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I am looking for recommendations for a home base for our outdoorsy family. We will be relocating following my husband's graduation from pharmacy school and western North Carolina is very high on our list due to its affordable COL combined with amenities, weather, and outdoor opportunities. We love to hike (#1), rock climb, bike (#2), fish (#3), kayak, camp, garden and are trying to find a town to possibly call home that provides these opportunities within city limits, if possible, or at the most an hour away. There are so many beautiful towns in your area that I am hoping to hear from active families. I currently have 15 towns on my list ranging from Bryson City to Asheville. We currently live in Searcy, AR for school (home was previously Denton, TX which we loved) and it is NOT a city in which we want to remain. We regularly travel an hour away in order to hike some beautiful country, but would prefer it to be closer when we move. I can research amenities, schools, etc. on my own, but would love to hear from those who are outdoors often if you like where you live, why, and if you would move elsewhere given the chance. Thank you in advance. City-Data has been invaluable in helping us locate our next home.
My active son and DIL live in central NC and spend a lot of time hiking and camping in the mountains in NW NC. Boone, and that area. They also venture into VA sometimes. The Blue Ridge Mountains are spectacular, and it probably doesn't matter where. You just need to find the school system and location close to your work that is best for your family.
It's great that your husband is a pharmacist and should be able to find work easily. Pretty much all of western NC will fill the bill for outdoorsy activities.
One thing to note about WNC is that housing costs in the desirable areas can be higher than you might be hoping for. I'd guess the median home price in Asheville is much higher than anything in Arkansas. It's a tourism-based economy and a popular retirement destination.
Schools are pretty good in the Asheville area and the Boone (Watauga County) area. Weather is a bit colder, with a bit more snow in Boone than in Asheville.
I gotta beat the drum for Franklin. We moved here in 2008 specifically because it is smack in the middle of all the things we, and you, like to do. We've slowed down a bit, getting older does that to you, but all the outdoors stuff still calls us out of the house. Franklin is still a small mountain town but has begun to grow and grow fast. New blood in the town and county councils has really helped to get the word out about our town. We were even voted best small town by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine.
The picture at the top of the page is Pickens Nose, right outside of town at Standing Indian. Come on over and take a look for yourselves, you won't be disappointed.
Housing costs have exploded in North Texas, where we're from, and in NW Arkansas where we are also looking at living. I have already researched housing costs as well as other factors of COL for the area of North Carolina we are interested in and am prepared for the high prices. There are areas in AR that meet our criteria for hiking and biking in town, and tons more hiking along a 3 hour hour corridor (Little Rock, Fayetteville, Bentonville). I'm hoping to find towns that have similar recreational access. So far my list consists of:
Swannanoa
Morganton
Asheville
Boone
Waynesville
Bryson City
Mooresville
Hendersonville
Matthews
Brevard
Carrboro
Black Mountain
Chapel Hill
Cary
Brevard would be a city that you should investigate more for how close it is to rock climbing, cycling, and fishing. Brevard College is a music college like UNT in Denton. https://www.visitwaterfalls.com
I'd not want to live in Morganton. It's always seemed kind of depressing to me. The state mental hospital being there doesn't help, but it's mainly that it's in the foothills not the mountains.
Of your list, if I had no issues with money, I'd pick Asheville, Swannanoa or Boone, maybe Brevard. Why didn't Black Mountain make the cut? You could also include Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Jonas Ridge, Blowing Rock and many others.
Do you need to find work, too?
As I said, best schools are going to be in Asheville and Buncombe County, and Watauga County. The state's school accountability website is at: NC School Report Cards . Lots of data to mine through there.
I'm not big on Charlotte (Matthews) or Cary. It's a very different pace from the other areas you listed. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are full of outdoorsy people, but it's 3 hrs to the mountains if you want to be in the mountains.
We were just in Boone over the weekend (hiking Grandfather Mountain) and I picked up one of those free outdoorsy tourist publications. You might like to check out their website, www.advguides.com . Best advice would be to research the schools, places big enough to need more than one pharmacist, and then with those guidelines plan a vacation to the WNC to check it out.
Housing costs have exploded in North Texas, where we're from, and in NW Arkansas where we are also looking at living. I have already researched housing costs as well as other factors of COL for the area of North Carolina we are interested in and am prepared for the high prices. There are areas in AR that meet our criteria for hiking and biking in town, and tons more hiking along a 3 hour hour corridor (Little Rock, Fayetteville, Bentonville). I'm hoping to find towns that have similar recreational access. So far my list consists of:
Swannanoa
Morganton
Asheville
Boone
Waynesville
Bryson City
Mooresville
Hendersonville
Matthews
Brevard
Carrboro
Black Mountain
Chapel Hill
Cary
You do know alot of these places are hours away from the mountains right?
One of my "wants" was to be about an hour or so from Lake Jocassee (just over the border in SC), which was named by National Geographic as one of the last great places on earth. I kayaked there once (before I moved here) and it is truly stunning. Oddly enough, it was created by Duke Energy, so it's not a natural lake (neither is Lake Lure...which I've yet to kayak...just seen it's beach one day).
Lake Jocasse is a bit over an hour from downtown Hendersonville (depending upon where you start). It's fabulous to be one of the few who can make a day trip to such a spectacular, clear lake.
From one kayaker to another.
edited to add: oh, I suspect it will not stay fabulous. My guess is we've got about a decade or more before it becomes less than it is.
Last edited by crusinsusan; 07-26-2017 at 09:47 AM..
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