When beginning your home search in Asheville, nearby amenities are often a deciding factor. Parks – many boasting greenways, large playgrounds, ball fields, even a velodrome – are plentiful in the area, meaning there’s likely one within walking distance of (or a short drive from) your dream home. Here are some of Asheville’s most popular [...]

Updated July 2024

Looking for a cool way to beat the heat of summer in Western North Carolina? Swimming holes in and around Asheville are the perfect answer. With these natural splash spots roughly an hour or less drive from Asheville, it’s easy to make a day of chilling out. So get ready to suit up and cool [...]

Asheville has long enjoyed a reputation as a great place to retire, but as the city has grown, so have the reasons for retiring here. From a vibrant food scene to exciting cultural offerings to ongoing learning opportunities, [...]

Disc golf is taking off in Asheville, and for good reason. Occasionally called Frisbee golf or frolf, the popular game involves throwing a flying disc at a target, and follows rules similar to golf – but without all the equipment or expense of that [...]

Creating a backyard that’s enjoyable for you and friendly to the Earth is easier than you think. From pollinator gardens to organic mulching to smart watering, taking an environmentally sound approach to landscaping helps to promote a green yard – and a greener world. Following, some simple tips to [...]

Photo credit: Evan Kafka

Life in Western North Carolina offers up a refreshing range of weather experiences. Asheville, at an elevation of just above 2,000 feet, boasts an overall mild year-round climate – not too cold in the winter, not too hot in the summer – but traveling just a short distance outside of the city can reveal a greater [...]

Hot weather is almost here, and the Asheville area’s many water destinations – both man-made and natural – are sure to help your summer go swimmingly. Following is a list of the best spots to cool off when temperatures heat [...]

Asheville Parks and Recreation maintains a beautiful system of greenways throughout the city, with miles more planned for completion in the next few years. This means that even if you don’t currently have a greenway near your [...]

As Western North Carolina gears up for winter, the Asheville area comes alive with snow-centric activities. From skiing to snow tubing to wintry hikes, a range of outdoor adventures makes the flakes all the more fun, for young and old alike. Following, a few favorites to try out this [...]

Much of the beauty of living in Asheville is the city’s amazing accessibility to the Blue Ridge Parkway. With the famed Virginia-to-North Carolina scenic highway – America’s longest linear park at 469 miles – winding along mere minutes from Asheville’s city center, it’s easy to jump on the parkway – whether it’s an impromptu afternoon hike [...]