A 30-minute drive from our bed and breakfast is downtown Asheville, a beautiful, bustling downtown with more that 200 locally-owned shops, 30+ art galleries and more than 50 restaurants. The city's rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues. Known as an art colony, a healing resort and a home to notable luminaries, statesmen and bohemians, Asheville is one of the most welcoming, vibrant cities in America.
While many cities underwent major overhauls in past decades, Asheville's historic and architecturally diverse downtown remains beautifully preserved. Downtown Asheville is a rare place. Artists and street musicians converge with tourists and locals for a vibrancy rarely found in a city of this size. There is always something happening downtown. People sip cups of Joe at one of several locally-owned coffee shops, listen to live music at a local club. They go on art walks, winding their way through downtown's galleries. Shoppers inspect unique boutique finds, or people simply enjoy fine cuisine and people-watching.
The city is pedestrian friendly, with wrought-iron benches throughout downtown, and many eateries have open-air dining sections that allow visitor to enjoy the city’s mild weather. In downtown Asheville, it is a pleasure - not a stress - to go shopping.
Downtown Shopping and Galleries
Grove Arcade - One of the most interesting and inviting spots for downtown shopping is the Grove Arcade. This renovated historic building is worth a visit to admire the architecture alone, but it's also a wonderful place to wander, shop or visit galleries. The dining options range from Chicago-style hot dogs to frozen custard, wine bars to coffee shops, upscale restaurants to sidewalk cafes. The area nearby the Grove Arcade is also lined with several shops and restaurants.
Asheville Downtown Gallery Association - There's a reason Asheville's arts scene is heralded again and again. In downtown Asheville, there are 30 galleries belonging to this organization alone. The group offers maps and self-guided tours, as well as City Center art walks. You can also find the works of 150 artists at Woolworth Walk in the heart of downtown Asheville.
Wall Street - This picturesque side street in downtown Asheville features a mix of unique shops
Broadway to Biltmore - This corridor, with Broadway to one side of Patton Avenue and Biltmore to the other, is lined with several popular downtown Asheville shops and true local institutions like Mast General Store.
Lexington Avenue - This funky and eclectic neighborhood is the place to shop for the delightfully unexpected, from political bumper stickers to punk tee-shirts to new age books.
The most fascinating tour downtown is also the best value. For just a buck, tour the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, the novelist's boyhood home and setting for his 1929 novel "Look Homeward, Angel." In the nearby Montford Historic District, you can visit Riverside Cemetery, the final resting place for Wolfe and O. Henry.
The River Arts District, filled with dozens of working art studios, is one of the Asheville area's unique arts neighborhoods. Just minutes away, the River Arts District located along the French Broad River is home to an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional artists. Studio strolls are offered twice a year, but visitors are welcome year-round to the funky, distinctive collection of studios housed in renovated warehouses. The Folk Art Center, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, showcases their work along with ongoing exhibits and demonstrations.
Biltmore Estate is just a couple of miles from downtown Asheville. After a day of touring Asheville, return to peace and solitude at our bed and breakfast in Waynesville.
