Asheville or Other Parts of NC to Move To (Charlotte: rentals, low crime)

[carlent]

we (my wife and I) are looking for a new city. We are now living in NH. We have vowed not to spend another winter here. So we are looking for a warmer climate and a vibrant city that is friendly to newcomeers. We like to walk the city, we love cafe's,bookstores,brewpubs, etc., We would like a city that has a low crime rate and is safe all around. Also a moderate cost of renting. We would not buy, but rater rent a house in the range of $900 - $1200 a month. We have lived in Chicago, St Louis , DC, and Northern Va. so we are used to big city life. We are not offended by freaks, punks,purple hair, noserings and the like. As long as these folks are peaceful we could care less what their agenda is.
We have targeted ASheville, Wilmington,Durham, Charlotesville, Va, St Petersburg, Fl.
Any opinions that might help us out in our thinking

Thanks to all

[AshevilleJJ]

I can only speak to Asheville and St Pete.
I have been to St Pete several times and stayed right in the heart of their downtown. Very nice but it is Florida and if you like heat then you will be ok. Not sure if you could find a house to rent for what you want to pay close enough to walk downtown. The people seemed fine and it is a walkable town. With St Pete you are close to Tampa which offers everything a big city has which you wouldn't get here in Asheville.
Asheville has a funky feel to it and the mountains here are beautiful. I love the people here, no matter what they look like as I find everyone friendly. I love our downtown, very walkable and lots to see and do but by no means a big city feel. I have never felt unsafe anywhere I have been in Asheville. Brewpubs? We have some great ones and also 7 local breweries with more on the way. Asheville loves to keep things local so you will find great independent restaurants, bookstores and galleries/shops featuring many local artists.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by AshevilleJJ

I can only speak to Asheville and St Pete.
I have been to St Pete several times and stayed right in the heart of their downtown. Very nice but it is Florida and if you like heat then you will be ok. Not sure if you could find a house to rent for what you want to pay close enough to walk downtown. The people seemed fine and it is a walkable town. With St Pete you are close to Tampa which offers everything a big city has which you wouldn't get here in Asheville.
Asheville has a funky feel to it and the mountains here are beautiful. I love the people here, no matter what they look like as I find everyone friendly. I love our downtown, very walkable and lots to see and do but by no means a big city feel. I have never felt unsafe anywhere I have been in Asheville. Brewpubs? We have some great ones and also 7 local breweries with more on the way. Asheville loves to keep things local so you will find great independent restaurants, bookstores and galleries/shops featuring many local artists.

Like this poster, these are the only two cities I can speak about with knowledge. I basically agree with all of the above. I am from Florida, grew up in Tampa/St. Pete. I love the area, between the two cities there is always TONS going on. This is a tremendously larger area than Asheville - in fact it is a major metropolitan area. The core of St. Pete itself (the downtown) is where you would want to be - it has that laid-back Bohemian vibe of Asheville, with many great places to eat, shop and hang out. One of the best bookstores (Haslam's) has been here for decades, best in Florida. St. Pete has GORGEOUS Gulf beaches, and neat and funky eateries abound. Don't know about rentals, but I think you can find something in your price range.

We had a second home in Asheville for 3 years. This is a charming city, the downtown is vibrant and bustling; although by the time we sold this past summer, many of the funkier businesses had left due to the economy and the ongoing construction blocking the streets. It is a pretty small city, kind of off by itself and not near or convenient to other large cities. The mountains are gloriously beautiful, as is the whole topography of the city.

I don't know if you need to be employed, but if so, I would recommend Tampa/St.Pete. Economic opportunies are quite limited in Asheville, there is a lot of competition for jobs, and small businesses flounder here - I've seen tons of them come and go in the short time we spent here.

Overall, it depends on what you really want out of a place. For us, Asheville was beautiful, but at the end of the day, we prefer the year-round warmth of Florida and it's gorgeous waterfronts.

Good luck!

[The Mule]

We considered Wilmington before moving to Asheville. In fact, my father-in-law visited Wilmington and wound up retiring there almost immediately. It really just depends on what you want. As you know, Wilmington is a coastal city, so it has a different climate. It is more spread out. From what my father-in-law says the crime rate there is probably marginally higher than here. If you like the beach or golf, that would be the place since it is located within an hour or so of over 100 golf courses. I could have been content there, but my wife decided she prefers the mountains. I think the overall cost of living is pretty similar. Housing is probably more expensive here in Asheville, but bankrate.com has a cost-of-living calculator that is worth checking out.

I've been to Charlottesville a few times when we lived in Northern Va. I always liked the place, which is probably the culture that comes from having a major university in town. I can't help with cost of living and associated subjects since we never checked it out from that perspective.

You have a tough choice! I can't speak for Tampa/St. Pete, but I could have probably been happy in Charlottesville or Wilmington, and we are happy here in Asheville. Each is different and has its own character. You probably need to spend a little time in each, if at all possible, to find out which city's character feels like "home" to you.