Hello there, we are in the process of selecting a place to relocate/retire. I know just what you need another ex Californian. LOL. We are considering Asheville. Have heard some great things and it seems like there are some very nice twisties up in those hills. Would love to hear your impressions of the area both good and bad. Everything from "How many months of the year will I have to garage my S"? to "What areas would I want to buy a home in"?

I look forward to reading your comments. Thanks in advance!

 

Of the times I have visited Asheville, I have really enjoyed it...a beautiful city indeed. And c'mon...only 1.5 from the friggin' Dragon...I'm just the *wrong* person to ask about Asheville.

 

Ok you all have to tell me about this "dragon"

 

Are you SERIOUS!

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/ - definite plus

Snow, definite minus

Lots of "country folk", but also lots of granola types. Asheville is a great place to live, nice down town, Biltmore Estate, reasonably close to stuff, good loction if you want to ski on the East coast hills.

 

OMGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWDDDDDDDDDDDDD !


Don't worry about the house, property, neighbors, or anything else... once you have slayed the Dragon and realize you can live within that short a drive from it... you will be willing to live in anything.

 

If you are moving from Cali, then Asheville will be a big change for you. Believe me, I know. I moved from Cali about 10 years ago. Life here is slower, but you will get use to it. Check out Raleigh and Cary also. Be careful of Raleigh, there are section of north Raleigh that is pretty rough. Just my opinion though.

 

I can't give a comparison because I have never been to Ca., but I love the NC mountains. I went to Appalachian State Univ. in Boone and would have loved to have been able to stay in the mts.

I have lived in Raleigh, Durham and Cary though. It is about the opposite of the mts. It is a much more urban, metropolitan area, with lots of techies, which for me tranlates into crowded and expensive. But since Asheville is a popular retirement area and was highly rated in

 

I have only visited Asheville, but it is really nice. From what I can see on Google Earth, Elk Gove, CA looks like it has a lot of high-denisty subdivisions. Is it correct to say you are a suburb of Sacramento?

Asheville has its share of new growth, but also has some really nice older areas. The population is pretty eclectic, and the politics are pretty moderate, considering the overall conservative majority in NC and SC in general. Asheville has the highest real estate costs/values in NC, due in part to the influx of people retiring or relocating from NY, DC, etc. who arrive with tons of cash from their home sales. It is a four-season climate, and you can't beat the access to miles of great roads.

The best advice is the same as all the AP1 > AP2 threads -- go check it out and then decide.

 

I have only one thing to say.






It's close proximity to the Dragon. That should be enough justification for moving there. Yee haaaa

 

You will enjoy it, just dont go to walmart after 10pm, any night of the week.
There are some good area and bad areas, we also have a local car club in that area as well.

We do trips to the dragon at least 2 times a year, the climate is good as well.
If you want to garage the S cause of snow, then only a few times a year.

Sleet/Ice is the biggest problem down here.