Asheville, NC
Posted by Tweety on Sep 07, 2007 · Member since Jan 2003 · 3135 posts
I just have to rub it in that I'm in Asheville again this year for vacation. This year I'm up on a mountain overlooking the city. I posted last year about how I think this is the most vegetarian friendly place I've been, especially in the south.
I had a great Korean tempeh dish with kale and brown rice at one of the vegetarian restaurants here. I had organic coffee a coffee shop that had vegan cookies. The health food store has a deli to die for! Every restaurant has vegetarian options.
So I'm in Asheville, eating well and relaxing and you're not...neener neener neener!
Hey Tweety! I live about 15 minutes from where you are. Are you going to Organic Fest tomorrow (sat)? I've been 2 years in a row....its pretty good to pick up some info and vegan foods.
Have you eaten at Rosetta's yet (maybe you got the mountain dish that you describe there)?
There's a festival Sunday too that I heard about from Nutdragon (LAAFF). We might be meeting up this weekend to eat there and check out the festivals. You should meet up with us!
(I moved here from Florida....your coast!) Naaa Naaaa!!!!
Well, Tweety, I can meet your neener and raise it. I'm in a poorly ventilated building in cubicle away from all natural light. Neener, neener, neener, neener! I bet your mountaintop doesn't look so great anymore, huh? (Oh, okay, fine, I'm drooling with envy.) I hope you have a great vacation.
Asheville is wonderful. I went to Chimney Rock this past summer and had the best time.
I assume you've been to The Laughing Seed - if not, drop everything and go now! It's fantastic.
Sounds wonderful! I hope you have a great vacation! I will be heading that way near the end of this month, and it's the first time I will have ever visited the city - any recommendations on things to do?
Oh, Tweety, you're so cruel! I'm in about the same boat as HH, except I'm near natural light--whatever can get through the blinds, which don't open. ;D
I hope you enjoy the heck out of it! :)
i think i might move there in a year. everyone seems to love it so much :)
Tweety,
Do make sure you stick around for the LAAFF fest this weekend (Lexington Ave Arts Fest). Lots of fire twirling, break dancing, and drum circles. Good old-fashioned bohemian fun.
Litte2Ant and I will be at Rosetta's for the unveiling of the worlds tallest bicycle (parking lot across the street).
Eat at Laughing Seed (Wall St), too.
Bloody Mary Bar at the Flying Frog on Sunday. Delightful people watching. Only place in town I prefer to visit alone, just so I can sit and watch the town.
and like Little2ant said, Organic Fest is Saturday. This is much more subdued (no drinking on the street). We may be working through that one, but we'd never miss LAAFF (Sunday).
Enjoy your vacation! You just missed our "heat wave." It was hot, but not hot enough to really complain. Not like the rest of the US got. You can almost smell fall... :)
i think i might move there in a year. everyone seems to love it so much :)
I've been thinking about this lately too! Maybe not Asheville-the city, but definitely Western North Carolina Mountains.
Little2Ant, aren't you a teacher up there? What's the job market like?
I did eat at Rosetta's and will definately check out Laughing Seed.
I plan on stopping by the two fests this weekend. Am laying very very very low without drama and a lot of relaxing.
:)
Not to put a damper on things, but the job market sucks! You have to be really creative to make it in this town. There are jobs, but just so many people wanting them so the competition is rough. Most people I know work 2-3 jobs.
My husband is a teacher (music), and so am (art)I. I had no luck getting interviews at ALL forever and then somehow I got lucky and got a part time art teaching job. I never even got a call back before.....so I really lucked out! Its 2 days per week (the reason for not so much competition), and then the other days I sub or wait tables. I like the freedom part of it, actually! today after an appointment I walked around the lake a bit and had some good quality alone time!
I would definitely have a job lined up before moving here. That's what people told us and we didn't listen. Its been a struggle at times, but worth every minute!!!!
You can email me personally if you like and I can tell you more! Nutdragon is the Asheville expert, so mail her too!
