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@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ASHEVILLE AND THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS A Short Guide to Travel, Life and Retirement in the Region By Lan Sluder @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 by Lan Sluder, All Rights Reserved. THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF THE AREA: Asheville is a mountain resort city in the Blue Ridge mountains of Western North Carolina. The city and the surrounding mountains are one of the top family vacation destinations in the East, and Asheville and nearby smaller towns have become popular retirement areas. The combined City of Asheville/Buncombe County population is about 190,000. The five-county metropolitan area -- Buncombe, Madison, Henderson, Haywood and Transylvania -- has more than 325,000 people. Asheville is the transportation, health, business, and communications hub of the mountain region. The city itself is at only about 2,100 to 2, 500 ft. elevation, giving it a moderate four-season climate. The mountains around it range in elevation up to about 6,700 feet and include, among many mile-high peaks, the highest mountain in Eastern America, Mt. Mitchell. There are not one but several Ashevilles. One is the old mountain town, settled beginning in the late 1700s by people of Scots-Irish and British heritage moving here from Virginia and elsewhere. The Appalachian mountain culture, until fairly recent times, was isolated and developed its own ways of doing things. Sadly, the newer generations of mountain people have by and large given up their heritage. They have moved off subsistence farms into urban areas. Another Asheville is the sophisticated resort town developed beginning in the mid-19th century by Low Country South Carolina planters coming here in the summer to escape coastal heat and Yellow Fever. At the end of the 19th century, the immensely wealthy George Vanderbilt, grandson of "Commodore" Vanderbilt, came to Asheville to establish his grandest estate. Biltmore House, designed by Richard Morris Hunt after the chateaux of France's Loire Valley, was a monument to an age before income taxes. It took a small army of European and American artisans five years to build, being completed in 1895. George Vanderbilt was no typical capitalist, though. He spoke eight languages, and his library at Biltmore had 22,000 volumes, reflecting his wide-ranging scholarly interests. Originally, the estate comprised 125,000 acres, but today it has "only" about 8,000 acres, including gardens impressively landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted and forests established by Gifford Pinchot. Many of the elite of Northeast society hobnobbed in Asheville, at least until the beginning of the Great Depression. Another Asheville is the new Asheville which really began only in the 1970s. Although the trend began earlier, it was about that time when sizeable numbers of retirees and families seeking a better quality of life began moving to the North Carolina mountains. Many of these were escapees from Florida, people who had moved to Florida to find a quiet retirement but found mostly shopping malls and crime. Others were Northerners who wanted a more moderate climate. The co-author of the popular Places Rated Almanac moved to Asheville after researching the first edition. In 1994 and in subsequent years, Asheville (along with nearby Brevard and Hendersonville) was named by Money Magazine as one of the 20 best places in the America for retirement. But Asheville got mediocre to low ratings in Money's more listing of the 300 "best places" to live in the U.S. Asheville was also named one of the ten best places to retire in America in the 1997 Retirement Places Rated Almananc and in 1996 was named one of the 10 healthiest places to live in America by Consumer Reports. These ratings vary greatly from source to source, and also from year to year, and one wonders how so many cities can change so dramatically from one year to the next. Relocatees and retirees have added a more sophisticated veneer to Asheville which many other cities of its size do not have. Visitors often comment on the number of art galleries, theaters and museums in Asheville, and these in part are a legacy of outside influence. The Asheville area, for example, supports not one but two public radio stations. In 1997, Asheville for the second time was selected an "All-American City." Another historical difference: Unlike the rest of North Carolina and most of its neighboring states, the mountains of Western North Carolina never had much of a slave-based plantation culture. The reason was that the mountain terrain was not suitable for large-scale planting. (In the Civil War, a large minority of mountain people supported the North. ) Thus, unlike the rest of the South, the mountain region never had a large African-American population and still does not today. The city of Asheville is about 20 percent African-American, but very few blacks live elsewhere in the mountains. Race relations are generally good, although, unfortunately, African-Americans may not always feel welcome in some remote mountain areas. LOCATION: Asheville is in about the middle