Are you thinking of moving to Asheville, North Carolina? Here are 11 reasons why we are moving to North Carolina from the sunshine state, Florida. Find vegan restaurants in Asheville, the Biltmore, DuPont State Forest, Asheville breweries, and so much more.
Here I am. I promised myself that I would write a fun article about our recent relocation news about moving to Asheville, North Carolina and not worry about SEO and Google. But, I suck and am a sucker blogger. Head down. You need helpful reasons right?
Soooo one weekend, flights thwarted our plans to fly into Puerto Rico. We ended up in Asheville, North Carolina as our second destination of choice. Within 24-hours, we decided to move to NC. Within the month, we bought a house. Y’all, we don’t f*ck around.
So why are we moving to Asheville, North Carolina? How did this happen? Get ready for a personal post with some value for you, Google. Wink, wink.
I promise to disclose the Asheville goodies as well.
11 Reasons Why We Are Moving To Asheville, North Carolina
Why We Are Leaving Florida
Bye, Felicia! Oops, I mean Florida.
Florida has been our home for the past 8 years. When my husband’s commercial airline base closed, we decided to move to the next base in Central Florida. There may or may not have been sobbing in a La Quinta hotel room with hysterical not-so-whispers of please don’t make me move to Florida.
All of our family is in CT. This New England girl loves her seasons, rolling hills, and uhhhh, let’s call it culture. Let’s just brush that off and leave it there.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Florida’s beautiful beaches, having our own pool, and the fact that everything is open 24/7 for snowbirds and retirees. This is God’s waiting room after all. Put your thumbs away; I didn’t coin that truth.
Want to go to the brewery at noon? Not a problem. Florida is a great vacation destination. A short-term relationship with no commitment. A one-night stand gone right. Friends with all of the benefits; no strings attached. You get it, right?!
The Downsides Of Florida Living
However, I lived in Indonesia, and similarly, Florida is hot AF. My wavy hair hates you, FL.
For me, Florida is semi-hell disguised as a beach. The traffic is insane, and although I am not a fatalist, driving here makes me want to take up religion.
My eyes will never believe seeing Confederate flags proudly hanging in so many windows. Not that you don’t see this racism elsewhere. Plus, work pays in sunshine (I can’t take credit for that phrase either).
As Tosh.O once said of his birthplace, “Florida is flat, hot, and…” I’ll leave the last word out. You can message me. Trevor Noah loves to rank on us too.
We toured Teeling in Dublin, and even the guide zinged us kind-heartedly asking if he was going too fast and needed to spell out words. Did I mention that I tragically and unavoidably hit a gator once too?
I’m laughing with you Florida, not against you. Or so I tell myself…Or am I crying?!
My Florida Gains
I feel like I am a Floridian traitor. Don’t think I’m shredding the state or the people that I love here.
We skip hand-in-hand to Disney and Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. There is SO much to do in Florida. I saw my first manatee. The Uncorked Librarian LLC came to fruition. Y’all, I got my first real car, Murray the Murano. I started saying, Y’all.
Oh, and I earned my MLIS. My husband went to college here back in the day. I won’t go on and on. But, while we made Florida our home and have a fabulous life here, I always had an exit plan. It’s just not for me.
GOD, I WILL MISS YOU FLORIDA MAN. Said no one ever. I will be back for the beach and friends–if I have any left after reading this.
Florida, I am breaking up with you to move to Asheville, NC and here’s why:
1. The Blue Ridge Mountains
Did you ever fly into a destination and just feel like you were home? The number one reason we are moving to Asheville, North Carolina is because of those bluish-green mountains.
The Blue Ridge Mountains surround Asheville. Their smoke and mist must be some magical drug as I never want to leave them. I find the mountains inspirational, like Johnny Depp in Secret Window before it all goes wrong.
Maybe that’s a bad analogy.
2. Downtown Asheville, NC
The moment the plane landed, I knew that I wanted to live in Asheville. Another deal-sealer: the knit pig on the lamp post with the mountain sunset and bubble machine in front of the board game cafe. That’s too many yuppie words for me to comprehend in one sentence. Where the fuck am I, Toto?
I am an old millennial; what can I say? Hello, rock climbing gym, endless restaurants and cafes, a giant iron, and urban street art. Which way should I turn? Dim sum tapas? Beer at which brewery? A drum circle in the square?
It will take me years to date you, Asheville. Bring. It. On.
3. Vegan and Gluten-Free Restaurants
I have UC and my husband is a Celiac. We are both lactose-intolerant. Most Florida restaurants, especially outside of the major cities, could truly care less or lack the education and understanding.
Asheville restaurants have labels on most of the menus. The wait staff knows their stuff and attentively take care of everything without even blinking. Our food options spread in front of us like a deck of cards during some magical foodie trick. Plus, although we are not vegan or veggie, we seek out this cuisine frequently.
Personally, I love Plant and Laughing Seed Cafe.
4. Battery Park Book Exchange
Moving to Asheville, North Carolina is a boozy and literary traveler’s dream. Our first night ever in Asheville, we landed at the Battery Park Book Exchange.
