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.

Thanks everyone.

I think Tryon, Weaverwille, and Brevard will be too small. We have to see - alot depends on the feel of the place and just how close to a larger place.

Right now in our town we can walk to town, go to the bookstore, amble down to a restaurant, get a coffee afterward at Starbucks, then stroll to the waterfront to see what concert is going on in the park on the water. Walk back to our house and stop in some art galleries along the way. There's lots there and lots going on, but it's only 20K people.

We also have to be very close to a good hospital, which makes me think being IN Asheville might be our only choice. Our town has a hospital - it's very small, but it's only 10 min from our house. Complicated cases would go to a town 30 min away or to Boston - 45 min away.

My huband has a heart condition, and also asthma, and I've had a few times where I've had to race to the hospital in the middle of the night to bring him. I'll tell you - 8 miles feels like 800 in those situations.

You sound very much like you should retire where you are--honest injun. Or perhaps look in charleston, which interestingly, I have not seen on your "to do" list.
Have you quit on Hendersonville? Brevard really is a wonderful little town that has a world class music camp in the summer and a healthy artist "colony". And the Pisgah Forest right next door for all kinds of natural wonders of hiking and fishing. Now I'm thinkin' why didn't WE buy a place there when it was affordable!!!
Asheville does indeed have good medical coverage--I believe in conjunction with Chapel Hill.
I haven't been in Asheville for a good while but to duplicate anything like what you are relating from your hometown I think you would need to be very near the downtown area. Someone more knowledgeable can check that statement.

We would retire where we are if it were not for the snow, cold and ice for @6 months of the year and the sky-high real estate prices... we have a VERY tiny little "half-house" (literally a house cut in half) that is barely over 1,100 sq ft and is valued at 375K+. We saw newer homes in Chapel Hill that were over 2K sq. ft and in the low 300Ks.

Hendersonville certainly is still on the list, as are all the others I mentioned - can't tell 'til you see 'em!

We are not trying to duplicate what we have here, just want a community with lots going on, a great downtown (as opposed to malls and strip malls) a hospital in town or VERY nearby.

there are actually 2 hospitals in/near Hendersonville - Pardee and Park Ridge. The latter is run by 7th Day Adventists and is pretty small. I think for more complicated issues most probably go to Mission St. Joseph's in Asheville but in an emergency those hospitals would be close and could certainly stabilize him and transport to Mission if needed.
Waynesville also has a very nice hospital - Haywood Regional with an excellent Wellness facility featuring indoor walking track and pool. For loads of restaurant recommendations check out chowhound.com
I think Hendersonville has a very nice downtown and has lots of activities and even some good restaurants though the vibe is more geared towards seniors. Asheville is totally different. Waynesville has a nice little downtown with lots of galleries and shops and a growing area in some reclaimed shops/warehouses near the train tracks but a lot seems to shut down in the winter.

Thanks leahinsc - great info!

Someone asked me about Charleston. (I believe they meant SC?) We've been there, and loved it, as well as Savannah, but both too big for us, too hot/humid and too expensive.

We will check out sometime next year - the NC coast. Never been, and hear it's beautiful.

If not for retirement, would just be a nice trip. We've read much about Edenton, and New Bern, and I would like to check out Wilmington, but the crime there seems really, really high (859 vs 327 for US avg).

We're really looking forward to our trip to Asheville first, though. Thanks for the chowhound recommendation!

Humidity can be a concern--anywhere in NC. As for "too big". Charleston definitely has the "feel" of smallness--and some lovely places to live across the river in MT. Pleasant. I would venture to say that the Chapel Hill Triad area is MUCH larger and certainly more spread out. No, the Battery is not where you will find a house!!
You might do well to explore it more carefully because it has a LOT of what you say you like in your home town--and more. OR--go up the coast a bit and look at Georgetown, or down and look at Beaufort. The sea breeze does a lot for humidity.

When I retire I would love to be in Charleston or Georgetown. :) We got married in that area. I'd like to be back long before retirement years of course.

I think you have some great towns to look at and choose from Wanderer. I'm not sure if you attend a church or not. But, in some of these towns you are looking at that is how ppl socialize most often. So you may want to attend a service or two in those areas. Just to see how you feel about the community.

Boone is one town you could walk to get coffee. Also Blowing Rock and of course Asheville. BUT the thing is you would have to have purchased close to town.

