moving to asheville, don't move here? (Henderson, Hendersonville: environment, work, houses)

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by KG00713

I moved to Asheville last year to start a graduate program. My main problem with Asheville is that downtown is full of beggars hoping they can get money out of tourists. I've also run quite a few people who have been rude (mostly thought my graduate program...but are 25-40 years old and natives of the area) because of the way I look and dress..

Has it ever occurred to you that how you are looked at is simply a reflection of how you look at us locals. Looking good and dressing nice should not be a problem, unless you are looking down your nose at those you meet.

[KG00713]

No no, that is not necessarily true. I'm very open and love meeting new people. I was actually very shocked at the way I was treated.

And I said that it was just my experience. So please, refrain before making a personal attack on me.

This is what I'm talking about. God forbid you have a different opinion, you must be wrong.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by KG00713

No no, that is not necessarily true. I'm very open and love meeting new people. I was actually very shocked at the way I was treated.

Again perhaps you should review your demeanor when you meet people, what you beleive to be open etc, and plays well in Chicago, might just be well over the top here. I have spent a good deal of time in the mid-west on business, and I find mid-westerners loud and over bearing to the point of being obnoxious, and it won't play well with southerners.

You statement that you are very open is telling, I would expect someone to say "I try to be open" and let the audience decide, but here you are just telling the audience how it is.

This was not an attack, but a suggestion, your perception that it was purely an attack might be part of the problem. None of us are seen by others as we perceive ourselves, so take another look.

[the Parkies]

Hi, everyone!

The Asheville area is the friendliest part of the world we've ever known (and we're "older" and very well traveled).

Okay... maybe we're high on Mountain Joy because we just bought a house here (in Weaverville) two days ago. (Woohoo!) But isn't that a testament itself to our appreciation of the good folks here? And weren't two of those good folks our very own buying and selling realtors! These competent professionals built a business relationship with us over these past ten months that truly overlapped with friendship!!

And I honestly think we'd be just as joy-crazy if we weren't house-happy.

For comic relief from mind-numbing decisions about everything from carpet and cabinets to gutter colors and door knobs, we toured some of the area we hadn't ever seen--Hot Springs, Marshall, Mars Hill, Burnsville, Little Switzerland, and Blowing Rock (ran out of time for Boone--darn). We stopped everywhere to ask questions, get gas and directions, find a bite to eat, and just chat. And everywhere we found lighthearted, friendly people who returned our happy smiles and shared their lives with us.

Examples...

Last Sunday we attended BELE CHERE for the first time and were amazed at how well organized, controlled, and delightful the entire festival was, especially for a town of more than 70K that closes all of its streets for three days and invites the whole world in free! Kudos to those in charge in Asheville!!! We felt like "one of the family" there and came away with contact information for a couple of vendors we will want to do business with next year.

We will not soon forget the many hundreds of faces at BURNSVILLE'S (also free) annual folk crafts festival this weekend. That totally charming town was literally draped from side to side and end to end with tent booths and tarps. We've never seen so many beautiful hand-made things in one place, with not one "pushy" booth vendor. (We're sorry we can't say that about some of the vendors in San Diego.) Okay--it was the man's job to be extremely helpful at the Visitor's Center (though he may have been a volunteer, actually)--but what about the gal with the intelligent little parti-colored toy poodle who told us all about the breed and wrote down the website where you can buy these "parti poodles" and even get them trained in advance to do the tricks of your choice... or the cheerful fellow scooping up homemade ice cream so fast it made us laugh to think we ever had elbow tendons young enough to do that.

We enjoyed the young fellows hanging out on the street in LITTLE SWITZERLAND who didn't mind our asking, with some embarrassment, whether this was "all of Little Switzerland" (about five buildings shoulder to shoulder). "We're sorry--we just don't want to miss the town--are we there?" we asked gently. "YE-AH," they said with a shared laugh, "Y'all are there!"

The only "rude" person we have run into these past two weeks was a convenience store check-out clerk in Blowing Rock who was trying to recommend a restaurant to us while fencing with customers wanting to buy cold drinks on a hot day. It's true--that clerk ended up "blowing us off"--but wasn't that understandable? Why would we take offense when clearly none was intended??

These past two weeks, from downtown Asheville to Grandfather Mountain and beyond, we've found nothing but helpful, friendly people even in the crush of the tourist season. Even in a town as small as Asheville, you're going to find some sadder sorts, but why would you focus on them? Why instead wouldn't you embrace and celebrate the fact that Asheville keeps most of the sadder sorts off the streets (for everyone's benefit) through local church and civic programs? Kudos, again, to Asheville! Those who remain on the streets usually choose to do so, we have learned, and we hope they will find it in their hearts to tolerate us. We're "different," too. Besides, we "talk funny."

We are already finding friends here. My hammered dulcimer-maker and his wife have lived for many years in Black Mountain, and we have maintained an acquaintance for the past ten years. Now that Bill and I are definitely going to be moving here in about six months, the four of us have had a wonderful time this week celebrating. We were impressed that they could find an opening in their extremely full lives for one more set of friends.