of Western North Carolina --a region that stretches from just west of Charlotte to Murphy. By car, Asheville is about 2 1/2 hours from Charlotte, 4 hours from Atlanta, 2 hours to Knoxville. and 4 to 4 1/2 hours to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. The entrance to the Great Smokies National Park is an hour away. The closest beaches are not in North Carolina but in South Carolina, with Charleston being less than 5 hours. The Outer Banks are an 8-hour drive or longer. TRANSPORTATION: Asheville is located at the intersection of Interstates 40 and 26. A new link of I-26 is being built into Tennessee, which should help open up the region to that state and the entire Ohio Valley. I-40 west of Asheville near the Tennessee line is one of the most dangerous parts of the U.S. interstate system, with rock slides, fog, and frequent tractor trailer wrecks. Asheville has a decent road system. Traffic can occasionally back up at rush hours, but in general there is no serious congestion. Public transportation is poor. The Asheville Regional Airport is served by US Air jets, plus Comair, Atlantic Southeast and US Air Express commuters. At present there is no train service to Asheville, but the state legislature is studying adding some intra-state service. WHAT TO DO: It would take years to see and explore all of Western North Carolina. The mountains, of course, are the big attraction, from the highest peak in the Eastern United States, Mt. Mitchell, to the low, rolling hills around Hendersonville, which attracted the poet Carl Sandburg to "400 acres of land and a million acres of sky" in his last days. But the North Carolina mountains offer more than high-altitude scenery. They are living museums of Appalachian crafts and of a mountain culture that owes as much to past decades of isolation as to its Scots-Irish- British immigrant background. Here are some of the many things to see and do in and around Asheville. They are rated on a scale of one to four stars. Keep in mind that these ratings ultimately are subjective; your mileage may vary. **** Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville. Largest private home in America, on 8,000 acres; self-guide tours of house, winery, gardens, conservatory; open daily; adult admission around $25, but worth it. Many movies have been filmed here, including "Being There" and "Richie Rich." (If you live within driving distance, get the annual pass, which allows unlimited admissions except on certain days at Christmas for only about $40.) *** Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Asheville. The boyhood home of the famous novelist; open daily; tours; small admission. *** Carl Sandburg Home and Farm, East Flat Rock near Hendersonville. Home of the poet in his later life; open daily; guided tour of house, self-guide tour of the farm; small admission to the house. Descendents of some of goats owned by Mrs. Sandburg are still at the farm. * Riverside Cemetery, Asheville. O'Henry and Wolfe are buried here; free. ** Black Mountain College sites, Black Mountain. Two sites housed the internationally known experimental college which was open from the early 1930s to early 1950s: Blue Ridge Assembly, a church-owned conference center, and Camp Rockmont, a private camp for kids (admissions by request). Many of the 20th century's leading artists and writers were students, professors, or visiting faculty here, including Buckminster Fuller, Robert Rauchenberg, John Cage, and many others. ** Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Parkway, East Asheville. Heritage museum, demonstration center, and shop of Appalachian crafts; open daily; free. ** Pack Place Museum complex, down Asheville. Four museums in one -- art museum, health and science center, Black history museum, and mineral museum; open daily; admission charge to each museum. *** Downtown Asheville. Staging a terrific comeback after almost closing when the suburban malls opened in the 1960s and 70s. Increasing number of restaurants, clubs, coffee houses, art galleries, museums, antique shops, bookstores, boutiques, craft stores. * Art Deco tour of Asheville (Asheville has one of the largest remaining collection of Art Deco architecture in the U.S.), on tape or with Preservation Society; time varies; charge. * River Link District, area along the French Broad River. Now being gentrified as an area of lofts and warehouses for artists and craftspeople, an effort that was given a set-back in early 1995 when the old Chesterfield mill and several other buildings were destroyed in a fire. ** Brevard, Hendersonville, Flat Rock, Waynesville, Highlands, Cashiers, Bryson City and Black Mountain -- pleasant towns around Asheville, highly rated as retirement places. *** Cradle of Forestry, near Brevard, home of the first forestry school in the U.S., reconstructed school and living quarters; self-guide tours; new visitor center has many displays; daily (closed in winter); admission . * Vance Birthplace, north between Asheville and Hendersonville; interesting reconstruction of 19th century mountain homestead; self-guide tours; daily; free. * Grove Arcade building, downtown Asheville. One of the first "indoor malls" in America, constructed just before the Great Depression