Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So my family and I are considering a move to NC to get away from the Cleveland winters. We have heard wonderful things about Asheville and my husband pretty much has his heart set on moving there. We are planning a trip there for next month, to look at some home and check out the area.
However, I have a HUGE concern... our family is racially and culturally mixed (DH is from the Middle East, DD and I are white, our twin boys are African American). I do realize that there is racism EVERYWHERE, but I certainly don't want to be setting my family up for problems, kwim??? And, although Cleveland is by no means a bastion of racial harmony, at least we don't get weird looks or experience blatant harassment.
My next question would be is there a particular neighborhood you would recommend? We would prefer an an area with good schools (DD is 9 and the boys are babies). Are there any racially diverse neighborhoods? Our budget is in the $250,00- $325,000 range.
I don't live in Asheville or North Carolina...or even the south. But have been there a few times, including just as recently as a week ago in Asheville NC and other southern cities.
Generally speaking...compared to the Midwest - which I'd assume would include Cleveland, as certainly true in Michigan and everywhere else. But, you seldom see black/white together in public at all in the northern climates unless the odd interracial marriage or bf/gf thing happening.
But to see a black guy and white guy walking around hanging out together in the Midwest is a very very unusual sight. But I noticed that in the South, that is common. Whatever racial history occurred in the South back in the day, or even now...I was constantly surprised how often I'd see just black/white hanging out very casually....never seems to happen in the north.
Anyways, that's all I really gotta say. I can't say if your particular family will be 100% incident free or whatever else if they make a move, etc. But I do kinda think you might get less stares than in Cleveland, OH, believe it or not...if Cleveland is anything whatsoever like everywhere else in the Midwest and northern climates.
I've lived here since December and have been visiting annually since 2004. First, the racial mix varies depending on where you are in the area. The central area with its subsidized housing is about 50:50 white/black but get into N. Asheville, Arden, Fletcher and its predominantly white. Other races are minor fractions. That said it is not at all unusual to see biracial couples downtown. I often see white mothers and grandmothers (well, they look old enough to be grandmothers) pushing carts or carriages with mixed race children in them. I have no idea how the kids are accepted in schools, etc.
There are good schools in the Arden-Fairview area (although Fairview seemed to be a little off the beaten path to us). The down side to Arden-Fletcher is this is where the suburbs has moved south. You have the big box stores out on Airport Rd. and the yuppie area along Hendersonville Rd wiht the Paneras, Starbucks, Earthfare, etc. It really reminded us of the sprawl we left in Northern Virginia so we got far away from it and its traffic jams. I'm sure that the queenofbavaria will post in on this one since she is moving her family here and has done a lot of research on this.
Most importantly I hope your husband has a transportable job since there aren't any here. Good luck
Thanks for the replies! It's good to know that if we do make the move, we won't stick out like sore thumbs lol!
Quote:
Most importantly I hope your husband has a transportable job since there aren't any here.
I didn't realize the job situation was so bad there... we were kind of thinking that *anything* would be better than Cleveland. DH and I are both in the medical field (well actually I'm a SAHM) and he has a few possibilities set up all ready. Is the crime rate really high due to the unemployment?? Again, we've been going with the "can't be worse than Cleveland" mindset...
Being that he's in the medical field may help. I wouldn't assume he'd easily be able to find a job in the area, however. You probably also need to face the probability of lower wages in WNC than what he's making in Cleveland.
The schools in South Asheville are good, my son graduated from Roberson a couple years ago. We lived near the Biltmore Park area.
Well, that is good news since the medical field is the one area where folks can usually find a job here. Still its a good idea to make the contacts and get the jobs lined up first.
As for crime, the stats are higher than you might expect but they mainly reflect crimes in the "projects" (subsidized housing). Asheville has several such projects in West Asheville, central Asheville, Montford. A lot of the reports in the paper recently seem to be more in the line of drugs, thefts from stores and employees embezzling/stealing. Maybe its been too cold and snowy this winter for the usual run of the mill car breakins, ATM thefts, and such. What you do hear about often is in Candler, Leicester, downtown, and a little in Arden. I never seem hear anything about Fairview, Weaverville, Swananoa, or Black Mountain. The Asheville Citizen Times paper is available online (Google it since they won't let us post links to other sites here). Reading it should give you a picture of what areas to avoid. They have an interesting page where they post mug shots of criminals so you can see where they live, their crime, and were it took place.
