Asheville Itinerary Help Needed
 

We are just back from Chapel Hill, and decided to plan a quick get-away to Asheville since we've heard so much, and want to compare while Chapel Hill is still fresh in our minds.

This is a retirement hunt, so will be just getting a sense of the area, and if we want to consider. Then will go back and back to revisit.

We will only have 2 days there, so want to stay close to Asheville. We will see Hendersonville, as neighbors liked that, and I've read that Weaverville and Flat Rock are cute. Any other areas close we shouldn't miss as possibilities>

One thing we had a hard time with in Chapel Hill was knowing what neighborhoods to drive. Can someone help us out with Asheville? We'd like an established neighborhood rather than a new sub-division, and our price range is 350K.

Thanks everyone. Had a great time in Chapel Hill thanks to all of you!

http://www.houndears.com/realestate.htm

It's around Blowing Rock in Banner Elk. I think it would be awesome for retirement. First of all you are off the Parkway. Then you are in the middle of a lot of great towns.

Blowing Rock offers a real community feel. There is always something going on.

It's a community.

My opinion in the NC mountain areas is that there are some town areas that are still stuck in the 'bible belt' way of thinking.

Asheville is very nice. I would look around there.

There is so many little towns to think about. Jefferson, Black Mountain, Blowing Rock, Bakersville......

Anything with a ville on the end of it.

Good luck!

Take your time finding the right spot for you.

Again I love Hounds Ear neighborhood. It's private. Still friendly. The clubhouse offers social activities. Then there is water so in the summer you can go down to the rocks and hang out and picnic. Jump on the Parkway....

I could go on and on.

I love Black Mountain!

Personally, if I were going to retire to the Asheville area and could afford it, I'd buy one of those wonderful condos downtown with views of the mountains.

We don't want "too" little or out in what feels like the boonies.

Currently we live in a town of 20K, and love it, but have lots of larger towns 20 min. away, and Boston 45 minutes away.

Check out Blowing Rock area. It's very nice.

Asheville is starting to really pick-up again.

I don't think you can go wrong!

To me, all of that area feels like the 'boonies'. I think it is because a lot of the residential homes are spread out.

What about Waynesville?

Waynesville is good - and it will put you in the middle of Asheville and Atlanta. Not the same as being 45 minutes from Boston, but giving you LOTS of choices of going to a bigger town or city to see shows, etc.

Honestly, if you were to draw a 45 minute radius around Asheville, you would find 25 great places to live. The mountains of Western NC are just wonderful. I'd just get in the car and drive. Stop in front of shopping centers and get the free real estate books/ maps. You are going to want to come back, of course.

Personally, I'd choose Western NC over the Chapel Hill area - but I love the mountains.

It will be interesting to see the differences. My husband thinks he will like the weather better in Western NC.

What is Hendersonville like? Our neighbors really like the town.

Weaverville is pretty small. Hendersonville is basically the Asheville airport.
Blowing Rock is VERY much a summer community and lovely.Small.Development controlled.
GoTravel--which is the "boonies".
Starrsville has given a good slant.
Another mountain town for retirement is Tryon. It is in a thermal belt so stays warmer than might be expected for the mountains. Lots of horse people.
Black Mountain is a terrific community.

Wow, thanks.

I am surprised to hear about Hendersonville. Our neighbors said that it had a really cute downtown with lots of shops, restaurants, etc. and lots going on (??)

Did anyone say anything bad about Hendersonville? I have looked but don't see it. It's a little town and it is very near the Asheville airport. Nothing wrong with that. Go and look.

My sister lives in Hendersonville and it's okay but doesn't have the appeal of some other towns.

It has a charming little downtown.

Given that our time will be so short and we want to do Asheville justice, what other towns would be "musts" to see and what others "if we get to see them great, if not, save for another time"?

Tentatively on our list:

Asheville
Black Mountain
Hendersonville
Weaverville
Waynesboro

We are getting excited about our trip to Asheville!

Anyone have fave spots to eat that are reasonable and casual? (Under $15/pp)

We like most any kind of food - but love Italian. Preferably, if the weather is good, we'd like a place with outside seating, and not something that's too much of a drive.

Staying at the Hill House.

You know we ate at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Asheville area. Fun, reasonable and with outdoor seating if you prefer. Pizza and other food I believe. We stuck to the pizza which was very good.

One thing to think about in your search is health care. Asheville has a well regarded hospital (it's tied into UNC so I might be biased). Check out the US News & World Report for rankings. I'm sure others also rank health care.

Look at how far you will be to a major medical center from anyplace your thinking about moving to.

Not sure about Boone/Blowing Rock, but you might have to go to Winston-Salem for major medical needs.

For places to live, you might also want to look at Brevard.

If you have time, drive over to Lake Lure. There is the Esmerelda Inn where Bogey & Bacall spent their honeymoon. We had lunch there <$10 and there are some restaurants with fresh trout, etc. that might come in around $15. Very pretty drive. Be sure you visit the Grove Park Inn. You can't get a meal there for <$15, but you might be able to do a snack. The westward facing outdoor restaurant has incredible views (and heaters too!)

My personal favorite Asheville restaurant is Tupelo Honey Cafe. Very good food, nice casual atmosphere, small outdoor dining area, and reasonable prices.

A few things:

The Esmeralda Inn near Lake Lure has been closed for several years. It is for sale, though, if you want to buy it.

Hendersonville is a very nice town, but it has a very large retirement population, and feels "older." That may be fine with you, however. And it's actually a little farther from the Asheville airport than Asheville is, just to clarify.

Tryon is a nice town, but very, very small, and not really "in" the mountains. Its elevation is probably closer to 900-1,000 feet. It does have some nice views of the mountains, though, and is a great place to live if you like horses.

The hospitals in Asheville are very well-regarded, and there are some exceptional doctors in the city drawn by the quality of life. The hospitals are not teaching hospitals and are not affiliated with UNC, although UNC residents will do rotations through the hospital.

I love Asheville, but it is considerably larger and different than most of the much smaller towns within an hour's drive. There are 200,000 people who live in Buncombe County, so it's a small city rather than a large town. Still, lots of people retire here.

As earlier posters noted, there are quite a few towns in the mountains that offer a nice quality of life, in differing ways. Among them are Hendersonville, Brevard, Waynesville, Tryon, Black Mountain (which is only 15 minutes from Asheville), Boone and Blowing Rock. Weaverville is quaint, but very small, and it is really more of an Asheville suburb.