Top Five Reasons to Visit Asheville—A Local’s Perspective
Usually I assume I’m writing for travelers who already have their hearts set on a visit to Asheville. People who know and understand just why they call this place the “Paris of the South.”
But what about the rest of you? The wanderers. The last-minute vacation-planners. People who may have an inkling of what Asheville’s all about, but are unsure of just why they should visit the Paris of the South.
Well, this one’s for you; the undecided. The uninitiated. An article written so that in just under ten minutes, you too will be possessed by the implacable desire to vacation up in the best town mountain in the Blue Ridge.
Ask anyone why you should visit Asheville, and odds are they’re going to mention the great outdoors first and foremost. Typically this coincides with an appreciation for autumn’s changing of the leaves, when these rolling mountainsides are seized by a blanket of awesome, blazing color.
Our botanical scientists place prime season in mid-October, but if you can’t manage a visit during this slender stretch of time, worry not. In winter, we’ve got some of the best holiday festivities and light shows in all of western North Carolina. In spring, we've got warmer weather and wildflower blooms. Come summer: the best time to float down the French Broad River, or take a slide down Sliding Rock.
If you’re pressed for time, there’s no better way to get a little fresh air than visiting the North Carolina Arboretum, or the grounds of the Biltmore Estate. Both places can be reached within a fifteen minute drive or less from just about anywhere in town, and offer paved paths, manicured gardens, and all-in-all easy strolling.
But if you don't mind a longer drive, you could take a trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. This here’s a popular one, especially in leaf season, when every vistas is more colorful than the last. It’s a buffet of mountain views. And while you’re up there, you’ll be heartily tempted to take a stop at a trailhead, and venture on into those woods.
Two of my favorite mountain hikes are Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam. The former’s a good choice for lighter exercise and plenty of waterfalls, while the latter offers one of the very best views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
With all that hiking-talk, it may sound like us Ashevilleans are consummate exercise-fiends. And some of us are. But you know what they say: work hard, eat hard. As a result, Asheville’s something of a foodie paradise, winning the title of Paris of the South by its endless supply of delectable cafes and restaurants.
The epicenter of all this, of course, is downtown. I’ve written before on the slew of eateries on Patton Avenue, covering everything from platters of roast lamb and hummus at Jerusalem Garden to some of the best tacos in town at Sonora Cocina.
Recently, I’ve also been enjoying a lunch or brunch off the edge of Pack Square, right in downtown’s beating heart. Café Bomba offers Latin-inspired breakfasts with a patio perfect for people-watching. Just about a block further south you can find Itto Ramen, one of my favorite spots for tapas, as well as rich, steaming bowls of their namesake.
Once you’ve exhausted downtown’s opportunities (if that’s even possible), head on down to West Asheville’s Haywood Road for a smorgasbord of local joints and hidden gems.
On the eastern end of this street you’ll find OWL Bakery, my top pick for pastries in Asheville. Further down the street, you’ll find Tastee Diner, an innovator in the realm of casual fare and classic Americana. Still further, you’ll find the Sunny Point Café and Biscuit Head, two phenomenal breakfast spots, while at the very end you'll find the Universal Joint, where Ashevilleans come to hang out, and enjoy local beer and burgers from the comfort of their expansive patio.
There’s no place in Asheville more iconic than the River Arts District, a broad stretch of former industrial grounds, converted into a haven for local artists, craftspeople, and galleries.
The heart of all this, so far as I’m concerned, is the twin-threat of Riverview Station and Marquee. Located on the southern end of the district, typically I park outside the former, off Lyman Street, and proceed on foot through Riverview Station’s galleries, workshops, and antique stores, including Akira Satake Ceramics, one of my favorite showrooms.
Afterwards, it's just a short drive or walk east to Marquee, where’ll you’ll find a vast warehouse sectioned off into stalls belonging to all manner of local artists. Furniture, photography, fiber arts; anything you can imagine, it’s all here.
Perhaps the best part of visiting this piece of the River Arts District is that once you’ve had your fill of cultural enrichment, you’ve got a spread of restaurants right across the street, including RosaBee’s Polynesian, and 12 Bones Smokehouse, for that sweet, classic Carolina barbecue.
If you just can’t get enough of the local art scene, head back downtown for its own selection of galleries, plus a visit to the Asheville Art Museum, featuring an impressive rotating exhibition space, and permanent collections specializing in 20th and 21st century art.
At this point in your visit to Asheville, I reckon you’ll be ready to just kick back and relax. Which you could do in the comfort of your hotel room. We’ll get to that subject later.
But if you want to decompress like a local, then downtown Asheville’s South Slope brewing district is the place to go. Here you can sample a nationally-famous selection of local-made IPAs, served from the very hippest taprooms and biergartens, namely Burial Beer, Ben’s Tune Up, and the Funkatorium.
As far as other South Slope amusements, there’s little I enjoy more than gathering some friends or family for an afternoon at a Well-Played Board Game Café. For $7 a head ($10 on weekends), you’ve got yourself access to an endless supply of analog entertainment, alongside lattes, café-fare, and of course, local beers.
Finally, for all you music-lovers, look no further than the South Slope’s iconic Orange Peel concert venue. Tickets available on their website.
When I travel, and if I have my choice in the matter, I like to look for a unique place to stay. There’s no better way to get a real feel for what a city’s all about; its history, its hospitality, and so on.
So as far as hotels go, there’s plenty of special places to stay near downtown, particularly the Foundry Hotel, located in a converted steel mill, as well as the newly renovated Restoration, just down the street from the historic S&W Food Hall.
Outside of downtown, you’ve got the monumental Grove Park Inn itself, founded in 1913 to offer turn-of-the-century travelers a place to convalesce via the healing properties of fresh mountain air. Even if you’re not boarding at the Grove Park, it’s worth a visit for its world-class spa, and yearly Gingerbread House Competition.
But if what you’re looking for is great accommodations at a reasonable price, I humbly suggest Asheville Cottages. With private hot-tubs, fully-furnished kitchens, and a strategic location within a short drive to many of the places recommended in this article, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to stay in Asheville.
Businesses Mentioned
The North Carolina Arboretum
(828)-665-2492
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806
The Biltmore Estate
(800)-411-3812
1 Lodge Street, Asheville, NC 28803
OWL Bakery
295 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Tastee Diner
(828)-575-2073
575 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Sunny Point Café
(828)-252-0055
626 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Biscuit Head
(828)-333-5145
733 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Universal Joint
(828)-505-7262
784 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Well-Played Board Game Café
(828)-412-5788
162 Coxe Ave #101, Asheville, NC 28801
The Orange Peel
(828)-398-1837
101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
The Foundry Hotel
(828)-552-8545
51 S Market St, Asheville, NC 28801
The Restoration
(828)-220-0368
68 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Omni Grove Park Inn
(800)-438-5800
290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
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