asheville
Does anyone know anything about Asheville, North Carolina?
I've basically been trying to move to Philadelphia since I graduated from college. However, it's not worked out yet and and I don't feel particularly drawn to the place, despite my best friend living there. After (another) frustrating evening of Craigslist searching, I got to thinking ( Read more... )
I've basically been trying to move to Philadelphia since I graduated from college. However, it's not worked out yet and and I don't feel particularly drawn to the place, despite my best friend living there. After (another) frustrating evening of Craigslist searching, I got to thinking ( Read more... )
Asheville has UNC Asheville which helps support the town and it's cultural and further educational options, and Carrboro has UNC Chapel Hill, which does the same thing for it's cultural and educational options and activities. We live near Carrboro, so I'm biased to it a bit, but we go to Asheville often throughout the year to visit the mountain areas and to see the Biltmore Estate, which is incredible. Both towns are only three hours from one another.
Both towns offer a big Vegan, Vegetarian focus, which is the best, and there are great restaurants for both Vegans and Vegetarians, as well as art museums and galleries in both towns.
It's difficult to really say which area is better, because both are great, although Asheville is more "touristy". I just wasn't sure if you had already heard about Carrboro or not. Are you looking to purchase a house or rent one? It's getting to be a better time to buy now since the banks are once again offering mortgages, and with the number of home foreclosures on the market now, it's getting easy to swoop in and purchase a great house for less money than ever before. I'm not certain of what an apartment search would be like in that area of N.C.
With the job market, things seem to be in a bit of a standstill, but you never know. You might come down and find something right away. It all depends. I wish you luck in your search for the right town. It sounds like you are researching things well and will definitely find what you are looking for. Best of luck. :)
p.s. I almost forgot to mention ...
you may want to visit Explore Asheville if you haven't already, and also ... for a Pagan connection in the area, I would recommend ...
easybakecoven.net ... the owner of that particular website is Pagan and offers a local perspective on various arts and subcultures in the Asheville area where she resides. ;D
Reply
I would be renting an apartment at this point in my life. I'm uncertain as to where I want to end up and I'm looking for something different and exciting right now, but most of all, I'm looking for something kind of temporary in the grand scheme of things.
Everyone I talk to recommends my buying a car if I'm to be living there, but I'm completely uninterested in spending more money that I don't really have on car insurance and maintenance. Is it completely impossible to get around on the public transportation? Is it bad like one friend told me?
I've never even heard of Carrboro, but I will be checking it out...I love the beach probably even more than the mountains, but mountains are pretty damn amazing.
Thanks again for all the info!!!
Anni
Reply
It sounds like you are doing great research though before your move, so that will definitely help you find your niche in the area. Best of luck. :)
Reply
I thinkt hat Asheville may not be the right place for me right now if I'm unwilling to buy a car, but Carrboro sounds amazing!
Where exactly do you live, near Carrboro? Was it easy to find a reasonably priced apartment? What about a job? I suppose I could check the university website to see if they have any openings. Would that be my best bet? Should I try any of the galleries or music venues in the area for openings? What do you do?
Eee, I'm all excited :)
Thank you!
Anni
Reply
I actually live in the Chapel Hill area, but am in Carrboro daily, and I worked for the museums as a docent in the area for a while, although these days I'm a barista over in Asheboro part time (which is about an hour away ... I know ... crazy!)
We own our own home, but a good way to find apartments in the area is the following link:
Carrboro Apartments ... find one today ...
The following links will also be very helpful:
Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough Visitor Information
www.carrboro.com and Carrboro
Carr Mill Mall
A great place to work if you can get hired there is The Spotted Dog Restaurant ... owned by a lesbian couple who are the most amazing people. Great food, great atmosphere.
There is a great bus system in place in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area, so you can bus anywhere with standard routes for FREE. That includes going to the HUGE Streets at Southpoint Mall (which has an outdoor area that is BIG like a theme park). You could take the bus out there daily and work there at one of the many shops, so it would be easy for you to live in Carrboro and work in Durham or anywhere else. ;)
The beaches are 1 1/2 hours away (which sounds far, but really isn't), and makes for a great day-trip out to the coast any time. You would also be only 1 1/2 hours away from Concord Mills Mall, which is the largest shopping center in N.C. over by Charlotte, N.C., and home of NASCAR racing for N.C.
You would only be 2 hours from Charlotte, N.C. and 30 to 40 minutes away from Raleigh, N.C. depending on traffic. Both are great towns for bigger nightlife, although you'd never even need to go to either place with everything that Carrboro has to offer at Cats Cradle, which offers the best in concerts. You would also only be 20 minutes from Burlington, N.C. (which has Alamance Crossing ... a great shopping area), and only 40 minutes from Greensboro, N.C. (which has The Friendly Center, and Asheville is 3 hours away to the mountains and the famous Biltmore Estate. Living in Carrboro would put you right in the middle of the state, within a close proximity to everything between the mountains and beaches. ;)
There are always ways to take Shuttles and Tarheel Taxi's all over the area or you could (rent a car for the day/weekend/week), so you'll find that there is a lot to see and do all around the area easily without ever owning your own car. This area is set up so you never need to own your own vehicle. In fact, Carrboro is known as a bicycle town. ;)
I wish you all the best with your possible move. It's a great area, and I'm sure you will find what you are looking for. :)
Reply
Leave a comment