idauria

Hi. I am seeking some opinions and advice. My husband and I are considering relocating to Asheville from NYC. While we have yet to visit, Asheville sounds great from what I have read. We are looking to get out of the big city (we don't live in manhattan but my husband commutes there every day to work). We are tired of the traffic, the commuting, the overcrowdedness and the crappy weather, amongst other things. So, we are looking for a smaller city that still has some of the same amenities we can find here. I absolutely need to live near shopping! I could go on forever here but I was hoping to just get some input from some natives. Thanks...

andy

idauria-

While Asheville has nice shopping, it is by NO means anywhere near NY Quality and Quantity....

Charlotte would be more to your liking and sophisication...plus Charlotte is only 2 hrs from Atlanta ,where you have Neimans,Saks, Nordstroms,Bloomies,The Parisian etc....

Weather is more temperate in Charlotte than Asheville in the winter- a lot less snow...but summers are hotter in Charlotte and cooler in Asheville...

If someone else has a better area with temperate climates , gooo culture and great shopping, please list it for me, as I , too, am looking for a great retirement area...NOT full of seniors...

Annalaura

Asheville has very few if any of the same amenities as NYC. It's a lovely city, but I doubt it's really what you're looking for unless you're looking for a place to retire. The salaries are not generally commensurate with the cost of living. Realizing that shopping is a discretionary matter, in my opinion the closest decent shopping is Atlanta, which is 3.5 hours away. Charlotte may have decent shopping, but it's about 2 hours away. The Asheville Mall is the best Asheville has, and it leaves a lot to be desired. If you travel out of the country, you'll have to fly to Atlanta or Charlotte for connecting flights. Asheville does finally have some decent restaurants, and it is generally a lovely place to live, but coming from NYC I'm afraid it might not be what you're looking for.

rjw_lgb_ca

Have you or your husband looked into job opportunities in Asheville? Assuming he's still going to be working, that would be a major consideration before I made any move. If you're retiring, then look at cost of living projections against what you'll be living on. I mean, California has some great places to live for retirees, but they have to be quite well-off to simply move here due to the high cost of homes.

hauntedheadnc

Am I the only person who assumes the original poster has enough common sense not to expect a city of 70,000 to have the "quality and quantity" of a city of 7,000,000?

That being said, the only caveat when discussing Asheville is the ubiquitous "for a city its size." As in "for a city its size, Asheville is very liberal." Or, "for a city its size, Asheville has an enormous gay and lesbian population." This "for a city its size" also applies to the city's culture and shopping... which is to say "for a city its size" Asheville's shopping and "big-city amenities" are extraordinary.

I mean... let's consider the shopping in Asheville. Some who respond to the question of the quality of Asheville shopping are wont to pitch a fit and fall in it because the city does not boast a Macy's, or whatever the hell is considered good shopping. I wouldn't know, because I'm a guy. Even so, I know enough to know that Asheville's shopping is extremely good -- for a city its size. Yes, Asheville Mall is the city's largest mall, with over 120 stores, but downtown boasts over 100 retail stores, more than 30 commercial art galleries, and God alone knows how many restaurants, some of them on par with what's available in New York. The Grove Arcade is slowly but steadily filling its more than 50 retail and restaurant spaces apart from those 100 other stores and 30 galleries. In a similar vein, Biltmore Village is home to more than 40 shops, restaurants, and galleries.

In short, Asheville's opportunities to shop for art, home decor, antiques, wine, kitchenware, and just about anything other than clothes is exceptional -- art especially due to the fact that more than 4,000 artists and crafters call the city home. And even the clothes shopping is passable, though if you get hives thinking about going without Macy's, Atlanta is a short flight or an endurable drive away, and going to Atlanta has the added benefit of making you so eager to leave and come back home that you'll have to fight an urge not to kiss your doormat upong return to Asheville.

Now, considering art, this is the area in which Asheville truly excels, what with the entire downtown area and numerous historic neighborhoods being architectural celebrations in themselves, and what with downtown being packed to choking with statuary, sculpture, friezes, murals, and mosaics.

Then of course, you must consider that Asheville is home to no fewer than 4 theatre groups, 5 symphonies and bands of various types, 2 dance theatres (one comtemporary), 2 ballets (one professional), and an opera company, not to mention the drama and music departments at all the local colleges and universities. Plus, the city is near Brevard, home to the Brevard Music Center at Brevard College, which performs operas, and symphonic concerts throughout the summer and hosts such luminaries as opera diva Kathleen Battle (of whom I have many very disparaging remarks, which I shall keep to myself). And the town of Hendersonville, home to 2 theatre companies, a full symphony orchestra and a community band, as well as a renowned arts center, is nearby as well.

