Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, North Carolina is a beautiful city that is home to nearly 100,000 people. It has been named to many different prominent lists, including Good Morning America’s “10 Most Beautiful Places” list, and by various other publications as a great city for writers, artists, and new businesses. It has also held the title of Beer City USA for many years because of its numerous excellent microbreweries, and it is a favorite city for many hikers and outdoor enthusiasts as well. Even better, it’s also a very eclectic, progressive city with a thriving LGBTQ community.
A Bit of Asheville History
Asheville traces its roots back to 1784 when Colonel Samuel Davidson decided to use his solder’s land grant, given in the Revolutionary War, to settle here. Davidson was unfortunately murdered by a local Native American tribe, but settlers continued to come to the area. By 1790, there were as many as 1,000 people in the area, and it only continued to grow from that point on. Before officially being incorporated, the city was known as Morristown, although its name was eventually changed to Asheville to honor Governor Samuel Ashe, who was the state’s 9th governor. Since its founding, Asheville continued to grow steadily, eventually becoming an important center for agriculture, industry, and tourism. It remains so to this day, and it is a city that honors its unique heritage while also looking forward to the future and all that it holds.
A Few Fun Facts About Asheville
Read more fun facts about Asheville here.
Asheville’s LGBTQ Community
Asheville is a city that loves and supports its LGBTQ community with a variety of resources, including:
PFLAG Asheville is Asheville’s local chapter of the national PFLAG organization, which is the largest grassroots organization of its kind in the country. PFLAG is well-known for its mission of supporting LGBTQ people, friends, family, and allies across the country in a wide variety of ways. With 500 chapters and more than 200,000 members in the United States, PFLAG plays a critical and important role in providing advocacy, support, and resources to the LGBTQ community.
The Blue Ridge Pride Center is a year-round "virtual center" dedicated to supporting, celebrating, and advocating for the LGBTQ community in Asheville and surrounding areas. In addition to providing information about helpful resources, the center also organizes special activities and events throughout the year, leading up to the annual Asheville Pride Festival celebration, which is typically held during the first week in October every year.
What's the Weather Like in Asheville?
Asheville residents can expect to experience all four distinct seasons each year. Generally, fall and spring are the two most pleasant seasons to enjoy the outdoors each year, with fall bringing brightly colored leaves and crisp breezes, and spring bringing beautiful mountain wildflowers and mild temperatures. Winters are cold but fairly short, with average temperatures in January dropping to around 25°F. Summers are fairly mild, with highs in July usually reaching an average of around 84°F. Asheville receives around 44 inches of rain, on average, per year, and about 10 inches of snow.
The Best Events in Asheville
Blue Ridge Pride is not only a group that sponsors LGBTQ events and activities throughout the year in addition to providing a variety of resources to the community – it also sponsors an annual pride celebration for Asheville and the surrounding area each year. The festival includes parades, parties, networking opportunities, and more, and it’s one event you’ll definitely want to put on your calendar!
The Asheville Drum Circle is a very unique Asheville tradition, loved by visitors and residents alike. During the warmer months, the drum circle gathers on Friday nights in Asheville's Pritchard Park. Locals usually begin the drumbeat, but all are welcome to join in and play, dance, or simply enjoy the amazing atmosphere on a beautiful Asheville evening.
Where to Live in Asheville
Unlike some larger cities that have one particular “gayborhood” where most of the LGBTQ community lives, Asheville’s LGBTQ community is somewhat spread out across the city. Two neighborhoods that are particularly popular with the LGBTQ community, however, include:
Montford: Montford is one of Asheville’s beautiful historic neighborhoods. It is known for having older homes with a great deal of character, and for being a walkable, welcoming area with plenty to see and do. Single-family homes typically range from $259,000 to $2.35 million. Condos, on the other hand, are hard to find here. The median sale price of homes in Montford over the last year was around $350,000.
West Asheville: Located near the river, West Ashville is another popular LGBTQ neighborhood that also offers a great view. Again, there aren’t many condos for sale here, but those that are available are usually around $300,000. Single-family homes typically range from $225,000 to $685,000.
Generally, the most popular LGBTQ area of the city as far as entertainment, activities, and social events is the downtown area. The priciest downtown neighborhoods are Historic Montford with its many architectural treasures, as well as Grove Park, Claxton, Chestnut Hills, Norwood Park, Five Points, Jackson Point and Murdock Linden. The least expensive areas to live in are Shiloh, Biltmore and Parkway Forest where homes average at 141K and lower.
Arts and Entertainment
For those who love the arts, Ashville is known as the place to be in North Carolina! Asheville has more than 30 art galleries in its downtown area alone, it also has many additional art galleries surrounding the downtown area. Whatever type of art you love, you’re likely to find it here!
Asheville also has a vibrant performing arts scene, including a choral society, local community theatre groups, an opera, dance performances, and more. When it comes to the arts, Asheville truly has so much to offer.
Parks and Recreation
Another great benefit of living in Asheville is living by the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city is also located adjacent to eight national and state parks, four rivers, and more than 200 waterfalls. It’s the perfect city for those who love the outdoors, whether that means biking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, hiking, or all of the above!
In addition to its amazing outdoor recreational opportunities, Asheville also has many unique shopping districts. Shoppers from miles around Asheville travel here to shop. Anything you could hope to purchase can usually be found in Asheville – and if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, you’ll have plenty of fun browsing around!
Asheville Nightlife
O’Henry’s is one of the most popular and longstanding LGBTQ bars in Asheville. It is known for its strong drinks, friendly crowds, daily specials, theme nights, and its lively dance area, The Underground.
Scandals Nightclub, located in the upstairs portion of The Grove House, is the largest gay nightclub in western North Carolina. It is known for its lively dance floor, fun special events, excellent music, and welcoming atmosphere.
Contact an Asheville Gay Realtor Today
If you're ready to make a move to Asheville, at www.gayrealestate.com, we're here to help you take the first step toward finding an agent who knows and loves the community, and who can help you find a home and a neighborhood you'll love. We're proud to have a network of excellent realtors in Asheville, and we would love to help connect you with the right one. Contact an Asheville gay realtor today for a free, no-obligation consultation!