Literary cocktails, champagne between the stacks, and books for sale? Um, can I just live here? Plus, we saw a book club meeting along with other gatherings and celebrations. I’d have my 40th here. You in?!
Sold.
P.S. These are my favorite North Carolina books so far.
Be Sure To Check Out Our Asheville, NC Travel Blog
Since writing this post, we, of course, moved to Asheville, North Carolina. AND IT’S BEEN THE BEST DECISION EVER! If you are traveling to Asheville, be sure to check out our Asheville-based blog, Uncorked Asheville. Find local tips, boozy itineraries, where to eat, and fun things to do for everyone.
5. Breweries Upon Breweries
[Channel Oprah Here] “And you get a brewery, and you get a brewery, and YOU GET A BREWERY.” I am a craft beer gal all of the way. Asheville grows breweries like Florida spawns retirees and Florida Man memes. Whoops, did I go there? I am paralyzed with indecision. In fact, Asheville is building even more beer havens as I write this.
A few of my favorites so far include Wicked Weed Brewing, Thirsty Monk, and Bhramari Brewing Company.
Did you know that Sanctuary Brewing in Hendersonville–right outside of Asheville–has beers with lower gluten? If Tom was hesitating to move to NC, this threw him over the edge.
6. Biltmore Mansion and Winery
Biltmore is a symbol of audacious wealth as America’s largest private estate and home. While the interior decorating is not for me, I love the beautiful grounds and gardens.
OK, the Biltmore library wins too. I’m stoked that we can trade in our annual Disney passes for Biltmore concerts and access to the grounds for hiking and walking.
Can we talk about their wines, too? We barely wine-tasted or even began to see half of the Biltmore estate on our last trip. A day is not enough. No oaked Chardonnays and Syrahs are safe. You’ve been warned, Asheville.
7. Hiking
The second day we landed in Asheville, NC, we booked it to DuPont State Forest in search of The Hunger Games waterfalls. The parks and trails across NC never end. With the weather less severe than Florida, I cannot wait to don my hiking sneakers and pull off the cobwebs on my mountain bike.
Mother Nature, you and I are going to be besties. Just keep those copperheads away from me, please.
8. Seasons
Speaking of weather, I cannot wait to greet the seasons like an old friend. People always bitch about the snow, but when you never see it, you miss it. Yes, I will death-grip the steering wheel and silently sob as I re-learn not only how to drive in snow and ice but also on winding, hilly roads. After 8 years in Florida, I might have to look up “hill” in the dictionary.
I cannot wait to see the fall, either. I know it’s not a New England fall, but I’ll take any leaves changing colors. And not because they are dying or on fire.
We recently contracted a house, and it has a gas fireplace. I am daydreaming of four kitty stockings hanging on the mantle during a white Christmas.
9. Homes With Personality
I can’t complain. My cement, stucco, one-story Florida home saved our asses through multiple scary hurricanes. The house is a tank. I love its modern touches, but I miss older homes. New England houses have character and not just characters lurking outside.
Our new Asheville home is a colonial. Le sigh. The rooms are cozy, and f* me: is that a basement?!?!?!
10. Traffic and Driving
Everyone tells us how bad Asheville traffic is. Um, I dare you to go on I-4 through Orlando, Disney, and the outlets. It could take me TWO TO THREE HOURS to go 20-30 minutes at least once a week. Insert crazy laugh.
We are stoked that within 30 minutes we can be across Asheville and into other happening cities as well as the airport. Most places are 5-15 minute drives from us. In Florida, it’s an hour to get to a good doctor (and don’t get me started on Florida’s healthcare).
Granted, staying in my lines for those turns is a challenge. Whereas in Florida I am a speed demon to stay alive with the aggressive and awful drivers, in NC, I am humbly slow.
11. Everything! Quality Of Life, Culture, Community
This goes without saying, but we are moving to Asheville, NC because it rocks.
I love the vintage pinball museum, liberal vibes, and community-oriented, local support. People are friendly, including mountain-giddy tourists.
Outdoorsy folk thrive as well as artists, digital nomads, and writers. There is so much to see and do. I can’t even begin to describe it so you better visit us to see for yourself.
We are thrilled to call Asheville our new home. TUL will continue on as a boozy and bookish blog with some extra Asheville and NC content, too. I hope you will follow along with me (and my husband) on this wild new journey, subscribe to the newsletter, and friend me on all social media channels.
If you live in Asheville or go there frequently, tell me all. The same for NC and neighboring states. If you want to collaborate, please email me too: hello [at] theuncorkedlibrarian [dot] com. See what I did there, SPAMMERS?!
And thanks, Florida; it’s been real. Real hot.
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As someone who lived in Florida for 18 years, I agree with everything you said. It’s a nice place to visit, but living there is another story. The only reason I step foot in Florida now is because I have family there. Every time I visit, it feels like I’ve gone back in time 20 years.
I haven’t been to Asheville, but I’ve heard a lot of good things. I am excited for you and your husband!
Congratulations on your move. This Florida girl gets it (although Iām closer to Miami which is hotter than hell). I love Asheville and visited for 10 summers where I shipped my kids for sleep away camp ā it was that or they would melt like sticky popsicles. Have fun making new memories in your new city.
