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I found the lack of cell service when I was there last week very upsetting. Many places I traveled to in WNC were like that. I realize it is a mountainous area but companies need to beef that up. This is 2023.
You and I should switch places. I live in a food desert. To get anything remotely ethnic (food) or even slightly unusual I have to travel 30-40 miles or order online. And some things cannot even be ordered online. I also don't have local access to more "modern" stores, for lack of a better term. One thing I liked about WNC is that it has far more curio shops of various kinds, and far more yoga studios, health clubs and music venues. It has a far more culturally creative feel, and that's a good thing.
Absolutely agree on the second point.
Asheville itself punches far above its weight in terms of culinary diversity. There are numerous good Indian places. A Brazilian steakhouse. Good Mediterranean. A British place. Ethiopian. That’s just what I’m thinking of.
Even the smaller towns around Asheville have a lot of local food and arts and crafts scenes that you don’t normally find in rural areas. There’s an element of sophistication that largely does come from outsiders.
I have thought about a few places - Charleston, Savannah, Austin, Tampa. I love San Diego but it's out of my price raange unfortunately. Any suggestions? Where do you live?
I dislike Charleston intensely: a friend who lives in Charleston told me the city is either loved or hated, with no in between.
The city is too congested for my liking, and because it's so old, sidewalks are very narrow and can't accommodate the volume of pedestrians, which then spill over into (narrow) streets - making traversing the area a chore. Cost of living is a bit high.
Savannah is lovely, and Wilmington, in spite of her rough edges, has plenty of charm.
Asheville itself punches far above its weight in terms of culinary diversity. There are numerous good Indian places. A Brazilian steakhouse. Good Mediterranean. A British place. Ethiopian. That’s just what I’m thinking of.
Even the smaller towns around Asheville have a lot of local food and arts and crafts scenes that you don’t normally find in rural areas. There’s an element of sophistication that largely does come from outsiders.
That's what I miss the most. It's really tiring to be in a low-amenity, food desert, low counter-culture area. The people are nice, it's peaceful and quiet, but it's boring and things have to be ordered online or you travel 30-40 miles depending, to get "exotic" things.
That's what I miss the most. It's really tiring to be in a low-amenity, food desert, low counter-culture area. The people are nice, it's peaceful and quiet, but it's boring and things have to be ordered online or you travel 30-40 miles depending, to get "exotic" things.
That's one of the biggest benefits of WNC IMO - even the small towns tend to have at least a couple of interesting restaurants, stores, etc. Marshall is tiny, but has Star Diner, a coffee shop/deli downtown, couple more Main St. restaurants, funky retailers, etc.
Most places are a lot more interesting than Marshall.
Weaverville, Black Mountain, Waynesville, etc., all have something interesting. Contrast this with where I live over the border in TN. Aside from Jonesborough, the small towns have basically nothing. There is no focus on anything remotely cultural or "exotic."
We have visited Asheville several times over years but probably won't go back after this years trip due to how many people and cars there are everywhere we went. We could not get dinner anywhere in town, could not find parking, so we headed north out of town to BBQ and couldn't even get takeout, that line was 45 minutes long.
For the 3 days we were there we went to Whole Foods and got food for lunch and dinner. My husband loves eating out and hates traffic on vacation so our next trips we went to Boone and Blowing Rock, liked them a lot. He won't go back to Asheville.
We have visited Asheville several times over years but probably won't go back after this years trip due to how many people and cars there are everywhere we went. We could not get dinner anywhere in town, could not find parking, so we headed north out of town to BBQ and couldn't even get takeout, that line was 45 minutes long.
For the 3 days we were there we went to Whole Foods and got food for lunch and dinner. My husband loves eating out and hates traffic on vacation so our next trips we went to Boone and Blowing Rock, liked them a lot. He won't go back to Asheville.
We use to vacation in the less populated areas of the WNC for about 20 years figuring we would retire here one day but moved early to raise our girls in a better environment than SW FL . Some of us find big city have than desirable issues to deal with along with the issues you found in asheville to be an added problem , we only visit when necessary .
You folks might like the Banner Elk area as place the visit and for the foody there are some very good choice for dinning and if motel/hotels are not preferred there are plenty of Cottages to rent in the area and plenty to see and do while there . Elevation is higher and cooler while population is still very low . Nice area to visit in a trip . No we do not live there but we do still visit a few times a years for a great meal on occasion or just to ride the motor cycle thru when we still rode , getting old . We have lived in WNC for 26 years now and love the more rural areas and the roads less traveled .
