8 Pros and Cons to Living in Asheville.

If you know my story, you know I am taking one year off from my career as a landscape designer to travel the country (and hopefully, the world) for 1–2 month stays at a time. 

From moving around as a child, to experiencing my formative years in Maryland, to starting my career in Fort Lauderdale, FL, I have now completed my second “temporary” home, being Asheville, NC. (PS: Can you guess where we stayed for our 1st month of this journey? Hint: Stay Weird. See what our final thoughts were here!)

Let’s face it – there has been a growing buzz about Asheville that piqued our interest and put Asheville on our radar for the past 3 years or so.

It has become a hot destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties. I mean – beer, hiking, and mountain air – what more could you want?

I’m a huge fan of small cities. Fort Lauderdale was very much ideal in many ways. Thus I wanted to know more about Asheville, being a small, youthful and up and coming city now more than ever. 

TLDR; Pros: A lot of great things to do for every type of person, Affordable, Friendly People, Safe for All Types of People, Great for Families, Great Energy for a Southern City. Cons: Not great for boaters or water lovers, Surprisingly Bad Rush Hour Traffic, Geographically Isolated.

My Humble Opinion After Two Months of Asheville Life.

Pro 1. A LOT for Everyone

Art lover? Beer lover? History lover? Nature lover? Golf lover? Mountain bike lover? Asheville doesn’t just scratch the surface of these things – It does them damn well. 

Art: The number of impressive studios we saw around the town was amazing. Nearby small towns like Black Mountain and Leicester are very art driven too. Just seeing the amazing art that’s in Downtown gift shops tells you that people around here are fantastic artists.

Beer: We all may have heard that Asheville has the most breweries per capita. This means that you WILL find several breweries that you enjoy and at least one that is perfect for you. I get it – everyone has their own preferences with beer, but even if you’re picky you will find amazing stuff. Variety? Go to Burial Beer or New Belgium. Ambiance? Go to Sierra Nevada. Sours? Go to Dssolvr, New Belgium, or Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium.

History: The Biltmore and Grove Park Inn are two popular historic places that are accessible to the public. However, even beyond those, there are many historic gems, as Asheville has a rich and interesting history.

Nature: As I like to say, the Blue Ridge Parkway gives Asheville, NC a hug. Several 100+ mile long trail systems connect nearby Asheville including the Art Leob Trail, Mountain to Sea Trail (MTS), and the Appalachian Trail. So the opportunities for hiking are really endless. Not to mention the many nature preserves/parks/natural monuments that surround Asheville.

Golf: Now, I’m not a golfer, but we witnessed several gorgeous golf courses in town including the Grove Park Golf Course, Biltmore Forest Country Club,  and Country Club of Asheville.

Mountain Biking: Now, I’m not a mountain biker either (lol!) but my boyfriend is! He proclaims that is a haven for mountain biking, and even better is just a short drive away to the area surrounding Greenville, SC. 

Bonus: For those of you wondering about skiing, we were there in the summer and didn’t get to experience it. So I’ll refer you to this article here breaking down the best skiing spots nearby Asheville.

Con 1. Water lovers beware

While there is the French Broad River and some small lakes now and then, recreational boating doesn’t seem to be in the works in Asheville.

Walking trails and parks in and around the River Arts District can at least allow for some decent water viewing, but the portion of the French Broad that runs through Asheville is quite underwhelming in terms of its natural beauty. The water is brown and the river is narrow.

Please note this DOES NOT apply to smaller watercraft like kayaks and tubes. You can even do whitewater sports close by to Asheville if that’s your jam.

Pro 2. Live Rich (on a budget!)

The median home price in Asheville proper is $385K as of August 2021. This is not that far off from the national average of $363,300. 

The median 2-bedroom apartment rent is $1,237 in the greater metro Asheville area.

The average monthly net salary (after tax) is $3,480, translating to $41,760 (again, after tax). 

