Asheville town

star star star star star
North Carolina
Asheville town
pinit
3 likes

Asheville is a hilly town with great restaurants. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through here, and the famous Biltmore Estate draws visitors. Asheville has pleasant summer temperatures compared to much of the south, and therefore attracts those looking for a comfortable summer climate.

Famous for its hippy population, Asheville is quite an odd place. The hippies here aren't of the gentle-looking California kind that I'm used to, but more rugged with lots of tattoos, a sort of hippy meets goth. There is a large lesbian population in the town. Interesting coffee shops, a used bookstore that sells wine, stores selling organic cotton mattresses, shops filled with new age home decor...all these make for an interesting explore.
The main streets, Lexington and Broadway (which turns into Biltmore Ave) in Asheville town are a fun place to walk around. The architecture is quite unattractive, with strict rectangular 1920s brick buildings of utilitarian Commercial style. But the storefronts are bright and enticing. There are plenty of great places to eat or grab a cup of coffee, and you won't have any problem finding organic or gluten-free food. I recommend Mela Indian Restaurant, for the most incredible dipping sauces and a lovely interior with huge windows looking out on the street. It feels wonderful to eat dinner in the breeze of an open window, after being in air-conditioning in most of the rest of the south during the summer.
Walk to the Basilica of St Lawrence, with its lovely reddish-brown exterior and glimmering stained glass windows and tiled dome inside. There is a Mary Garden behind the church.
The Grove Park Inn (9 minutes drive north of downtown) is another landmark, built in Arts and Crafts architecture with incredible views of the Blue Ridge mountains.

Continue to directions...

Bright tree and commercial buildings on Lexington Ave.

Dobra Tea on Lexington Ave.

Interior of Izzy's Coffee Den.

You can look out big windows at the street from Izzy's Coffee Den.

Attractive interior of Mela Indian Restaurant.

Look out the huge windows while you eat yummy food at Mela Indian Restaurant.

Cute storefronts and balconies on Lexington Ave.

Tiny houses that decorate a building on Woodfin Street.

Tinkerbell's Closet, a tiny storefront on Woodfin Street.

Fun store on Broadway.

Rhubarb, at South Pack Square.

Looking down Lexington Ave on a sunny July day.

Orange umbrellas at a sidewalk cafe on Lexington Ave.

T-shirts and postcards for sale.

Pretty day on Lexington Ave.

Lexington Ave commercial buildings.

Orange umbrellas in the courtyard of Creperie Bouchon.

The architecture is utilitarian in the downtown Asheville commercial streets.

Basilica of Saint Lawrence.

Looking up at Basilica of Saint Lawrence.

Basilica of Saint Lawrence, built in 1905, in Catalan style.

Statues outside the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.

Directions

Mela Indian Restaurant, 70 N. Lexington Ave, Asheville NC 28801, call (828) 225-8880. There is free parking along the road but you sometimes have to search for it.
Basilica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St, Asheville NC 28801.
Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave, Asheville NC 28804, call (828) 252-2711.

map

Click on map for interactive view

Comments

Add your comments

Last Updated: Wed, 09 May 2018 23:37:33 GMT

Text and Image copyright: © 2006-2024 LotsaFunMaps.com.
Copying prohibited. Contact the editor | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
Blog | The Official Mug | Privacy Settings | About Us