Anyone from there? We are going for a long weekend this fall to Asheville and was wondering what there is to do? Where to go for food and drink? Any bar or places you would recommend to mellow out and hear good sounds? I am planning on the beer tour. Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated. Dr Razzu thanks you
I'd recommend that you park your car in the public parking deck on Biltmore Avenue, just a block south of Pack Square (center of town), directly across the street from the Mast General Store (worth checking out). You can easily walk to everything downtown from there, and downtown is where the real action is. There are several cool, upscale art galleries along Biltmore Avenue. I can't afford their prices, but it's interesting to browse. Also in the first two blocks of Biltmore; a very hip CD store, an Irish pub, and Doc Chey's Noodle House (good, affordable Thai). Around Pack Square (which has been nicely redone recently), there are two sidewalk cafés that are cool places to get a drink and listen to the street musicians. Beyond the Square, the street name changes to Broadway. There are all kinds of cool little eclectic shops to browse in the three blocks between the Square and the freeway, along with Tressa's Downtown Jazz & Blues (get there early to get a table downstairs) and Mellow Mushroom - the best pizza on the planet. Their Mighty Meaty pizza is to die for! Tressa's is known for their huge martini menu and their talented bartender. One block east on North Market, you have Vincenzo's Italian Restaurant, very authentic and high in quality. It's upstairs, above their nightclub/lounge that usually has one guy with a guitar or keyboard. A block to the north, you will find the Thomas Wolfe Museum. It includes the preserved boarding house where Wolfe grew up and found the inspiration for most of his classic novels. The tour costs one dollar. On the corner of North Market and East Walnut, you will find Magnolia's, a mediocre restaurant that becomes a happening bar with live rock bands late at night (usually a cover band). It isn't too hard to get in or get a drink, and sometimes you can even find a good parking space on North Market Street. Looking at the part of downtown that is to the west of Broadway, you have the bohemian section along two blocks of North Lexington. You will find all the standard hippie stuff - vintage clothing, New Age stores, used books, and a head shop. The Kress Emporium doesn't exactly fit the pattern but does sell some interesting and affordable art, at the corner of N. Lexington and Patton Avenue (1 block west of Pack Square). Two more blocks west, you have Haywood Street; another row of unique shops, including the best bookstore in town. Those shops also continue west down Battery Park Avenue for two blocks, to the Grove Arcade. That's a unique old restored building full of shops, mostly related to interior decor. It's a beautiful building from the 1920s, with lots of polished marble, spiral staircases, and wrought iron railings. Sometimes you can buy fresh produce out front. There is also another city parking deck across the street, the most convenient one for the western part of downtown. The Haywood Park Hotel is a nice place to stay, at the corner of Haywood Street and Battery Park Avenue. I'm not going to even try to explain the crazy, contorted way that Wall Street and the west end of College Street fit into this area, so you'll need to look at it on Google Maps. See where College, Patton, and Haywood make a triangle? There's a public park inside the triangle where you will always find lots of people and activity - street performers, artists, protesters carrying signs, etc. Where College Street runs into Patton Avenue, you will find Tupelo Honey's, the best place in town to go for breakfast. It's close to Mayfels, which has a limited Cajun menu. Almost directly behind it on Wall Street is the Early Girl Eatery, my second favorite breakfast spot. A short block beyond Tupelo Honey's, Jack of the Wood is on your right, on Patton Avenue. Good luck getting in there and finding a place to stand when they have a live band. It seems like all of Asheville tries to squeeze in there on weekend evenings, especially in the summer. Jack of the Wood has the most unique and diverse original music in town, and too many people know it. My best advice: have a couple of drinks elsewhere before you go. Beyond walking distance: Several blocks further west on Patton Avenue, but before you cross the river, hang a left on Clingman Avenue. That takes you down to the railroad yard along the east bank of the French Broad River. There are lots of new art galleries springing up all around there. There is some good stuff in the stores, but I find that whole area to be ugly. It has potential, if they keep spending money on fixing it up. Those old warehouses need a lot of love. If you drive further on Clingman Avenue, it will cross the river, change names to Haywood Road, and eventually make a square right turn where it gets wider. About a mile further down the road, you will come to a little hip community called West Asheville that has its own culture and style, not at all like downtown Asheville. It's cool and cute, but I haven't spent enough time there to be able to tell you much about it. Biltmore Avenue eventually leads to (big surprise!) Biltmore Village and the main entrance to Biltmore House, just north of the I-40 interchange. There's enough info online that I don't need to tell you about Biltimore House, except that you can easily spend a day there, especially if you're interested in the winery tour and wine tasting. Everybody should do it once. Near the Biltmore entrance, there is a McDonald's with an automated grand piano in the dining room. It surely has to be the most elegant McDonald's ever built. Next door to McDonald's is the Grand Bohemian Hotel. At the very least, you have to walk through the lobby and check out the bar. They also don't mind if you ride up to the top floor and check out their super-luxurious rooftop tent for private parties. I can see why they charge $350 a night to stay there, and frankly don't understand why it doesn't cost a lot more. I've never seen a more outrageously lavish hotel, with so much money spent on excessively luxurious details that don't really matter. At the same time, it isn't at all what you expect from a luxury hotel. The look is very unusual and creative. You have to see it to believe it. Grove Park Inn: Skip it, unless you really enjoy getting ripped off by a greedy corporation. The old original building is huge and historic, but everything there is ridiculously overpriced and they treat you like shit. Everything is better downtown. Of course, there are great mountain scenic road trips out of Asheville in both directions on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's all natural and unspoiled. That should be enough to keep you busy for a few days. Have fun!
Thank you. I am looking forward to my visit. I usually stay close to Maggie Valley at an old motor court. We went to Asheville to see the Arts & Crafts show then went back the next year and walked through downtown to Jack of the Woods for lunch. Jack's had a good burger and the beer wasn't shabby either. That little taste is bringing us back for a longer visit. One of our purposes is to explore the area for a possible move. West Asheville maybe the kind of place we are hunting. I have thought about staying at the Downtown Inn & Suites. The ratings are average but it is clean and convenient. Most of the complaints I read were from people who expected more than just a basic clean hotel room. I don't plan on spending much time there anyway. And the money I save I eat better and get more beer. I am checked out the Haywood and it seems like the kind of place that looks good but the people need a good chortling. What about anything in the West Asheville area to stay at or go to? I also hear I should check out the Farmer's Market.
