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Now they have taken the approach where the city has actually put up "donation boxes" around the city so good minded citizens can donate there instead of the the panhandler directly. The money then is to be divided up amongst the multitudes of shelters around the city.
Native,
Have you seen any of these boxes yet. I'm around downtown quite often, and haven't seen any at all...?
I agree with some of the points brought up about crime concerns in Asheville. I also realize that while I am still fairly new to the area, I have to disagree with most of the negative emotion displayed by the original post.
I am a native of the D.C. area, both MD and NoVA. I see much less to gripe about here in areas of bothersome "weirdness" than I did in D.C. proper and the suburbs on both sides of the Potomac!
All towns of any size have "problem areas". Gangs were a problem even in the more affluent suburbs of D.C. I may be missing something, but I have not noticed a significant gang problem in Asheville.
To be sure, illegal drugs exist, and even in some cases exist openly downtown. As do highly aggressive panhandlers and there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of B & E's in Asheville for the population.
This said, I am actually more afraid of an element I have not seen discussed on this thread. That element would tend to be under educated, primarily of Western European descent, and very, very angry in general.
This scares me as a straight, white, married female far more than any other population!
A man dressed in canvas, sporting dreads and mumbling about Jesus? No, he isn't scary....at most he is annoying. But the men and women I hear whispering about in the grocery store lines and at the park who expound hatred and anger...they scare me and shame my race.
Gay people,drum circles, and people dressed in funny outfits?!? I fail to see how that is harmful. If you ask the APD I am sure they would respond similarly. Yes pot smoking is illegal and not something that should be done in public parks. Ever been in our Nation's Capital on the 4th of July? I don't want to advertise / promote it but for as long as I can remember that day has also stood as the unofficial time when the streets of NW turn into an open air pot smoking event. Even D.C's "finest" know about it, yet very rarely is there reason for additional concern for one's safety.
No, call me "Weird" but I think Asheville actually suffers from a lack of diversity!
True diversity is when many different races, social and economic, religious affiliations etc...exist in the same area.
Sometimes as a straight,Christian white person, I want to shout "I see scary straight-white people!"
People who drown puppies and kittens in the French Broad River (or worse) because they are too irresponsible to follow the law to spay and neuter their pets. People who brazenly smack their children across the face while cursing at them in Wal*Mart. People who poison their neighbor's dog (before going to church) because of an internal feud. People who may post here about public intoxication (if wearing dreads and canvas clothes) who may very well get smashed at the local bar and whisper the hatred of which I mentioned....
Some people of my own race, sexual orientation and "religion" are the real shame of Asheville.
Last edited by kolobee; 09-14-2007 at 10:39 AM..
Reason: clarification
I am not trying to be offensive, but please educate me. What qualities do you hold to view Greenville as cultured?
I've only visited there twice, but "cultured" would not be a word I would use. Perhaps I missed something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Susan2007
I agree with you and the original poster, absolutely. My husband and I have lived in Asheville for 2 years now, and at the end of this month we are closing on a home in the Greenville/Spartanburg area. Asheville is a weird, freaky place and many want to keep it that way.
One thing I have learned about Asheville is encapsulated in a statement by a realtor originally from Ohio who lives in Greenville "Asheville is artsy/fartsy and Greenville is cultured." I couldn't agree with her more. We love the beauty of the mountains but Asheville is not for us. I hate the stuff you see downtown.
I've also heard Asheville called the San Fran of the south. The reason why is the gay population, which we don't care for and we don't care if that's politically correct or not. I was told by a co-worker that Asheville was not like that until about 15 years ago they got a gay mayor and then Asheville was promoted heavily in areas like San Francisco with signs "Asheville, NC is friendly to gays and lesbians. 2977 miles-move there."
Asheville is now the New Age capital of the USA because it's been determined that the "crystal vortexes" are stronger here than in Sedona, Arizona, so of course people who are into that are moving here by the droves.
If you like all that, plus the drugs, old hippies, panhandlers, rich kids who like to pretend they are homeless, witches; gays who like to have public displays of affection, killings in the wooded area behind the Bi-Lo at River Ridge by a HUGE homeless community that even the cops won't go in at night, then you will LOVE Asheville.
But don't try to get a decent job here. Unless you work in the medical field or the few government agencies here, you won't be able to afford a middle class lifestyle.
It's ironic that for 15 years I longed to live in Asheville. But my main experiences were in the Waynesville area, not Asheville proper. I now live in the city, east Asheville, and while "people watching" downtown is kind of fun in the beginning, it got old for us.
I am not trying to be offensive, but please educate me. What qualities do you hold to view Greenville as cultured?
I've only visited there twice, but "cultured" would not be a word I would use. Perhaps I missed something?
She didn't say she did, what she said was this:
Quote:
One thing I have learned about Asheville is encapsulated in a statement by a realtor originally from Ohio who lives in Greenville "Asheville is artsy/fartsy and Greenville is cultured."
Lots of the area culture is still based on the Appalachian arts which can be found out in the rural areas. Liz
I work in downtown Asheville, and what I experienced yesterday morning as I walked into work, up Lexington Ave. at Patton Ave. was ridiculous. It was 7:40 in the morning. For those of you familiar, there are some benches on the west side of Lexington Ave. as you near Patton. There were three men there, looking homeless or close to it, smoking pot. In broad daylight. The fact that they were doing it at that hour, without trying to hide it, with apparently no fear of apprehension is what is pathetic to me. Little if any police presence downtown.
A couple months ago I was walking to work up the same route (my parking lot is down at the bottom of the hill), and there were some homeless across the street walking the same direction. One of them ran across the street and started following me, and yelling at me asking for money. I just kept on walking.
I like Asheville, but this is what it has become. I've lived here five years now, and it's gotten worse downtown over that span.
Second attempt at understanding Greenville as being more cultured than Asheville
From my read, if she "learned" it, she must agree. Even if it is a mutually shared opinion.
So again I am asking Susan how she defines culture, and how is it that she holds Greenville as "having it" and Asheville as "not". Understanding of course that the person in Ohio is saying it first and she just agrees with his opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernlady5464
She didn't say she did, what she said was this:
Lots of the area culture is still based on the Appalachian arts which can be found out in the rural areas. Liz
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Response to why did I?