How renowned is the arts center in Hendersonville, you may ask. It's hosting an exhibition of Picasso's ceramics in October. And does any of this take into account the many touring performing arts troupes that visit Asheville? Of course not, otherwise I would have already mentioned that the Asheville Civic Center has hosted the London City Opera and the Moscow Ballet so far this year.

So it would seem to me that Asheville boasts many of the amenities one could find in New York, Jerry Seinfeld's upcoming appearance at the Asheville Civic Center notwithstanding.

And thus... "for a city its size" Asheville is amazing; a small city with big city culture, and a big city vibe. It's delighted many a New Yorker, and may be what you're looking for, idauria. But do come to visit first to see for yourself. There are direct flights between Asheville and New York at EWR, by the way, which might be something to consider.

hauntedheadnc

Oh, and I forgot to mention that amidst all the shopping and art, there are two art markets downtown -- the Kress Emporium and Woolworth Walk which together present the works of more than 200 artists.

Silly me!

And furthermore, I also forgot to mention that the Folkmoot USA festival, an international folk dance festival is held in Western North Carolina, in Asheville and various other towns throughout the region, which is a nice diversion if Asheville's various ethnic festivals, which celebrate the city's Greek, Filipino, and African-American communities among many others, isn't quite your speed.

idauria

Wow!! What an earful!!! Ok, let's start by telling you that we are in our late twenties and yes my husband will need a job. We wouldn't move anywhere unless he obtained work first. Also, we never take advantage of the amenities of the big city. As I said in my first post, we live in one of the outer boroughs (there are 5) and I rarely get into manhattan myself. As for my husband, he works there, that's all-and he hates it!! The reason Asheville sounded pleasant was the milder winters and summers. Actually we first started thinking about it after a trip to the mountains of Vermont-we absolutely fell in love with them. So we started thinking about places within driving distance south of New York that was in the mountains but not very cold. Is this a correct assessment of Asheville? We plan on coming down in the fall as we are driving to Atlanta to see my brother-in-law. Ideally we would like to live in a place like San Diego because the weather is great all year, but I want to remain somewhat close to my relatives in NY. A 10 hour drive or 1 hour flight is about my limit. We just want to live in a smaller city which has the things we need-restaurants, decent shopping, affordable housing. Oh, is it as humid there as in NY in the summer? That is another thing we are looking to escape from.

hauntedheadnc

So, weather is your biggest concern?

Well, Asheville has a very pleasant climate with very well defined seasons, and lots of rain to keep things green. That being said, though, summers can get very hot, and winters very cold. These extremes tend to come in snaps and spells however, as in a hot spell or a cold snap, and it's rarely one or the other for long periods of time.

This past winter, for example, saw plenty of snow, and temperatures near 0 degrees fahrenheit -- for a few days at a time, with "warmer" weather in between where the temparature would soar into the balmy 40's or even the 50's before the next cold front sent temperatures back into the basement.

Meanwhile, summers in the region can get very hot, but not as hot as the rest of the South, which is why the Asheville area has historically been a haven for people fleeing the muggy coasts and lowlands. Like the extremely low temperatures of winters, it's not unusual to see high temperatures above 100 degrees fahrenheit -- for a few days, before a cool front moves through and sends the temperature back down into the more typical 80's, and sometimes even the 70's.

And yes, it's very humid here, but that's why God made air conditioning. There are plenty of people here however, myself included, who do just fine with nothing more than electric fans in the summer.

More questions? Bring 'em on!

idauria

Interesting. I thought it would be less humid being in the mountains and further from the coastline. Weather is a big concern. This winter was unusually cold here too. I actually have been keeping an eye on the temps in asheville (msn has a feature that you can see the temps in any city in the world). Generally the temps were 5-10 degrees warmer there this winter (albeit it was like 10 here and 20 there!) The main thing is my husband it tired waiting for the buses in the frigid weather, he says he can deal with the cold as long as he doesn't have to wait outside. We both hate the cold but I hate the hot & sticky too. Now I am more confused than ever!! As far as rain it rained the entire month of june with the exception of 2 days! I was so sick of the rain I was considering moving to the desert!

soccr

Spend at least a week in Asheville in the season you like least before you even consider as big a step as relocating.

