To some of us, it’s no surprise that all over the world people talk about the way in which Asheville is different from other places:

(source)At the Tupelo Honey café in Asheville they were actually playing the Van Morrison track of the same name. It went so well with the laid-back mood of the place that we asked if we could hear it again. Sharon, the proprietor of this traditional southern eaterie, obliged and re-ran the CD.

It seemed that she, like everyone in these parts, had all the time in the world, which is not something you associate with the way America behaves at 9.30am. We downed our third mug of coffee, and demolished our plate of grit cakes and sweet potato pancakes before stepping outside for a tour of this North Carolina mountain city.

Keep in mind that the above came from the Independent in the United Kingdom; still, there’s something so true about this assessment of Asheville. Even for those of us who call Asheville, NC home, it’s tough not to notice how different our home is from a lot of other places.

Sure, we’ve got access to the arts. We’ve got beautiful scenery and, of course, the Biltmore. But most of all, when you find yourself living in Asheville what you discover is that the city has soul.

For those who already are living in Asheville, one of the things that you’re sure to understand is that the area has so much to offer that it’s hard to answer the question “what’s it all about?” But, for those who are looking to move into the area, that sort of non-answer - that there’s way too much going on to bring it all into a clear focus in a concise way - doesn’t quite cut it.

So let’s start here:

Over 40 downtown Asheville art galleries display the work of hundreds of local artists, and the Fine Art Theatre even offers Cannes award-winning independent films. Amid downtown Asheville’s unique Art Deco, and Neoclassical architecture, intimate cafes, unique boutiques, and hip, modern art galleries mingle in a rare synergy, in places like the Grove Arcade Public Market. No generic mall or mini-mart, the Grove Arcade partners with the Asheville Downtown Association to bring local music to life right next to fresh produce and cheese vendors, area craftsmen and artists, and chic specialty stores, all on one historic street corner.

Now, can you really sum living in Asheville up just by saying that the area is filled with art galleries, cafes and boutiques and a state of North Carolina owned farmer’s market? Of course not - like I said, that’s just to help you get started.

In addition to everything else that living in Asheville has offer, there’s also great real estate that’s just waiting to be discovered. What better way to discover all that living in Asheville has to offer than calling the city home?