North Carolina vs. Oregon for laid back natural living (Charlotte: sales, houses)
Western North CarolinaThe Mountain Region including Asheville
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I am looking into a job in Asheville. I visited Asheville and the smokies about 15 years ago, and I thought is was lovely country. I also visited the wetlands and beaches of the Wilmington area, and I thought it was great. I have been living in Oregon for over a decade, and I love it, but I am looking into professional growth opportunities, and this thing in Asheville just popped up that looks like a pretty good fit.
Can anyone compare the two states (and particularly W. Carolina) in terms of outdoor opportunities, housing, schools, attitude, and educational and economic prospects for Ms. Fiddlehead and Fiddlehead Jr. (eight year old into dragons and such)? We are mildly liberal, lovers of fiddle music, and we like to hike at least three times a week.
Also, I know Asheville is somewhat gentrified with newcomers from the coast. We currently live in Ashland, Oregon, which is much more so (extremely expensive housing and S@#+ for jobs). We are used to living in a small house, but would like to move up a little.
North Carolina in general is a user friendly state, Basketball is the state religion, you'll get more snow and cold in Asheville than you will in the Piedmont or coastal areas, but, if you like doing a veggie garden, they tend to do quite well here. The U. of N.C. system has a campus in Asheville, there are others, it will generally be a cheaper standard of living than the Pacific Northwest, most houses will come with a quarter of an acre lot. The coast is driveable and has good fishing and odds are that the people will be friendly.
I currently live outside of Asheville and like this area alot. One reason we moved up here from Charlotte NC area was it reminded us of Oregon. Many things in common lots of outdoor activities, liberal mind set (in Asheville) many entertainment venues, craft beer lovers heaven and in general laid back folks and beautiful scenery! In some area it has gotten a bit upscale for our taste. The downside is Asheville seems to be based on a service ecomony and salaries are low because many people want to live here. The summers while cooler than the Piedmont part of NC can be very hot and sticky. Today 90 with high humidity I don't like that and miss the cooler drier Oregon summers. Been thinking about going back west again so........but you will probably like it up here.
I am looking into a job in Asheville. I visited Asheville and the smokies about 15 years ago, and I thought is was lovely country. I also visited the wetlands and beaches of the Wilmington area, and I thought it was great. I have been living in Oregon for over a decade, and I love it, but I am looking into professional growth opportunities, and this thing in Asheville just popped up that looks like a pretty good fit.
Can anyone compare the two states (and particularly W. Carolina) in terms of outdoor opportunities, housing, schools, attitude, and educational and economic prospects for Ms. Fiddlehead and Fiddlehead Jr. (eight year old into dragons and such)? We are mildly liberal, lovers of fiddle music, and we like to hike at least three times a week.
Also, I know Asheville is somewhat gentrified with newcomers from the coast. We currently live in Ashland, Oregon, which is much more so (extremely expensive housing and S@#+ for jobs). We are used to living in a small house, but would like to move up a little.
"Good opportunity" and "Asheville" are not often in the same sentence, lol, so I'd give that job real consideration
Everyone loves Asheville, but other than medical care it's economy is tourist driven, which doesn't always translate into high paying jobs, so many who would like to live there simply can't.
Asheville the city is where you will find a more liberal slant, but do be aware the county(s) surrounding it will be much more conservative. Personally, I think that makes for a nice mix of folks
If you love hiking, camping and fiddle music you'll have as many opportunities in the Asheville area as you do in Oregon, if not more. Oregon just has higher mountains, but I think the Blue Ridge and Smokies are prettier!
Why not try to head to Asheville for few days before you decide to take the job, just to see for yourself if you feel at home? Good luck!
If I could live at high altitude in the Cascades in central Oregon/central Washington (especially central Washington; more snow), I would. Just sayin'.
Like you, I love the snow and cooler weather, and lived for many years in both the Cascades of Washington and in the mountains of the Idaho Panhandle, and one thing that is hard for people to get used to is the amount of gray days. The snow is not what's hard --- it is the living inside a gray cotton ball from October to June---not seeing the sun for weeks, and then just a few minutes of it. If you've never experienced that before, I'd recommend spending a winter there first. Prozac sales are off the wall.....
^ Well, for one, after spending 90% of my life living in the scorching, sun-parched South, I've found that I treasure cloudy days. Here in Asheville it's cloudy a LOT in the winter months, and I love it. Also, what's strange is that a person I know through this site who spends her summer months in Alaska and winter months in the mountains of central Oregon says that it's nice there because you have snow and sun, unlike southeast Alaska, which is cloudy and (mostly) rainy. Wonder if it's a different region. I will say that I'm 90% sure that she lives considerably farther north than Ashland though, but I'm not completely sure.
Sounds like she lives in the Bend area. They get a lot more sun there--I've even considered living there as it is a beautiful mountain ski town--not as much gray and gloom---and about 2-3 hours east of Portland.
The Bend area does get far more sun. It has to do with which side of the Cascades you live on. The western side is rainy and cloudy. The eastern side is sunnier and snowier.
The lack of sun is the reason I will never consider a move to the Pacific Northwest. The amount of gray skies we receive here is nothing compared to there. They suffer from Vitamin D deficiencies and have high depression and suicide rates.
Yes, that's right--- I was one who really suffered from the gray skies there, and that was why I wanted to bring it up because, as you noted, it is like nowhere else--people think they can handle it until they really experience living in total grayness from October to June.
So glad you said that Asheville doesn't get nearly the same amount of gray skies. After it was posted that there were a ton of gray sky days days in Asheville, I started getting nervous as we are thinking of moving there, and I don't want that experience again.
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