I wish that we got to head Miami more often. St. Pete, Tampa, and Miami definitely had more culture and perks than Central Florida. Wynwood Walls will always be a favorite just because I had no idea it existed until we brewery hopped down there.
We had no idea about the Asheville camp culture until our last visit. Makes sense! I never grew up camping so maybe one summer, I will volunteer to be a counselor for fun.
Thank you!
We still have family here too–one member who has no sense of humor about FL Man and FL’s craziness lol. It’s unrealistic to think FL is just this amazing oasis and take “the grass is always greener” attitude. No place is perfect, but for us, personally, Florida hasn’t been on our favorite. It needs major fixing.
The state is a bigger mess than many. I think it’s important to see the good and the bad (and there can be quite a bit of bad here). Right now, traffic and congestion are wild. The school systems are flailing, infrastructure is nonexistent, don’t get me going on gun culture regardless of political beliefs, racism and prejudice are rampant and allowed (even at the library I worked at was so prejudice and uneducated–I went to a staff training where they actually said transgender people might rape people in bathrooms), tax dollars go to the wrong places, our leaders have the wrong priorities, and snowbirds and retirees run the state while the working class can’t pay their rent. Driving here is terrifying and you might make $14/hr with a Master’s degree. It’s endless. I don’t even understand it, really, because the state is full of so many transient people and their money (that they don’t put back into the state most of the time). You think FL would have picked up some progressive, strong values over the years. It’s only growth is in tourists, traffic accidents, and luxury gated communities. I think I went on an embittered tirade, lol! It is 20 years backward, though.
I know Asheville suffers from quite a few problems, but I am so ready to move forward and on. Thank you! We are thrilled.
Welcome to Asheville! I found your blog this morning and as a book-lover/addict, Iām loving it. If you ever host an in-person book blogging training, Iād love to be there!
Hey Emily,
Thank you! We are loving Asheville so far. Thanks so much for the kind words. I will definitely let you know!
Congratulations! So happy for you – itās a wonderful town and Iām sure youāll love it! (I do know youāll miss those Epcot drinks though! ?)
I will totally miss those Epcot drinks. Our annual passes don’t expire until the fall. We’ve been debating coming back for one last round. It’s usually super hot at the beginning, though. Tempting!! Thank you!
Welcome to North Carolina!!! I absolutely love Asheville (and donāt know how anyone couldnāt!). I grew up <2 hours away, but live in southern NC now and miss my mountains so much! We frequently have girlsā weekends there. I canāt wait to see all your fun adventures!
Thank you so much! We are excited. Those mountains just straight out sing to me. Every time I see them, I hope that I never ever tire of their green-blue hue. Let me know when you are in town sometime! I’ll be there drinking all of the beer and coffee.
Love this post! And I just love Laughing Seed. I hope you really enjoy your Biltmore annual pass. My husband and I have had annual passes since we were engaged. I recommend trying the lunch at Deerpark. It’s amazing! There are lots of vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free options.
The Laughing Seed was the first place we ever had dinner in Asheville. It was so delicious, and I am such a sucker for tempeh and local brews. Their service was on point too.
I will definitely keep your recommendation for Deerpark in mind: sounds perfect to me. Cannot wait. Thanks for the tip.
I feel the same about New York. Ok, not the same because it’s not hot all year and we’re pretty liberal up here BUT I feel you on the exit plan. I’ve lived here for 30 years and every time I cross the Outerbridge and leave NY I literally feel the weight off of my shoulders. Since my husband’s remote and we can go anywhere, I think we should go anywhere … but here! I know I’ve told you we planned to look in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is definitely making a move there sound appealing!
HAHA, I definitely get that. I know some people get super defensive and offended when I talk about FL too, but let’s be honest as well. No place is perfect and to me, FL is blahhh. I am from CT–which I really love–but it has problems too. Granted, if we didn’t have to leave CT for Tom’s job, I would lived there forever.
However, some places really wear on you. The day we landed in FL, I knew it wasn’t for me. Well, that is a lie: visiting and apartment hunting, I knew it wasn’t for me. But, a Florida move was the best choice for our family at the time, and we made it work. We had a great time and always appreciate our lives. But… it doesn’t mean that FL doesn’t blow chunks for us. Like you said, crossing state lines just feels like my heart can expand. I can breathe again. Doctors and healthcare really blow here, if I am honest.
And as a liberal, it’s stifling to live in Central Florida and Volusia County where our Supervisor of Elections just happens to lose, mis-send, and not even count our absentee ballots (three times we had problems…no joke). We like being surrounded with unique and diverse people–but also people who believe in love, tolerance, acceptance, and education. I won’t miss the Friday protestors in my town that literally tell us we are going to hell because we don’t have the same beliefs or the endless symbols of racism in our face. I know that is everywhere, but in FL, it’s far more prevalent.
Now that I am remote and my husband can transfer to Asheville, it’s time to make our move. Love what we’ve gained here, but I’m equally thrilled to leave. I will miss the friends we made. FL has some really good people and great beaches. And, um… yea… lol
I hope you make it to Asheville. We are in the cool friend market.