Oh, and I'm not in the city.....but about 15 minutes east in a small town. I LOVE IT!!!!!!
i think i might move there in a year. everyone seems to love it so much :)
I've been thinking about this lately too! Maybe not Asheville-the city, but definitely Western North Carolina Mountains.
Little2Ant, aren't you a teacher up there? What's the job market like?
OH! and the reason we ended up in Asheville is that I read about it in Vegetarian Times Magazine 6 years ago and thought it sounded dreamy......then when a hurricane hit in 04 I pulled out the issue to remember the name of that town, and never looked back..... :)
Not to put a damper on things, but the job market sucks! You have to be really creative to make it in this town. There are jobs, but just so many people wanting them so the competition is rough. Most people I know work 2-3 jobs.
My husband is a teacher (music), and so am (art)I. I had no luck getting interviews at ALL forever and then somehow I got lucky and got a part time art teaching job. I never even got a call back before.....so I really lucked out! Its 2 days per week (the reason for not so much competition), and then the other days I sub or wait tables. I like the freedom part of it, actually! today after an appointment I walked around the lake a bit and had some good quality alone time!
I would definitely have a job lined up before moving here. That's what people told us and we didn't listen. Its been a struggle at times, but worth every minute!!!!
You can email me personally if you like and I can tell you more! Nutdragon is the Asheville expert, so mail her too!
Oh, and I'm not in the city.....but about 15 minutes east in a small town. I LOVE IT!!!!!!
i think i might move there in a year. everyone seems to love it so much :)
I've been thinking about this lately too! Maybe not Asheville-the city, but definitely Western North Carolina Mountains.
Little2Ant, aren't you a teacher up there? What's the job market like?
Haha. Looks like I would be your husband'c competition...I'm a music teacher! ;D I grew up in upstate SC, not far from Asheville, and have heard that the job market sucks. I guess I was hoping you would dispute that.
I doubt I would ever move to the city of Asheville, but I do want to move to that area. Maybe even Brevard. It's so beautiful up there. I spend quite a bit of time in the Pisgah Forest, and it is about 3 hours away! I can't imagine if I lived so close to it. Maybe I should pitch my tent and live there. ;)
Anyway, thanks for your info. I may actually contact you as I think about this more, and as "teacher hiring time" gets closer.
Thanks!
Lotus,
My husband has a job teaching high school band.....so he won't be in competition with you! He will probably retire in 20 years from the school he is in.
I have seen several elementary music jobs come open since we've been here. I don't know how hard those are to get, but there have been quite a few openings recently. Middle school band too, and high school chorus. Seems to be more turnover in music than in art! They have a job fair in the spring, which you should come to. That is sort of how he got hired in a round-about way. Check the Buncombe County website in the spring for the info....its in May.
Feel free to email anytime you need info. I hope you come! We need more veg people here!
Lotus,
My husband has a job teaching high school band.....so he won't be in competition with you! He will probably retire in 20 years from the school he is in.
I have seen several elementary music jobs come open since we've been here. I don't know how hard those are to get, but there have been quite a few openings recently. Middle school band too, and high school chorus. Seems to be more turnover in music than in art! They have a job fair in the spring, which you should come to. That is sort of how he got hired in a round-about way. Check the Buncombe County website in the spring for the info....its in May.
Feel free to email anytime you need info. I hope you come! We need more veg people here!
Oh cool! I always wanted to to be a high school band director...until I did my student teaching. ;D I wouldn't mind a middle school band job, though. I will definitely check out that job fair, although, hopefully I can find something before then. Our yearly contracts are due in April, but I'm almost to the point that I've decided I am not going to resign-- whether I have a job somewhere else or not. Afterall, I'm a good waitress!!! ;D No, in all seriousness, I just really want to move and I know I'll kick myself everyday next year if I stay.
Thanks so much for all your info!
