the area on Monday, in fact, to put up some serious money on a new construction project in Weaverville (NOT on a mountainside—and it’s a “green” development as far as we can tell).

So we know a LOT about the area. Yet everything we know and believe necessarily reflects our limited experience and personal filter. Since you asked, Father John, we offer our opinions for what they’re worth. We hope they're helpful to you. We certainly understand and share your excitement!!

You asked which other towns we think you should explore.

WEAVERVILLE matches your search for small, quaint, and quiet. Its weather is mild compared to Boone's—please check this out! Weaverville, as we understand it, is just a tad colder/snowier than Asheville in the winter (and probably cooler in the summer?). Weaverville is also just 10-15 minutes from Asheville's cultural activities and services--including its top-rated medical system!!—We suggest you Google that!!).

We find BLACK MOUNTAIN definitely quaint and interesting (we totally enjoy visiting friends there). We also appreciate its Christian culture. But what we found available in newer housing (in late 2006) was mostly expensive tri-level "treehouses" or "mountain communities," neither of which are senior-friendly. Also, we found Black Mountain to be a 20-30 minute highway drive in or out of Asheville (depending on traffic), which we think would get "old."

HENDERSONVILLE is also a super-attractive, relatively quiet little town (compared to Asheville but not to Black Mountain) with the added advantage of its own good medical system, its own symphony, and the State theatre to boot (in nearby Flat Rock). Unfortunately, we think you'll find it expensive. Floridians love Hendersonville because its weather is much milder than theirs—and it will also be much milder than Boone’s. But residents of Hendersonville, as we understand it, pretty much stay in Hendersonville because the drive to Asheville is long and congested. Besides, there’s so much available right there in Hendersonville! Bottom line, you’ll need to be happy with Hendersonville’s limited community events and services just as you would with any other very small town.

You know that saying, “It’s all relative”? Well... Henderson is a boom town compared with BREVARD, which (by the way) has held a special place in our hearts for 16 years. Brevard was our introduction, in fact, to this whole magical area. We still wish we could live in the “Land of Waterfalls"--like, 200 or 250 waterfalls in this little area!--plus all the joy of Pisgah Forest!!

Unfortunately, Brevard is MUCH more rural than Black Mountain or Hendersonville, and entirely too remote for our needs, especially medical.

Maggie Valley, in our experience, is also totally beautiful but way too touristy and way too remote from everything we will need.

We have no experience at all with any of the other towns you mentioned.

Again, this is only the view out of our personal window. We aren’t even NC natives. We can only lay a claim to LOVING the place and seeing it through our current (senior) needs and maybe—by extension—the needs of other retired/retiring folks who are looking for "small and peaceful with mild four seasons"—who would love long-range mountain views from their homes but don’t have a fortune to spend.

If by "views" you mean long-range views?? Those were our Biggest Dream for 16 years!! Based on our current experience, however, we learned to look for those views everywhere except from our own property!—unless we were willing and able to put up the BIG money. Even then, we found, for example, that we may have to live with highway noise or traffic congestion or (fill in the blank) in order to enjoy those awesome views....

We suggest that you will want to sit down together TODAY to prioritize your needs--actually writing them down--from practical to social to spiritual--and then follow THAT dream. For example, for us that meant we can't be very far from an excellent medical system and we definitely want a strong sense of community wherever we live. In fact, we insisted on a potluck-type clubhouse in any development we'd buy into. But that's just us.

Have a wonderful trip, Father John, and please give us some feedback!! Meanwhile, we’ll be thinking of you and your wife.........

Jan & Bill

[JRR]

Since you are going to Maggie Valley, two other towns in the area you might consider are Sylva and Waynesville.

Sylva is less touristy than Maggie and a bit larger, it is around 3000 population. It has a nice little downtown area and Harris Regional Hospital is located there. Just down the road a few miles in Cullowhee is Western Carolina University which would offer educational/musical/sports activities. When you want to go to the big city, Asheville is about 40 miles to the east and it is a straight shot on a 4 lane highway. The average July high is around 84 and you would usually get less than 10 inches of snow a year.

Waynesville is larger than Sylva (around 10,000), less touristy than Maggie but a bit more than Sylva, and is about 30 miles west of Asheville by 4 lane road. It has a very nice downtown area and being at a higher elevation than Sylva, might be a couple of degrees cooler in the summer with a bit more snow.

Haywood Regional Medical center is nearby in Clyde. A friend of mine who lives in Waynesville broke his hip. His wife was all set to have him taken to Ashville for treatment, but then decided to go to Haywood instead. They said they were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the treatment at Haywood through the whole ordeal.

As far as costs, land is continuing to go up in the Carolina mountains. Waynesville would be a bit more expensive than Sylva because of being larger and closer to Asheville. Floridians like me (We have two acres in Cullowhee, near Sylva, that we will eventually leave Central Florida for) have been moving to the area for years, and the flow seems to be accelerating. As someone else stated, anything with a view is going to be some serious $$$.

As far as some of the other towns you mentioned, I have never cared for Maggie Valley because everything revolves around the tourists. Like a ghost town during the winter and jammed during the rest of the year. I have always liked Hendersonville, but it has become crowded and expensive. Black Mountain and Brevard are two towns that I still like very much, but they were a bit too expensive for us, even a few years ago.

Good luck with your search and I hope you find what you are looking for.

