Asheville "vs" Ann Arbor MI? ANy thoughts? (Chapel Hill: chapel, school)
Western North CarolinaThe Mountain Region including Asheville
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Hi there - my family is really interested in Asheville and we are looking forward to a visit this fall. After reading a bit of information about it I am a little "concerned" per se that maybe it's a little too much like Ann Arbor... Ann Arbor is great for several reasons but I am happy I do not live there. Any thoughts of any similarity between the two, I am hoping I am totally off the mark Thank you in advance for any info!
I don't think I've remember anybody on this forum mentioning being from or around Ann Arbor. You may have to tell us what it is about Ann Arbor you don't care for to see if those things are prevalent around here.
The Asheville and Boulder comparison is made so often that it is maddening to me (mostly because I dislike Boulder). Asheville is not like Boulder. The climate is way different, the scenery is way different, the "scene" and the people are way different. The main comparison is they both have mountains and hippies.
A better (though still obviously imperfect) comparison would be that Asheville is pretty similar to Burlington, Vermont. Burlington is at lower altitude yet still has far harsher winters and milder summers, but the people and the "scene" are similar, and Asheville is often cloudy, like Burlington. Both cities have mountains to the west which act as a bit of a barrier for weather systems coming from the west, and they are both in generally mountainous areas.
Ann Arbor, as I know it, is somewhat similar to Asheville in some ways, but you'll have to be more specific as far as what things you like/dislike about Ann Arbor in order to get an accurate comparison. I definitely see similarities, but it depends on what you're talking about. Also, I will add that I find Quilter's description of Ann Arbor to be a bit blunt, and it makes the city sound like a crappy place. Ann Arbor is a very nice city; I have relatives who live there, and so I have been for visits quite a few times. And yes, there are some similarities to Asheville.
The Asheville and Boulder comparison is made so often that it is maddening to me (mostly because I dislike Boulder). Asheville is not like Boulder. The climate is way different, the scenery is way different, the "scene" and the people are way different. The main comparison is they both have mountains and hippies.
THANK YOU!!!
My mom is a boulder native and she never understood the comparison. About the only other thing that is the same is that there is a large outdoor recreation community.
I agree though, you need to list what you think is so bad about ann arbor for us to tell you if the same can go for asheville.
The Asheville and Boulder comparison is made so often that it is maddening to me (mostly because I dislike Boulder). Asheville is not like Boulder. The climate is way different, the scenery is way different, the "scene" and the people are way different. The main comparison is they both have mountains and hippies.
A better (though still obviously imperfect) comparison would be that Asheville is pretty similar to Burlington, Vermont. Burlington is at lower altitude yet still has far harsher winters and milder summers, but the people and the "scene" are similar, and Asheville is often cloudy, like Burlington. Both cities have mountains to the west which act as a bit of a barrier for weather systems coming from the west, and they are both in generally mountainous areas.
Ann Arbor, as I know it, is somewhat similar to Asheville in some ways, but you'll have to be more specific as far as what things you like/dislike about Ann Arbor in order to get an accurate comparison. I definitely see similarities, but it depends on what you're talking about. Also, I will add that I find Quilter's description of Ann Arbor to be a bit blunt, and it makes the city sound like a crappy place. Ann Arbor is a very nice city; I have relatives who live there, and so I have been for visits quite a few times. And yes, there are some similarities to Asheville.
The only thing I could compare Ann Arbor MI to Asheville NC would be that it is a college town, so the shops, arts and crafts, restaurants may be somewhat similar. However, the Univ. of Michigan has a huge presence in Ann Arbor, much more so than UNCA.
I've spent a LOT of time in Ann Arbor, an immediate family member lives there, is a surgeon there, and I've been going there since the 60's. My late husband was from AA and a UofM grad. Many "close" crowded subdivisions even in the high end areas, lots of big corporations in correlation with the auto industry, excellent medical care in and around AA. But... it is flat and can be brutally hot in the summer, and tons of snow in the winter. The biggest difference is probably the size. AA has more population density; and it's a suburb of Detroit. Asheville is not a suburb of anywhere and is a small city.
May I add: flying in and out of Detroit airport is, well, not my cup of tea.
I was actually born in Ann Arbor and moved to (near) Asheville as a kid, but still have family up there so am still somewhat familiar with the area.
I don't really see many similarities between Ann Arbor & Asheville. I would equate Ann Arbor much closer with Chapel Hill (where I went to school.) They are both definitely "College Towns" with a distinctly left-leaning vibe.
If I had to equate Asheville with a Michigan city... I would MAYBE say Grand Rapids. And I'm sure a number of people will disagree with me about that.
It's really hard for me to compare Asheville to anywhere else. It's a truly unique city. I like that there is a small and bustling city center, but natural areas within a couple of miles, and really friendly people.
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Thank you in advance for any info!