hit. Plans are underway to make this a public market similar to Pike Place in Seattle; opening circa 1998. ** "Waterfall Country," mainly in Transylvania County Brevard and the surrounding areas have dozens of waterfalls. Some are easily accessible by road. Among the best is Looking Glass Falls on US Highway 276 near the Cradle of Foresty. Hickory Nut Falls, featured in the movie "The Last of the Mohicans," is in Chimney Rock Park (admission) near Bat Cave. DANGER: Each year several visitors are killed in falls from water falls. Algae- covered rocks are slippery. **** Blue Ridge Parkway, between Virginia line and Cherokee, with more than 250 miles in NC. One of the most-scenic drives in America, arguably the most scenic in Eastern America; in winter, sometimes closed due to snow, ice and fog; speed limit 45 mph; free. **** Great Smokies National Park. Most visited U.S. National Park, with about 9 million visitors each year. Highway 441 through the park can be crowded especially on summer and fall weekends, but once off this road there is all the privacy you want. *** Joyce Kilmer National Forest, west of Asheville near the Nantahala National Forest. One of the last stands of truly virgin forest in Eastern America; an eye-opener if you've never seen what America's forests once looked like. ** Nantahala National Forest, west of Asheville. Rugged forest and deep gorge, with the Nantahala River teeming with rafters and kayakers spring through fall. ** Pisgah National Forest . About 300,000 square acres, with more than 600 acres of hiking trailings. Some of the most scenic part is along the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mt. Pisgah. (The tower you see on top of the mountain belongs to the local ABC-TV affiliate, WLOS. *** Cataloochee, at eastern edge of Great Smokies National Park. Mountain cove with vacant homes, churches, schools and farm buildings, left standing as monument to early 20th century mountain life, after land was acquired by Park Service; open daily weather permitting; free. * Oconaluftee Visitors Center, Cherokee entrance to Great Smokies National Park. Reconstruction of large mountain farm; open daily; free. ** Mt. Mitchell State Park, north of Asheville off Blue Ridge Parkway. Highest mountain peak east of the Rockies; open daily weather permitting (often closed in winter); free. ** Grove Park Inn, Asheville. Turn-of-the-century mountain resort hotel with interesting architecture and exhibits, including Biltmore Homespun Museum, Classic Car Museum and large collection of Arts and Crafts-style furniture; open daily; exhibits free. ** Penland School, near Spruce Pine. Nationally known folk and crafts school; open by appointment, although you can drive through the campus and visit the school's shop; free. ** North Carolina Arboretum, near Asheville. State arboretum now being developed; open daily; free. * Gem Mining, Yancey and Macon counties, and elsewhere. You're unlikely to find a truly valuable sapphire or other gem, but it's fun for kids. Most mining is in commercial "mines" where you buy "salted" buckets of dirt and then look for gems in a sluice. There's more, but these are probably the highlights of interest to the visitor. SPORTS: Western North Carolina a mecca for outdoor sports enthusiasts. Among the activities available: Hiking and Camping: Some of the East's best hiking is along thousands of miles of national park and national forest trails. The Smokies and Linville Gorge Wildnerness are among the favorites. The area has many public campgrounds. Some of the best include those at Mt. Pisgah, Mt. Mitchell, and Davidson River. Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking: Good rafting, canoeing, and kayaking are available on the Nantahala, Tuckasegee, and French Broad rivers. On summer and fall weekends, the Nantahala in particular is literally awash with rafts and kayaks. Fishing: Mountain streams are alive with brown, rainbow or native speckled trout. Golf: There are several dozen courses in Western North Carolina. Among the best are those at the Grove Park Inn, Maggie Valley Resort, and High Hampton Inn & Country Club. Snow Skiing: WNC has several ski resorts. Most are clustered in the Boone/Blowing Rock area (Appalachian Ski Mountain, Ski Beech, and Sugar Mountain, among others) but Cataloochee in Maggie Valley is a short drive from Asheville. All these resorts, typically open from early December to late February, have man-made snow, but occasional warm spells can spoil skiing. Baseball: The Asheville Tourists, a farm team of the Colorado Rockies, in the Sally League (Single A), play at McCormick Field on Biltmore Avenue in South Asheville. McCormick Field, one of the oldest stadiums in the United States, underwent a multi-million renovation in 1992-93, and the result is a wonderful place to enjoy baseball. Seating is comfortable and close to the action. In the cool of a mountain evening, baseball just doesn't get any better than this, except perhaps at Wrigley Field or Fenway Park. LODGING: Asheville has a wide variety of accommodations, from chain motels to several dozen B&Bs and inns to mountain cabins and upscale mountain resorts. Some of the best places to stay in the Asheville area, my ratings * to ****: