Asheville, North Carolina
Population: 61,607
Located in Buncombe County
Asheville, North CarolinaAsheville is the place to escape the daily grind to get out and play. This is the ideal active getaway, where you'll find delicious but healthy cuisine, a funky and thriving downtown and some of the world's best outdoor adventures. Downtown Asheville is a rare place. Artists and street musicians converge with tourists and locals for a vibrancy rarely found in a city of this size. There is always something happening downtown. People sip cups of Joe at one of several locally-owned coffee shops, listen to live music at a local club. They go on art walks, winding their way through downtown's 30-plus galleries. Shoppers inspect unique boutique finds, or people simply enjoy fine cuisine and people-watching. Asheville skipped the urban renewal process that stripped the character from many downtowns. Today, its rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect backdrop to the city's edgy energy. With dozens of arts and crafts galleries, retail shops and antique shops, as well as fresh finds and local food products at 45 farmer tailgate markets in the region, Asheville is a shopper's paradise. Every street downtown leads to a treasure-trove of uncommon businesses that could only flourish in Asheville. There is a diverse mix of shopping malls and shopping districts, along with specialty stores like toy and children's shops and outfitters. Lose yourself in the block-long Grove Arcade, a shopping and dining destination in one location. Built as a planned community in the late 1890s, Historic Biltmore Village features pebble-dash homes once belonging to George Vanderbilt and now featuring elegant restaurants, and interesting boutiques and galleries. The Asheville Arts scene is buzzing, featuring hundreds of fine artists, performing arts venues, mountain crafters, folk artists, hip arts neighborhoods, numerous art galleries and myriad art events. There are several arts districts home to hundreds of artists, such as the 30-plus member Asheville Downtown Gallery Association. Asheville's diverse music scene ranges from bluegrass native to the area to major national acts, opera, ballet, country music and experimental jazz. Street performers entertain crowds on nearly every corner of downtown. For example, get a retro look at some of the fascinating and beautiful antique postcards recently on display at Asheville Art Museum. Asheville has been heralded as a prime arts destination by the New York Times, Southern Living, Travel + Leisure and American Style Magazine, to name a few media accolades. Downtown Asheville festivals are among the most popular in the U.S., including the largest free street festival in the Southeast, one of the nation's best craft fairs, an outdoor sports festival and numerous music festivals. The city earned an international reputation as a premier health resort in the 1890s. By the 1920s, Asheville was a destination for the rich and famous, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Today's visitors find a city steeped in history. Step back in time and experience Gilded Age elegance at America?s largest home, George Vanderbilt?s 250-room Biltmore House. Relive the Victorian era at the circa 1840 Smith-McDowell House-Museum, Asheville's oldest home. Explore the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the acclaimed author's boyhood home and the inspiration for his novel "Look Homeward, Angel." Much of the architecture in downtown was constructed by the same craftspeople who built Biltmore House. Asheville boasts more Art Deco architecture than any southeastern city other than Miami Beach. Neighborhoods North - includes the neighborhoods of Albemarle Park, Beaverdam, Grove Park, and Kimberly. Albemarle Park was designated a local historic district by the Asheville City Council in 1989. South - includes the neighborhoods of Biltmore Village, Reynolds, and Skyland. Biltmore Village was designated a local historic district by the Asheville City Council in 1987. East - includes the neighborhoods of Haw Creek, Oakley, and Oteen. West - includes the neighborhoods of Emma, Malvern Hills, and West Asheville. Source: exploreasheville.com and wikipedia.org
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