Steve

[Zooropa]

Be prepared to pay BIG $$$$$ if you want any sort of a view.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by the Parkies

Father John,

We need to begin by saying that we do not live in NC (we will very soon, God willing!!). But we have visited the Greater Asheville Area many times over 16 years, and have done some intensive and extensive research, always with a huge smile on our faces and a prayer of thanks for the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains—which we call “God’s second home.” We’re flying out to the area on Monday, in fact, to put up some serious money on a new construction project in Weaverville (NOT on a mountainside—and it’s a “green” development as far as we can tell).

So we know a LOT about the area. Yet everything we know and believe necessarily reflects our limited experience and personal filter. Since you asked, Father John, we offer our opinions for what they’re worth. We hope they're helpful to you. We certainly understand and share your excitement!!

You asked which other towns we think you should explore.

WEAVERVILLE matches your search for small, quaint, and quiet. Its weather is mild compared to Boone's—please check this out! Weaverville, as we understand it, is just a tad colder/snowier than Asheville in the winter (and probably cooler in the summer?). Weaverville is also just 10-15 minutes from Asheville's cultural activities and services--including its top-rated medical system!!—We suggest you Google that!!).

We find BLACK MOUNTAIN definitely quaint and interesting (we totally enjoy visiting friends there). We also appreciate its Christian culture. But what we found available in newer housing (in late 2006) was mostly expensive tri-level "treehouses" or "mountain communities," neither of which are senior-friendly. Also, we found Black Mountain to be a 20-30 minute highway drive in or out of Asheville (depending on traffic), which we think would get "old."

HENDERSONVILLE is also a super-attractive, relatively quiet little town (compared to Asheville but not to Black Mountain) with the added advantage of its own good medical system, its own symphony, and the State theatre to boot (in nearby Flat Rock). Unfortunately, we think you'll find it expensive. Floridians love Hendersonville because its weather is much milder than theirs—and it will also be much milder than Boone’s. But residents of Hendersonville, as we understand it, pretty much stay in Hendersonville because the drive to Asheville is long and congested. Besides, there’s so much available right there in Hendersonville! Bottom line, you’ll need to be happy with Hendersonville’s limited community events and services just as you would with any other very small town.

You know that saying, “It’s all relative”? Well... Henderson is a boom town compared with BREVARD, which (by the way) has held a special place in our hearts for 16 years. Brevard was our introduction, in fact, to this whole magical area. We still wish we could live in the “Land of Waterfalls"--like, 200 or 250 waterfalls in this little area!--plus all the joy of Pisgah Forest!!

Unfortunately, Brevard is MUCH more rural than Black Mountain or Hendersonville, and entirely too remote for our needs, especially medical.

Maggie Valley, in our experience, is also totally beautiful but way too touristy and way too remote from everything we will need.

We have no experience at all with any of the other towns you mentioned.

Again, this is only the view out of our personal window. We aren’t even NC natives. We can only lay a claim to LOVING the place and seeing it through our current (senior) needs and maybe—by extension—the needs of other retired/retiring folks who are looking for "small and peaceful with mild four seasons"—who would love long-range mountain views from their homes but don’t have a fortune to spend.

If by "views" you mean long-range views?? Those were our Biggest Dream for 16 years!! Based on our current experience, however, we learned to look for those views everywhere except from our own property!—unless we were willing and able to put up the BIG money. Even then, we found, for example, that we may have to live with highway noise or traffic congestion or (fill in the blank) in order to enjoy those awesome views....

We suggest that you will want to sit down together TODAY to prioritize your needs--actually writing them down--from practical to social to spiritual--and then follow THAT dream. For example, for us that meant we can't be very far from an excellent medical system and we definitely want a strong sense of community wherever we live. In fact, we insisted on a potluck-type clubhouse in any development we'd buy into. But that's just us.

Have a wonderful trip, Father John, and please give us some feedback!! Meanwhile, we’ll be thinking of you and your wife.........

Jan & Bill

What a great post, Parkies. I like what you said about the "view." I have to agree, anywhere you live in this great area you have a view - everywhere is a view! We are only able to enjoy this magical area on a very part time basis, but we are so grateful that we were able to buy a modest second home here! My DH is not near retirement, so we are stuck in Florida, but we love Asheville and the surrounding environs so very much! The area is so light and sweet smelling - the weather so gentle in every season. The people are friendly, the terrain beautiful - it is really perfect. I just don't see how anyone could go wrong.

Weaverville is a neat area, we almost bought a property there - I love the area very much. I also love Black Mountain. Haven't been to Brevard or Hendersonville yet, but they sound nice. Something for everyone in the area here. God really went overboard on this area, it is really special

[the Parkies]

Thanks, gypsychic, and AMEN to all you said!

[hapaleeretired]

From what you have said I think you should take a serious look at Lenoir. It got a little warm last week but we fled to the mountains with a picnic lunch for relief. If we want to see some snow in the winter we can drive up and look at it and that is fine with me.

[Ed&Betty]

Hey gypsychic,

Had lunch and walked around your neck of the woods last week, West Asheville. Cool Renaissance going on there. Pastabilities for lunch, pretty good.

[LiveLoveLaugh]

Have a GREAT trip! Be sure to visit the areas around Boone...Crossnore, Newland, Banner Elk, etc...pick up a copy of Homes and Land of the High Country...you can even read it online. ENJOY!!!