And generally it seemed that you could live well without breaking the bank. Some examples:

• Beers were so cheap compared to what I was used to. Many breweries hover around $4 for a draft pint.
• Rental options were highly available and not too competitive.
• Rental options were very attractive while being fairly priced.
• Home prices seemed achievable for great properties. You can have your dream home with a gorgeous view (since the city is surrounded by mountains) without breaking the bank

Con 2. Rush Hour Traffic is Bad

So think twice before you decide to commute into the city from the outskirts. We got caught in it twice and it was appalling – even coming from the DC Metro Area and Fort Lauderdale/Miami area. 

Pro 3. One Word: FRIENDLY

I found everyone, from the workers, to the passersby, buskers, and even the homeless to be surprisingly friendly almost everywhere we went in the city. I can’t spout enough gratitude to everyone for this and making our time so great. Stay amazing Asheville!

Pro 4. Safe (For ALL)

I found Asheville to live up to its reputation as a very accepting city. Some compare it to Portland, Oregon in its liberal energy. I truly felt that Asheville is quite a safe haven for self expression and being true to oneself.

Con 3. Isolated (?)

So of course, to say that Asheville feels “isolated” comes with a big asterisk. It felt isolated to me because I didn’t have any family/friends in the area – while on the other hand, half of my boyfriend’s family lives close by in Knoxville. 

Geographically, it is quite isolated, being a small valley tucked away in the mountains. It’s gorgeous, but quite distant from the next “big city,” which I suppose would either be Knoxville, TN or Charlotte, NC. 

North Carolina is a deceivingly huge state, and Asheville is a whopping 7 HOUR DRIVE from the ocean. I know. I can’t believe it either. 

Pro 5. Great for Families

Safe, friendly, affordable – All of the above should be convincing you that Asheville is great for families. But I thought this was a point I should emphasize.

I want to paint a picture for you:

You purchase a modest but beautiful home in the Kenilworth neighborhood of Asheville, only a 10 minute drive to the heart of downtown. You can easily drive your SUV full of children to One Tunnel Road to do all of your shopping needs if you prefer the flexibility of finding a large parking space. 

A festival is going on in Downtown, so you head over to Pack Square Park and watch as your lovely little children have the time of their lives dancing to the live music.

Later that week, some friends want to get together for drinks. Luckily the brewery scene in Asheville is extremely kid friendly (and dog friendly, if you’re that kind of family). Spacious breweries with sprawling outdoor areas allow you the space to let your child have fun while you enjoy a brew with your friends. 

One family friendly “bar” that stood out to me was Rabbit Rabbit. A huge parking lot-turned-outdoor bar. We went late (like 11pm) on a Friday night and were amazed at how much fun it was for the little kids. There was a silent disco going on and the kids were having more fun than the adults!

Pro 6. Great Energy for a Southern City

I’ve traveled around the South quite a bit. I can’t quite put into words why oftentimes the mid-sized or even large towns just don’t cut it for me.

The only way I can put it is that some southern cities have bad energy.

Asheville is totally different. Rather, it has amazing energy. 

People are always out and about and happy. This is probably due to the fact that it is home to many outdoorsy folk who have that kind of laid back and pleasant energy. 

The city sprawls outwards from Downtown in a way that is natural, so you don’t just fall off a development cliff and wind up in a desolate part of town. “Desolate” really isn’t in Asheville’s vocabulary. 

In a Nutshell: Why Asheville is a fantastic place to live.

For a Southern city, it has a great energy, a sense of camaraderie, and an acceptance for all types of people. I left my two months in Asheville feeling truly touched by the beauty of its people. Beyond that, it is really a mountain haven for every type of person.

You get some of the benefits of being in the South – such as great food, slow and happy lifestyle, and affordability – with many of the benefits of being in the North – great city energy, diverse cuisine, and tolerance of individuality and self expression. 

The nature is not only beautiful, but approachable for beginners. Sure, it may not have as much majesty as the Cascades in Oregon or the Rockies in Colorado, but the Blue Ridge Mountains are spectacular in their own way. The available hikes are diverse, with many options for waterfall hikes, summit hikes, and other unique destinations. 

Asheville makes it easy for you to live a happy and healthy life. Centered around family and friends, recreation, and nature. Would you agree? Comment below!

As always, thank you for following my journey at @themonthlymigrant on Instagram.