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Western North Carolina The Mountain Region including Asheville
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Old 09-11-2008, 08:27 AM
 
4 posts, read 13,371 times
Reputation: 13

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Thanks for the replies! If I actually made the move, I would be renting a house. I'm not ready to buy yet! I've been looking online at rentals and from what I've seen I'm quite impressed. I've seen beautiful 3 bedroom homes with hard wood floors around$850 - $1200 a month for rent... that I can afford. Here in jacksonville you get a cinder block patio home in a not so great neighborhood at those prices! You definately get alot more for your money in Asheville than in Jax. As for the "weirdos"..that doesn't bother me.
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Old 09-11-2008, 11:12 AM
 
139 posts, read 292,310 times
Reputation: 58
Default Congratulations

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly&Ethan View Post
Thanks for the replies! If I actually made the move, I would be renting a house. I'm not ready to buy yet! I've been looking online at rentals and from what I've seen I'm quite impressed. I've seen beautiful 3 bedroom homes with hard wood floors around$850 - $1200 a month for rent... that I can afford. Here in jacksonville you get a cinder block patio home in a not so great neighborhood at those prices! You definately get alot more for your money in Asheville than in Jax. As for the "weirdos"..that doesn't bother me.
Good for you Kelly. I have visited Asheville several times it seemed to me like one of the nicest places in the country to live. This is because of the outdoors and the town's appearance. A slightly eclectic nature is a plus. (I mean yoga and art studios, not gay pride festivals, tattooed and drugged freaks, etc.) The only times that I have interacted with locals has been on trails, and they have been incredibly friendly. This is not the same a living in a town, I know.

For these reasons, Kooter's comments were quite a shock. Just the same, the social problems he mentions and the possibility of being overrun by outsiders Moderator cut: inappropriate is quite common in many Southern towns.

So...could those who disagree with Kooter please provide some facts? Not, "no, it's a good town," "you don't know Asheville, I do," etc. Kooter's comments are holding the ground because he backs up what he says with examples. Could someone talk about the social problems (drugs in schools, teenage pregnancy, etc.). What about the real estate market in the downturn, the economy and job outlook other than hospitals? Sorry, but Kooter has the positive people beat, and I'm hoping that the other side will prove him wrong.

Last edited by autumngal; 09-13-2008 at 08:05 AM..
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Old 09-11-2008, 11:46 AM
 
Location: Asheville, NC
32 posts, read 102,018 times
Reputation: 24
I don't have children in the school systems here so I can't talk to that but I can give you my opinion on the following:
"There are a lot of single [adult] mothers and zillions of teenage mothers." Exactly what is a zillion? Where does that figure come from? I too would like to see the data on that.
I have heard that housing in Asheville is the highest in the state. That being said, you still have an abundance of homes and rentals which are fairly priced. I know many people of different incomes that are living just fine here even with housing what it is.
The job market is tough. It took my husband 8 months to find a $11.00 an hour job.
What Kooter said about "weirdos" and his rant on how bad Asheville is...well again as I said previously, it depends on your frame of mind and what you accept, believe and want out of a place. If "gay pride festivals" is something you don't tolerate and if you believe that people that dress different and have tattoos may be drugged freaks, you may not be comfortable around Asheville.
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Old 09-11-2008, 12:30 PM
 
139 posts, read 292,310 times
Reputation: 58
Thanks for the helpful information. So are there gay pride festivals? I don't mind people doing their own thing in a certain part of town at night, but I'm hearing a resounding "yes" to the question about drugged out freaks. Tolerance or not, I don't want my kids growing up to become one of those.

Yes, the prices do seem very low compared to most larger metro areas around the country. $1200 per month for a three-bedroom house is a bargan in most places. Although I did hear that 4,000 sq ft houses were going for $20,000 - $30,000 in Detroit. Bet there aren't many takers.
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Old 09-11-2008, 05:37 PM
 
161 posts, read 513,856 times
Reputation: 82
Kooter,

Not to be a smartalic..but are you sure that guy wasn't doing promotionally work for Burger King?
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Old 09-11-2008, 09:14 PM
 
Location: West, Southwest, East & Northeast
3,463 posts, read 7,288,302 times
Reputation: 871
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkhk3746 View Post
Kooter,

Not to be a smartalic..but are you sure that guy wasn't doing promotionally work for Burger King?
Yes, I'm very sure he was not doing promo work for Burger King...