At the Asheville Folk Festival (I think it's called) in the downtown Diana Wortham Theatre last Thursday, we struck up a conversation with a couple standing in line with us. Turns out they bought a house in Weaverville just a year ago, so we're going to be neighbors--imagine that. We sat together for a heart-warming (four-hour!) stage presentation, and by the time it was over we had exchanged contact information and vowed to stay in touch. We can't wait to get to know them better.

We also hope to stay in touch with at least a few people from this board who are moving to the Asheville area soon. Some of us, it seems, are kindred spirits!

So we already have the pleasure of budding friendships here before we have even moved! And we are not rich, famous, powerful, beautiful, or incredibly talented people. Note that in San Diego, where we have lived in the same house for 37 years, we currently have only eight friends. Over the years, a few other treasured friends have moved away or moved on, but we have always felt a persistent, deep, and irreconcilable sense of personal alienation--a hunger of the spirit--as we lived "happy on the surface."

So we grew more and more eager to retire and move to a warmer social climate nearer family and friends in Pennsylvania (who are also wonderful people who happen to live in weather conditions we can't tolerate).

For us, the Asheville area is now home! We can't even imagine feeling unwelcome here.

Jan (and Bill)

[Ed&Betty]

That's how I feel when we visit...and congratulations.

A great choice.

We will be in Marshall, but Weaverville is the Biggee town of the area.

I even like the local Weaverville Chinese Buffet


...and don't forget, you gotta try the great breakfast at down and dirty, local morning favorite's 'Poppy's Kitchen!

[cynwldkat]

We originally were looking to relocate in the mountains of NC. We stopped at a small store/gas station and the people were anything but friendly. Even a bit scary by their comments! That's definately not to say everyone is that way as I am sure there are many more friendly people then unfriendly people. But that was enough for me to look more towards the Piedmont. I had such high hopes of finding a lovely home and feeling welcome in those mountains but I found a great home and friendly people in the Stanly county area. I can always take a lovely drive up to the mountains and visit only to return to my home where I feel very comfortable!! I am sure we were just one of the unlucky few that had a problem like this so don't let it scare you away. Things happen for a reason and I'm sure there was a reason it did happen to us. We have wonderful neighbors in our new home and couldn't ask for anything better!!

[KG00713]

Weaverville is the cutest little town!

Asheville Native, again, you don't know anything about me. I grew up near Chicago but have been in the south for the past 6 years (in South Carolina). I'm not loud or over-bearing. So truly, you don't know what you are talking about.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has ever had a negative experience.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by KG00713

Asheville Native, again, you don't know anything about me.

Very true, all I know is what you have posted in this thread, and that gave me the impression that your most common experience is that people are rude to you, and you assume that it is due to your appearance and dress.

Other's have posted a very different experience in the area.

So, has it ever crossed your mind that it might be something that you are doing that causes this reaction to you?

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by cynwldkat

We originally were looking to relocate in the mountains of NC. We stopped at a small store/gas station and the people were anything but friendly. Even a bit scary by their comments! That's definately not to say everyone is that way as I am sure there are many more friendly people then unfriendly people. But that was enough for me to look more towards the Piedmont. I had such high hopes of finding a lovely home and feeling welcome in those mountains but I found a great home and friendly people in the Stanly county area. I can always take a lovely drive up to the mountains and visit only to return to my home where I feel very comfortable!! I am sure we were just one of the unlucky few that had a problem like this so don't let it scare you away. Things happen for a reason and I'm sure there was a reason it did happen to us. We have wonderful neighbors in our new home and couldn't ask for anything better!!

I'm sorry, but I really think it's unfair to judge an entire region's people by the reaction of 1 gas station clerk. But I'm glad it all worked out for you.

[Zooropa]

Originally Posted by KG00713

I moved to Asheville last year to start a graduate program. My main problem with Asheville is that downtown is full of beggars hoping they can get money out of tourists. I've also run quite a few people who have been rude (mostly thought my graduate program...but are 25-40 years old and natives of the area) because of the way I look and dress.

I'm from Chicago and I wear high heels and makeup, and I've been stared at, yelled at, and treated poorly by people downtown. The normal dress is tie-dyed shirts, hiking sandals..so if you dress nicer you are either a "tourist" or "one of those rich folks buying up the mountains."

Also, although I'm liberal, there are a lot of crazy far-left liberals in the area. All the businesses near my house get spray-painted with pro-vegan and anti-bush statements. It's really quite scary.

It all depends what you like. The mountains are beautiful. There are a lot of restaurants and shops...but some of the people that live around here are just hateful.

If the developers have their way there won't be any more of that to worry about cause there won't be anyone but tourists and the very wealthy here. I'll likely be among those priced out of town. It's never a good sign when healthcare is you largest employment sector.