Thinking about moving to Asheville, NC. Should I do it?

[Yavin4]

I'm embarking on a major career change next year, and there's a decent chance that it may not work out as I planned. So, I need an exit strategy out of NYC as the cost of living here is overtaking my ability to afford the lifestyle that I want.

Asheville seems to be a good alternative. A small city with a great art scene. A nice climate with no harsh winters. Decent jobs. People seem friendly.

I'm not planning on moving any time soon, but I like to have it as an exit strategy. Besides, I'll be moving to a swing state.

What say you Loungers?

[WhiteTara]

1. Your thinking seems sound

I can't speak to NC as I've never been.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. We just moved to Hendersonville, about 20 miles south of Asheville, about a year ago

we LOVE it - after 28 years in Raleigh, with increasing traffic, increasing population, increasing heat and humidity, it was a spectacular decision for us. Send me a DU msg if you want to take the discussion to more depth - we can move to email too.

What we love about it? We are 20 mi from Asheville (which is great), pretty close to some big towns in SC, short drives to great hiking spots, little to no traffic, some great restaurants. House prices (where we bought) significantly lower (we downsized).

In Raleigh our last summer there were 70 days of 90 degrees and above. Here, this summer, 2! Plus we got a few nice aesthetic snow dustings last Jan and Feb - perfect for the dogs to frolic in, gorgeous to watch fall, but no havoc on the roads.

[LuvNewcastle]

12. I've been to Hendersonville.

I was with my parents on a Thanksgiving holiday trip about 10 years ago. We had been to the mountains, and we were taking the quicker way to Atlanta. We went shopping downtown and stayed in one of those hotels off of the highway. We loved how so much of the town was preserved well. The stores we shopped at were expensive, though. I wasn't able to get much there and stay on my budget. The cost of living is so much cheaper here in the Deep South. But Hendersonville looked like a very nice place to live.

[Claire Oh Nette]

21. Howdy Neighbor!

Discovered Hendersonville in 2012. Bought in Laurel Park in 2014.
Good to see more an more liberals in Hendo.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Why Asheville? Are you familiar with the area? If not, you might consider spending

some time there (weekends?) to get the feel to see if it's right for you or not. Just do a little research before making a decision of that magnitude.

[Siwsan]

4. It is VERY expensive

I love Asheville. The city is really wonderful and I felt very much at home. I thought about moving there, after I retired.

My nephew lives in Mills River, which is very close to Asheville, so I'd be close to him and my grand niece. Any place I checked, anywhere around the vicinity, was so far out of my reach. The money I'd get from selling my house would be a drop in the bucket towards buying anything there, and I've got a nice ranch house in a very desirable neighborhood.

He bought his house for around $160,000 about 10 years ago and now the value has sky rocketed to the point he said it's a struggle to afford the taxes because, unfortunately, his salary didn't take a similar upward direction.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. We sold in Raleigh and got a perfect place for us here in Hendersonville for far less.

we have 2400 sq ft on half acre, sunny, fenced, in the 270 range.

We didn't choose Asheville because it was much more expensive.

[Siwsan]

9. Hendersonville looks very quaint

I admit I didn't think to look at prices there.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. It reminds us of when we lived in NH/VT - four seasons, mountains, lots of country roads

We just wonder why we waited so long to do it (at nearly 65, it was time to downsize and get to one floor. The big flat back yard was a bonus - best garden I ever had, and with only 2 90 degree days, we spent most of every day outdoors from spring to fall).

[Claire Oh Nette]

20. Think Henderson Co.

Asheville is a great city, but just a little south, and you get more house and home for your money. Hendersonville isn't far, and there are nice towns in between, too.

Henderson Co. puts Spartanburg, Greenville, and Charlotte within reach. But Hendersonville is a pretty groovy little place. I spent 45 Years as one a them thar godless California liberals, but moved to greater Metropalachia seven years ago when Mr. O'Nette retired.

It's nice here.

[LisaM]

5. Yes. Very pretty, very friendly.

It's a nice liberal town. I love it there. It's not too far from Charlotte if you want a big city.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. I like Asheville.

It's in a beautiful setting, and the weather is pretty nice there, as far as having milder summers than we do in a lot of the South. They do have winter there, though. It's very close to the mountains and at a higher elevation, so they get some snow and ice every year, although I'm sure it isn't as bad as NYC.

I've only been there as a tourist, so it's hard to gauge what the people are really like there. They're nice and helpful to visitors, that I can tell you. It's a thriving arts scene and there are lots of restaurants and bars, if that's your thing.

