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just wondering what everyone loves and dislikes about Asheville. Please make sure to say if you're a native and if not where you moved from and how long you've been there
I am not a native. I lived here for two and a half years from 04-06, and I just moved back in January. I moved back because I absolutely love it here.
Pro's:
- Great stores and restaurants - lots of organic, natural food
- Beautiful mountains
- Limitless outdoor activities
- Interesting people (usually quite friendly)
- Common mindset (at least in the central Asheville area)
- That cool mountain air
Con's
- Some parts of the city could use some cleaning up
- Fairly high rent if you want to live in or around central Asheville
Honestly, as far as I can tell, there aren't many problems here that are specific to this area. There are problems everywhere, it's just that Asheville has far more good things than anywhere else I've lived.
Moved here from Northern Il. 18 years ago. Love the diversity that we didnot have in Il. A new adventure around every mountain and down every valley. You can go for a day trip,do some sightseeing,shopping,galleries,nice lunch in a quaint mountain town,come home and feel like you took a 2 week vacation. 4 hours to Charleston and the ocean and fresh seafood. I have always wanted to see more green space downtown. Love it as much now as we did 18 years ago. Don
I love: living in a beautiful part of the world--that summers rarely get too hot--that summer nights cool down beautifully--that the fall season is so colorful--that spring comes early--the vast variety of backyard birds--a vibrant and eclectic downtown, with vibrant and eclectic people--mostly people who are tolerant of others views and lifestyles, even if they do not share them--a newspaper with lots of local news & color--that everybody in Asheville knows everyone else, or knows someone who knows the people they know--good places to eat--a variety of junky antique stores to visit from ten minutes to two hours away--ability to drive to the coast in a matter of hours--closeness to Gatlinburg, TN for outlet shopping & a cabin weekend--good hospital & good medical care--personally, a wonderful job that I enjoy immensely!--local music--local arts & crafts--I'm sure there's much more...I am wildly enthusiastic about Asheville
What I don't like?? The propensity for ice in the winter months
I'm also from the Chicago suburbs. I remember when I was a kid I could never understand why calendars showed tulips is March and April. After all, I never saw any sign of spring until late May! I LOVE the long springs and long fall season as well as the mild (normally) summer and winter seasons. I love that it's easy to travel to several larger towns in a day trip. I show dogs so larger towns offering obedience trials is a plus a must. Asheville is also a great community for dog lovers. I love the area for everything everyone has already stated. Not many cons, in my opinion.
I am not a native. I lived here for two and a half years from 04-06, and I just moved back in January. I moved back because I absolutely love it here.
Pro's:
- Great stores and restaurants - lots of organic, natural food
- Beautiful mountains
- Limitless outdoor activities
- Interesting people (usually quite friendly)
- Common mindset (at least in the central Asheville area)
- That cool mountain air
Con's
- Some parts of the city could use some cleaning up
- Fairly high rent if you want to live in or around central Asheville
Honestly, as far as I can tell, there aren't many problems here that are specific to this area. There are problems everywhere, it's just that Asheville has far more good things than anywhere else I've lived.
I second your pros and cons, want to add that I really like the artistic touch as a big pro
and as a con, that the mountain air is not as clean as you might imagine/wish. reason for this is as far as I know the the coal-fired power plants in Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky .
^ Yeah I hate that the air pollution is as bad as it is, but coming from a person who grew up in Birmingham, AL, the air here is very clean. This winter, the pollution level has been in the green every day. Not the case in Birmingham. I really love how crisp the air is here; I went walking up on the Parkway today (since it's closed, it makes a helluva walking spot), and the air just felt so good in my lungs. I'm sure it gets worse in the warmer months, but still not as bad as I have experienced.
Oh, and the artistic touch is definitely much appreciated. I love going to the Wedge Brewery in the River Arts District on a Friday afternoon. They have all this cool iron art in the outdoor areas where you can sit and drink their beer, which is my favorite in WNC.
Oh, and that's another giant pro about Asheville: so many breweries. I believe there are 9 in WNC. And they are all awesome.
I'm a native that lived outside Asheville for many years and moved closer recently. What I love: The mountain roads and the dark sky at night. Great for star gazing. What I hate: Too many places to spend money (tourism) and not enough places to make money (industry). People here think running red lights is a sport and wouldn't know what a turn signal was if it bit them in the ass.
May sound crazy, but in the 10 yrs I spent in AVL, I dont recall anyone running a red light, lol.
Anyhow, I like many things - many of which have been mentioned. I'm not crazy about the winter months - cold and grey.
But overall, I give it an 8 out of 10. And this comes from a FL native who lived in Asheville for about 10 yrs, moved back to FL, and now looking to move back to Asheville.
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