Anybody move to Asheville/WNC from a small Western US mountain town? (Charlotte: transplants, spring break)

[backpackerchik]

Are you glad you did? I currently live in Jackson, WY and am considering a move to Western NC/ Asheville area. There are so many wonderful things about living in a small mountain town in the West, but there are so many wonderful things about Asheville/ WNC as well.

I'm just wondering if anyone regrets moving from places like the mountains of Colorado, Utah, MT, Idaho, WA or WY and the quality of life there compared to your current lifestyle. Obviously you have big humidity, higher concentration of people and probably as such less free public amenities (libraries, transportation, newspapers, public town events), possibly higher state income taxes (we have none in WY).

The main pull to moving to NC is being closer to family and a more supportive job. I currently have a good paying and stable job in Wyoming, but am not happy with it, nor can I afford to buy a house here (median price $1.5 million). I have a potential strong job lead in Asheville, but it will not pay nearly as much net pay.

I know in the end it's totally my decision based on what I feel is right, but one of the hardest things is leaving such a beautiful place with such good summer climate, stable economy (one of the lowest unemployment rates), the sheer beauty of Rocky Mountain high peaks and a place that people are dying to move to but hard to find professional jobs (I'm sure this sounds familiar).

Can anyone share similar concerns about a move from out West to Asheville? and how did it work out?

Thanks!

[MtnClimber]

My advice at this time would be to take a short vacation to the Asheville area. Really check out the job market, which has proven to be quite tough right now and may not improve soon.

I am considering moving to the NW, possibly Montana or Idaho. The mountains of WNC are splendid and full of activities year round, but they are getting pretty crowded and have been for the past 20 years. The crowded roads and other areas that you visit may prove to be more difficult to deal with than you realize now. Good luck with your decision.

[backpackerchik]

MtnClimber, thanks for that advice--you have a very valid point. I have been there many times, and as recent as last month. I agree, that is one of the drawbacks, and even though Asheville has "only" 70,000 people it felt like a million to me. The traffic was definitely a surprise and something to contend with. I used to live in a major Northeast city with 5 million people so I became accustomed to that, but after living in a small town for the past few years, it's hard to go back to lots of traffic.
That is definitely something to consider, and as such, the job that I'm currently considering is actually on the east of Asheville and I would probably want to live in Black Mountain to avoid more the "city" feel. It's important for me to live near I work (bicycle commuting or a short commute)...
I would not move to Asheville without a job in hand.

[MtnClimber]

I actually grew up on the west coast and then spent several years in the mountains of NC. The only complaint I have to the east coast now, are the crowds and they are getting larger every year. Actually, I would consider that to be a problem for everyone right now that enjoys their solitude. The fact that you live in a small town environment right now, may indeed be the deciding factor on your move. Again, good luck with your decision and be careful on that cycle.

[vk40]

My husband and I live in Lander, WY, and have considered Asheville, so we also worry about some of the things you have mentioned. I think the biggest thing my hubby worries about is the population compared to where we live in Wyoming now and the cost of living. Lander is expensive, but I think it's cheaper than Asheville- now Jackson is a whole other story real-estate wise!

[backpackerchik]

Sounds like we are thinking along the same lines. Do you have some ties to Asheville, or is it just a town that interests you?

My family is all in NC and I have friends and contacts there, which makes sense for me to consider it.

Yes, Jackson is basically an unaffordable housing market, and I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to be 50 and still renting and at this rate, it would be several years before they'd probably consider me higher on the list for affordable housing property. Plus I'm not really happy with my current job.

My main concern is the crowds, though, and when I was visiting a few months ago I think I surprised myself at how much I felt that it was too crowded and too much traffic.

I believe there is probably enough outdoor recreation opportunities to appeal to me (though not to the extent we have here).

But it is a cool town, there are some lovely areas there and I think I might be able to do it if I were to find a place to live near work (to avoid a long commute) and hopefully just stay out of the major traffic flow during rush hours and such.

Lander is such a small town, I could see how you would find the crowds of Asheville even more overwhelming. Jackson gets 1 million visitors each month during the summer months, so it's nut-so here in the summer.

I'd be interested in hearing more of your thoughts.

[wildwoodflower]

we've lived in a small montana town, spent time in northern new england, and then charleston. now looking into asheville too. so i am curious about your answers here!

[pslamp32]

I've been in Asheville for 5 years after living in Vail, CO. Before Vail I lived in Portland, OR after graduating from college in Atlanta. Basically, I've lived in every possible size town. I may be different than you but overall I did NOT like living in Vail. Jackson may be different but to me Vail had no soul whatsoever. Less like a community and more like spring break in the mountains. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the outdoor activities, it's what attracted me there in the first place. Almost zero intellectual or cultural stimulation IMO. Everyone that lives there seemed only interested in partying hard and playing. Nothing wrong with that but I got a bit bored by that lifestyle. I work in the restaurant industry so admittedly that probably skews my vision a bit.

I decided to move to Asheville when my lady got pregnant. Knew we didn't want to raise a child somewhere that we'd only be able to afford to buy a crappy little condo. I'd heard alot about Asheville through the kayaking community (I am a whitewater enthusiast) and was familiar with these mountains from my years at Emory. I came to visit and really liked the energy. Frankly, I understand your trepidation. I NEVER thought I'd move back east. I love the west (though not the resort atmosphere) and I still miss it every day. No way these mountains will completely replace what you can experience out west. I do love the warm rivers and longer play season and don't really miss snowboarding and long cold winters. What I do miss is the vastness of the wilderness. Here you almost never feel very remote. I haven't even gone camping once since moving here. Partially because I have a little one now but mostly because nothing here really excites me like the alpine splendor and amazing vistas out west.

What I do love about Asheville is the balance here. I haven't seen too many smaller cities anywhere that combine moderate 4 season weather, tons of cultural opportunities, liberal mindset, cool people, beautiful architecture and lots of healthy outdoor fun. When I lived in Vail, my friends and I would head to Denver at least once a month because we were desperate for some urban culture. Cool restaurants, shopping, live music etc. When I first moved to Asheville I thought I'd have good proximity to Atlanta and Charlotte if I needed a 'fix'. Well, I've been here 5 years and haven't needed to once. There's enough here to keep me from getting bored.

I guess it all depends on your priorities. If outdoor activities are the MOST important factor, stay where you are. No way Asheville can compare to the overall package available in the Rockies, Sierra Nevadas or Cascades. If you want a small city with reasonable access to alot of fun outdoor activities but also enough urban culture to keep you occupied but not overwhelm you then Asheville might be the place. The real estate issue is big as well. I bought a nice 4 BR house on an acre here in Weaverville for less than I would have been able to get a 1BR condo in Vail. Much less actually. Places like Weaverville and Black Mountain also will give a much more small town feel if that's what you want.

I actually work with an unbelievable amount of western transplants. Mostly Colorado, California and Oregon. For the most part everyone seems to have adjusted well and enjoy living here. For some, there has been an adjustment but most seem quite happily settled now FWIW.

Disclaimer : I'm a restaurateur so I've luckily not had to deal with some of the job issues others talk about when moving to Asheville. I'm sure if I had to struggle to find work in my vocation or take a huge pay cut to live here my opinions might be different.

[backpackerchik]

pslamp...
Thanks for your input. It's helpful. From the sounds of it, Jackson has a bit more to offer as far as a community goes than Vail.
I'm an avid biker and backpacker and skiing would come lower on the list as far as outdoor activities that I'm crazy about. I know there are some great trails out in Pisgah NF and I'd like to explore them more on some backpacks. The nice thing would be the season would be longer than just July-Sept, though. If I were to move back East, it's not like these Rocky mountains are going away...I would still have the opportunity to vacation here, and possibly for even longer amounts of time than I have right now (weekends only). When I lived back east, I actually travelled more out West than I do now (spending weeks at a time on backcountry trails for vacation).

At any rate, you hit the nail on the head with the housing issues. Crappy condo is just still out of my reach right now (that would be like $450,000)...and with my hesitations in living here, it doesn't make sense to buy something on the free market like that.

You have a point about priorities and I think my priority would be more of that balance you mention...a balanced life is the best one, IMO...

I'm starting to feel more and more that it would be worth taking a job that isn't exactly what I want (position wise), but would get my foot in the door, pay the bills and from what it seems be a good place to work with potential change in position in the future... though at this point, the job lead hasn't progressed that much farther.

One of my friends in Asheville keeps telling me that although the traffic "seems" bad, you can still get from N. Asheville to Black Mtn in about 15 minutes, which is not bad at all. But coming from a person who rides their bike from one end of town to the other in 15 minutes, it is a big difference....

[Danmac]

Originally Posted by backpackerchik

Are you glad you did? I currently live in Jackson, WY and am considering a move to Western NC/ Asheville area. There are so many wonderful things about living in a small mountain town in the West, but there are so many wonderful things about Asheville/ WNC as well.

I'm just wondering if anyone regrets moving from places like the mountains of Colorado, Utah, MT, Idaho, WA or WY and the quality of life there compared to your current lifestyle. Obviously you have big humidity, higher concentration of people and probably as such less free public amenities (libraries, transportation, newspapers, public town events), possibly higher state income taxes (we have none in WY).

The main pull to moving to NC is being closer to family and a more supportive job. I currently have a good paying and stable job in Wyoming, but am not happy with it, nor can I afford to buy a house here (median price $1.5 million). I have a potential strong job lead in Asheville, but it will not pay nearly as much net pay.

I know in the end it's totally my decision based on what I feel is right, but one of the hardest things is leaving such a beautiful place with such good summer climate, stable economy (one of the lowest unemployment rates), the sheer beauty of Rocky Mountain high peaks and a place that people are dying to move to but hard to find professional jobs (I'm sure this sounds familiar).

Can anyone share similar concerns about a move from out West to Asheville? and how did it work out?

Thanks!

I have a few friends that moved from Col and out West to the Asheville area and all are planning a return home. Now being a Florida native myself (I've lived here 6mths) I found this area to be a nice break from the heat and humidity of N & S Florida. But the town has quickly grown old on me, as there is little to no work, and as one poster he stated already it can get very crowded in the tourist seasons. I'm planning a move west either Montanna or Colorado but will do my home work first!