[Bayard]

8. The beautiful mountain scenery

In, "Last of the Mohicans", (Daniel Day Lewis version) was filmed around Asheville.

[Shermann]

11. I vacationed in West Asheville for two days last year before the SHTF

It's relaxed atmosphere is my kind of place.

That said there was an odd sour smell there. Not overwhelming, but came and went with the wind. I believe it was from a paper mill nearby. That might be worth looking into if it is an issue. Maybe a resident can chime in regarding what that's all about.

[LakeArenal]

13. It's a beautiful place.

Friends moved there They love it.

[NCDem47]

14. Politically, you'll feel at home in Asheville proper.

Overall, a progressive city council and residents generally have a live-and-let live attitude.

However, things are red throughout other parts of western NC. State house and senate have D representation from Asheville, but R in the US House.

Very outdoorsy nestled in the mountains.

Pre-COVID, air links were connecting the city nonstop to more and more of the country. Easy half-day drives to Atlanta and Charlotte for quick big city fixes.

REI, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Target complement small businesses, one-of-a-kind restaurants and microbreweries for creature comforts and demonstrate some urbaneness.

[LizBeth]

15. It would be lovely, ranked high on liberal oasis, ;) lol more top ten small cities. Asheville comes

in second, mine 3rd but I think we really get #1 cause we are a blue state. Expensive but nothing like NY for sure.

[bullimiami]

16. Asheville is small but still a city and quirky. And the weather here in NC is great.

I give it 3 thumbs up.

[Livluvgrow]

17. Winter time

I lived in the Mountains North of Asheville, and the ice is no joke. We got both iced and snowed in and out of our house at various times. Otherwise it is beautiful, insanely beautiful, and downtown is fricken sweet.

[mnhtnbb]

18. Asheville is one of the liberal centers in NC.

Lots of transplants. Outside of Asheville, it's red.

If you like the mountains, it's a nice choice. Come help turn NC blue!

[TheBlackAdder]

19. It's OK if you're not a Yankee. If you are, you'll be effectively shunned.

.

Oh, when you visit, they love your money because they know you're leaving.

If you try to set up home or a shop there, none of the locals will visit it. Only tourists, so plan on that.

.

[SouthernIrish]

22. I live about an hour from Asheville, but in Tennessee.

I have been to Asheville many times. I love it. It is a liberal town and the focus is on art, music, and great restaurants and shops. You will find it pretty diverse in culture . It is expensive to live there compared to the surrounding area. They do have some treacherous roads in the winter with the ice. Beautiful area.

[mitch96]

23. Here are some comparison web sites..

http://www.city-data.com/city/Asheville-North-Carolina.html

https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/new_york_ny/asheville_nc/overview

There are a bunch of comparison web sites. I like CityData comments by real people..
YMMV
m

[mentalsolstice]

24. We're pretty familiar with the area....

We have great friends who have lived there for 40+ years, and we’ve visited often during the years. They bought their house in the low five figures, now it’s valued at $500,000+.

It’s a great town, nicknamed the “San Francisco of the South.”

However, the winters can be harsh because it’s hilly and roads are covered with ice. We live in NWFL, and we’ve seen hurricane remnants that travel up there, doing more damage than what we’ve seen here.

Downtown Asheville is cool, but it’s gotten so congested. Our friends rarely go there now. Parking is a nightmare. They still love their house on the hillside. They visited us last year and they were almost jealous of our house on a small lake and only a mile to the beach and the climate. However, they agreed, both areas have undergone over development due to greedy local government, without an infrastructure to keep up.

[LeftInTX]

25. It's a popular tourist destination for Floridians

My mom was from Winter Haven and there are pictures of her vacationing Asheville in the 1940s.
Can't blame them..

[mitch96]

27. I remember reading how the "wealthy" people from the low country near the shore would

stay the summer in the mountains of So Carolina and North Carolina. Anything to beat the heat. Same idea as back in the day people form NYC would go to the catskill mountains in the summer...
I don't think they did the flash dance thing though... square dance?
m

[patricia92243]

26. I was born in West Asheville and lived there for 71 years.

The way you will perceive it depends on where you come from. If you are from up north, you will find the winters milder and things cheaper.

If you are from Florida - or the equivalent - it is way more expensive and you will freeze to death in the winter. Also, ALL roads are full of curves and are steep - some worse than others. This can and will be a big deal.

Only you can decide which things are a priority to you. I would STRONGLY suggest you rent for as much time as possible before you move. My daughter rented to some people from Georgia, and they lasted TWO WEEKS. We were shocked at that one.