Leicester (Charlotte, Asheville, Biltmore Forest: for sale, how much, houses)

[SheRuns]

Anyone have any opinions/comments on Leicester, particularly with regard to Towering Views Estates? But anything about town would be helpful. How far actually to A'ville? I know Mapquest, but sometimes it's different from people's actual experiences.

[gigimac]

We had some friends who lived out on Turkey Creek Road, close to where the subdivision is you mentioned, and we lived just off Leicester Hwy closer to town, and it always took us around 15 minutes to get out there, kind of a trek, really, when there are properties so much closer to town that are very nice, too. Also, you have to add in about 15 minutes to approach town after you get out of the countryside. When you live out Leicester way, you are living in the country, takes a while just to get to a quick stop from where you live, but maybe ten minutes to a grocery. Then once you get closer to town, the two-lane turns into a four-lane that is easy, but THEN you gotta go along divided six-lane Patton Avenue and the eight-lane two-bridge criss-cross traffic to get into downtown Asheville proper. Now, that whole Patton Ave section is a real pain, lots of stoplights, your typical hamburger alley, probably the most unattractive and congested part of Asheville. The bridge is usually quite busy during rush hours, almost always a wreck to further hold things up. If you live way out in the Leicester countryside, as pretty as it is, you have to allow for a half-hour to get to the main highways that go out from downtown and to other parts of Asheville.

If you are not really attached to the idea of country living, you would do better to look at homes in several very nice neighborhoods within five or ten minutes of town, which would include Beaver Lake, Grove Park, and off the N Charlotte Street areas. Biltmore Forest is south, and a number of interesting gated type communities both in the east and south part of town, those are maybe up to 15 minutes in traffic to get anywhere, but most are very close to groceries, etc. Those are some of the top places to live, altho I'm sure I've left out many more.

There are some areas that are less expensive but plenty nice that might work out, too, and that might include Haw Creek and Beverly Hills in the east part of town, but really bad traffic since the Asheville Mall is near there, then possibly historic Montford Park REAL close to town, and north of UNCA on both sides of Merrimon is close in, and many goodly suburbs in the south part of town, altho they can take some time to get into town. But I think driving from Leicester at the place you're looking at is probably the farthest you can live without being in another county or community, with the exception of some suburbs out near the airport, a long drive. And I'm sure other people will have other places to suggest and also some may disagree with my preferences; I just wanted to give you a few tips and general ideas from quick memory to kind of get you situated, to check out on maps and all.

Get a good road map of the Asheville area, they have them at the Chamber of Commerce and some gas stations, where the city is on one side of the paper and the county on the other, and that way when you see a neighborhood with a listing of a house, you'll be able to zero in where it is. Then just get in your car, find Pack Square where the courthouse is, and drive north from the monument straight out to Merrimon to Beaver Lake, and note how long that took you. That way you can check the mile circles around the town, attach a time, and know just how long things might take. Also drive from there, go east thru the tunnel, past the Asheville Mall, and go on out to the VA and note the time. Just an idea.

If you like views, I suppose I should mention Town Mountain Road. It's winding and steep, can be long depending on how far you go, but they've got these mid-century homes all along that hillside that are truly fantastic. I remember going into two of them, one I parked and could only see the roof of the house, and when I went through the front door, and across the foyer and living areas I could see thru a bank of glass doors, the view thru them and out on the deck was absolutely spectacular, sunset and stars are so amazing. And the thing about Town Mt is the road empties right into downtown proper, the houses begin right away and then just keep on going up and farther away, depending on how much of a steep drive you're willing to experience. I am also fond of the homes on the west side of Kenilworth Lake, very few come up for sale, but not all of Kenilworth is equal... just that lake spot, and the homes can be affordable, I almost bought one on the east side next to the mall, but that side isn't as good location-wise since it backs right up to all that shopping pavement. Hope this gets ya goin!!! If you ask more questions, others will jump right in and give you all sorts of advice.

[SheRuns]

Gigimac - Thanks for the great advice - I figured it probably was too far and problematic in many ways - you confirmed it.