September 24, 1997
Web posted at: 11:06 a.m. EDT (1506 GMT)By CNN Interactive writer/editor Laurel Shannon
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the small town of Asheville belies the image of a sleepy, remote Appalachian enclave. It bustles with fall foliage weekenders and coffee-spiked college students, revels in the grandeur of the largest private home in North America, and sparkles with abundant Deco architecture and the bright enthusiasm of a thriving arts community. It is a town seemingly tapped into and energized by the natural wonders that surround it, a metropolis in the mountains -- the best of both worlds for the urban addict in need of rejuvenation and inspiration.
Asheville, celebrating its bicentennial this year, has been called the "Paris of the South" for its literary and arts traditions and its historic appeal to the rich and famous. Its sophistication shows: Almost 50 art galleries line the streets in this town of just over 65,000, interspersed with antiques stores and funky second-hand shops, coffee houses, bookstores and eateries ranging from luxe to low-budget. Many businesses are upstarts of big city émigrés, lured to Asheville by the chance to make it on their own. Among their ventures: A spare, hip hair salon with a SoHo warehouse-edge (Ananda Hair Studio, 22 Broadway), an expansive, shimmering studio glass gallery (Vitrum Gallerie, 10 Lodge Street) and a riotous, ever-evolving flower shop (Perri Ltd. Floral Decor Studio, 65 1/2 N. Lexington Ave.).
Asheville Arts -- Why did two New Yorkers head for the hills? They'll tell you.
Entrepreneurial artisans weren't the first drawn by the magic of the North Carolina mountains. Industrialist heir George W. Vanderbilt -- a seasoned world traveler -- was smitten, too, and snapped up 125,000 acres at the edge of town to build what remains the largest private residence in North America. Completed in 1895, the sprawling-room mansion of Biltmore Estate is modeled on chateaux in France's Loire Valley. The spectacular landscaping was the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York's Central Park.
The admission prices are impressive, too -- an adult ticket is $27.95 (extra if you want to rent the audio cassette version of the self-guided tour) -- but the estate, which includes gardens, a winery (don't miss the tasting room), wooded walking paths, gift shops (eight of them) and top-notch, contemporary restaurants could easily be an all-day venture. Some hotels offer discounts on Biltmore tickets, so ask at your reception desk.
The Arts | Events
Related sites and stories
|
 Weather: City Guides and Maps: |
BACK TO TOP
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved.