Your opinions please on my relocation list (Asheville, Morganton: extended stay, hotel)

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by fmors

I wish more people would cross Burnsville off their list.

OMGosh...on our list for possible relocation we just traded Mars Hill for Burnsville...and options for Barnardsville...

[fmors]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

OMGosh...on our list for possible relocation we just traded Mars Hill for Burnsville...and options for Barnardsville...

Shhhhh

[BeckyBH]

Original poster here. We are based out of Boone right now and exploring the area. Have been to Jefferson, West Jefferson, Fleetwood, Todd, Linville, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Valley Crucis, Deep Gap, Roan Mtn TN, Elk Park, Newland. Some were just areas we passed through in route to areas on our list. Headed to Spruce Pine, Little Switzerland, probably Burnsville tomorrow in route to Asheville as our next base for exploring. It's overwhelming.

Will try to post up some of my opinions when I get home next week.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

As a general rule of thumb, if you don't want many days above 90 degrees, don't go below 2,000 feet in elevation. BUT, don't be surprised if it DOES get above 90 in areas such as Asheville (2,000-2,200'). It happens, but not too often.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by wildwoodflower

pretty much the same thing with spruce pine... however we enjoyed the knife and fork in spruce pine! KNIFE AND FORK RESTAURANT 61 LOCUST STREET SPRUCE PINE NORTH CAROLINA

Wow...can't believe those prices. And in Spruce Pine, where fine dining = Western Sizzlin' Steak House. We'll see if the restaurant survives after the tourists go home.
The restaurant at the Switzerland Inn Switzerland Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway is awesome, but also not cheap. They close for the winter months.

[itsajourney]

I can't wait to hear your updates...I have been traveling thru VA, NC, North GA, and a wee bit of TN for the past 3 years searching for my "forever" place. I'm ready to plant a tree and watch it grow...would also like to unpack boxes that haven't been unpacked in years because I've always know I wasn't going to stay where I am currently planted. I couldn't up and move again as it would not have been fair to my four kids who started entering HS when we moved to FL in 2001.

Your list of things you are looking for would be very similiar to mine, but I don't have to worry about schools any longer. I too, will be starting a small business and will be moving up ahead of spouse to get the business up and going while he continues on with his job for however long that need be.

Last year I was up in that area during December and was fortunate enough to see how many of these towns celebrate for the holidays. I absolutely loved it. I was reminded of my small hometown while growing up. The sense of community is so wonderful in many towns there.

This year I would love to get up there again in December, but it will probably be more like in January. I will also be basing myself out of a couple of towns on a weekly basis so that I can explore the neighboring areas.

Please DO update on your impressions of the towns you visit.....can't wait!!!

Originally Posted by BeckyBH

Original poster here. We are based out of Boone right now and exploring the area. Have been to Jefferson, West Jefferson, Fleetwood, Todd, Linville, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Valley Crucis, Deep Gap, Roan Mtn TN, Elk Park, Newland. Some were just areas we passed through in route to areas on our list. Headed to Spruce Pine, Little Switzerland, probably Burnsville tomorrow in route to Asheville as our next base for exploring. It's overwhelming.

Will try to post up some of my opinions when I get home next week.

[ElectroPlumber]

[quote=lovesMountains;11096079]

Originally Posted by BeckyBH

City data and this forum have been a great help in narrowing down such a beautiful area of the country. Now I need opinions from locals. I am headed up to the mountains mid October to explore the top contenders for our future new hometown. This is a long post, but I am trying to be really specific. Thanks for your help!

