Asheville Originally called “Eden Land” when it was first settled during the 18th century, Asheville maintains its reputation as a virtual paradise. Surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is a dynamic, vibrant city that has attracted visitors for centuries. With about 72,000 residents, Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina and the 10th-largest city in the state. Asheville was recently named the eighth-best place to live in the U.S. by Frommer’s Travel Guide, and Self magazine named it the “happiest city” in the country. Founded in 1793 by real estate broker John Burton, Asheville was established as the county seat of Buncombe County. Called Morristown and Buncombe Courthouse, Asheville incorporated in 1797 and was named after North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe. The town experienced slow growth in the early part of the 19th century; in 1840, Asheville’s population was a mere 500 residents. However, this changed with the construction of the railroad, which brought visitors from across the country. One such visitor was George Washington Vanderbilt, one of the wealthiest men in America, who visited Asheville with his mother in 1888 to take in the healthy mountain atmosphere. He quickly fell in love with the area, purchased 125,000 acres of land that included Mount Pisgah and set out to establish a grand estate. Vanderbilt named the estate “Biltmore” by combining the words “Bildt,” an area in the Netherlands where Vanderbilt’s family comes from, and “more,” an old English word for open, rolling land. Part of the estate became Biltmore Village, which was built in the 1890s at the entrance to Biltmore Estate. The English-style village housed employees of Biltmore and included a school, church, hospital and shops. In the late 1960s, part of the area was renovated into a shopping district and now features more than 30 shops, galleries and restaurants. With brick sidewalks, trees and benches, Biltmore Village was declared a historic district in 1989. After Vanderbilt’s death in 1914, his wife sold 87,000 acres of land to the U.S. Forest Service, which now composes the core of the Pisgah National Forest. In 1930, Biltmore Estate opened to the public. As the largest home in the country, Biltmore remains a central tourist attraction in Asheville, drawing millions of visitors each year. The grandeur of Biltmore Estate made Asheville particularly appealing to the wealthy, and the city became a mecca for the rich and famous during the 1920s. A number of residential subdivisions emerged that remain as some of the older, established neighborhoods in Asheville. In the 1920s, Mrs. Vanderbilt sold 1,600 acres to be established as a luxurious suburb with spacious lots and modern amenities. This area, which became Biltmore Forest, remains as an independent township with its own community parks, police department and public works. About 600 homes compose Biltmore Forest and range in price from the $200s to the multi-millions. The median house value in Biltmore Forest is nearly $500,000. With swan-necked streetlights and thickly wooded lots, Biltmore Forest is one of the wealthiest towns in the country. In 1913, Grove Park Inn was constructed on Sunset Mountain overlooking Asheville. The resort attracted a number of famous characters including Thomas Edison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Ford, Will Rogers and Calvin Coolidge. Lots east of Charlotte Street around Sunset Park were developed soon after and the area became known as Grove Park. Another hotel, the Manor, inspired similar growth. Built in 1898, the Manor Hotel was established as a health resort. Soon after, European-style cottages began to emerge in the early part of the century. Today, the Manor and surrounding cottages are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both Albemarle Park and Grove Park feature architect-designed Tudor, Neo-Georgian and Neo-Colonial homes built in the 1920s and after. The boom of the 1920s also included commercial development, particularly in downtown Asheville. Implementing art deco designs, architects created the bulk of downtown during this time period, including Asheville’s eight-story City Hall. In fact, more art deco architecture built during the 1920s and ‘30s is found in downtown Asheville than any other town in the Southeast except Miami Beach. Resisting the urban renewal projects of other cities during the 1960s and ‘70s, Asheville maintains more than 170 historic buildings downtown. Today, downtown remains a center of energy, with eclectic shops, cafés, bistros and fine restaurants lining its very walkable streets. A number of condominiums downtown offer urban living with this vibrant historic district. The Wall Street/Haywood block features jewelry stores, craft galleries and restaurants, and Lexington Avenue attracts antique lovers with its unique shops. As the center of arts and culture in Asheville, Pack Square houses four museums, a number of galleries and the Diana Wortham Theatre. George Willis Pack donated this six-acre area to the city in 1901. The Pack Square/City-County Plaza is currently undergoing a project to create Asheville’s own “central park.” The project, called the Pack Square Renaissance, is currently in the last of three phases and should be completed by 2007. The newly renovated Grove Arcade, conceived by the founder of Grove Park Inn, first opened in 1929. Falling under government control during World War II, the Grove Arcade was restored to its original use as a public market in 2002. It remains as Western North Carolina’s largest commercial building with 50 shops and restaurants. In addition to its smaller shops downtown, Asheville also offers a number of shopping areas and malls. Asheville Mall on Tunnel Road is anchored by Belk, Dillard’s, JCPenney and Sears as well as specialty stores and a food court. The mall, which recently expanded, also hosts holiday events and craft shows throughout the year. During the past five years, the area around South Tunnel Road has seen increased commercial development. Asheville real estate remains affordable with a diverse selection of older Victorian homes, new construction, condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes. The median home price in Asheville is $167,900 and the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $690. East of Asheville on I-40, the town of Swannanoa is about halfway between Asheville and Black Mountain. The town is quickly becoming a prime location for those who prefer a smaller town. Located near the Blue Ridge Parkway, Swannanoa is named after its position on the Swannanoa River, which begins at Mount Mitchell and runs for 22 miles before entering the French Broad River in Asheville. The river is currently undergoing a restoration project to reduce the build-up of sediment along the banks, maintain the trout population and reduce flooding. Swannanoa is also near Flat Top Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Hawks Bill and Table Rock and offers spectacular views from these peaks. Swannanoa is also home to one of the most unique colleges in the country: Warren Wilson College. The school provides a work program for each of its students to learn core work values and to help with the operation of the college. Each student must work 15 hours each week. In 2004, the Princeton Review recognized Warren Wilson as one of the Best 345 Colleges, and U.S. News and World Report cited Warren Wilson as one of the top 15 schools in two different programs. Warren Wilson hosts The Swannanoa Gathering, a series of workshops in the folk arts. Community members can take classes in everything from basket-weaving and carving to banjo and gospel singing. The Swannanoa Gathering also sponsors a series of Celtic music concerts in the spring at Asheville’s Diana Wortham Theatre. Celebrating their 35th anniversary in 2004, the Swannanoa Chamber Players stage concerts in Swannanoa, Hendersonville and Waynesville during the summer. The group is composed of professional musicians from Ohio, New York, Florida and Michigan.