Is Hendersonville a fit?

[Teresa Combs]

My husband and I moved to Hendersonville a couple of years ago. We absolutely love it here. Hendersonville is a small retirement town just outside of Asheville. The downtown section consists of quaint and unique shops that draw people here from all over the world. The folks are friendly and are totally dedicated to preserving their wonderful community. It's location is very desirable because you are within minutes to South Carolina and/or Tennessee. We've always got several options to enjoy all the festivals and events that the area has to offer. This place is absolutely beautiful, not to mention the fresh mountain air. It hardly ever snows here. But if you like snow, you're also within a few miles to enjoy the beautiful scenery, or visit one of the ski resorts. We enjoy the many golf courses and of course, we get enjoy the many restaurants that provide you with any type, style or price you want. Our house is located near Flat Rock - home of Carl Sandburg. This attraction also will give you some of the best theatre performances you will see outside of Broadway. Even though the town is considered a retirement town, we notice more and more young couples moving into the area. I can't say enough about this place. Give us a try. I know you'll fall in love with it too.

[sweetthing]

My husband is also a doctor, and we started a practice here in 2002. We are St. Louis natives, decided to take an associate position in Asheville, then chose to go out on our own soon after. We chose Hendersonville because of the family friendly community, the area is growing by leaps and bounds, and it feels safer and more down-home than Asheville did. There are a lot of parks for the kiddos, Dupont State Forest has great hiking trails and waterfalls, and we love going to the various festivals and coffee shops. Black Bear coffee on Main St. is a favorite place to hang out...we had a mom's group that used to meet there since our children were all born about the same time (9/06), but the kiddos have become so rowdy that we now take turns at each others houses and various parks in town. There is a Hendersonville Mom's Club, Black Bear Moms (us), and I think more... We have a place called Hands On, which is a great little learning museum for children on Main St. All in all I think it is a great place for a family with young children. I do have a child with special needs and I am not thrilled with his school at this point. We are looking into transferring him into a Buncombe County school district, and at this point, we are also looking for rentals in both Hendersonville and south Buncombe County to accomodate that. We are not thrilled with the price of housing here, and would rather rent until we can afford a place. It is difficult to find a decent rental house under 1200 for a 3 br home. I do know that there are for sale signs EVERYWHERE here. My husband's practice is growing at a slow but steady rate, he has been able to upgrade and build out a nicer office in 2005. I hope this info has helped, and if you would like more help, please feel free to email.

[YoungInHendersonville]

Please see below and try to go to amazon and order a copy of Norman Crampton's "Best 100 Small Towns in America" circa 1995 or 1996. This will provide you with all the insight you need in addition to walking on Main Street and speaking with some residents of this lovely town or even struggling to get a BBQ Grill in your SUV in the Lowe's or Home Depot Parking Lot (there will be no less than 5 area residents who will stop to lend you a helping hand). Try that in New Jersey or Charlotte or anywhere for that matter. It's a feeling you will have of finally being home in an area that can not (due to topographical constraints, grow too much, which is great and will sustain the housing values). From a macro-perspective, there are so many more people who want to buy in Hendersonville than sell and our builders only put approximately 1,000 to 1,200 homes per year in the ground in the entire County!
Anyhow, hope this is not too late and it helps you and your family. We chose H'ville over South Asheville and would do the same all over again. Please see below and best wishes. West side of town toward Laurel Park is the truly upscale area in an otherwise charming rural setting wherever you may go. Pay attention to the "warm" side of the mountain for sunlight and try to get a flat rear yard for the kids. Other than that, you can't go wrong chossing this area. There are 300+ Churches and 2 nightclubs in the entire County! An ideal place to raise a family, just ask Mr. & Mrs. Tom & Sue Fazio. They could live anywhere in the world, yet they raised their entire family in Hendersonville. Immaculata Private School. High School becomes a concern because there is no private H.S. yet. West Henderson Schools and Hendersonville Schools (closer to the town) are both also excellent choices. Please read on after your original remarks.

Originally Posted by chardent

I've been reading this board for a while and would like to know more inside scoop on Henderson/Hendersonville area. I'm a doctor and live in Charlotte. My wife and I have a young child (1 year) and though Charlotte is "easy" to live in, we're not thrilled with the traffic, congestion, and general transplant nature of the community. I've found a position in Hendersonville and need to make a quick decision. We've visited a couple of times and Hendersonville appears like Mayberry USA--but that's the perception. How's crime? Schools? How's traffic? How's life for 30-somethings with kids? Housing? It doesn't really boil down to economics in my case, as Charlotte is by far a better economic decision. The numbers on Hendersonville seem to show a much more rural, poor county than I encountered in my visits. What's missing here? I'd like some insight into quality-of-life factors?