I know the feeling! I was teaching in FL at the same school for 6 years....had a great set up! Helped design the art room and everything. I knew it was a time for change.....and decided to just make a go of it. My husband resigned from his band directing job before either of us had a job here. I held onto mine until he got the job here. We really took a leap of faith and hoped for the best. I did some weird jobs for a while, and ended up waitressing-still do it! Its not half bad, although I never thought I would be doing it again. Its actually kind of fun and mindless....much less stressful than teaching! I gotta say at this point, teaching 2 days per week is pretty cool. I have 9 classes per day, so they are really milking me for all I am worth! I am used to teaching 6 classes per day, so this is insane. I love it though! There is definitely something about this place that just lets things work out for the best. I always tell people that the stars just lined up for us here....its so true. ;)
I am so jealous... I was in Asheville a month ago and can't wait to go back. I am still thinking about moving there next summer when I finish nursing school. I do feel like I should check out some other places down south before I just pack up and leave... Anyone else live in that general area that can recommend a place to check out? 8) I doubt I will find anyplace else as cool and veg-friendly as Asheville though!
I am so jealous... I was in Asheville a month ago and can't wait to go back. I am still thinking about moving there next summer when I finish nursing school. I do feel like I should check out some other places down south before I just pack up and leave... Anyone else live in that general area that can recommend a place to check out? 8) I doubt I will find anyplace else as cool and veg-friendly as Asheville though!
What kind of place are you looking for? Asheville is the only smallish liberal Southern town that I know of, unless you want to start on the University circuit. And it's only "liberal" in town; Buncombe County still has plenty of Reagan Rednecks. Because you are a nurse, you can live anywhere you want to. You don't have to stick to finding a job to make your choice. For me, I needed the job to get here, but not to stay.
We've lived in several "tourist" towns over the years and I gotta say, it's the way to go, if you can swing the cost of living. It's great to live in a place people spend money and vacation time to visit. With all of the national forests around here, solitude is very easy to find. The town is also very supportive if it's "mom-and-pop" establishments. It's easy to find local food, materials, art, etc... and plus, plenty of good veg*n food :)
Depending on the type of nurse that you are, you may find this interesting: mom tells me that in the ER here there are dramatically fewer shootings than in any town she's ever worked in, but more stabbings. Anyway, if you've developed your nurse's macabre sense of humor, that may mean something to you. ;D
I love it here; the only thing that will get me out of the mountains is the ocean....after living on the beach, it always calls to you.
I have heard so many wonderful things about asheville and unfortunately I have never been there and my punk ass hippie hating boyfriend has. Therefore, his mind is made, too many hippies in Asheville and the amount of vegan options cant make up for it. haha. Although, I did find a superb music therapy program at Appalachian college in boone NC. Maybe I could convince him to move there, then, when I'm done with my masters he'll love the appalachian mountains so much and wont want to move away! mwahaha! I will get there sooner or later.
I have heard so many wonderful things about asheville and unfortunately I have never been there and my punk ass hippie hating boyfriend has. Therefore, his mind is made, too many hippies in Asheville and the amount of vegan options cant make up for it. haha. Although, I did find a superb music therapy program at Appalachian college in boone NC. Maybe I could convince him to move there, then, when I'm done with my masters he'll love the appalachian mountains so much and wont want to move away! mwahaha! I will get there sooner or later.
That's what I love about Asheville is the diversity of the people, hippies included. I saw a few bumper stickers "keep Asheville weird". The people are weird, they know it and are proud of it. But like someone said, it's only this liberal in town. Make no mistake about it, in the hills it's still small town Bible belt North Carolina.
Asheville is wonderful. I went to Chimney Rock this past summer and had the best time.
I assume you've been to The Laughing Seed - if not, drop everything and go now! It's fantastic.
Thank you so much for the recommendation to the Laughing Seed. I missed that last visit and am so glad I went. I got a norioll to die for, Indian food to die for and a carrot juice smoothie. The bad news is I spent $31.00 just on myself with another $6.00. I don't mind paying for good food and service though (I ordered takeout and had the smoothie at the bar). Sad that I live in an area with 10 times the population of Asheville and can't find vegan food this good!
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