Just to the northeast of downtown Asheville lies the historic Grove Park Neighborhood. This early 20th century residential area was planned by developer E. W. Grove (designer of Grove Arcade and Battery Park Hotel). The stately Grove Park Inn, another of Grove's masterpieces, provides a majestic centerpiece for the neighborhood.
The main artery of the residential area is Kimberly Avenue. This road boasts stately homes in a variety of architectural styles, including but not limited to Neo-Classical, Tudor Revival, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival. Large deciduous trees line the sidewalks. You can stroll down Country Club Road alongside the Grove Park Inn's nationally renowned golf course. Stone retaining walls and stairs bring a sense of permanence to many of the homes' terraced gardens.
Here are the top 3 reasons you should check out Grove Park Neighborhood:
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Richard Sharp Smith's Historical Architecture
Richard Sharp Smith, a nationally-renowned architect, designed several homes and residences with historical importance within this community. They are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
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E. W. Grove's office, at 324 Charlotte Street, was built in 1909. This rock cottage served as his office while he was building the Grove Park Inn and designing the surrounding neighborhood.
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St. Mary's Parish, at 337 Charlotte Street, was built in an English cottage style by Smith in 1914.
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The William Jennings Bryan House at 107 Evelyn Place and the J.R. Oates House at 90 Gertrude Place are two stunning examples of Smith's residential work.
2. Outdoor Living
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E.W. Grove Park was designed in 1909 by Chauncy Beadle, the nurseryman for the Biltmore Estate. Today, residents of this neighborhood are continuing to work with Biltmore landscape designers to restore the park to its original vision.
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The Griffing Boulevard Rose Garden is an historic rose garden first created in the 1940s. Today it has 300 rose bushes, hemlocks and lawn space.
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Sunset Parkway has a woodland area on its eastern end and a more groomed western end that is partitioned into landscaped rooms.
3. Gathering Places
As one of Asheville's earlier planned residential neighborhoods, the Grove Park neighborhood is just outside of downtown. However, it also has its own corridor of commercial offerings along Charlotte Streeet that are walkable from these homes.
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For a morning destination, try City Bakery, a family-owned bakery that creates artisan breads and pastries and offers locally roasted organic coffees.
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Ghan Shan Station, located in a renovated gas station, features East Asian cuisine in a modern, casual setting. Here you can enjoy a wonderful selection of sake while dining al fresco.
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Post-dinner, meander down Charlotte Street to Ultimate Ice Cream to experience a frozen dessert referred to as the "microbrew of ice cream" and created from locally-sourced milk.
For more information on real estate in Asheville, please contact Mike Figura at mike@mymosaicrealty.com or call him anytime at (828) 337-8190.
Photo and video by: Just in Asheville
Further Reading: Grove Park-Sunset Mountain Neighborhood Association
Search: View all homes for sale in Grove Park Neighborhood
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