Billed as a place where “altitude affects attitude,” downtown Asheville is Western North Carolina’s historic, economic, and cultural center in many ways. The compact district offers residents a one-of-a-kind urban lifestyle, abundant with dining, housing, and entertainment opportunities.
“Downtown, in my opinion, is vibrant,” says Clayton, a resident of downtown Asheville, NC. “It’s tiny—you can walk from one end to the other in about a half an hour. And you know the old real estate term ‘location, location, location’—I mean, that’s it!”
With a population of 87,000, Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina. Downtown Asheville is a booming central business district of more than 15,000 permanent residents and many more daily workers. The district buzzes with commerce, dining, art, and entertainment around the clock.
“I can walk out my front door and there’s over 100 restaurants downtown,” says Clayton. “Music venues, the art museum—they’re all available to us. There’s just so much happening here. I don’t think there’s another city like it. It’s amazing.”
In recent years, Asheville has firmed up its reputation as a culinary center with a sizable and rapidly evolving food scene. Walkable downtown streets lead to award-winning shopping, farm-to-table dining, and local craft breweries. The city boasts 19 breweries, with 10 currently located in downtown’s South Slope alone.
The renovation of old buildings and careful construction of new ones in recent decades represents the delicate balance of tradition and innovation seen throughout Asheville’s many arts and industries. Asheville’s growing South Slope is one of downtown’s hottest neighborhoods for innovative craft brewing, as well as new real estate opportunities.
“The city has targeted [the South Slope] as the next area that they see as being developed in downtown,” says Peter Alberice. He owns Alberice Architecture + Design and is the architect of the new 12 South Lexington Avenue and 45 Asheland Avenue condo communities. “It is very convenient to not only the Central Business District and the heart of downtown. It’s also very close to the River Arts District. It’s ideally located between a lot of different amenities that make up the desirability of being in downtown Asheville.”
Asheville’s downtown is home to scores of historic buildings, many of which are noted for their art deco accents. Whether in the South Slope or just up the hill, downtown’s eclectic mix of housing includes unique historic buildings and new, boutique condo communities.
“There’s not one like the other one,” says Clayton. “They’re all different. It’s a wonderful place to be.”
See the vibrant beauty of downtown Asheville for yourself! Read more about downtown Asheville, see more photos, or search for homes in the area, from our Beverly-Hanks Asheville community page.
Asheville is beautiful and the downtown core is full of wonderful scenery! Thanks for sharing