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The only hang up is the lack of real shopping choices. I can’t live without a target as I refuse to go to Walmart.
These days kids toys and electronics are about the only thing you'd have Amazon Prime to avoid Walmart.
Clothes- Old Navy, Rue 21, TJ Maxx, Belk, Tanger outlet in Blowing Rock, Mast, and a dozen boutiques with higher quality stuff
Home furnishings and decor- TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Lowes Home Improvement, Hobby Lobby, Kitchen Connection at Tanger, Mast, and all the boutiques
cosmetics/toiletries- CVS, Walgreens, the 6 grocery stores(Earth Fare, Food Lion, Ingles, Harris Teeter, Lowe's grocery store, Publix). Plus local homemade/artisan products in the boutiques and farmers markets.
Craft supplies- Hobby Lobby and Michaels
Outdoors/camping- 2 bike shops, 2 backpacking/camping outfitters, Mast, various hunting and fishing outfitters, ski and snowboard outfitters.
Last edited by Clever nickname here; 02-23-2019 at 07:54 AM..
abjohnson, post back after your weekend and let us know your thoughts and questions.
I live in the Triangle (Chapel Hill) and our family has a vacation home in Boone so we are up there a lot, too. I love Boone, but not sure I could deal with the winter to tell you the truth, but I hate winter here too.
Boone is a tourist town and a college town. Those are the two engines that drive the economy. App State football weekends are crazy and any weekend in October is too with all the leaf-peepers coming to the mountains. Blowing Rock is a tourist town as far as the economy.
It is not very suburban like I think of Holly Springs. I have in mind big subdivisions with a clubhouse and pool. You really don't see much of that in Boone.
App State has a hippie reputation and you will see a good bit of that on King Street, but there are plenty of ASU kids who are not hippies and even some who don't like hiking or skiing, but those are big activities in the area for sure. Football is HUGE at App State and the team is excellent. I know your kids aren't college age yet, but you can't miss the influence of the university on the town. It's more like UNC and Chapel Hill rather than NC State and Raleigh.
I love Boone, but not sure I could deal with the winter to tell you the truth, but I hate winter here too.
The OP is originally from upstate New York. Boone winters will be mild to the OP.
Moving to the MidWest, from the South, it took me a couple of winters to mentally get over seeing kids at the morning bus stop in shorts and a sweatshirt at 30F. Watching the MidWesterners beeline for shade at 70F was quite entertaining.
Last edited by Clever nickname here; 02-23-2019 at 09:18 PM..
These days kids toys and electronics are about the only thing you'd have Amazon Prime to avoid Walmart.
Clothes- Old Navy, Rue 21, TJ Maxx, Belk, Tanger outlet in Blowing Rock, Mast, and a dozen boutiques with higher quality stuff
Home furnishings and decor- TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Lowes Home Improvement, Hobby Lobby, Kitchen Connection at Tanger, Mast, and all the boutiques
cosmetics/toiletries- CVS, Walgreens, the 6 grocery stores(Earth Fare, Food Lion, Ingles, Harris Teeter, Lowe's grocery store, Publix). Plus local homemade/artisan products in the boutiques and farmers markets.
Craft supplies- Hobby Lobby and Michaels
Outdoors/camping- 2 bike shops, 2 backpacking/camping outfitters, Mast, various hunting and fishing outfitters, ski and snowboard outfitters.
You will find Boone cooler year round than Raleigh, more like moving back to Long Island where I grew up. But then you didn't move here for warmer weather. It's a lot smaller than Raleigh and there will be that culture shock despite the presence of ASU, enrollment about 17k. The town boasts only 19k permanent residents so it is a rural college town. But if the job is in Boone what choice do you have? The forests and mountains are beautiful and outdoor opportunities abound. Quirky Asheville makes a good day trip (hour and a half?) and there is much to see there in the arts category.
Thanks for all the responses. We really enjoyed our weekend trip. I even had fresh cookies delivered to our hotel from Appalachian Cookie Company - they were delicious. While we were there my daughters and I did a pour painting workshop at the Watauga County Arts Council. We really enjoyed ourselves. My husband took the job and we will be moving to Boone this summer.
My oldest daughter will be starting high school next year and wants to go to Watauga High School. I would love to know more about the school. My middle schooler will be home schooled. I have not been able to find any groups for secular homeschooling. So if you have any information please send it my way.
My biggest shock was the lack of flat yards. I know that should have been obvious, but most houses are on hills, cliffs, side of mountains ... LOL. That was new to me as I have never been in the mountains. People seemed nice but I did not see a lot of kids out and about.
People seemed nice but I did not see a lot of kids out and about.
AppSt Spring Break started on Friday. Most students left on Thursday and Friday with a few stranglers on Saturday morning. You did not experience Boone with 17K students around.
AppSt Spring Break started on Friday. Most students left on Thursday and Friday with a few stranglers on Saturday morning. You did not experience Boone with 17K students around.
Perhaps the poster meant school aged children, as opposed to college students?
AppSt Spring Break started on Friday. Most students left on Thursday and Friday with a few stranglers on Saturday morning. You did not experience Boone with 17K students around.
I hope you meant 'stragglers'
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