Anybody move to Asheville/WNC from a small Western US mountain town?

[pslamp32]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

So it seems like what everyone is saying is that the West is cooler looking but it's just that great a place to live for a long period of time? I mean, I could easily see myself spending the rest of my life in Asheville. I used to want to move out west, but with everything being so far apart, along with what everyone says are extremely high living expenses, it hardly sounds worth it. Yeah the Rockies are beautiful, but the price of admission is just too high. Also, Asheville is much friendlier in my opinion.

Everything being so far apart is what makes living in the west better than in the east to me. The vastness of the wild spaces are spectacular. Here (Asheville) I never really feel like I'm in the wilderness since it is less rugged and closer to civilization in every direction.

My point to the OP was that if outdoor recreation is your #1 priority then no place in the east, including Asheville, will be a suitable replacement. If other factors are more important but outdoor recreation is still a priority, then Asheville may be perfect. Honestly, it always comes down to personal preference and no-one else's opinions really matter.

I like Asheville and it has been very good to me but I miss being out west all the time. I realize my life now, which includes owning a business and raising a family, preclude me from living the adventurous lifestyle of my past anyways so Asheville works out fine. Just my .02...

[RxMarcus]

Here is what I want to know...is there an Asheville in the west? (Besides Boulder, which is very expensive.) Similar is size, maybe a little bigger. 4ish seasons...but maybe not 7 months of gray. Somewhat affordable, $300-$350K for homes. Artsy, more progressive, outdoorsy, but not hippie.

Been to Portland, OR thinking I'd like to move there, but the vibe seemed off for me. A little too hipster/hippie (people talking to themselves, etc), although I live in the midwest, so I might have just been caught off guard, lol. That said, I'd move to portland or western OR is a second were it not for the rain/gray.

Been to Denver too. I thought the city was in/surrounded by mountains...I quickly realized I was wrong. (You never see pics of the city taken from the west, looking east, only the opposite...nice marketing I suppose.) It was nice and clean, (fewer hippies, lol), but it didn't do anything for me.

I love California, at least visiting, but its so expensive.

I'm essentially one of those people looking for everything without paying too much for it I know this place doesn't exist, and that my original questions is unanswerbale, but a guy can dream, right?

[pslamp32]

There quite a few cool towns out West similar to Asheville. Most are far more expensive but depending on your vocation you will probably make more money as well. I doubt you'll find better weather, though that is relative. I got tired of high-country cold. You may like it. Portland is awesome besides the afore-mentioned caveats. It's also much bigger than Asheville. Closer in size to Charlotte IMO. The smaller towns I liked were Fort Collins, Missoula, Ashland, Bend, Hood River, Bellingham, Coeur De Alene and Eureka-Arcata. Some cool towns that also serve as resorts are Crested Butte, Durango, Sun River, Steamboat Springs and Tahoe. The resort towns are very expensive of course and don't really offer the culture available in a larger town. I lived in Vail and though fun, I don't recommend it. Most of the other towns I named are expensive to very expensive relative to Asheville.

[farmer jon]

cheyenne, wyoming is great, beautiful downtown, tons of outdoor activities, fascinating history and AWESOME people from what we saw at pub quiz night at shadows brew pub...I just passed through on our cross country drive moving to WNC from San Francisco. I think a lot of people here are looking for their cake and trying to eat it too. You have to make sacrifices and trade-offs in life. You can't live a metropolitan lifestyle in the country or else it would be the city. If you want space and freedom, be prepared to sacrifice fancy meals, high culture and expensive department stores. If you want to live in the city, stay there. Not trying to be an ass but I feel like Asheville Native has a great point, why are you going to move somewhere only to complain about whats wrong there?

[pslamp32]

Well said farmer jon. I agree totally. One of the reasons I settled on Asheville though was it seemed one of the best places that balances small town with big city. Most of the 'Adventure Towns' I've considered, appealed to my outdoor side but were seriously lacking in 'metro-life', which I need. Asheville is not the best 'Outdoors Town' or most happening town, but it strikes a very good balance IMO...

[farmer jon]

Hey pslamp! Thank you, I appreciate your good words

Asheville would seen to be just right in many ways, the Goldilocks of outdoor and metropolitan if you will

We just arrived at my wife's folks house in Caldwell County today after a cross country drive from SF.

The drive in from Knoxville on 40 completely removed any doubts either of us had about whether we had made the right decision

The leaves were just starting to turn in a few places and the mountains glowed with a vibrant green...after driving across the entire country on 80 and then Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. I can honestly say I have never seen a more beautiful place. I can't wait to get back up in the mountains on some hikes to waterfalls and caves(not the show kind). My brother in law is an avid paddler so I hope to tag along and get much better in the whitewater with him as I have only done up to class 3 back in Cali. The rivers out here are GORGEOUS, I don't think I would need any rapids to enjoy floating downstream and staring at all the trees lining the gorges they have carved out

[pslamp32]

I've had a similar profound experience when I drove here from Vail, CO years ago on that same stretch of 40. Now I kayak on the Pigeon River right in that beautiful gorge. Awesome place for sure...