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--- either ultra-conservative or so left, it makes me want to be a republican!!! bumperstickers reading all kinds of rediculous crap everywhere. not a very diverse city (as it claims). everyone is either black, white or mexican. many illegals ...
Thanks backtofla for your unbiased and open opinion. I was thinking about this thread last night because it touches on my backyard. Some in the thread have said Asheville's not culturally diverse. While I would agree that it's not as racially diverse as many other metros in the south, it is certainly culturally diverse.
There are vegans, gays, goths, millionaires, retirees, musicians, artists, Buddhists, etc. To me these are many different cultures that are all openly represented. As I went home from work down Patton Avenue, I thought to myself, "I'm proud to live somewhere where all of this is acceptable, and works together." People can be who they want to be, and it makes Asheville the colorful, interesting, diverse place it is.
That said, there is almost no middle class, a huge dependency on the service/tourism industries, and the mountains get harder to see each summer.
Millionaires, homeless, goth, punk, hippies, gays, etc, etc. is not what I meant by cultural diversity. Those are cultures sure, but lifestyle cultures. What about African culture, Asian culture, Middle Eastern, Italian, Cuban, and so on....that's not represented here in Asheville. What is represented here is white people who either have, or have not.
I was talking about this thread with a friend of mine last night on the phone. He asked me, "well, are you in culture shock?" Yes, it's different than what I'm used to, but in 5 months my opinion of Asheville isn't getting better--it's getting worse. I don't think it's culture shock. I've just accepted the reality that it's not for me. Why waste another 6 months trying?
Actually I have to admit that posting to this thread has been the most fun I've had since I moved here at the end of November.
most of asheville is still white, with a mix of blacks and mexicans. no, not pr's or cubans, but mexicans. in an apt complex i lived in, which was nice, i'd say it was 1/3 mexican in the complex. 5 ppl to a 1 br. loitering, beer bottles in the common areas, it really started to go downhill.
asheville is accepting of most cultures, but i wouldnt say it is diverse. if your gay, you'll love asheville, or artsy, or enjoy marijuana use on the daily.
...if your gay, you'll love asheville, or artsy, or enjoy marijuana use on the daily.
Or a married white Christian with kids and an appreciation for nature. Good schools, low crime, active churches, and nature abounds. I love living here!
What about African culture, Asian culture, Middle Eastern, Italian, Cuban, and so on....that's not represented here in Asheville.
I am not giving you grief becasue I respect that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but how is it that you visited Asheville several times before moving there and did not notice the lack of cultural diversity you desire. I would think it was pretty obvious. I like to go to Asheville from time to time, but I find that many people who have not actually visited have misconceptions about what it is really like there. I think one or two days there would be pretty revealing. I don't understand why people go there expecting it to be a like 1960s Greenwich village.
Asheville is a nice place, but it isn't for everybody.
I wasn't seeking cultural diversity necessarily. My post was simply started to say that this forum and the portrayal of Asheville in it, is misleading. People taut this place as if it was the most compelling place to be or something magical and maybe for some it is.
Why is it that when people post something negative about a place that they're accused of not researching it enough or thinking it would be something more than it is? I never expected Asheville to be Greenwich Village, but I didn't expect it to be as poor an experience for me as it has been.
I wasn't seeking cultural diversity necessarily. My post was simply started to say that this forum and the portrayal of Asheville in it, is misleading. People taut this place as if it was the most compelling place to be or something magical and maybe for some it is.
Why is it that when people post something negative about a place that they're accused of not researching it enough or thinking it would be something more than it is? I never expected Asheville to be Greenwich Village, but I didn't expect it to be as poor an experience for me as it has been.
I am not accusing you of anything, I was merely commenting on some of the points you made in your previous posts.
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Originally Posted by Why Did I
There are hardly any african americans here, hardly any asian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Why Did I
What about African culture, Asian culture, Middle Eastern, Italian, Cuban, and so on....that's not represented here in Asheville. What is represented here is white people who either have, or have not.
I don't disagree with those statements, I just don't understand how you feel "duped" about that since you did in fact visit Asheville before moving there. The fact that these cultures are not represented seems to be one of the reasons Asheville has not lived up to what you expected, but I would think the lack of such cultures would be pretty evident during a visit regardless of what you had previously read on this forum. Thats all.
Sometimes people get excited about a place and disregard things or don't notice them in the midst of the excitement of moving to the new place. They only see the good points. (Kind of like when your friend is dating someone and becomes infatuated, when you know this person is not for them. Nothing you tell them makes a difference.) Then, after they live in the place, reality sets in and they realize the place is not a good fit for them.
Probably what happened here. He says his friends warned him about the move. I'm sure this was a learning experience, and he has shed some light on the difference in the "image" of Asheville and what living there was like for him, coming from South Florida. Hindsight is always 20/20. Asheville is perfect for some, not for others. His perspective is interesting, as is the perspective of those who disagree with him.
I've learned a lot more about Asheville from this discussion. It's a really neat place to visit. But, I'll have to admit that the last time I was there, there was a musical group performing on the street in downtown and they looked really weird when you looked at them in the face (not how they looked at you, but just looked like they had lived really fast and hard), and they were obviously not that old. It was really kind of disturbing, so much that I remembered it immediately when reading Asheville comments. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.
What an interesting thread.i appreciate a different opinion about Asheville and wondered with the mass move down there if everyone was living happily ever after. I understand how one can get the "sugar coated sway" by this forum.It happened to us with CHarlotte,,we were BEYOND disappointed when we actually spent time there and saw what was being touted as some grand new utopia. Different strokes
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