Great post. I’ll have to read it to the hubby this weekend. I can relate to many of the reasons why you want to move from Florida as I feel the same about California. However, I will say California is like a good mix of Florida and NC. We have everything here. If we miss the snow (which I never miss it), we can just drive to it. As a matter of fact, we had so much snow and rain, some ski resorts are open to ski at until the end of the summer. That’s just 2 hours away from me. Not that I’ll ever go skiing lol
Florida is on our list for retirement for many reasons. We actually would love to live by the beach. I am trying to stay away from places like Orlando and Miami. I want to see palm trees outside my window or smell the ocean when I open my window. We had this for a while living in Los Angeles, it was probably my best living situation. Of course, we were renting at the time and we couldn’t afford a house near the sea. So we uped a moved to where there are mountains. I do see palm trees, but no beach, just mountains surround me.
I think BS and craziness can be found anywhere. My sister lives in the middle of nowhere in NC and even surrounded by 10acres, she complains to me about her crazy commutes, the crazy drivers that don’t stop for animals and the stupid crime in the area. We know we aren’t going to get away from the BS no matter where we go and not for nothing, I swear hubby attracts it. He can just be sitting anywhere minding his own business and shit always happens. I don’t get it. His profession maybe? The energy he puts out from it? I don’t know.
I love the sound of Asheville, minus the snow. I hope to visit someday. Probably during the warm months. š
Thanks for making me laugh with your reasons to move and being honest. I truly value honesty and will keep this in mind when we really start thinking about investing in Florida.
OMG, I thought I responded to this comment?! WP IS KILLING ME LOL!!! I am so freaking sorry. I thought I finally caught up with reading and responding to comments, but then I found a ton unanswered buried within other comments. Oh dear. I am so sorry, girl! I gotta get my WP reader straightened out or something.
So since I am AWFUL, and it’s a week later, did you read it to Enzo? I feel like we actually had an entire conversation about this on Twitter. We must have.
Speaking of skiing: I *might* try it out in Asheville. I grew up in CT so you’d think I would have gone skiing at least once by now. We did sled and ice skate, though. Our new NC house has a hill. I think I am going to crack my sled out, for sure.
I’ve never been to CA, but I’d love to visit. CA definitely sounds both insane and amazing for polar opposite reasons.
Every place definitely has its shit. I do big states like CA and FL have quite a bit more…more room for the insanity.
Orlando is just ugh. To be fair, the city is hard for us to get to. But, I just never loved it enough for it to be worth it either. St. Pete and Tampa are cool. We had a fun weekend in Miami, and I wish we made it to the Keys. Florida never inspired me. That’s probably why I rarely blog about it lol!!
We can’t wait for Asheville, and I hope to see you there soon! I, for one, am thrilled for the change.
I did not get to read it to Enzo. I did give him some highlights, and his response is, “can we please check out Texas and TN?” I mean Florida sounds nice for retirement for several reasons BUT the truth is I would not move there right now. I honestly just want to be on the East coast when I’m older, close to the beach and a good airport. Is that too much to ask for? LOL
So many beautiful pockets of California. The cities are just not in the best shape right now. It’s sad.
I have family in Tampa and they hate it! They think everyone is just nasty there. They think I’m crazy for considering Florida but I think that if I stick to yuppy areas, I’ll be somewhat okay. Plus I do not plan to spend a lot of time there LOL
What do you think of Naples or Juniper (I think)? Some areas we discussed. We realized the Keys was too impractical lol We have about 10-15 years to decide. Anything can happen!
At least you gave it a shot for 8 years. That’s a long time! You could have given up in 1 yr. You made the best of it. Now onto a new exciting chapter in your life. =D
You know, Orlando is a badass airport, and that is the one aspect that I will miss. We flew direct into Reykjavik from MCO, which was amazing. Same for Dublin. AND when we flew to Indonesia, we went straight to Dubai and then Jakarta. The MCO to Dubai was 16-gosh-awful-hours straight, but it got the job done fast. Asheville will add almost a full day of travel and one or two layovers for us (a price I am willing to pay 4-6 times a year).
I think FL will be good for on older joints, honestly. When I went to Iceland, everything was cracking and hurting. I bet I will feel the snow and cold in NC more too. Part of that is me getting old, and the other part is my damn UC meds that are known for causing major joint issues. But I definitely think that is one of the perks to FL for the elderly too. Along with no state income tax and snow.
Tampa can be super shitty if you live there. The traffic and heat are crazy. The news has some *fun* stories there. Tampa does have a lot more cool stuff going on, but I don’t think I’d necessarily sign-up to live there anytime soon.
We never really made it close to Naples but everyone seems to like it–definitely a huge retirement community and same for Juniper. Sarasota and Venice Beach too.
I tried to give up after a year lol. I was like please nooooooo more, but we were getting married and kinda had to suck it up. Then we bought a house. Then I was screwed. lol
We need to retire in the same place. Like Italy…
Thanks for all the insight! The MCO airport sounds like a dream. I want to be closer to Europe!
Yes, letās retire to Italy! Iād love to go back and forth.
We can each have a home across the world and share!
