Disappointed in Asheville... (Henderson, Graham, Hendersonville: violent crime, loans, hotels)

[Kootr]

Originally Posted by eightiesfan

I've always enjoyed my visits to Asheville but they have all been short trips. I've often wondered how it would be to live there and I get the impression that it may be a better place to visit than to call home.

Just don't make plans to stay very long...or you'll wonder why you did.

[castufari]

Way too many people read the magazine articles about AVL then move there thinking that it's some sort of Mecca. It's not.

It's not as diverse as some people would like to think. Yeah, there are a few latinos and a black population that's up near 20% but when you visit you don't see the diversity. Walk around downtown, either the white people who work downtown, the younger population who love it here (mostly white) and tourists (again, mostly white).

Job wise, things are tight here, always have been. I have neighbors who don't have a problem but they're living on trust funds and can afford to work 20 hours/wk. For many others it's not that way. Home prices here are high, they started to increase in the early 90s when we became a 2nd home for transplants.

If you're looking to get a better feel for the town don't stick to downtown. Get out and drive around. Each area - N/S/E/W - are different. West Asheville is younger, maybe more trendy. North is nice, more money up there and summer homes. East is nice, it's quiet and stable. South seems to be the up and coming area (since there is more land there to build on, as can be seen on Hville Road, Long Shoals Rd, etc).

I've been here for nearly 20 years and this is probably going to be my last. Taxes are high, the cost of living is high and jobs are hard to come by. City council spends like there is no tomorrow.

[Everest]

I lived in Clearwater FL for 8 years and absolutely hated it . The horrendous population and traffic congestion, suffocating heat, pollution and rude people just wore me out. The population density is ridiculous. Housing developments pack people in like sardines to the point you can hear your neighbors toilet flushing or their TV set. When winter comes all the snow birds arrive and the population density becomes so bad that it takes you 30 min to go 3 miles...with many streets turning into parking lots. Forget about trying to get to the beaches in the winter....you will spend half a day just getting there. Not to mention during the winter the days are so short you never see them if you are working. From April to November the heat and humidity become oppressive. You really can't do anything outdoors...unless it is water related. Even then the surf temps reach 90 degs July/Aug/Sept ( bath water), is extremely polluted with the beaches closing down every other day due to fecal colliform counts and continous spewing of garbarge on the beaches by inconsiderate boneheads. I finally had enough when me and a couple of my buddies were diving off of Siesta Key ( Suppose to be one of the best beaches in the US...what a joke!) we all sufaced into a yellow burning, smelly liquid on the surface of the water. Turned out to be URINE from all the lazy imbeciles on boats dumping their waste into the water. All 3 of us ended up in the Hospital for a week with serious staph infections. A month later I moved out of that hell hole to Asheville and will never ever return to that part or any part of Florida. Other parts of FL may be fine but I have become classically conditioned to nausea when anything to do with FL is mentioned.
As for Asheville...it is a beautiful place to live. I am an outdoor fitness fanatic ( however hiking and trail running in this region is ass busting hard work!!) I do love the climate, fresh air and healthy atmosphere, and friendlier people ( still some rude folks), however, crime, homelessness, panhandling and the real estate market have soured. The middle class in Asheville is being squeezed into economic non-existence. The lower class are being pushed into homelessness. Asheville has become a haven for affluent retirees flocking from Atlanta, California, Florida and NY. Cost of living is higher than any other city in the South except for Orlanda. The moutains are being torn apart with multimillion dollar developements going up every 3 months. For 300,000 you will be lucky to find yourself a 1200 sq ft bungalow within 5 miles of the City. Just a measly .5 acre tract of land...even in Madison County will cost you 200,000. I am now seriously considering moving out of this region...there are places that are more affordable with better paying jobs and lower housing prices...all of which I weigh heavier than a pretty landscape. Outdoor activities are plentiful but I found after a few years not as enjoyable as some other regions of the country I have visited. I find the steep terrain in the national forests around Asheville not as enjoyable. In fact many of the trails are just plain exhausting with hiking and trail running...except the Bent Creek Area.
I guess every place has its good and bad points and every person their likes and dislikes. I don't think a perfect place exists.

