Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is that type of unique, special place that lingers sweetly in your mind and memories for years to come. The city's rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the locally owned-shops and art galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues. Known as an art colony, a healing resort and a home to notable luminaries, statesmen and bohemians, Asheville is one of the most welcoming, vibrant cities in America. A bastion of cutting-edge art and technology in the Blue Ridge, the city also prides itself on its fascinating Appalachian past and celebrates this culture with annual events such as Shindig on the Green and Bele Chere. Asheville is often called the Land of the Sky and the Paris of the South.

History: Asheville lies within the boundaries of the original Cherokee country. Visitors from Europe began visiting the area in the 1540s and eventually dominated the Cherokee.  They then began using the area as hunting grounds. The town of Asheville began in the 1700s and began to grow overtime, remaining virtually untouched by the Civil War.  However, the Great Depression hit the town hard in the 1920s and the city was plummeted into great debt. Because of these hard times, the city remained in its original form and is now home to the most comprehensive Art Deco architecture in the United States.  

Population: 71,129

Buncombe County Population: 224,267

Elevation: 2,134 ft.  

Median Home Price: 169,000

Airport: Asheville Regional Airport

Resourceful Websites:

www.ashevillechamber.org

www.exploreasheville.com