Inns, Small Hotels and B&Bs (Asheville has about 40 B&Bs): **** Cedar Crest, 704-252-1389 -- deluxe, romantic B&B south near Biltmore House **** Albemarle Inn, 704-255-0027-- lovely setting north in upscale residential setting, very nice **** Richmond Hill , 704-252-7313-- restored inn, two fine restaurants, north near UNC- A, general location not as nice as Grove Park Inn, but grounds are beautiful *** Abbington Green, 704-251-2454 -- friendly, comfortable B&B in Montford area *** Beaufort House, 704-254-8334 -- nicely restored, north between Charlotte Street and Merrimon Avenue ** Haywood Park Hotel, 704-252-2522 -- downtown luxury hotel in former Ivy's Department store building ** Forest Manor Motel -- 704-274-3531, well-run, attractive independent motel on Highway 25 south of Asheville *** Ox-Ford Farm Bed & Breakfast Inn, 704-658-2500, in restored farm house on working farm north of Asheville near Weaverville -- quiet country setting, very pleasant *** Pisgah Inn, 704-235-8228, at a mile high at Mt. Pisgah on Blue Ridge Parkway -- a motel, but with fabulous views, closed winter ** Red Rocker Country Inn, 704-669-5991, pleasant small hotel in Black Mountain, good country-style rewstaurant Other nice B&Bs include A Bed of Roses, Acoprn Cottage, Applewood Manor, Arbor Rose Inn, Black Walbut, Bride Path Inn, Cairn Brae Mountain Retreat, Inn on Montford, Old Reynolds Mansion, Weaverville Featherbed, Whitegate Inn, and Windsong (Clyde) Mountain Resort: **** Grove Park Inn, 704-252-2711 -- classic mountain inn, beautiful setting, lots to do including golf and tennis, old section is most interesting Cabins: **** Mountain Spring Cabins, Chalets, Cottages 704-665-1004 -- everything you want in a mountain cabin except not as isolated and private as perhaps it should be Ranch: **** Pisgah View Ranch, 704-667-9100 -- family-run "dude ranch" on 2,000 acres, lovely mountain setting, great country food served family style -- not fancy, though Other Good Hotels and Motels: ** Courtyard by Marriott -- on busy Tunnel Road near Asheville Mall ** Hampton Inn at I-26 at Biltmore Square Mall , 704-667-2022 or 1-800-HAMPTON-- indoor pool (there are other Hampton Inns on Tunnel Road in Asheville and in Hendersonville) ** Wingate at I-26 near Biltmore Square Mall, new (1997) all-suites motel * Holiday Inn Express at I-26 near Biltmore Square Mall, new (1997) budget motel ** Quality Inn Biltmore, 704-274-1800 -- well-managed, on HIghway 25, convenient to Biltmore House ** Fairfield Inn, 704-684-1144 -- good economy motel near Asheville airport ** Ramada Plaza West, 704-665-2161 -- indoor pool, at I-40 and US Highway 19-23 ** Radisson, 704-252-8211-- high-rise downtown hotel, just off I-240 expressway RESTAURANTS: Mountain Cooking is just a variation on Southern Cooking, with a bit more emphasis on local items such as vegetables adapted to mountain gardens, pan-fried rainbow trout, country-cured ham, buttermilk biscuits, and skillet corn-bread . The story is told about Thomas Wolfe, six and a half feet, 300-pounds, would occasionally get together with friends in Manhattan and eat collard greens, cornbread, pinto beans, country ham, and other favorites from his mountain childhood. Does Asheville have a lot of good restaurants? Ummm. It certainly has a lot of restaurants. Statistics from the trade publication Restaurant Business show that Asheville is somewhat overbuilt in restaurants. Asheville has plenty of decent places to eat which offer value for your money. Choices range from inns serving local mountain cooking to Thai, various Chinese cuisines, Caribbean, Mexican, Italian, Indian and other ethnic varieties. On the other hand, Asheville does not have many -- some would say it does not have any -- really extraordinary restaurants, those interesting and trend-setting places run by chefs of with the potential for national reputation. The area also has the usual chain restaurants -- Applebee's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and such. The quality of restaurant fare definitely is improving in Asheville, as more people with well-traveled and well-heeled taste buds relocate to the area. Some of my favorites, rated * to *** (no **** in Asheville). ** Acropolis, south, near airport, cheap Greek and Italian -- such a bargain it's always jammed * Barbecue Inn, west on Patton Avenue, inexpensive BBQ * Beanstreets Coffee, downtown Asheville, good coffee (my brother roasts some of it) * Biltmore Dairy Bar, near Biltmore Estate, classic sandwich shop ** Boston Pizza, north, near UNC-A, good and inexpensively priced pizza and Italian ** Blue Moon Bakery, downtown on Biltmore Avenue, best French bread in town, light meals * Cafe on Square -- pleasant bistro atmosphere on Pack Square * Chelsea's, Biltmore Village, tea room ** China Palace, near Asheville Mall, nicely done Szchuan and other dishes ** China Gardens, west near Biltmore Square Mall, best Chinese buffet in Western North Carolina ** Delores and Jose's Mexican Restaurant, West Asheville, on Haywood Road, simple but good homemade Mexican, where migrant workers eat * Donut Wheel, north, on Merrimon Avenue, best donuts in town ** Flying Frog Cafe, downtown Asheville, eclectic Indian and other * Four Cent Cotton, downtown