I know how you feel wanting to be near a hospital. I grew up in a rural area of NC where the closest one was 20 miles away. I knew too many ppl growing up that didn't make it b/c the ambulance couldn't find them (rural roads mind you.)

I now live where I am walking distance to three hospitals and I really don't ever want to be that far from one again. I also have to have a grocery store that is open late night. Restaurants that deliver. :) On and on.

We leave tomorrow for Asheville-4th time in 2 years. It has to be one of my fave no-city like cities.The Art Deco architecture is fabulous. Great art and gallery scene, and the food. Some of my faves-Salsa's, Tupelo Honey, Picnics (come on in Dolly)Fig and Market-a little more expensive but worth it, Early Girl but mostly for brekkie, and the Asheville Brew and Movie House-where else can you see a flick for 2 bucks. For the ultimate experience-Gabrielles. It has been mentioned here in a fave place to eat in US, won numerous awards and excellent, innovative cuisine and killa wine list. Aint cheap, but hey you cant take it with you.Cafe on the Square is good for people watching and drinks and Doc Cheys for Oriental. Love the Lobster House (? Market, Trap Lobster something)just for the lobster mac and cheese.We always stay at the Grove, club floor. It is pricey, but we figure with the amenities it offers, we come out even. No matter what your travel parameters are, Asheville can definitely satisfy!

There's humidity, and then there's Charleston humidity. Two words for you: Africa hot.

I have no idea what one poster means by writing <Hendersonville is basically the Asheville airport>

The airport is in Fletcher and it is about 20 minutes from Hendersonville. Hendersonville has a beautifully restored Main street it is in convenient e proximity to Asheville, Greenville, Blue Ridge Parkway. Once you venture beyond main street, and urge you to do that, you see there is no zoning, lots of run down structures and plenty of trailers, little malls everywhere. Traffic is horrible, billboards overwhelmed any views and development of new subdivisions is going on around every corner. Soon there will be no trees left in Henderson County. If you sensitive to soking you may not like it there. Many Drivers are horrible, not only drive while talking on a phone but they never use signal lights. Climate is nice but hrricanes have a big effect on a weather in the area.

Mama -
Thanks for the info. What did you mean "sensitive to soking?" And hurricanes in Hendersonville?

In response to the hurricane comment, the NC mountains often get the remnants of east coast hurricanes. This can bring heavy rain and flooding to the area.

My remark about Hendersonville and the airport was only to say that it is near a pretty well served airport. Not that it is a runway or anything else.
But reading on in your post, you "dis" Hendersonville a lot more than that! What is "soking"--can't figure that out.
What Betsy said about hurricanes--just BIG rains sometimes. Maybe with some wind.

I wouldnt consider Brevard a small town, it really is very charming and has quite a lot to offer. My parents retired from Chicago to Brevard for many of the same reasons you have and are in love with Brevard. They live in a community called Connesstee Falls which is a bit outside of Brevard but still carries the postal address. We love to visit as there is much to do in the area for all ages from 2 to 85.
If you dont have lunch at The Grove Park Inn at least take a walk through the hotel as it is a stunner, especially the beautiful fire place. You will really enjoy Asheville, it is a beautiful town.

It should be SMOKING

Come on Gretchen. Give me a break. You are assuming. I simply did not know what you had in mind while stating about Hendersonville as Asheville airport. That was it.

I don't think I "dis" Hendersonville, I just wrote how I receive Hendersonville. That's it

BTW, wanderer, many section of Hendersonville and Henderson County get flooded often. This is a big problem and before you decide to buy a house or condo you should do your research.

Friends of ours live in Hendersonville and love it but because of his health they have to move. They will be selling their condo soon.
Good luck with finding your ideal spot. They are there you just need to look carefully.

Brevard is really lovely. It is a small town but very lively. I would chose Brevard over Hendersonville and that's my personal preference

Didn't mean to offend. I honestly couldn't figure out the word as someone else also mentioned. I knew it had to be a typo, but there was absolutely no context for "smoking" to be inferred in your post!

What does that mean about a smoking problem in Hendersonville?

It is hard to avoid smokers and many majority have no-smoking sections separated from smoking only by invisible partitions.

Oh what a difference a single omitted letter makes. Add me to those who really didn't get the smoking reference. I actually thought maybe you mean "soaking" due to your reference to hurricanes and my summers at Flat Rock were filled with a lot of rain.

I considered "soaking" also because of the hurricane reference!
Now, what is a "majority" that has no smoking sections. Sorry.