Asheville seems like such a popular destination right now. I know about 5 people within the last year or so that upped and moved there. It seems so amazing and tranquil. I definitely want to visit for sure. How you described being in Asheville for the first time was how I felt the first time I visited Seattle. As soon as I landed I knew I would call Seattle home one day. Almost 5 years later and it’s the first place in my life where I’ve truly felt at home. So happy for you and your new adventure — can’t wait to see updates! š
Hey Kacey–so sorry for the late reply. My comments got buried on this one for some reason. I’m not usually this terrible at responding unless I’m traveling.
Thank you so much for stopping by! I’ve never been to Seattle, but I would love to go some time. Aren’t they famous for delicious coffee and beer too? I’ve only heard wonderful things. I also hear people talk similarly about Portland, Austin, and Knoxville. I have to add them all to the list. Asheville is kind of trendy right now–which I am thrilled for as a blogger.
Thank you so much for the good wishes. I appreciate it!
I enjoyed the post and I know you are going to love Asheville. Yet again, I am envious of your life. When we went years ago, the hubby and I spent most the time trying to figure out if it would be possible to relocate. Enjoy it!
Hey Amy!! I hope you get to visit us one day soon! Come back and rekindle the Asheville magic. Thanks for reading, and please keep in touch!
Congrats on the move!! I live in the Virginia side of the Blue Ridge Mountains- and I absolutely love it. Iāve heard nothing best the best things about Asheville! ?
xoxo
Thank you so much! Tell me all about Virginia some time. Maybe we will run into you. Actually, I’ll just peruse your blog for ideas as well. Thank you SO much! XXXxxx
Iām glad that you love Asheville so much. The only caution that I have to offer is that as more and more people flock to Asheville (in droves at this point), it is loosing its charm rapidly. As a resident for the last 30 years, I can day that traffic, housing, and a few other of those things that you love about Asheville are rapidly changing for the worst. Housing is unaffordable, traffic is more nightmarish, and the seasons have changed dramatically.
I hope you enjoy your time here, but do realize that Asheville is changing so rapidly that it may not be the same town you fell in love with for very long.
Yes, flocking retirees, digital nomads, and tourists are one of our concerns. Thank you for your honesty; I appreciate it. I also feel slightly guilty because I am sure that people like us moving in are part of the problem. We are worried that long-timers won’t warm up to newbie residents for the above reasons (and I don’t blame them).
We just put a house under contract, and the Asheville market is not only hot but fast and competitive. We are definitely getting less for our value by choosing North Asheville vs Arden or Fletcher. I can only imagine it getting worse for a while. Hopefully, this trend peaks, breaks, and chills out.
Florida, in many ways, is the same for us: traffic, housing, and tourists/retirees. We need a change.
I am so happy for you guys and your Florida escape!! As a Southerner from TN I love the heat, but even for me, Florida was kind of terrible. That unforgiving sun, sand in unwanted places, and buckets of sunscreen were not my idea of a good vacation. When you are a kid you dont have much choice, though. PCB was a hot destination for folk in my hometown (luckily my family went to Destin, less horrible). Florida is definitely low on my list of states to live in.
This move to Asheville speaks to my soul. I’m a sucker for mountains and nature, breweries and books. I can’t wait to read all about your adventures there! I may even pass through one day. I haven’t been since I was 16, so a visit is due!
Congratulations on the move and good luck in all of your moving adventures!
My husband will totally be nodding his head in agreement with you. The beach kind of gives him anxiety because the sand is relentless. You really cannot get it out of anything. We come home from the beach and it seems to stay in our house year round. I do LOVE the beach, though. I was hoping to visit a few more times before we move to Asheville, but it is too hot. Within an hour, you are freaking toast. It’s so hot this week, we haven’t even gone outside to enjoy the sun.
All of your reasons are why I love Asheville too. Let us know if you pass through. I’m hoping to head to Ohio again this year or next for my best friend there.
Thank you so much!
Asheville sounds absolutely perfect! Iāve always wanted to visit. Iāve heard itās an amazing place to live. I canāt wait to read more posts from you about it.
I donāt blame you at all for escaping Florida. Iāve never been in love with Florida. We did a couple of visits as kids and then as an adult I visited my friend in St. Pete. It definitely was pretty but not the place for me. Actually we went to a bar and it was filled with senior citizens. It was a bar filled with her husbandās lawyer friends and old people. Was a nightmare!?
Iāve said it plenty of times but Iām sooo excited for you! This will be a great move!
Loved your post!
St. Pete and Tampa are definitely more intriguing to us. If we come back to Florida to visit, we will most likely head that way vs Central Florida. St. Pete has more culture and amazing breweries. I like the vibe there. We almost decided to move there, but we really really really wanted out of Florida. St. Pete gets flooded by the snowbirds, and it’s becoming more and more of a troubled mess. The water there is killing people, but the politicians don’t care right now. The whole city smells so bad from algae and other bad things getting ignored. I don’t care what your political beliefs are: there is a problem…and you can see and smell it. The traffic from St. Pete to Tampa is out of this world.
We laugh about the older crowd (and love them since we will be them), but they take over in the winter. The older cougars love to get slammed and childishly mock the younger crowd too. It’s been quite a frustrating experience. I’ve never really seen this anywhere else. Daytona is famous for the shitshows (and I actually love Daytona). I think people think everyone is on vacation and just get drunk, treat our home like crap, and get in the way without caring lol. I sound so bitter. Oops. It’s been a long 8 years, and this lady is OUT.