Weaverville, pleasant little casual spot * Grove Park Inn, north, overlooking Asheville, several adequate but not special restaurants * Harry's Bagels, north, on Merrimon Avenue, great, just like in Queens * J&S Cafeterias, west on Hwy. 19-26 and near airport, cheap local cafeteria food * Laughing Seed, downtown Asheville, vegetarian * Little Pigs Barbecue, south on McDowell near Asheville High, and elsewhere *** Marketplace, downtown Asheville, new American cooking, one of best restaurant in town * McGuffey's, Tunnel Road, local chain * Mt. View Restaurant, west, on Brevard Road near Biltmore Square Mall, blue plate specials * Moose Cafe, west, at I-40 and Brevard Road, another blue plate spot * Pisgah Inn, at a mile high at Mt. Pisgah on Blue Ridge Parkway, okay food, fabulous views ** Pisgah View Ranch, west, off Pisgah Highway, best mountain food around, served family style * Restaurant 1898, on Pack Square downtown, small place with good seafood *** Richmond Hill Inn, north, interesting food, good service at two restaurants -- Gabrielle's is fairly formal, Arbor Grill is more casual * Three Brothers, downtown Asheville, blue plate specials ** 23 Page, downtown Asheville * Wanpen, south on Highway 25, authentic Thai * Weaverville Milling Company, near Weaverville, a variety of popular dinners in an attractive setting in an old mill * Westside Grill, west, on Patton Avenue, retro ECONOMY: The local economy is strong, with a diversified economic base of manufacturing, services, tourism, health care, retail/wholesale distribution and some agriculture. Employment is under 4%. Unlike the fast-growing manufacturing areas of Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., and Piedmont North Carolina, the Asheville area topography is not well-suited for industrial development. With a few exceptions such as Champion International's pulp mill in Canton and BASF in Enka, most manufacturing in the area is small or moderate in size. While the area has lost some manufacturing jobs -- including recent major losses of an ITT brake plant (500 jobs), Ball (about the same), and other high-paying manufacturing positions -- these are being replaced, to a degree, by distribution, other light manufacturing, and telemarketing centers. The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, stung by some failures in industry recruiting, replaced its executive director. The health services industry is important to the area, since Asheville is the medical hub of a 12-county region. Two large regional hospitals, Memorial Mission and St. Joseph's, which have merged parts of their operations, anchor a large medical services complex in south Asheville. A veterans hospital, a psychiatric hospital, substance abuse facilities and many clinics are also in Asheville. Most larger towns in the area also have community hospitals. Tourism is the fastest-growing industry. The Great Smokies National Park is the No. 1 park in the U.S. in terms of number of visitors, with some 9 million visitors a year. The mountains get tourists from all over the Southeast, some from the Ohio Valley, and a few from other parts of the country. Asheville, with about 6,000 hotel rooms, attracts regional and some smaller national conventions, with the grand old Grove Park Inn being the leading convention property. During the summer and especially the fall, the area's inns, hotels, motels and B&Bs are usually booked to near capacity. Asheville alone has almost 40 B&Bs. Biltmore House draws 700,000 people a year, at almost $25 a whack. The downside, and it can be a major one for some people, is that salary levels around Asheville are low. There are plenty of jobs, but the majority are in low-pay categories. This is true at almost all levels, from manufacturing job to professional/executive ones. An exception is probably the medical area, where pay scales are competitive with other areas of similar size. The other exception, of course, are entrepreneurial opportunities -- business owners here do as well, or as poorly, as anywhere else. There also is a dearth of jobs in high-technology fields. GOVERNMENT: What can you say? Politicians are politicians anywhere. Asheville and Western North Carolina run to conservative politics, but not extreme conservatism. The local 11th U.S. District congressional race, for example, in recent years has been traded back and forth between Democrats and Republicans. The present incumbent is a moderately conservative Republican. Asheville and Buncombe politics are only slightly corrupt, and generally local pols try to take a low-key, middle-of-the-road stance. BEST AREAS TO LIVE: Of course, that's subjective. The fastest-growth areas of Asheville have been north in the county (the Weaverville area), south along the US25 corridor and southeast in the Fairview/Reynolds area. These, along with Biltmore Forest near the Biltmore Estate, and north in the city on Sunset Mountain and the Grove Park area, are among the highest income sections. The town of Black Mountain, east in the county, has many retirees -- it's a lovely small town, as is nearby Montreat. West Asheville, which has both good areas and some not-so-nice ones, generally offers the best values in housing. Good places to live are available in