Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are from Vermont (which we LOVE and seriously miss) and have spent time in Montana (which we also love) , and have recently ended up in Charleston SC....which we do not love. We don't really want to move accross the country again, so we are exploring our options to move to NC this coming spring. We are planning a trip up in October to look around, but won't have a whole lot of driving time as we will be traveling with three young children. Anyway... here's what i need advice on:
Looking for a private, rural cabin or timberframe home, maybe a craftsman style cape cod style with character. Definatly not a ranch. On at least an acre, but ideally closer to 5 acres. Needs to be on a quiet, private road with few neighbors, or at least neighbors we can see, lol. Also needs to have at least a small area of flat land for a yard for the kids.
We also really want to be in a "crunchy" area in terms of community. eco friendly, natural parenting, local/organic foods available, liberal, open minded folks about. homeschool and homebirth friendly community, that kinda thing.
So we are looking outside Asheville and Boone. About 30 minutes-45 minutes outside of town. Can anyone give me some ideas about differences and similarities of both? Also maybe suggest some little towns outside of both to look into?
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
First time on this forum so please excuse any posting mistakes. Outside of Asheville and Boone are good places to look. I"ve been in these mountains for 27 years and several things you need to know. Definitely stay within that 30 minute drive of big university life! If you go further out, you make it harder on yourself and your family for several reasons and the main being the education factor of your neighbors. The more educated they are the easier life is for you, your animals, your children, and peace of mind. It's just a fact of life in the mountains. Homeschooling is exceedingly friendly in Watauga County! Appalachian State University offers tremendous education opportunities for the homeschooler! Homeschooling is normal and accepted for any reason in Watauga County.
Stay OUT OF the counties with just a community college nearby...it's a good sign there's no money and the educated population is few and far between. You do not want to live in these areas..it's miserable.
There's plenty of snow up on the larger peaks of Watauga and Ashe counties and you have access to Boone as you want it. The "crunchy" feel is there and it is a loving population. You can shop stores in Boone that will specifically give you access to make friends w/this population.
Asheville is fun for weekend trips! I have not seen any bedroom communities near Asheville w/that feel that you describe you want. I'm sure they are around in small pockets. Toward Asheville the snow fall is not as much as the Boone area(of course this winter snowfall was exceptional).
I cannot say enough for you and your family to stay away from areas that are exceedingly rural. You truly want to live no further than 30 minutes away from a larger college town and even that is pushing it.... There are no jobs in the rural areas, no education, suspicion abounds, animals tend not to be treated kindly or w/regular veterinary care, kids are not friendly, it's truly the ugly side of rural life in America and you have no resell value!
I homeschool mine and we are almost done..one will have her first college degree next spring at age 16(she sits for classes at the local cc). One just started high school and will be enrolled at the local cc next year. The early years spent in Watauga County were wonderful and those memories mean a lot..we moved and thus I'm warning you...be very very careful in your choices...We have succeeded but there's heartbreak along the way if you choose wrong. We are patiently waiting for the economy to improve, our kids into colleges of their choice, then we're selling this beautiful farm that caught my eye..but hate where it is..boils down to "caveat emptor" for your family's happiness and prosperity.
This is to Wildwood flower, my partner and I are from VT and I've read your thread and wonder which location you decided on, Asheville or Boone. Thanks Jan
Hi!
Did you guys ever move and make a decision? We are considering basically exactly the same things as you guys and the same two places, and would love to hear what you decided to do and how you found both towns. We have been town shopping for a while, just moved from lake tahoe to the east coast and have narrowed it down between Boone and Asheville.
Hi!
Did you guys ever move and make a decision? We are considering basically exactly the same things as you guys and the same two places, and would love to hear what you decided to do and how you found both towns. We have been town shopping for a while, just moved from lake tahoe to the east coast and have narrowed it down between Boone and Asheville.
If you're asking the OP of this thread, s/he hasn't been back to the forum in over a year -- so you're not likely to get an answer. Sorry .....
First time on this forum so please excuse any posting mistakes. Outside of Asheville and Boone are good places to look. I"ve been in these mountains for 27 years and several things you need to know. Definitely stay within that 30 minute drive of big university life! If you go further out, you make it harder on yourself and your family for several reasons and the main being the education factor of your neighbors. The more educated they are the easier life is for you, your animals, your children, and peace of mind. It's just a fact of life in the mountains. Homeschooling is exceedingly friendly in Watauga County! Appalachian State University offers tremendous education opportunities for the homeschooler! Homeschooling is normal and accepted for any reason in Watauga County.
Stay OUT OF the counties with just a community college nearby...it's a good sign there's no money and the educated population is few and far between. You do not want to live in these areas..it's miserable.
There's plenty of snow up on the larger peaks of Watauga and Ashe counties and you have access to Boone as you want it. The "crunchy" feel is there and it is a loving population. You can shop stores in Boone that will specifically give you access to make friends w/this population.