Thanks

As an upper "30-something" year old property owner and resident of Hendersonville for 12 years, please allow me to attempt to outline the facts. Unlike many other parts of our Country (Yes, I own property in other States as well such as Florida for example), WNC never had a huge run up in Real Estate valuations. This is why it is not poised for a crash, simply because there is no bubble to pop. When that Realtor quoted $270K for a 1,800 square foot home what everyone seems to forget is that in the mountains (unlike most of the flatter than a pancake urban sprawl cities in the U.S., you must have a basement below your home. In most cases, if built correctly, this will be a full, daylight basement which effectively doubles the livable square footage of your mountain home. Now, your family has 3,600 sq. ft. for $270K including usually a generously sized piece of land. Furthermore, Hendersonville has the highest Bank Deposits per capita of any small town in America and is the smallest town boasting a symphony orchestra (please see Norman Crampton's "Best 100 Small Towns in America, circa 1995 or 1996). For all you negative cynics, don't come here because the area is unspoiled and that's the way it will remain. Due to topographical reasons (i.e. homes can not be built everywhere, like Charlotte or Indianapolis for example), there will be no urban sprawl which means a limited supply of housing and stable values. Single Family Homes typically have appreciated 4% to 5% per annum like clockwork and do not have the huge spikes like other areas due to the continuous demand and very limited supply of new homes being built each year. We have children and they absolutely love it here not to mention that we don't have to woory about crime that has become problematic in the vast majority of large cities and suburbs in the U.S. We've lived in 5 different States and 7 different MSA's while visiting the entire Country and speaking with friends from all over and it is by far, the best place to live in the Country bar none. YoungInHendersonville

[vilke]

I agree with the Parkies advice to you. Hendersonville is great. We have the mountains, farms, horses, cows, etc. but much of the area is poorer and you need to be careful about the schools. We also do have a large number of older folks from Florida, etc. BUT, if you were to find a home in/around the ParkRidge Hospital area (Fletcher, Arden, etc.) then you would be in good shape. Come and look first and esp. near ParkRidge Hospital. That really is where many of the doctors live anyway. And, ParkRidge Hospital is a great hospital. I'm always amazed when we have had to go to the ER there or visit the doctors affiliated with that hospital. Top notch! Amazed since we moved from the Washington DC area (Northern VA) and you would expect better medical care, etc. but we have had better medical care HERE than in Washington DC. We did have a minor culture shock moving here from a wealthy area, but we love it here. It's "real".
Come, look, and if you decide to move here, PLEASE DO NOT DESTROY OUR MOUNTAINS by building a home in plain view for all to see.
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"The Parkies: chardent, given the ages of you and your family, I think I would suggest you take that job in Hendersonville but live in south Asheville, Fletcher, or Arden, for example, so that you have the benefit of some of the best schools, a much younger demographic, still-employed professional and business people for neighbors, church, and social life, and all the cultural and fun activities for both adults and children that the much larger town of Asheville, just to the north, provides. Hendersonville, which would be just to the south of your home, is a very nice, low-crime, low-traffic community, but it is definitely not a "family" town or a young person's town. It's a retirement mecca. For retirees, it's great!"

[jwgraves2]

I disagree with The Parkies. While I live outside Waynesville and enjoy it, my Aunt and Uncle (A general surgeon) have lived in Hendersonville for more than twenty years. They raised there children there and although there are many retirees, it is not as though a younger person would pine for interaction with other young couples...it is a great town and I would live and work there without hesitation and wouldn't think of moving from Charlotte and giving myself a mini-commute from S Asheville if I didn't have to.

[OJC]

I grew up in Hendersonville and I go back to see family a couple times a month every month. Arden, Skyland, and the rest of the lower or southern Asheville area is nice but it is way to crowded and growing rapidly. Traffic is difficult there up and down hwy 25 and I-26. Fletcher is not as bad but it is not as nice a resident set in my opinion, not bad by any stretch just a bit less progressive than much of the area.
I would recommend looking into the Mills River area if you want to live in Henderson county and have good access to Asheville. You can access it through I-26 and 191. It is a growing area though it is starting from scratch in many respects so land is plentiful and developments are starting to spring up. It is at the base of the national forest and half way between Brevard and Asheville. Brevard offers a lot as well though it is more of a mountain retreat in many senses.
I would also look into the Flat Rock and Laurel Park areas as well. They are more established and moneyed areas and not as young as some parts of town but safe and nice which is always a plus. From there one still has access to Brevard but it will put Asheville on a little more equal footing with Greenville/Spartanburg in terms of accessibility.
I can't really speak to the schools as much since I went to private Catholic school in Hendersonville K-8 and then off to prep school in Asheville. I can say that some schools are better than others in Hendersonville and that the city schools tend to not be as good as some of the county schools from what I have heard from my brother, but that may be more anecdotal than system wide.

[roadpony]

For what it's worth, I have a friend who grew up in Hendersonville, graduated from UNC-A, and moved to Charlotte to start her career. She is late-20's and single. She moved back to Hendersonville several months ago, will start a teaching job this fall, and is very happy with her move.

[nancy thereader]

So, are you all saying that Hendersonville is a good place for retirees? Are there over 55 communities there? Libraries ? How is the shopping and all? I read that NC State @ Asheville has many programs for seniors. Would that only be for Asheville residents? I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you.

[OJC]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

So, are you all saying that Hendersonville is a good place for retirees? Are there over 55 communities there? Libraries ? How is the shopping and all? I read that NC State @ Asheville has many programs for seniors. Would that only be for Asheville residents? I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Hendersonville is a great place for retirees and it is becoming a good place for a younger set as well. Hendersonville is diverse. There are over 55 communities, I am in my 30s so I am not as familiar with them but I know there are many one would be Carolina Village. I also have a friend who is working toward his BS at UNCA in the NC State program and he lives in Hendersonville so I now it is open to those not in Buncombe County (Asheville). There are lots of intersting areas in and around Hendersonville to live such as Laurel Park, Mills River, Flat Rock and Etowah and a variety of places in Hendersonville that I won't try to list here.