most areas of the county. The area southwest in the county near the new Biltmore Square mall is seeing a lot of new development. Gentrification of the Montford area near downtown continues, and a number of the large old homes here have been converted to B&Bs. Other nearby towns and cities of special interest to newcomers: Hendersonville, the No. 2 city in the region, attracts large numbers of retirees. The city itself is charming, and there are beautiful residential areas all around it. Waynesville, in Haywood County, is a gateway to the Smokies and an very popular area for summer homes. Brevard, in Transylvania County, offers pleasant small town living with a small college, a summer music festival, and very good public schools. Each of these towns is about a three-quarter-hour drive from Asheville. A little further afield is Highlands, an affluent little town and the highest -elevation incorporated town in North Carolina. From late spring to fall, about all you see in Highlands are Florida license tags. North of Asheville are Mars Hill, Spruce Pine, and Burnsville, all attractive little towns. Mountainaire, with its incredible views and mile-high golf course and landing strip, is one of several upscale real estate developments in this area. REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Here are the phone numbers of several larger real estate agencies with generally good local reputations. (There are dozens of real estate firms in the Asheville area, and lack of listing here does not necessarily mean they are not recommended.) Beverly-Hanks & Associates (the largest local firm, also with offices in Skyland and Hendersonville): 704-254-7221 Carroll Butler Demos 704-254-7733 Coldwell Banker Harrell & Associates: 704-274-4141 Four Seasons/Better Homes & Gardens: 704-253-3309 Gatewood-Boettcher Real Estate: 704-251-1800 J.D. Jackson & Associates: 704-258-2222 Preferred Properties: 704-258-2963 RE/MAX Advantage Realty: 704-254-0771 Note that there is no comprehensive land-use planning or even zoning in most rural areas in the mountains. Mobile homes are a scourge upon the land. SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: Student performance statistics show that the Western North Carolina mountain school systems -- along with Chapel Hill, home of the University of North Carolina -- have the best schools in the state. This, however, does not mean that the school systems are excellent. Some are good, some are pretty awful, and most are mediocre by national standards. The best Buncombe County school system is widely considered to be the Reynolds district. Other above-average school districts include T.C. Roberson, Erwin and Enka-Candler. The Asheville City school system has some problems, although it also has several excellent schools. Asheville High School has a well- equipped campus with the look of a small college. There are a number of private and parochial schools in the area. Carolina Day (pre-K to 12), an expensive private school with a healthy endowment, the Asheville School (a nationally known prep school), Asheville Catholic (pre-K to 8), Asheville Christian Academy (pre-K to 12), Christ School (another boarding prep school) and others. Asheville is home to the University of North Carolina at Asheville, part of the state university system. This liberal-arts oriented university offers degrees up to the master's level. It has frequently been named one of the best small colleges in the U.S., and one of the best values. There are two large technical schools in the area, Asheville-Buncombe Tech, and Blue Ridge Community College, along with several private colleges -- Montreat, Warren Wilson, Brevard, and Mars Hill. Two other large state schools are in the region, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee and Appalachian State in Boone. CLIMATE: This is one of the major attractions of the area. Asheville offers four seasons without any one of them being burdensome. Winters -- late November to mid-March -- are fairly mild. Around Asheville, there are usually two or three sizable snows, mostly coming late in the winter, but unlike in North the snow usually lasts only a few days and does not stay on the ground. In January or February there often is a period of a few days of near-zero nighttime temps, but in general cold winter days alternate with sunny mild days in the 50s or 60s. The northern mountains around Boone and Blowing Rock get more snow -- there are ski resorts there. The areas around Hendersonville and Brevard tend to have warmer winters (the mountains have a variety of micro climates). Summers, again, are moderate. Around Asheville, day-time highs in mid- summer are usually mid-80s F., with lows in the low 60s. Many people don't have air conditioning, although there are times in July and August when it can come in handy. Temps are altitude-dependent. It is said that every 100 feet of increased elevation is equal to being 100 miles farther north. Autumn and spring are glorious in the mountains. October is probably the most beautiful month, with cool dry days and crisp nights. Humidity is fairly high most of the year, but because of moderate temperatures it is not as oppressive as in many areas of the South and East. BUGS AND NUISANCES: