Waynesville, NC? (Asheville, Clyde: transplants, home, job market)

[chrislee1973]

What is life like in Waynesville? I saw a property there and it looks beautiful. How are the people? Friendly? Neighborly-like? And how do they feel about Asians? Crazy question, I know. But rather ask a crazy question than find out a bad answer later on.

[mm34b]

Not much of an Asian population in that area. Around 0.2%.

I've been told that most of the Asian population in Burke and McDowell counties are Degar Montagnards families originally from the central highlands of Vietnam.

[chrislee1973]

Thanks! I don't need to be around Asians. Just want to be welcome.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by chrislee1973

Thanks! I don't need to be around Asians. Just want to be welcome.

In that case, you should be fine. I haven't heard of any history of racial friction in the Mountain Region.

[hapaleeretired]

Are "Yankees" a race?

[Carolina_native]

Originally Posted by chrislee1973

What is life like in Waynesville? I saw a property there and it looks beautiful. How are the people? Friendly? Neighborly-like? And how do they feel about Asians? Crazy question, I know. But rather ask a crazy question than find out a bad answer later on.

Ive never heard of any problems or issues because of race. There is also a large Hmong population too.

[heznc]

I live in nearby Clyde. Our family moved here 1.5 years ago, from out west. I don't want to be discouraging, but I find the overall flavor in Haywood county to be quite racist....against blacks, particularly (other highly unpopular groups are gays, hippies, environmentalists, liberals (big time), any non-Christians (big, big time). I also have found some locals folks to be quite rude when they hear a non-native accent. There are LOTS of people from Florida and elsewhere, who, in my experience, are the friendliest and least judgmental. If you have/will be seeking a church (biggest ones here are Baptist and Methodist), I think you'll be just fine. We, on the other hand, are leaving as quickly as we can.

[spunky1]

Originally Posted by heznc

I live in nearby Clyde. Our family moved here 1.5 years ago, from out west. I don't want to be discouraging, but I find the overall flavor in Haywood county to be quite racist....against blacks, particularly (other highly unpopular groups are gays, hippies, environmentalists, liberals (big time), any non-Christians (big, big time). I also have found some locals folks to be quite rude when they hear a non-native accent. There are LOTS of people from Florida and elsewhere, who, in my experience, are the friendliest and least judgmental. If you have/will be seeking a church (biggest ones here are Baptist and Methodist), I think you'll be just fine. We, on the other hand, are leaving as quickly as we can.

Hi, since I too am interested in the Waynesville area could you elaborate a bit on your experience, or give examples etc? I understand it is a conversative area but when you say "quite racist" that is something different.

[chisoxfan]

Chrislee, we are frequent visitors to Waynesville and own land near town. Perhaps I haven't spent enough time there to get a really good feel for the place, but I think there is a decent chance you would feel at home there -- at least more so than you would in other areas of Haywood County. We've met transplants from the Northeast, Midwest and California there, as well as from Florida, so there is at least a small degree of diversity. Quite a few of the downtown shops and eateries lean toward a "new-age" type atmosphere that wouldn't be out of place 25 miles to the east in Asheville. We've heard the stories about dislike of Floridians, but we've never had an negative experience; most of the people we've encountered in Waynesville have been pleasant and upbeat. Don't know what your job situation is, but that might be the biggest issue in moving to Waynesville -- western North Carolina is a tourism/retiree-oriented area and the local job market isn't exactly robust. If you want to know more of my take on Waynesville, feel free to private-message me or send an e-mail at scottstahmer@aol.com. Best of luck!

[MystedMoonBeams]

Well, I am originally from Waynesville & left in 1989 after High School. I had been gone for many years and returned for a visit in early 2000. I had, by then, lost my accent and not once, were any of the local people rude to me just b/c I spoke differently. And mind you, many of these people did not know me either as it had changed quite a bit. As for the demographics of Waynesville:

White Non-Hispanic (93.3%)
Black (3.3%)
Hispanic (2.0%)
American Indian (0.9%)
Other race (0.8%)
Two or more races (0.7%)

Ever since my childhood, growing up there, there have always been very few people of color. I know I went to school with quite a few African Americans who were very Southern oriented and polite. So I do not know why it hasn't (Waynesville), grown in that area. I never seen any predijuce activity or comments towars people of a different skin color. But, it has been years since I've been there so times maybe changed and people just got more hateful? I hope to one day move back to Waynesville though as I thoroughly enjoyed living right in the Smokey Mountains! This is just my opinion on Waynesville.