These are our preferences:
*Mountainous area with large river and or lake
*No constant 90+ degree summer temps, no snow chains needed in winter
*Fishing/canoeing/kayaking/hiking within 20 minutes
*Skiing, off-road trails (ATVs/rockcrawling) within an hour or so
*Everyday shopping (groceries/pharmacy/hardware) and a few restaruants within 20 minutes
*Better selection of restaurants/shopping within 30-40 minutes
*Larger city with malls and an airport within 1 hour to 1.5 hours
*Good hospital within 30 minutes, great hospital within 1 hour
*Mountain festivals, flea markets, farmer's markets, local galleries, antique shops within 30 minutes
*Within 30 minutes of a popular and or growth area, we will either buy or start a small business at some point
*An area not full of yankees unless they are fully converted (this request from my husband)
*Schools and jobs are not a deciding factor




Well, Lake James is located in Burke County near Morganton. Check out this link to see some nice photos Lake James Map - Interactive Map of Lake James, North Carolina Lake Map and Virtual Tour

The lake is the top lake in a chain of lakes developed over decades by Duke Power for power and to supply water to much of NC. It is very clear and sparkling because no industry has been allowed to develop around it - and even homes on the lake have to follow strict rules so as not to pollute the lake with their own lawn fertilizers and such.

You could certainly fish and canoe on the lake, and you are within easy access to hiking in various locations, especially at Tablerock Mountain - where the Mountains to Sea trail actually crosses.

You could easily get groceries, go to a pharmacy or a hardware store in nearby Morganton. There are even restaurants and a hospital in Morganton. For something serious you are within an hour of Mission St. Joseph hospital in Asheville. Morganton has seen some decline over the years due to loss of manufacturing jobs, but, the little downtown is quaint and currently being revitalized. I like the area personally, but living on the lake with that lovely mountain backdrop would probably keep me from ever wanting to leave my house

I second the opinion about Morganton. It is "Heaven on Earth." If we could afford to live there, I'd be back in a heartbeat. The people are some of the most accepting, friendliest people I've ever met. It is my ancestral home and I have family there, but I would feel the same way if I didn't know anyone. And the beauty of the place and the surrounding area around Lake James is incredible. Not much of anything to say bad about it except that the economy has had problems because of the closure of so many furniture factories and textile mills. But, if I won the lottery, I'd be packing to move back there tomorrow.

[glenzx2]

[quote=Southlander;11276930]Wow...can't believe those prices. And in Spruce Pine, where fine dining = Western Sizzlin' Steak House. We'll see if the restaurant survives after the tourists go home.

Well, lets hope the days when Western Sizzlin= fine dining are OVER!!! I for one will do my best to see that this restaurant makes it! Just had lunch there today, and it was excellent, as it was the other 3x I was there. It's maybe a bit of a hike from Burnsville, but better than schlepping all the way down to Buncombe Co (especially with the disaster that 19 has been this week).
One of the things about being from CT... EVERYWHERE is less expensive!!! To me, a place with dinner entrees under $20, that also has a decent wine list and NO fluorescent lighting is totally reasonable! Especially given their organic and locally grown credo. Lets maybe try not to be so negative?

[BeckyBH]

RE: Lake James/Morganton, I just did some research and I don't think it's quite what we are looking for. The lake area is beautiful, but crazy expensive. Also, we are really looking for something more mountainous/higher elevation. I just looked at land in Morganton and there are like five listings in our price range in the entire MLS!! However, I appreciate all of the suggestions. It's difficult to narrow down so many beautiful areas and I like hearing from personal experience what everyone else likes.

[BeckyBH]

Sorry for the delay in posting up after we got home from "town shopping" as my mom called it. The following are my opinions based on a quick trip to these areas. No flaming please!! There are certainly positives and negatives to every town in any state and my opinions are based on a very brief visit and what I am looking for. What you need or like will certainly be different. Additionally, we had limited time--so basically if we liked the drive into and through a town, we circled back went to the welcome center and or downtown, spoke with some locals and did some exploring. I would like to mention that everyone anywhere we went was helpful and friendly regardless of my Florida tags or on game day my Gator shirt!! I would not have expected any different, it's all in how you treat people (and maybe my southern accent--we are not Floridians by way of Jersey). My initial impressions:

Boone: Too busy for us and a bit too commercial, although I can appreciate all of the convenient amenities. Traffic was as bad as described.

Deep Gap: Just outside of Boone and right at the parkway. Very beautiful, lots of rolling hills, mountains, tree farms. You would have to shop in Boone and battle traffic.