Moderator cut: off topic

Another example is the large percentage of the student body at UNC-A standing out like a sore thumb compared to other universities. If you compare UNC-A to UNC-CH for example the difference in the students are like night and day. A very high percentage of UNC-A students dress weirdly, have mega body piercings, have multiple tattoos, dreadlocks hair and/or unnatural hair colors(blue/pink/green)...and are oftentimes spaced-out on drugs. (If you travel to Chapel Hill you will not see this type of student on the UNC-CH campus.) UNC-A is a mecca for the [purposely] strange and weird college student. The students are even worse than some at UC-Berkley... Yes, they like to express themselves alright! And they know that Asheville is very receptive to them. I would never hire a student that graduated from UNC-A unless I was associated with the arts in some way. The chances of the student being a drug addict, a far left liberal with a screwed up personality and outlook on life are too great.

As most locals know Asheville is known for its ever increasing gay population. Not that there's anything wrong with that but... Asheville is often called the "Little San Francisco" in terms of its open-arms acceptance, attitude and promotion of gays. If you don't believe it just Google search the gay businesses in Asheville..i.e. Bed & Breakfast places, etc.

As I've already said in previous posts (and in other threads) Asheville has a huge problem with drugs, homeless people, etc. All the things that most conservative people and structured families do NOT want. Don't tell me that children aren't influenced by their environment and what they see that goes on around them. If I had children I would most definitely not want my children to be exposed to what goes on in Asheville with such normalcy.

If that's not enough when you throw in a heavy dose of what the locals offer Asheville it's just too much for me to accept. Western NC has the state's highest percentage of unemployment, poverty, people on government entitlements (Welfare, Food Stamps, Social Services) and teen pregnancy, with Buncombe County being ranked either #1, #2 or #3 in teen pregnancy. What does that say about the kind of parents, education and social values of Asheville and the immediate surrounding areas? This goes hand-in-hand with other things you will see, such as a high percentage of drug addicts and dealers, drug houses, meth manufacturing, gangs, prostitution, beggars, robberies, domestic violence, etc. On top of that a goodly percentage of the locals are obese, unemployed, [claim to be] disabled, are unclean and do not care for their children properly.

I know...I'm portraying Asheville as a terrible place and the people living there (both locals and implants) as real scum. That is not the case with the majority of its residents, however it doesn't take but a high minority percentage to really make a negative impact.

And for what it's worth I have relatives that live in Asheville and the surrounding area. I know first hand...

Last edited by autumngal; 09-13-2008 at 07:53 AM..
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Old 09-12-2008, 07:06 AM
 
Location: Asheville, NC
187 posts, read 1,020,821 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kooter View Post
A very high percentage of UNC-A students dress weirdly, have mega body piercings, have multiple tattoos, dreadlocks hair and/or unnatural hair colors(blue/pink/green)...and are oftentimes spaced-out on drugs.

The chances of the student being a drug addict, a far left liberal with a screwed up personality and outlook on life are too great.

Western NC has the state's highest percentage of unemployment, poverty, people on government entitlements (Welfare, Food Stamps, Social Services) and teen pregnancy, with Buncombe County being ranked either #1, #2 or #3 in teen pregnancy.

This goes hand-in-hand with other things you will see, such as a high percentage of drug addicts and dealers, drug houses, meth manufacturing, gangs, prostitution, beggars, robberies, domestic violence, etc.

On top of that a goodly percentage of the locals are obese, unemployed, [claim to be] disabled, are unclean and do not care for their children properly.