[lookingatNC]

Dear Everest, I currently live in Jacksonville,FL (for the past 22 years) and am SO ready to move from this place. I am very interested in NC (not necessarily Asheville) but having a hard time finding current info. Most stats are from 2007 at best and with the recent changes to the housing market/economy I know things are not great anywhere right now. I would love to find a smaller, friendlier, slower paced community to live. I am so stressed between my job and the traffic and the pace of living - not to mention the crime. Ugh - I don't even watch the news anymore - I probably would not sleep at night if I did. I think I would love to live somewhere in the middle of NC - a few hours from the mountains, and a few hours from the beach...the best of both worlds. It doesn't sound like you are too happy with Asheville, but are there any other areas of NC you are familiar with and could recommend or give feedback on? Thanks -

[MountainLaurel]

I also live in Jacksonville, Fl. (for 23 years) and am also so ready to get out for the same reasons you mentioned. My husband and I bought 18 acres northwest of Marshall, N.C. (about a 45 minute drive from Asheville from our property). It is gorgeous piece of property which we got for around $100,000, and we love to spend time up there - we have a large R.V. and go up once a month for a few days. We love the area, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian trail, the small towns in Western N.C. We would like to build but with the economy the way it is, that will not be for awhile. Whenever we are up there, we always hate coming back to Florida. Anyway, you might look around that area, its very laid back and rural, not touristy like the Cashiers/ Highlands area. A realtor might be able to find you a good deal on some land or a house or both.

[lookingatNC]

Posting to this forum is new to me and I think I may have sent 2 incomplete messages by mistake. I hope not. But if I did - I apologize. I was trying to tell you about Blowing Rock - which I visited for the first time in October of last year. I had been listening to books on CD called the Mitford Series by Jan Karon and the town of Mitford was based on the actual town of Blowing Rock. Well, the book brought me such peace when reading it - I longed to visit Blowing Rock so I finally just took a long weekend and drove up there. I met a great couple that run a little book store/internet cafe there. I loved their shop and I just felt such a warmth from them - I didn't want to leave. Ever since that trip I have not been able to get the area out of my mind. So, I have been trying to do some research about the state. It is so beautiful and the people seem so friendly. So different than this place - where people would just as soon run you down as look at you. I am an admin assistant in a large corp (which I am also done with!). I would LOVE to work in either a smaller company or even venture out and work in a little coffee shop/book store. I used to really love people, but have found myself shrinking in that respect the past few years... I think mainly because the folks around here don't cultivate friendly behavior, if you know what I mean. Thank you for responding.

[NCgirl]

Originally Posted by lookingatNC

Dear Everest, I currently live in Jacksonville,FL (for the past 22 years) and am SO ready to move from this place. I am very interested in NC (not necessarily Asheville) but having a hard time finding current info. Most stats are from 2007 at best and with the recent changes to the housing market/economy I know things are not great anywhere right now. I would love to find a smaller, friendlier, slower paced community to live. I am so stressed between my job and the traffic and the pace of living - not to mention the crime. Ugh - I don't even watch the news anymore - I probably would not sleep at night if I did. I think I would love to live somewhere in the middle of NC - a few hours from the mountains, and a few hours from the beach...the best of both worlds. It doesn't sound like you are too happy with Asheville, but are there any other areas of NC you are familiar with and could recommend or give feedback on? Thanks -

Hi, you should post this in the general NC forum. This part is only for western NC, the mountains and foothills. It sounds like you want to live in the piedmont region which is in the middle of the state. When you post include things like your budget, ideal town size, desired amenities etc.

NC maps

[lookingatNC]

Thank you, I will do that.

[castufari]

The little coffee shop is something that could happen. It would be easier if you could get by w/o a pricy rent or long commute. Or you could just ramp life down and go for it.

[avlfrk]

I was sitting downtown in the incredible art deco S&W bar last night having an after-dinner drink with friends - watching the bustle of people and thinking just how unique and great this city is. Then I was mountain biking today in 65 degree weather admiring the incredible scenery and thinking how lucky I am to live here. No, no place is perfect, BUT I lived in the Tampa area of FL for 14 years before moving here more than two years ago and you couldn't drag me back. FL used to be nice, but no more. Per capita - I have found the the population here in WNC to be much more friendly and progressive. It's also not so much a "me" culture as it was in FL. For example, the first week that my partner and I moved into our new house here in Asheville, the neighbors threw a block party to welcome us. It was rare that the neighbors in FL even waved when they saw us. The ONLY thing I miss about FL are the friends I left behind there.