West Jefferson: Beautiful drive (we took the scenic route) into town from Boone. Precious downtown with great shops, galleries, vintage movie theater. This town has a lot of the items on our "want" list, but I was a little disappointed in the New River. I was hoping it would be a bit more scenic, fast moving/rocky. This town offers a lot of amenities and convenient shopping.

Jefferson:
Does not really have the downtown area of W.Jeff, has a Wal-Mart, some restaurants. Otherwise, it's just right up the street from W. Jeff.

Fleetwood: We took the suggested drive along the river back to Boone from West Jefferson. Although the river was pretty, much of what we saw were older trailers and the like. Nothing wrong with trailers (I lived in one when I was little), but it doesn't make financial sense to build a new house surrounded by trailers. There are probably nicer areas further out.

Todd: Just past Fleetwood, maybe 15 minutes back to W.Jeff and 15 to Boone for shopping/dining. Lots of pretty farms, the river snakes through the area. Unless there is another route, the roads might be unpleasant in bad weather.

Valley Crucis: Gorgeous and expensive!! Very beautiful land. Loved the Mast General Store. It appears Boone (15-20 min) would be closest for shopping/dining so you would have to deal with the traffic there. Roads could be a problem in bad weather depending on how far out you are.

Banner Elk: Not on our list because of cost, but we went anyway. Wow. Love the water up there, very rocky/fast moving. Great rock outcroppings every where, really pretty. Unless I missed something, not too much of a downtown. BTW, what in the heck is that horrible Darth Vader/fascist building plunked down on a scalped mountain top like the aliens left it? Not sure it was in Banner Elk, but that is where I saw it from. I can't believe that thing was ever approved to be built. It's just wrong.

Linville: Charming little town, nice golf courses, beautiful homes and inn in town. If they had a downtown or much shopping/dining, I did not find it. Maybe 20 minutes or so to Boone (good roads) for shopping/dining. Blowing Rock is also close by.

Blowing Rock: Gorgeous downtown, feels sort of resort like, but not commercial at all. This area is too expensive for us, but we really enjoyed dining and shopping.

Foscoe/ 7 Devils: We drove through on the way from Boone towards Asheville. Pretty area, deserves more exploring. Again, you must go to Boone for most things you need.

Spruce Pine: Just did not have the mountain town feeling I was looking for. Seemed kind of simple, plain, quiet.

Little Switzerland: Very interesting. Feels more like an outpost in a national park. Seems remote, but only 10-15 back to Spruce Pine for shopping. One hour to Asheville or Boone. Huge, huge views, very intriguing place. Land cost will likely be too high for us.

Burnsville: Loved it. Rolling hills, beautiful valleys, mountains off in the background from downtown. Beautiful river/trout water. Highest average elevation in NC, including Mount Mitchell, the Black mountains. Convenient to Asheville and Boone (sort of in the middle). Cute historic downtown, plenty of everyday amenities in town or within 20 minutes. I believe it fits most if not all of the items on our want list. The only town I felt a strong gut instinct on.

Mars Hill: Small town outside of Asheville, pretty but definitely focused on and around the college. Not mountainous enough for us.

Marshall: Some really pretty land, rock outcroppings, beautiful streams, river, cool old bridge. Older downtown area starting to revitalize. Marshall felt a little sad, lacking vibrancy or something. This is not meant as an insult to anyone who lives there.

Black Mountain: Too expensive for us and actually has some disconcerting pollution ratings. Very pretty town, we really enjoyed lunch and shopping.

Conclusions until further research: For me (my husband will disagree), the general Boone area feels too far away. From what I don't know, just far!! This feeling might go away with a few more visits. I am also concerned with travel from more remote areas in bad weather as well as battling traffic in Boone. That being said, areas near Boone that I would consider (dependent on cost): Deep Gap, Todd, Linville, Valley Crucis. West Jefferson feels even further away, so I am not sure.

Closer towards Asheville my choices are Little Switzerland and my top pick of Burnsville. I am sure I missed lots of great places and again, these are only my opinions--but hopefully it will be helpful to someone else.