Humidity is relative, btw. I find Asheville less humid than the Piedmont or even Foggy Bottom/WashDC. And it cools off at night so the temperature ranges, even in a heat spell, are wider than they would be in NYC. I'd rather be in Asheville than in NYC when the temp hits 90, even with the humidity.

idauria

That's good to know! We are planning to come in the fall, but your idea is a good one. Maybe if we like what we see we will return in the winter to see what it's like then. Thanks.

hauntedheadnc

Actually, idauria, for an idea of mountain humidity, consider the name of the region that Asheville calls home: the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Why blue? Because of the vast amounts of water vapor released by the jungle-like plant life of the region. In sunlight, the water vapor causes objects in the distance, such as mountains and ridges, to appear blue, and contributes to the frequent mist and fog of the area.

Annalaura

Hauntedheadnc --

Please discuss housing and the job market in Asheville. I believe that the nicest areas of Asheville are north and south and neither are cheap when it comes to housing. Even condos and townhouses are ridiculously expensive "for a city its size." idauria, you don't say what business your husband is in, but Asheville isn't known for job opportunities.

wncang

Hi. I live in Brevard, which is a beautiful little town about 30 miles south of Asheville. My husband and I moved here from Atlanta 5 years ago. He transferred within his company. Job opportunities are poor in this area with factory closings and layoffs. Housing is extremely high considering the amount of pay. Of course since you're from New York, our housing might seem reasonable. However, I just want to say this is God's country. On my drive to work every day, I see georgous scenery. I can take my lunch break in the Pisgah National Forest overlooking a waterfall. I feel truly blessed and wouldn't move back to Atlanta for anything.

hauntedheadnc

Sadly, Annalaura is correct when she mentions that housing costs are high and job opportunities are poor in the Asheville metro area.

Downtown Asheville is the most expensive, as well as the most desirable part of town. Condoes there will never sell for less than a quarter million, and often sell for half a million dollars or more.

Immediately surrounding downtown are historic neighborhoods where housing costs are also high, though you might get lucky in an historic area that isn't as revitalized as Montford or as ritzy as Grove Park.

The most affordable areas of Asheville are to the west and east, as well as certain areas of the north and south, all well away from downtown. A realtor can certainly be more helpful in regards to that.

In regards to the job market, Asheville's economy is service-oriented because the city is basically a big resort and a place where rich people have historically come to relax. The highest paying jobs belong to white collar professionals such as lawyers and bankers, although I imagine that's typical everywhere. Besides tourism, however, Asheville's other major industry is healthcare, but the city's economy also consists of industrial nufacturing and distribution as well as retirment, construction, and education. The ecnonomy here is actually pretty varied, but good jobs rarely become available for the taking. I suggest you contact the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce for help in job hunting.

idauria

I actually have been looking at online real estate listings and the market seems pretty varied. The market here is very expensive right now, I can sell my 3 bedroom townhouse for $260,000. I know there is no way I can afford a bigger house here but it seems that the houses are more affordable there. I found houses in my price range that were pretty big, granted I don't know what area they are in. My husband is in the computer industry. He has varied skills there. We know the job market there is a bit slim, that's why we would never move anywhere unless he can secure on first. So, this may all be moot!

mahoneycutt

Hello Idauria - I work for the computer center at UNC Asheville. You didn't mention what type of computer work your husband does, but we generally get lots of over qualified people when we have a job opening - everyone wants to live in Asheville. You can explore the help wanted sections of: www.citizentimes.com, www.monster.com, and www.ashevillehelpwanted.com

You can get exact numbers on the web, but I believe Asheville would meet your weather requirements - 4 distinct seasons, with very few extremes.

Like the others, I would recommend a visit before relocating. I would also advise to start keeping a list of likes/dislikes so we can tell you if Asheville meets your requirements.

Mike Honeycutt

idauria

Mike, my husband does IT Consulting, sales, network management, etc. He couldn't even find a new job here in NY, so i can imagine how it is down there. Hopefully the economy will come back soon. We are planning a visit this fall for a few days. Maybe we will hook up with a real estate agent to show us around. We want to get a feel for the neighborhoods more than anything, I think. But advice on what to see would be appreciated. As far as likes and dislikes, we both hate extremely cold weather. He likes the heat better than I do, but I can handle a hot summer better than a cold winter. His main thing is that he doesn't want to have to stand around in the biting cold waiting for a bus anymore. We don't require much as far as a social life. We don't really get out much here (mostly because there's nothing to do). The prospect of being able to hike and enjoy nature is definitely a plus. I do need to have a supermarket near by and a mall would be nice too. Is there good italian and chinese food there? Coming from NY, that is almost a requirement itself!