When Denis and I were considering a move to North or South Carolina, Asheville was near the top of our list. Set in the beautiful mountains, this thriving city is home to amazing artists, restaurants, views and homes. During our November 2005 visit we spent an afternoon there and absolutely loved it. Yes, we visited Biltmore Mansion (a must see for any visitor to Asheville), but we also spent a few hours in the downtown section which has amazing galleries, shops and cafes.
The Asheville real estate market is excellent – wonderful homes for great prices (especially great if you are coming from the super-expensive Northeast area of our country). Asheville is famous for being a very “granola” kind of town – more liberal than most of the Carolinas, with a slant towards environmentalism and very gay-friendly. Close to skiing and the Tennessee border, there is plenty to do and see if you live in Asheville.
For a long time it was “the” location for a lot of folks to consider for retirement – I know my parents had it on their list for a while. And while it’s not on my parents’ list anymore, Asheville is still on the Top 10 of many lists about great places to live.
If you plan a trip to North Carolina, make sure to plan a visit to the western part of the state – Asheville is lovely and well worth putting on your itinerary!
My husband grew up in Asheville, and my mother-in-law still lives there. Because we have family land there…we’ll probably wind up there in our retirement, as well!