Was in the Asheville area this past weekend and the crowds and traffic was insufferable. Leaf season attracts big crowds for sure but it was impossible to get around anywhere.
And its becoming more and more diffnicult to visit the Asheville area. Besides the crowds and traffic prices have ballooned.
There are good parts of Western North Carolina to visit besides Asheville. Franklin, about two hours west, is a nice small city with gorgeous mountain views, hiking, decent dining, and other attractions. West Jefferson north of Boone is nice too without the crowds and traffic.
What I'm saying if you want the beer and nightlife scene, by all means go to Asheville. But if that's not your thing there's plenty of other great places within 2-3 hours of the city.
To echo hardluck1, if the traffic and congestion of Asheville are too much on occasion you may also find Boone/Blowing Rock a bit too much. Think much smaller scale than Asheville, but magnify the traffic through fewer main arteries (105, 321/421).
Banner Elk, by default, also takes in Beech Mt., Sugar Mt., Tyncastle, and SevenDevils/Hawksnest.
Banner Elk: for restaurants/motels and the home base for rafting and 4-wheeler trips, along with the Alpine coaster. Beech and Sugar: for skiing, tubing, and plenty of rental cabins, from small efficiency condos to large homes overlooking the valleys (Beech, Sugar and Eagles Nest rentals) Emerald Outback trails along the ridgeline at Beech to a spectacular overlook (if it's not fogged in). Tyncastle: The liquor store and the entrance to the Profile Trail (hiking) up GrandFather Mt. Seven Devils/ Hawksnest: Tubing and Zip Lines, plus rental accommodations, The Gamekeeper, trout ponds, antiques, etc.
In addition there are specialty adventures most weekends during the seasons: Wooly Worm Festival, Valley Fair, Mile High Kites, Land of Oz, art galleries and shows, wineries / breweries, plenty of hiking in each location and some of the best views on the East Coast.
There's also plenty of roads for cycling, both on and off road. For those that don't like uphill biking, the two ski resorts open their lifts for a few months each summer to get you to the top for your downhill adventure to begin.
Summer swimming at Wildcat Lake in Banner Elk.
BUT, then again, I hate traffic and tourists, so stay away from my home!!!!!!!
I've been living in Asheville for 11 months now. I moved here with my husband, after hearing amazing things about Asheville. 11 months in and I don't love it. I'd rather move somewhere else as soon as possible.
I'm wondering, am I the only one?
Here are the reasons why I don't like Asheville:
- The weather: This probably surprises some of you, as Asheville is always being mentioned as having the best weather in the US. IMO, the weather is less nice and mild as people say, but I know that's very objective. Spring and summer were nice that's true, but it also rains a lot, and the weather between November and March is, for a big part, gray, rainy, and cold. I love warmer and sunnier weather.
- The lack of open space and parks: Asheville feels cramped in a lot of places. There is pretty much no real parks - French Broad River Park and Carrier Park aren't real parks, they're small green spaces right next to the river. For a city that's surrounded by beautiful nature, Asheville has very little green space. I miss having a park or a beach or a lake close by where I can go and hang out after work. That culture doesn't seem to exist in Asheville (even in the so-called parks there is no one on a picnic blanket or just hanging out).
- Highways: The way the highways are constructed in and around Asheville is very strange to me. I feel like everywhere you go in Asheville, there is a highway so close you can literally hear it. Highways also isolate many neighborhoods and make it difficult to 'just go for a bike ride or walk' anywhere.
- Lack of bodies of water: Of course I didn't expect to have a beach close by, but the river is too dirty to swim in, and there aren't many lakes around. The closest lake is almost an hour away.
- Housing market: Last but not least, the hosuing market. I knew it wouldn't be cheap to find housing here, but prices are outrageous, even compared to big cities like Austin Tx or Tampa Fl.
- Lack of direct flights: Just a handful of direct flights to mostly East Coast places. Going to most places is expensive and requires 1-2 layovers. Zero international flights,
Sure, Asheville has the blue ridge mountains and they're beautiful in the warmer months, I've done some great hikes there. Breweries are really nice, too. But those two things aren't worth it for me.
Any opinions on Asheville? Anything to add?
I would add the high crime rate for such a small city, the vitriolic hatred between "blue" and "red" people, the lack of critical thinking and presence of anti-scientific thinking, ranging from old world fire and brimstone religious belief systems to new age woo-woo crystal worshipping superstitions, the horrible infrastructure and crumbling roads that get worse every year, the insane I-26 traffic, the lack of parking in the city, the ever-present hordes of drunk tourists, the pervasive drug culture, the so-so schools, and the ever-increasing homelessness problem.
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