Thank you! We are stoked for the new adventure.
Can I break up with my city and move to Asheville?! It sounds incredible! A COLONIAL HOUSE! All the vegan food, the hikes, the glorious air (I imagine it will be crisp and clean, I might be getting too much into Colorado territory there though.) I am so happy for you! Sounds like Asheville will be a really great move! I wanted to visit Asheville someday! This makes me want to visit it even more. Good luck on the move!
Please do! If your city is anything like FL, bye buhhhh ; )
I knew that you would love the vegan food, and you have to come visit sometime. Spooky tours and bars, here we come! I will make a list of vegan and veggie restaurants just for you.
I have not seen clean air in so long (the humidity plus city air is a bad combo here in Central FL) that I don’t know how Asheville compares elsewhere. I, however, think it’s much cleaner than what we currently have. I will say, since I’ve been FL shredding today, that FL is, of course, way cleaner than other places we’ve been. Can’t complain too much (but I do, oops). Bye, sulfur water, though. Won’t miss that nastiness.
Thank you so much!
Congratulations on your move! My family and I lived in Asheville for 6 years before my husbandās job took us to Minnesota 2 years ago. There may have been a similar hysterical experience when I found out we were leaving. My faves are Sierra Nevada Brewery (the real happiest place on Earth), Pisgah National Forest, Malaprops bookstore, the Vault has the best nachos, and the Sky Top Bar has the best views around. Have fun exploring. The adventures are endless!
Hey Allison,
Thank you SO much! Thanks for sharing your favs too! We only got a glimpse of Sierra Nevada during one of our visits, and I am dying to go back. We didn’t get to tour or anything, but we grabbed a fast dinner at the bar before catching our flight. It’s HUGE!!! I feel like that might become my new Disney World!? That and the Biltmore. Did you ever have annual passes for the Biltmore or see it at Christmas?
I heard that there is a restaurant that overlooks Pisgah National Forest, but I cannot remember the name right now. Our Uber driver said it’s a must and is so beautiful. I will be sure to check it all out.
Thank you for all of the tips and recs. I really appreciate it. Let us know if you come back to visit.
You might be thinking of the restaurant at the Pisgah Inn off from the Blue Ridge Parkway. š
Thank you! We still need to go there!
I am so excited for you!! Asheville really seems like it’s calling you. I love those mountains, too. My cousins live there and post photos of them all the time, and I just want to magically transport myself to that location every time I see them. It looks SO beautiful, all the colors and the swoops and dips of the outline against a moody sky. š And I can’t believe you bought a house there! That is some committment. š So, so exciting. I can’t wait to see more photos and read about your NC adventures. Congrats!!
Thank you so much! I am so sorry for the late reply too. My WP is all jacked up with comment order lately, and I can’t find half of my comments that I know I didn’t see. Sigh. I know you have had the same problem…arg! I guess I shouldn’t approve them until I am ready to respond…that way I won’t miss any?! But that seems lame too.
That’s awesome that you have family in Asheville. Maybe I will see you sometime! You describe it beautifully. I fell madly in love with those mountains. If you ever decide to visit family, please let me know.
Apparently the vegan food festival was a couple of weeks ago in Asheville. I missed it! I’m not vegan, but nowadays I am mostly vegetarian and trying to move as much toward a more plant-based diet as possible. Asheville just gets it. I like to call it the Portland of the Carolinas. In addition to be quirky (dare I say weird?), they definitely “get” veganism. And just in general, it’s a similar feel culturally. Super excited for you!
I didn’t know that they had a vegan festival. How cool! Thanks so much for sharing that tidbit.
We are not strictly vegan or veggie either–in fact, my dad worked for a meat company growing up so we ate tons of meat every day. I’m not sure I could ever completely stop consuming chicken (or eggs). However, like you, I do enjoy moving toward a healthier and more “natural” diet. I really need to cut out processed food and eat more fruits and veggies.
I’ve never been to Portland, but I did hear that it is similar to Asheville. Once we move to Asheville, I am definitely hoping to run into you. Be sure to message me when you are in town.
Thanks so much.
Yeah I’ll let you know! Like I said, I’ve really been missing Asheville, so now I have yet another reason to visit! š
Awesome!
So many great reasons to move to Ashville. I am so excited to hear that you are moving to a place with so much to offer. It’s so important to fall in love with where you are moving to. I know at the time, I liked where we moved 12 years ago, but now I’m so eager to move away from here. I hope that when I do I can find a place even half as amazing as Ashville sounds because that would be a huge upgrade for us.
Hey Sarah, thank you so much for sharing in our excitement! I am kind of a restless soul, which can be good and equally bad. I always like to change things up after a while whether it be a job, home, or a few hobbies. I love and appreciate all that I have too, but the change makes me grow and get ‘unsettled,’ which I need. Moving is so dang hard and stressful too, though. Adjusting, even when excited, is a little anxiety-inducing. I hope you find a fabulous next home too!
I can’t wait to visit! It sounds like my perfect place.