The mountains have few bug problems -- no "black fly season" as in New England, no cockroach armies as in Florida and the Gulf Coast, no black widow spider season as in Arizona, few mosquitoes. Earthquakes are possible, but none of any importance has been recorded since the area was settled. Hurricanes don't get this far inland. The mountains tend to act as a buffer against tornadoes, and these funnel clouds are extremely rare here. Flooding, most typically along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, happens irregularly. The area does not suffer from regular dry-season forest fires, as do parts of the U.S. West, although occasional fires do occur. HOUSING: Housing costs in Asheville are moderate to high-moderate, and on the rise due to demand. The area's housing costs are similar to that of Raleigh, a much larger metro area. While stats on average housing costs can be misleading, comparisons by real estate brokers show generally a three- bedroom executive home is around $130,000 to $180,000 in the Asheville area. The average selling price of all homes sold in Buncombe County in 1996 was $130,736. As of mid-1997, there were 1,158 properties on the market in the county, with an average asking price of $187,814. Through mid-year, 783 houses were sold in the county. Small houses in West Asheville are available from $40,000, whereas homes in better areas of North Asheville and Biltmore Forest run $200,000 to $400,000 or more. Building lots in subdivisions range from about $12,000 to $35,000 or more. Land in the county goes for $2,000 to $10,000 per acre in small to mid-size tracts. Land in rural areas of Madison County and other surrounding counties often is less expensive, sometimes under $1,000 an acre, and of course the larger the tract the lower the price per acre. Most land is sold with owner financing. Peak season for real estate sales in Asheville is March through October. Houses for rental are difficult to find, especially those in the $300 to $600 a month range. It can take several weeks of hunting to find a nice house. Apartments, mostly clustered in the south and east areas of Asheville, are more available and less costly. You would typically pay from $350 to $500 for two-bedroom apartment. SHOPPING AND SERVICES: Asheville is large enough to provide the usual mix of national chains -- Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sam's, Home Depot, and the others are all here. In addition, it has a reasonable selection of uniquely local shops and stores. Malls: Asheville has two large regional malls, the Asheville Mall on Tunnel Road in East Asheville and Biltmore Square Mall on Highway 191 (Brevard Road) Southwest in the county near Enka. Asheville Mall is older, slightly larger, and busier. It has 100-something stores including anchors Sears, Belk, Montgomery-Ward (coming) and Dilliard's. Biltmore Square is still not fully leased. It has anchors Proffitt's, Belk and Dilliard's. Local: The WNC Farmer's Market, I-40 at Brevard Road, developed and operated by the state, is a big business, doing over $40 million a year in sales, even though the market is closed for a few weeks in mid-winter. Biltmore Village is a collection of boutiques and restaurants, across US Highway 25 from the Biltmore House entrance, in old houses once the homes of artisans who worked at the Biltmore Estate. Many of the original cottages and buildings were designed by architects Richard Morris Hunt and Richard Sharp Smith and were designed and built, with quaint timbers and pebbledash walls, between 1889 and about 1910. The streets were laid out in a fan shape, with a central axis between All Souls Episcopal Church, the highest building in the Village, and the train depot. The Village remains an oasis of charm, even if ugly billboards and garish fast-food restaurants have encroached around the edges. Downtown Asheville has staged a remarkable comeback from its low point in the 1960s when, as with many other cities, it lost many of its stores to suburban malls. Today, the Wall Street area, Biltmore Avenue, Pack Square and Lexington Avenue are bustling with shops, restaurants, and galleries. Supermarkets: Ingles is the dominant local grocery chain, with stores -- many of them large new units -- everywhere. The Fresh Market (in North Asheville and in Hendersonville) is a local favorite for upscale groceries. Earthfare, mostly organic megastore, is selling tofu like pancakes. Bookstores: There are more than 30 bookstores in Asheville, a lot for a small city, including several exceptional independent bookstores. Malaprop's, on Haywood Street near the Civic Center and main library, has an arty, San Francisco-ish feel. It has a good selection of psychology/self-awareness and local-interest books, and a cafe downstairs. Nearby is Captain's Bookshelf, which specializes in rare books and first editions. The Book Store on Wall Street at 18 Wall Street, has a resident cat and a first-rate selection of children's books. One of the owners is a widely published children's book author. Among the chain and franchise book stores, Books-a-Million has the largest inventory, including the best selection of travel books. Walden and B. Dalton are at both the Asheville and Biltmore Square