Asheville NC, the good, the bad, and the ugly (Welcome: for sale, crime)

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by VBmom

I am finding drugs to be a problem no matter where you go. We are in a small town and my son, who is a senior, tells me that drugs are easier to get than alcohol in high school. Not that I approve of either in a high school student, but that is plum scary to me.

Adderall and Ritalin...............

[normie]

One other tip from back when I lived in Asheville (and may be out of date by now):

There is a steep windy road with several little round houses. I believe it's the road that goes over Town Mountain and eventually connects with Chunns Cove Road.

I thought those round houses were cute, and they were inexpensive so I looked into renting one. Several different people warned me away from that area and from the round houses in particular. Apparently some bad crimes happened around there, and it's also a dangerous place to drive in rain or snow.

Chunns Cove, however, is a hidden gem. It's close to downtown and the stores on Tunnel road, yet also out in the country. A lot of people in Asheville don't know it's there.

[nanannie]

Sprtsluvr,I'm an old hippie from the 60's ..I was not talking about pot,which I happen to think should be legal for those over 21 and treated like booze.=.a correct time and place,,not the drivers seat etc....We did not have meth,heroin,crack etc as any dominant problam as it is in schools today.not even at my University,,.no one robbed another at gunpoint for a joint..I just think thats its way different with the drugs of choice out there now IMHO

[sprtsluvr8]

I'll vote for you if you'll promise to introduce legislation.

Wait - somebody on school grounds got robbed at gunpoint? That is highly unusual. True there are new drugs - ecstasy is one you didn't mention that is popular - but acid is one that was big a few years back that isn't mentioned anymore. I guess my point was addressing the picture that was being painted of Asheville. Drugs in schools are a problem, and have been a problem for years. But using that as a reason to say to possible/future new residents "Asheville has a major drug problem"...I think of big city drug problems like gangs trafficking kilos of cocaine and gun violence in the streets and major East Coast or West Coast drug busts and people walking the hardcore areas of town strung out on heroine...a little scarier and more intense than high school drugs.

Those are two different drug problems and I thought the distinction needed to be made.

[mmccool719]

I appreciate this post so very much from Jcat's original posting to all the replies that followed. Jcat, I believe, was trying to bring the starry eyed relocators "in the making" from moving to Asheville under wrong impressions. Let's face it, Florida to WNC is a big move for lots of reasons and some of us Floridians think that we are moving to a perfect place, when Jcat is trying to bring us back to reality that it is not perfect in Asheville. I am not at all put off by hippies, pot smokers, homeless kids with dreads begging for spare change, cuz at the end of the day, guess what? They aren't in my backyard or in my house and I wouldn't let it bother me. Plus they make for great people watching when you are downtown!! As for school quality, drugs in schools, etc...I always believe that raising a child is 90% parent and 10% schools. I live in Naples, FL and I know that these rich kids can buy whatever drug they want....but I also know a ton of really great kids with really great parents. Any town in this country is what you take from it and if you are miserable within, ain't nowhere you gonna be happy. With all that being said, Jcat, we are moving to S Asheville in June and appreciate all yours and everyone else's comments. Peace.

[sprtsluvr8]

Good for you...you sound level-headed and logical and I'm sure you would find peace anywhere you chose to live considering your good attitude. I only responded the way I did because a post like Jcat's could easily and wrongfully make some people look elsewhere. It painted a gloomy picture of Asheville to me, and Asheville is way more good than bad...it's closer to utopia than any other city I know of...good luck and enjoy the city!

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by sprtsluvr8

Good for you...you sound level-headed and logical and I'm sure you would find peace anywhere you chose to live considering your good attitude. I only responded the way I did because a post like Jcat's could easily and wrongfully make some people look elsewhere. It painted a gloomy picture of Asheville to me, and Asheville is way more good than bad...it's closer to utopia than any other city I know of...good luck and enjoy the city!

Totally agree - especially the utopia part. Granted it may not be everyone's utopia, but it fills the bill for hubby and me. It definitely has waaaaaaay more good than bad! I do think the majority of folks moving there will enjoy it immensely, as we do!

[Ed&Betty]

Well, I have made 5 trips to the area in the last year, and having lived in NC earlier in my life, I think NC and esp. WNC is head and shoulders over FL and I look forward to being a halfback.

[sprtsluvr8]

What is this halfback? I've never heard of it except in football.

[cornbread]

Originally Posted by sprtsluvr8

What is this halfback? I've never heard of it except in football.

People that leave the north and go to Florida and then get only halfway back to NC. The NC mountains are covered up with 'em.