What BestPlaces Users Say about Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina has gained a reputation as a charming and unique city, known for its vibrant arts scene, beautiful natural surroundings, and eclectic community. Located in the western part of the state, it has become a popular destination for tourists and a desirable place to live for many people. However, as with any city, there are varying opinions on what it's like to actually reside there. Below are excerpts from four different user reviews on Best Places, offering insight into their experiences living in Asheville.
- "Asheville is a magical place that has something for everyone. Whether you're into hiking, craft beer, or live music, this city has it all. I love the friendly and accepting community here, and the beautiful mountain views never get old. The only downside is the cost of living can be high, but for me, it's worth it." - Sarah S.
- "I moved to Asheville for the art scene and was not disappointed. There are galleries and studios everywhere, and the street performers add to the creative vibe. The downside is the increase in tourism has driven up housing prices, making it difficult for artists like myself to afford to live here." - Jake P.
- "Having lived in Asheville for 10 years, I've seen a lot of changes. The good: great food, beautiful scenery, and friendly people. The bad: traffic and overcrowding. It's definitely not the small, quaint town it used to be, but it's still a great place to call home." - Emily M.
- "I've lived in Asheville my whole life and while I love it, it's not perfect. The job market can be tough, especially for young people. And the local government seems more focused on catering to tourists than improving the city for its residents. But I can't imagine living anywhere else." - Michael T.
based on 117 ReviewsGet to know Asheville with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Asheville
Growth and diversity - 8/15/2008
I have read several comments on Asheville some good and some not so good. So here are my two cents worth. I am an Asheville native and like fairy tales once Asheville and the surrounding areas were quaint little towns with its citizens ready to lend a helping hand for ones fellow neighbor, and A persons word was as good as a legal signature on a piece of paper. However, in the past fifteen to twenty years all of that has gone down the drain, wealth, and greed has drawn the land vultures to our area destroying complete mountain ranges with big ugly houses, destroying wildlife and beauty as well as bringing people in to our farming areas who complain because of the smell of farms; This baffles me, because these people come for the beauty and serenity but their all to willing to complain and destroy everything in their path not to mention these people have drivin up property cost where it makes it almost virtually impossible to own your own home unless you make a five hundred grand a
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Local Economy - 5/17/2008
The two biggest employers in Asheville are the local hospital and the Biltmore estate. The two primary drivers of the economy are healthcare and hospitality. There is no big industry here. Greenville, SC, about 1.5 hour South has many corporate headquarters as well much industry driving the local economy. Knoxville, TN also appears to have a large amount of industry.
This is a nice place to retire... but there are limited opportunities to work if you wish to work into your retirement (and are not in the hospitality field or in healthcare.)
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Thriving in the wonderful mountains of western Nor - 5/6/2008
Asheville is in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The community is an eclectic mix of early retired Baby Boomers, artisans, local farmers, young professionals and spiritualists. The area is rich with outdoor activities: river rafting, hiking the Appalachian Train, visiting Mt. Mitchell park, the highest peak on the east coast. Everywhere you go, and every season, the lovely blue mountain ranges surrounding Asheville can be seen and
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San Francisco of the South - 3/3/2008
If you want a temperate climate, lots of great restaurants, art galleries, theaters etc, Asheville is for you. Plus the people are polite and
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a little of everything - 1/21/2008
the pluses: no traffic, lots of progresssive people, lots of alternative drug and drug free events, everything easy, great mtn & road biking, lots of focus on community
the drawbacks: hard to make a good living cuz so much competition, lots of trustafarians, and its small and far away from anything else. also, terribly segregated. it's mostly a white crowd at events i go to and altho diversity exists here, you don't see
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Seriously? - 11/4/2007
99% of the reviews on this site are negative. I am guilty of ripping my own city, too.
However, I want to say the vocal minority that find this site are not representative of the whole. Please perform due diligence further than reading gripes on this site.
Who comes to a site to write about a GOOD experience? Not many people.
On the contrary, if you are ticked off... you probably vent wherever you
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don't move here, the job scene stinks - 9/19/2007
As a native of rural NY State I moved here 21 years ago and remain here ONLY because I've made some money in real estate. The job scene in Asheville stinks. Don't be surprised to find yourself competing for a job with less qualified provincial hicks, only to find that you lose! The provincial igorance and bigotry one encounters here can be quite shocking especially when one considers that it is the norm. Moronic rock stars, professional wrestlers, & stock car drivers are revered here. Tobacco use and illiteracy are encountered constantly. Wealthy retirees sequester themselves from the sociological quagmire via gated communities. If this is what you are looking for, then Asheville is for
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So you think Asheville's 'going downhill'... - 9/19/2007
I've just applied for a job transfer to the Asheville area, and I've read through most of the postings about the city and its surroundings - you gripe about traffic, gridlock, rude northerners/southerners, beautiful land turned into expensive condos, et al... sounds just like home here in Pennsylvania. This little rural community some 30 years ago now has a yearly inflation rate higher than most of the country; last year Allentown had over 100 murders by the close of 2006; "caucasians" are close to be the minority; our heavy industry has moved south or out of the country or out of business (think Mack Trucks and the now-defunct Bethlehem Steel) to be replaced by lower paid "service industry" jobs. I could go on and on, but all you've said negative about Asheville is happening all over the country, wherever you go. Do I like it? Of course not. But I deal with it, because this is where my job is. But all your comments about Asheville sound just like home. So grow up and deal with
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Forced Annexation and Doubled Property Taxes - 9/5/2007
I moved to Asheville 3 years ago and have watched the quality of life evaporate rapidly, especially this last year. Air pollution is terrible! Traffic is horrible, with frequent gridlocks everywhere in this area. BUT, my biggest beef is taxes. I bought my property in Buncombe County, because that is where I thought I could spend the rest of my life on my retirement income. WRONG!!!! North Carolina is one of about 4 states that allow cities to forcibly annex property in the adjoining county. The "progressive" [sic] City Council of Asheville recently forcibly annexed my Buncombe County neighborhood into the City, thus almost doubling my property taxes. Speaking of progressive, I was reminded that Asheville is progressive only in comparision to other small cities in the Southeast, which is damning with faint praise. Bottom Line: Be very careful if you move to this area. The Asheville City Council is ready to pounce on your County
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retirement - 8/22/2007
how is it in ashville? it seems like the type of place where retirement would be great
already a north
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