It is nearly impossible to start blogging about living in the mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC to the locals) without mentioning this week’s Wall Street Journal article, “Real Estate Rebound in Asheville, N.C.”. The article’s opening paragraph nails what this blog is about, what it is really like to call these mountains our WNC home:

Families are drawn to Asheville, N.C., for its small-town feel, good schools and great outdoors. Young hipsters come for the eclectic vibe, craft breweries and lively music scene. And older Americans like the gentle seasons, health-care facilities and educational opportunities, such as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of North Carolina Asheville, which offers courses and activities for seniors.

The rest of the article is about real estate and rising home prices (don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers, there are still bargains available.) But this blog is not about real estate, it’s about beer, baseball, art, culture, recreation, people, and more.   It’s about living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

For example, the other day I stopped in Pack Square (downtown Asheville) to take a few pictures for this blog. In addition to fountains and public art (turkeys, pigs, and boys on stilts), there were three groups of street artists within 50 feet of the Square. Jugglers, musicians, and a balloon artist each had an audience.

Before we begin, let me tell you a little about my background. My family moved here from South Florida in 1994. Over the years, I’ve lived in Detroit, Ohio, Central Illinois, and Philadelphia. Before we moved, I was warned to expect culture shock. I never noticed it.

We chose a WNC home for a number of reasons. We wanted:

• A top of the line pub­lic school sys­tem (when we moved, our chil­dren were in mid­dle school),
• A state uni­ver­sity sys­tem that was nation­ally respected and yet afford­able with local availability,
• Local access to excel­lent doc­tors and hospitals,
• A mod­er­ate cli­mate with tan­gi­ble seasons,
• Scenic envi­ron­ment with easy access to out­door recreation,
• A small town ‘feel,’ and
• Afford­able taxes, homes, and cost-of-living.

In the coming weeks (and months), we will look at each of these issues and how they have changed over the years. We will also look at beer.