Asheville is fun for weekend trips! I have not seen any bedroom communities near Asheville w/that feel that you describe you want. I'm sure they are around in small pockets. Toward Asheville the snow fall is not as much as the Boone area(of course this winter snowfall was exceptional).
I cannot say enough for you and your family to stay away from areas that are exceedingly rural. You truly want to live no further than 30 minutes away from a larger college town and even that is pushing it.... There are no jobs in the rural areas, no education, suspicion abounds, animals tend not to be treated kindly or w/regular veterinary care, kids are not friendly, it's truly the ugly side of rural life in America and you have no resell value!
I homeschool mine and we are almost done..one will have her first college degree next spring at age 16(she sits for classes at the local cc). One just started high school and will be enrolled at the local cc next year. The early years spent in Watauga County were wonderful and those memories mean a lot..we moved and thus I'm warning you...be very very careful in your choices...We have succeeded but there's heartbreak along the way if you choose wrong. We are patiently waiting for the economy to improve, our kids into colleges of their choice, then we're selling this beautiful farm that caught my eye..but hate where it is..boils down to "caveat emptor" for your family's happiness and prosperity.
This was posted OVER a year ago. Hope it still good & relevent info & insight!...??? Thanks, Donna
First time on this forum so please excuse any posting mistakes. Outside of Asheville and Boone are good places to look. I"ve been in these mountains for 27 years and several things you need to know. Definitely stay within that 30 minute drive of big university life! If you go further out, you make it harder on yourself and your family for several reasons and the main being the education factor of your neighbors. The more educated they are the easier life is for you, your animals, your children, and peace of mind. It's just a fact of life in the mountains. Homeschooling is exceedingly friendly in Watauga County! Appalachian State University offers tremendous education opportunities for the homeschooler! Homeschooling is normal and accepted for any reason in Watauga County.
Stay OUT OF the counties with just a community college nearby...it's a good sign there's no money and the educated population is few and far between. You do not want to live in these areas..it's miserable.
There's plenty of snow up on the larger peaks of Watauga and Ashe counties and you have access to Boone as you want it. The "crunchy" feel is there and it is a loving population. You can shop stores in Boone that will specifically give you access to make friends w/this population.
Asheville is fun for weekend trips! I have not seen any bedroom communities near Asheville w/that feel that you describe you want. I'm sure they are around in small pockets. Toward Asheville the snow fall is not as much as the Boone area(of course this winter snowfall was exceptional).
I cannot say enough for you and your family to stay away from areas that are exceedingly rural. You truly want to live no further than 30 minutes away from a larger college town and even that is pushing it.... There are no jobs in the rural areas, no education, suspicion abounds, animals tend not to be treated kindly or w/regular veterinary care, kids are not friendly, it's truly the ugly side of rural life in America and you have no resell value!
I homeschool mine and we are almost done..one will have her first college degree next spring at age 16(she sits for classes at the local cc). One just started high school and will be enrolled at the local cc next year. The early years spent in Watauga County were wonderful and those memories mean a lot..we moved and thus I'm warning you...be very very careful in your choices...We have succeeded but there's heartbreak along the way if you choose wrong. We are patiently waiting for the economy to improve, our kids into colleges of their choice, then we're selling this beautiful farm that caught my eye..but hate where it is..boils down to "caveat emptor" for your family's happiness and prosperity.
Even though the thread is over a year old I would like to respond to some of the statements made above.
I live in a rural area that is way more than 30 minutes from University life. The majority of the people that live here have family ties that goes back generations. They are Doctors, Dentists, Attorneys, Politicians, school Principals,teachers business owners etc. They are GREAT people and very well educated and accepting of outsiders. I am very involved in my community and have a WONDERFUL part time job, I also volunteer at our Humane Society and the love and compassion for animals is very apparent. It is far from miserable...in fact it is the opposite...it's HEAVEN. We have a very active Art's society and God forbid a horse gets through a fence, the kids are there on their 4 wheelers rounding them up. Our schools rank very high in academics, we have 3 wonderful veterinarians who not only care for dogs and cats but farm animals too. NOTHING could be further from the truth than calling this "the ugly side of rural life in America" It is the friendliest, most beautiful, loving place on earth....at least that I have ever experienced and I can't imagine living anywhere else!
We live in Fletcher, which is between Asheville and Hendersonville. We have a lovely view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, enjoy four seasons, and are growing our own vegetables for the first time ever! We think you would really enjoy Asheville as opposed to Boone. There is plenty to see and do (museums, theater, ballet) if you enjoy the arts as we do. Plus the camping in Mt. Pisgah is marvelous. We sometimes help our friends, who own Old World Bakery, at the Asheville Farmers Market--a "must" if you like fresh produce, cheese, breads, and lots of other good bargains! You can't go wrong moving to Asheville!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
....at least that I have ever experienced and I can't imagine living anywhere else!