What exactly would I refute? You have proven nothing - there's no reference to any data whatsoever to back up any of your claims. It just sounds like a bitter old man who is mad at himself for buying property here without researching the area.

Just because you write something doesn't necessarily make it so. What exactly is a "high percentage" or a "goodly percentage"? I actually laughed at the "ranked either #1, 2 or 3" part. Even YOU can't make up your mind what random "fact" you're making up...
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Old 09-12-2008, 09:19 AM
 
Location: Asheville, NC
648 posts, read 2,973,461 times
Reputation: 315
UNC-Asheville is the third most selective public university in North Carolina according to freshman SAT scores. UNCA does not attract students who prefer the big college atmosphere, including big college sports. There is very little Greek life on campus, so there is another aspect of college life that "typical" college-bound students seek. UNCA attracts students who prefer a small campus, small classes, and who realize they can get an excellent education without going to a "big name" school. Of course these students tend to be more free-thinking and self-confident. UNCA's graduation rate and job placement record for their alumni indicates that's not a bad thing.

With that said, UNCA is a VERY small part of Asheville as a whole. As a student there in the late '90s, I rarely ventured downtown or especially to south or west Asheville. Everything I needed was along Merriman Ave, aside from an occasional trip to the mall or movie theater. So any perceived problems at UNCA cannot be taken as a reflection on the area as a whole.

There are so many different people here. Of course you'll notice the guy with the crown. I don't know why you felt threatened by him. But would you notice the investment banker in Biltmore Park? The physician in Biltmore Forest? The artist in West Asheville? The retired couple in North Asheville? The plant worker in Arden? The bank teller from the Meadows apartments? I don't have the data to back this up, but certainly there are more single moms over age 20 than there are teenage moms. Especially with the divorce rate as it is.

Lastly, I'd like to compare Asheville to Plano, Kooter's preferred place of residence, for those unfamiliar. From wikipedia: "In 2005, Plano was designated the best place to live in the Western United States by CNN Money magazine. In 2006, Plano was selected as the 11th best place to live in the United States by CNN Money magazine. In addition to its many industries and good-quality living, Plano has excellent schools that consistently score in the top few percent of the nation, and has been rated as the wealthiest city in the United States by CNN Money with a poverty rate of under 6.4%, and a median income for a family was $106,335. In 2008, Forbes.com selected Plano along with University Park and Highland Park as the three "Top Suburbs To Live Well" of Dallas. Plano was also declared "Most Affluent City" in 2008 by the United States Census Bureau."

There are plenty of "normal" people here in Asheville. It's just not as cookie-cutter and nicely pressed as Plano, a city which is suburban in nature and almost entirely built within the last 30 years.
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Old 09-12-2008, 09:31 AM
 
Location: Asheville, NC
32 posts, read 102,018 times
Reputation: 24
"with Buncombe County being ranked either #1, #2 or #3 in teen pregnancy. What does that say about the kind of parents, education and social values of Asheville and the immediate surrounding areas?"
That they're Alaskan and Republicans? Geez, all those liberal, gay, freaky Asheville hippies best beware. Come on, just goes to show ya that Asheville is no different than anywhere else.
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Old 09-12-2008, 09:47 AM
 
Location: West, Southwest, East & Northeast
3,463 posts, read 7,288,302 times
Reputation: 871
Quote:
Originally Posted by vandemusser View Post
What exactly would I refute? You have proven nothing - there's no reference to any data whatsoever to back up any of your claims. It just sounds like a bitter old man who is mad at himself for buying property here without researching the area.

Just because you write something doesn't necessarily make it so. What exactly is a "high percentage" or a "goodly percentage"? I actually laughed at the "ranked either #1, 2 or 3" part. Even YOU can't make up your mind what random "fact" you're making up...
You may want to spend some time researching the facts! Buncombe County has historically been ranked at or near the top out of the state's 100 counties (e.g. #1, #2, #3, etc.) for teen pregnancy. Google search it if you don't believe me.

Moderator cut: off topic

Last edited by autumngal; 09-13-2008 at 08:00 AM..
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