We felt really similarly about Sydney. Yes the beaches are great and they do great food but that’s kinda it. The roads were genuine mazes, there were no seasons (I feel very strongly about this like you), it was so far from home and quality of life SUCKED because you couldn’t save any money because cost of living was through the roof. But everyone is always like omg why would you ever leave Sydney and it’s like Bitch please, it’s great to visit but never to live. Same as Berlin! These places are tourist destinations and nothing more, in my opinion. It’s why I just can’t settle right now, I need to be on the move constantly š
“Bitch, please.” I am dying. It is so true, though. I feel the exact same way about living in Florida. It’s tourist heaven but that it’s. Come, enjoy your beaches and time here, and then leave for a working wage, cleaner air, less traffic, a better quality of life, and seasons.
You guys would love Asheville! Can’t wait until you visit!
Thank you SO much! Iām sure I will be asking you for lots of decorating advice. Just saw your email with websites to check out! Thank you! I definitely will take a picture of our (green tiled…ahem) fireplace with kitty stockings! Asheville just sung to us!
I can so relate to the seasons reason. I lived in Colorado as a kid and definitely didn’t appreciate what I had. But after years of living in the Persian Gulf, I was excited every time it rained when I first moved to England. I’m a bit over it now. Although as the summer heat wave surges on, rain is still my favourite thing. When you don’t have it, you miss it! I loved the Persian Gulf, but man do I also love seasons. And I don’t mean the monsoon kind…
Asheville sounds lovely. There’s so much to see and do, so I can see why it’s popular. I’ve never been to NC (at least not that I can remember), but totally fell in love with Charleston, SC when I visited years ago. I love when a place just instantly feels like home!
It’s also good to know we’ll have plenty of food options when we come visit š
Charleston is another great place. We went maybe two years ago; I will say that it has changed quite a bit, which was good and a little sad. The first time I visited Charleston was in college, and it definitely hadn’t gone full-blown tourist yet. Ten years later, I hardly recognized it! I still love the history and spooky everything there. It has the palm trees that I will miss, and I love the cities cute (and haunted) taverns. We are hoping to visit more since Charleston is closer to Asheville (4 hours) and offers us the beach–that I will now miss. Charleston was over a 7-hour drive from Florida.
We definitely took for granted our pool and the beach in Florida. I will miss them, dearly.
You will love Asheville for all of the vegan and veggie food options. That’s all that we ate while we were there visiting.
I would love to see Colorado one day! I’m going to be on this huge mountain kick for the next few years.
Wow. I am now an Asheville groupie! I grew up going to Biltmore and kind of remember it, but the detail in which you share all of the great qualities of this town makes me want to turn my keys into my DC area digs, stay! I am so happy for you that you found a place for you guys that checks the boxes. I thought DC area would be my forever place being a native Georgia peach. But after 16 years I am now looking for less crowds and annoyances and am too mystified by NC. It is south for sure, but the debutante cousin of the other southern states imho. Hope to see you there soon!
I am SUCH an Asheville groupie now–I love that term lol!
DC is so great too, and I’ve always eyed southern Maryland. I did hear that it is getting crazy busy, though.
Moving to Asheville has been great; we are about a month in now. We are more and more in love with it every weekend, and you know I love these mountains. We adore the hiking areas, great food, and culture. Plus, Asheville feels more like the south than FL, and we are looking forward to those seasons. I’ve been devouring the fresh Georgia peaches sold in the stores here.
The Biltmore is great, and we are still waiting to get passes once our moving expenses die down. I love that they host events, have hiking trails, and have a winery.
Please let us know if you are ever in town–or move here. I am trying to get EVERYONE to move here lol!
I am currently happy where I live but if I could move anywhere else it would definitely be Asheville! Every time I have visited it is always peaceful and quaint. Thanks for sharing!
Asheville is definitely peaceful with the mountains in the background. I find them so inspiring.
Thanks for bringing even more people to this over populated area. I wish people like you would stay were you were. You just don’t get it, locals dont want you here. The over priced housing, destruction of the mountains to build homes for you Floridians it’s disgusting. I really hope you don’t stay for long.
I’m so sorry that you feel this way, Melissa. Both my husband and I work hard as well as contribute to the Asheville and NC economy through work, donations, taxes, owning an older (established) home, hiring locally, and commerce. We have lived all over the world due to the nature of our jobs–we don’t always get to pick where we live for work; it’s special when we do.
Everyone in Asheville–long-time locals and transplants–have truly been so kind and welcoming. Everyone is always welcome in our home(s), as well.
As noted in the article, we were born and raised in New England, but we do hope to retire in our families’ homeland one day–Italy, where our families migrated from for a better quality of life. For now, of course, we will be staying in Asheville and always giving back and embracing our neighbors.
Asheville is full of locals and people from all over the world, which is what makes the city so special, kind, tolerant, and amazing. We see this diversity every day in the shops, food, and amongst our neighbors. I always hope that these cities retain their charm, too, with the ebb and flow of people that come in and out of them. I think that starts with kindness, open-mindedness, giving back, and tolerance.
I also hope that if you ever relocate–whether by choice or due to circumstances–that people welcome and greet you with nothing but kindness.
