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Hi, everybody. My husband just got a new job offer in Asheville, NC. It's 10 hours away from where we are living now, and moving, or not moving, is the big question. Let me give a little bit info about ourselves. We are a second generation Asian-American family. I am a speech therapist, and my husband is an anesthesiologist. I heard Asheville has a lot of retirees, so I assume it may not be a problem for me to find a job. I am a city person, and I enjoy the noises and crowdness in the city. But I do agree it's not a good idea to raise kids in the city.
Can somebody tell me what Asheville is like? What is the weather like? Do I need a snow blower in the winter? How is the house market? Are people friendly? how big is the asian population? What are the main outdoor activities?
Thanks in advance.
Wow, I think you may be in for a shock! You talk like you're from a big city which Asheville is not. It is the biggest in WNC but wouldn't pass for more than a large town in most major metro areas. As for Asians here, I can't remember seeing one since I moved here 5 months ago! I know there are a few as we have several Thai restaurants. Also, I'm not sure why you think a bunch of retirees would need a speech therapist? You also better consider that lots of those retirees are speech therapists also looking for part-time to full-time jobs now that their IRAs are toast.
The weather is great here. Spring has been wonderful after the nastiest winter in a generation. Normally we get so little snow here that the Lowes doesn't even stock snow shovels much less blowers--thank heaven I brought mine with me. Outdoor activities are many and varied which is good since there aren't many indoor activities--good thing winter is so short (3 months). Hiking, biking, camping, fishing, etc. are all here. You'd better come down and spend a week or three or more making sure you'd be happy here.
But I do agree it's not a good idea to raise kids in the city.
agree with whom ? As far as my research about asheville and my visits went, there are also great areas and schools in the city/close to the city. It's not NYC
I agree, you should really go down (or up ?) and visit to get a first impression on your own.
you should also browse this forum for subjects like family neighborhoods, out door fun, places to see .... and you will find a great collection of information.
My wife is from Tokyo. We went back to visit her parents last month and 2 days after we got there she was already homesick for Asheville and tired of all the crowds! There's actually quite a few Asians around here. I guess I just notice them more being married to one.
I assume it may not be a problem for me to find a job.
NC's unemployment is among the highest in the country, right now, so never assume it won't be hard to find a job in this state. But if your husband is a doctor, I presume you can live off his income indefinitely.
Asheville is a very open-minded place and your race should not be an issue, but Asians are still not so common in the area. But that alone should not make a difference as to whether you move or not.
Eclectic and touristy. Outdoor oriented. Fake-green. Very liberal and very conservative. Spread out and space restricted. Great food!!......it's hard to get a feel unless you are here. There's a little for everyone. Whether you like or not depends on what's important to you.
What is the weather like?
Fairly mild. I am from the midwest and am used to a solid 4 seasons. Here (with the exception of this year), there is usually a short and mild winter with little snow. The summer is 85-90 tops with medium humidity. The spring and fall are generally longer. This is why the snowbirds come from Florida and up north, depending on the season.
How is the house market?
Being your hubby's job is one of the most well paid in the country, I am assuming you'll be fine. However, if you are looking for a deal because of the housing market, it will be harder to find...easier if you have money to spend. I would try looking at the Biltmore Lake region for houses. It's got some great houses, with some cookie cutter. However, it has great amenities which are hard to find here due to space restrictions. It also has one of the largest % of people selling homes. It's one of the only areas where prices really took a hit (people bought stage 1 homes, sold for stage 2, sold for stage 3....then couldn't afford the payments in a house twice as big as stage 1 when economy tanked). Many of the areas it's harder to find deals because these are retired folks 2nd homes, and they don't have to sell for a loss.
Are people friendly?
Yes and no. It depends on the area. For example in Biltmore Lake, many of the families are pretty friendly. If you are closer to many places off of Merrimon, people are not. Overall, there are enough of different styles of people you should find friends.
Asian population?
Probably at <1%. I came from an area with a much higher % of asians due to a university close by so to me it seems like there are very very few. Although, I don't think it really matters to people here....but it might matter to you.
If you have kids, you may want to check out the private schools, at least for high school. The public high schools leave a lot to be desired. There is 1 decent one.
If you have kids, you may want to check out the private schools, at least for high school. The public high schools leave a lot to be desired. There is 1 decent one.
I would be interested in more input on this. is this your personal experience ?
I did online research, talked to parents, visited the schools - and liked at least 2 of them a lot (and then stopped looking around since time was tight).
compared to other counties, buncombe always looked pretty good to me.
Our 15 year old attends one of the better High Schools in the area, and no, it's not Asheville High. Everyone has varying opinions on this, but I truly believe we are in one of the better schools. With that said, parents can sugar coat their school as much as they want. It's the sitting down and listening to our children who attend the school(s) and their first... secondhand experience living amongst the good/bad and seeing it with their own eyes.
I can honestly tell you that while the HS our son attends hasn't had a lockdown this year -- there is a large amount of drug dealing and gang activity within the school. I totally get why parents opt for paying for private school education in the area - I really do.
It's scary and so not like the HS experience I knew and loved in California. I graduated in '90 by-the-way.
thank god, drug problems are never a problem in private schools .
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