malls, and Little Professor is on US Highway 25. Antique shopping is good along Lexington Street in downtown Asheville. There are factory outlets at River Ridge Shopping Center and elsewhere. Arts and Crafts: Asheville is a leading national center for arts and crafts, especially pottery. Blue Spiral One Gallery is one of the country's top "serious" crafts galleries. The New Morning Gallery in Biltmore Village is considered one of the best commercial galleries in the country, with appealing, and extensive, selection of pottery, art glass, jewelry and other items. The Grovewood Gallery on the grounds of the Grove Park Inn is another large shop. The Grove Park Inn itself is filled with Arts and Crafts pieces (not for sale), with Roycroft furniture in guest rooms and Morris chairs in the lobby. Others include Allanstand, Folk Art Center, Flood Zone Studios, with functional pottery at Pisgah Forest Pottery, Evan's Pottery and Brown's Pottery. Financial Services: The area has the usual host of local, regional and national brokerage firms and banks. Dominant banks in the area include Wachovia and First Union. Because of the large number of affluent retirees in the area, national brokerage firms have a strong presence here. MEDIA: The daily newspaper is the Asheville Citizen-Times, tel. 704- 252-5611. It is a Gannett paper. There are several monthlies and weeklies, with Mountain Express, a weekly, being among the best.. The dominant local television station is WLOS-TV (affiliated with ABC). Channel 33 is the local Public Television station. With Greenville and Spartanburg, S.C., the Asheville area is in the top 40 national television markets, served also by NBC, CBS, Fox and independents. Most of the Asheville area, except for more-remote rural areas, is wired for cable. Asheville has about a dozen radio stations, with the dominant, WWNC, programming country music. WCQS, programming primarily classical and jazz, is the Asheville public radio licensee, with WNCW, a public station with a mixed bag of popular, country and some classical programming, also serving the area. OTHER HELPFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce: 704-258-3858 Asheville-Buncombe Library System: 704-255-5203 BellSouth Business Offices: 704-780-2355, or 800-767-2355 Better Business Bureau: 704-253-2392 Buncombe County government administrative offices: 704-255-5000 Buncombe County schools: 704-255-5876 Carolina Power & Light: 704-258-1010 City of Asheville administrative offices: 704-259-5600 City of Asheville schools: 704-255-5304 First Call for Help: (a general referral service supported by Buncombe County and the United Way) 704-252-4357 NC Center for Creative Retirement: 704-251-6140 NC Employment Security Commission: 704-251-6200 CRIME: As anywhere, crime happens in Asheville, but compared with larger or poorer metro areas, and compared to the national average, crime is less a problem here. Violent crime rates in Asheville are well under one-half the rate of the average metro area in the U.S. and only one-third to one-half the rate of high-crime urban areas such as New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, Memphis or San Francisco. Property crime rate is about one-fourth less than the national average for metro areas. County and rural crime rates in the mountains are even lower. DOWNSIDES: No area is paradise. Here are some of the downsides to the Asheville area: :: Because of the diversity of plant life in the Southern Appalachians -- one of the most species-rich areas in the world -- those susceptible to allergies may well find something to be allergic to here. :: Salaries and job opportunities are generally lower here than several other parts of the region including Charlotte, Greenville-Spartanburg, Greensboro-Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham. :: Living costs are no lower, and in some cases may be higher, than in similar-sized or even larger cities in the Southeast. :: Cultural and social opportunities, while better than most cities of its size, cannot match those in a large metro area such as Atlanta. :: Public schools, while among the best in the state, generally are mediocre to below-average by national standards. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - About the writer: Lan Sluder is a travel writer and travel publisher. His work has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsday and the Miami Herald. He is author or co-author of several books including Frommer's Best Beach Vacations, Carolinas and Georgia, published by Macmillan in 1996, and is editor and publisher of Belize First, an independent quarterly magazine on travel and life in Belize. For more information on these publications, CompuServe members may contact Lan Sluder at 74763,2254, or write Equator Travel Publications, 280 Beaverdam Road, Candler, NC 28715, or fax 704-667-1717. -30- This information has been uploaded by Lan Sluder - 74763,2254. It comes to you from the United States Library on the Travel Forum on Compuserve. If you've found this file of value, why not help out a fellow traveler? When you return from your next trip, post a Postcard, Trip Report or other file in the Travel Forum Libraries. Uploads are easy ... and free of CIS charges!