So my family and I are considering a move to NC to get away from the Cleveland winters. We have heard wonderful things about Asheville and my husband pretty much has his heart set on moving there. We are planning a trip there for next month, to look at some home and check out the area.
However, I have a HUGE concern... our family is racially and culturally mixed (DH is from the Middle East, DD and I are white, our twin boys are African American). I do realize that there is racism EVERYWHERE, but I certainly don't want to be setting my family up for problems, kwim??? And, although Cleveland is by no means a bastion of racial harmony, at least we don't get weird looks or experience blatant harassment.
My next question would be is there a particular neighborhood you would recommend? We would prefer an an area with good schools (DD is 9 and the boys are babies). Are there any racially diverse neighborhoods? Our budget is in the $250,00- $325,000 range.
Thanks!!!!
leah
So, are you independantly wealthy, or will you need a job?
Your husband can have his heart set on moving to Asheville, but unless you have a job lined up don't pack your house up yet - finding one will be your problem.
Asheville is a great little city - love to visit it. But then, so does everyone else It's a tourist destination and so the tourist industry is the biggest employer - and those salaries aren't going to allow most people to buy a $325,000 home I'm afraid. However, if he (or you) are in the medical field you may have better luck than others in finding a job. Best of luck to you!
The Asheville Citizen Times paper is available online (Google it since they won't let us post links to other sites here). Reading it should give you a picture of what areas to avoid. They have an interesting page where they post mug shots of criminals so you can see where they live, their crime, and were it took place.
Thanks!!! I'm going to look it up now!!!
Quote:
The schools in South Asheville are good, my son graduated from Roberson a couple years ago. We lived near the Biltmore Park area.
Thank you. That's good to know!!
Quote:
So, are you independantly wealthy, or will you need a job?...However, if he (or you) are in the medical field you may have better luck than others in finding a job. Best of luck to you!
No, not independently wealthy...I wish!!! But yes, we are both medical.
Asheville is a very diverse population, but some of the outlying rural areas are less tolerable unfortunately, so avoid relocating there. West Asheville is an artsy/bohemic area, while North Asheville is more culture-centered overall. But you'll find that there's a mixture of all sorts of people, so you should find a spot to fit in!
This is not "BIG CITY" at all; it's the next-best-thing...lots of diversity: environmentalists, gays, artsy, young, drum-bangers, tourists, retirees, ex-floridians, health professionals, up-coming computer specialists....they're all here! But, the latest statistics show that almost 1 in 10 are unemployed in Buncombe county--but it's not tourist season yet, and that's a large part of the economy here, so those numbers may be misleading overall.
Good luck in your search for a home here---it's not exactly a buyer's market since we do have a large influx of Floridian transplants that keep the prices higher.
We live southwest of Asheville and moved here from northern Ohio and wouldn't live anywhere else We have snow, but most of the time, it's gone in 2-3 days--no big hills of dirty snow on the corners from Nov-April like in Ohio! haha! This past year was the exception to the "no snow" but it's not the usual!
Good luck!
How about teaching jobs? I have taught high school science for 10 years in illinois and will be getting my masters in Biology next May (So community college might be an option)
I'm surethey need to be lined up first too.
Although there is alot about Illinois I don't love, I've grown to love the diversity that I have in Illinois. Are there any mixed neighborhoods in WNC area?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cofga
Well, that is good news since the medical field is the one area where folks can usually find a job here. Still its a good idea to make the contacts and get the jobs lined up first.
As for crime, the stats are higher than you might expect but they mainly reflect crimes in the "projects" (subsidized housing). Asheville has several such projects in West Asheville, central Asheville, Montford. A lot of the reports in the paper recently seem to be more in the line of drugs, thefts from stores and employees embezzling/stealing. Maybe its been too cold and snowy this winter for the usual run of the mill car breakins, ATM thefts, and such. What you do hear about often is in Candler, Leicester, downtown, and a little in Arden. I never seem hear anything about Fairview, Weaverville, Swananoa, or Black Mountain. The Asheville Citizen Times paper is available online (Google it since they won't let us post links to other sites here). Reading it should give you a picture of what areas to avoid. They have an interesting page where they post mug shots of criminals so you can see where they live, their crime, and were it took place.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's a tourist destination and so the tourist industry is the biggest employer - and those salaries aren't going to allow most people to buy a $325,000 home I'm afraid. However, if he (or you) are in the medical field you may have better luck than others in finding a job. Best of luck to you!
Jobs & diversity