Hi Christine! My husband and I moved to Asheville this year. Our families live in north Georgia and Kingsport, Tennessee and we both grew up in those areas, so we aren’t exactly Asheville natives but our homelands are nearby. I decided to move to Asheville after seeing what turned out to be housing scams on Craigslist. There were so many beautiful rentals that seemed affordable, or so I thought! So, we both moved here without any jobs (we started searching right away) and we found a tiny house for rent in the adorable town of Black Mountain. Within about two months I landed two part-time jobs as a tour guide on the Blue Ridge Parkway and at the Biltmore Estate. My husband found a position with Sierra Nevada.
After living nearby to Asheville for almost a year now, I can say it has been a challenging but rewarding place to call home. As a couple who LOVES to hike, camp, explore & are foodies, western North Carolina is a mountain paradise. It is absolutely breathtaking spring, summer, fall and the winter’s are tolerable. I grew up in north Georgia and the climate/terrain is almost exactly the same just a bit further south. The people have been nice, although through my jobs I have mostly met tourists from Florida and a few other states.
My husband and I have really enjoyed some of the local shopping at places like Hopey & CO., Trader Joes, and eating at local restaurants & the 80 + breweries. I have spent a lot of time exploring around the Biltmore Estate as well. We have skied up at Sugar Mountain and Wolf Laurel and have hiked miles through the Blue Ridge mountains. We don’t let the dust settle on our shoes and try to get out as much as possible, haha.
I have lived in many other states: Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana and North Carolina is by far one of my favorites. Asheville residents are indeed rent burdened and the cost of living is higher here than many parts of the country. In many ways, Asheville is exactly what you would expect from a seasonal tourist destination. Beautiful, good food, and crowded. I know the city is working on building more affordable housing but that’s beyond my scope of knowledge. I think more tiny houses could help. š
I feel torn between staying near Asheville and leaving. In some ways, it is a perfect place to live for people who truly appreciate the biodiversity, history, and culture of the area. On the other hand, starting out as young adults in a such a coveted place to reside can pose a struggle. It has been an adventure!
Anyway, I’d love to meet you in person. We are also in search of “cool friends” who recognize the awesomeness of Batter Park Book Exchange!
Good luck in the Land of the Sky,
Katie
Hey Katie,
Thank you so much for the kind message! We do make pretty cool friends. You can drop me an email at hello@theuncorkedlibrarian.com and maybe we can plan something for after the holidays. The Battery Park Book Exchange is indeed awesome, and I wish that we could make their NYE party. There are so many great things happening in and around Asheville this month.
Your two jobs sounds pretty cool! That’s also incredibly brave to move to a location without having jobs secured first. I love that you just went for it! I’ve never had the guts to do that (I wish I did; maybe one day!), but we met a photographer here who went for it, as well; she loves it and secured a roomie. My husband was able to transfer for work, and even when I moved to Indonesia for a bit, I had a gig lined up. That always seems to make it easier, when possible. For FL, my husband transferred, and I had to look for a job once there. That was pretty stressful for me since we were planning and paying for our wedding.
For Asheville, we decided to go all in and buy a house before we really knew the area. We came up one weekend just to look for a place to live and left contracted. Thankfully, I LOVE where we live. For us, this was the cheaper way to go, and we have FOUR cats…which makes life so difficult. No apartments or easy renting for us. Moving from one house, we really needed another too. We own too much crap. For our FL move, we staked out apartments in advance–which oddly fell through last minute–but thankfully knew more of what we were getting into pricing and availabilty-wise. They don’t have rent control in FL–that was INSANE.
I always wondered what it would be like to work at the Biltmore, especially in the winery. The Grove Park Inn seems kind of magical too. Congrats to both you and your husband on getting jobs right away. Sierra Nevada is huge, and we still have some exploring to do. I love their duck fries. I hope you guys get lots of perks!
I love your tiny houses plan! Some of the homes in the heart of downtown Asheville are a tad pricy, but we are also used to CT (and New England) taxes and a very high cost of living. Florida actually–in theory–seems like a cheap place to live, but I found the jobs pay very little with everything else costing average prices. The joke was that the state paid you in sunshine. I was not laughing, lol. The only difference with Florida is that there is no state income tax. That’s why FL gets so many retirees. I don’t blame them, either.
We wondered if Asheville would be overcrowded, but we only find that certain months or even weeks get a little busier with the tourists. Then, everything seems to settle down. We just avoid those places until then and stay with local secrets. The only thing that we definitely realized right away was to make weekend dinner reservations in advance. You just never know when a place will book up fast. But, sometimes it is the locals that take over too. However, we lived in Central Florida near Disney–nothing was like booking those restaurants MONTHS to beyond half a year out. AHHH!!! And we never plan ahead.
I *think* I’m going to update this post to share what it’s now like living in Asheville. I will say that my SUV does not easily fit down these tiny streets and small parking lots. I-26 can get crazy with traffic–but that is due to that construction. Will it ever end?
Happy holidays! I look forward to hearing from you. I hope you do stay in/near Asheville, if you are happy here! I feel like every place has its ups and downs. It just depends which ones equal out for you. I’m still in love with NC so far, and I’m so glad we moved here.