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What
to Do in Downtown Asheville
Over the last
15 years, Downtown Asheville has undergone a dramatic renaissance.
According to the city’s Downtown Development Office,
nearly $200 million has gone into the revitalization, creating
what many consider one of the most attractive downtowns
in the Southeast. Another $200 million is on the drawing
board over the next decade.
 Downtown
has become a hotspot not only for tourists, but for locals
as well. On any given evening Downtown Asheville hums with
life as people stroll the streets shopping, dining at a
variety of eateries, and being entertained by the diverse
mix of culture, music and art that have led this city center
to be dubbed the "Paris of the South."
One of Downtown Asheville’s greatest
attributes is that there are so many things to do. Not only
that, they are easy to get to. Downtown Asheville is so
compact that you can park and walk to everything. The following
are just some of the highlights of Asheville’s unique
downtown scene: |
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Quick
Links:
Urban
Trail
Performing
Arts and Theatre
Fun
Things for Kids
Museums
Architecture
Shopping
The
Grove Arcade Public Market
Galleries
Live Music, Music, Music
Where to Eat
Sports
Festivals
The
Big Screen
Parking
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Urban Trail
More than 15 years in the making, the Asheville Urban Trail has
30 stations, each describing a different period in history through
artistic expression. The trail starts across the street from Pack
Place and continues for 1.7 miles through Downtown. Guided tours
are available April through November on Saturdays at 3 p.m. Tours
leave from the front desk inside Pack Place and are $5 per person.
Headsets and maps are available for self-guided tours. Walking
the Urban Trail is a terrific way to get an insider’s view
into Asheville history and to take in the charm and diversity
of Downtown.
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Performing Arts and Theatre
Looking for culture? There are many downtown theaters for the
performing arts featuring dance, story telling, singer songwriters,
composers, symphonies and other musicians. Visit the Diana Wortham
Theatre for ballet or a concert, Asheville Community Theatre for
contemporary theater, The Green Door for experimental works, Thomas
Wolfe Auditorium for touring dance and theater companies…and
right on the outskirts of Downtown in Montford, The Montford Park
Players present free performances of Shakespeare’s greatest
works during the summer months.
Fun Things for Kids
There are plenty of family-related activities available in Downtown
Asheville. A great place to start is on Wall Street. Here you
can paint your own pottery at Fired Up! then try out the climbing
wall at Climbmax. Another great stop for kids is Pack Place. Here
you’ll find the Colburn Gem and Mineral Museum where kids
(and adults) can discover some of North Carolina’s hidden
treasures, erupt a virtual volcano and examine volcanic ash under
a microscope. The Washington Post recognized the Colburn Gem and
Mineral Museum as “a mini Smithsonian of gems.”
 Also
in Pack Place is the Health Adventure. Here parents and kids can
spend hours in creative play, learning about the body, exercising
the mind, and having fun. The Health Adventure is both entertaining
and educational…and a convenient place to go in the summer
to escape the heat or a passing rain shower.
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Museums
Pack Place also houses the Asheville Art Museum. Throughout the
year, the museum hosts many exhibits featuring collections of
20th- and 21st-Century American art. The YMI Cultural Center on
the corner of Eagle and South Market Streets has historical exhibits
dedicated to African-American heritage. Art buffs should start
at the Art Museum and YMI, then visit dozens of cutting-edge galleries
and cafes that are all within walking distance.
Architecture
Downtown Asheville boasts a colorful and eclectic mix of architecture.
Styles include Neoclassical, Romanesque Revival, Art Deco, Beaux
Arts, Gothic and Spanish Renaissance, with buildings and monuments
designed by greats such as Douglas D. Ellington, Richard Sharp
Smith and Rafael Guastavino. Among the highlights are the Guastavino-designed
Basilica of St. Lawrence, featuring what is reputed to be the
largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America, the massive
Grove Arcade Public Market, and Ellington’s Art Deco City
Hall.
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Shopping
Downtown has a vast number of shops including craft stores, hip
clothing boutiques, dress shops, and stores for gifts, antiques
and sundries. There are several shopping districts such as Battery
Hill (home to the Grove Arcade), Wall Street, Lexington Avenue,
Haywood Street, and Broadway/Biltmore Avenue. Throughout Downtown
you will enjoy finding unique treasures that aren’t available
anywhere else.
The Grove Arcade Public Market
The recently renovated Grove Arcade Public Market reopened to
the public in the fall of 2002. It brims with shops, crafts people,
produce stands, restaurants and residential apartments. Originally
opened in 1929, this neo-Gothic building underwent major renovations
and now is a bustling point of commerce in Downtown Asheville.
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Galleries
If you are an artisan or collector, Downtown Asheville has enough
art per block to make you think you’re in New York City
or in New Orleans’ warehouse district. More than 30 galleries
feature works by local, regional, national and international artists.
Standouts include Studio ItaliAna, which offers “functional
art” in the form of furniture by masters such as Charles
Rennie Mackintosh, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright as well
as a rotating collection of paintings by regional artists. And
Blue Spiral 1 features paintings, sculptures and photographs by
more than 100 artists from the Southeastern United States.
Live Music, Music, Music
Aside from the summer concert series at the Biltmore Estate, most
live music in town happens Downtown. The Asheville Civic Center,
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and Diana Wortham Theatre are stops for
big name acts like Willie Nelson, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Wynton
Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr.
 Asheville's
newest hot spot for music is the The Orange Peel Social Aid and
Pleasure Club. Once a thriving part of the African American community,
this club was recently renovated and has become one of the hottest
music halls in the Southeast. Recent acts have included Bob Weir
of the Grateful Dead, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Wilco.
There are also several smaller venues scattered all over downtown,
offering live music every day of the week. Tressa’s features
blues and jazz; Jack of the Wood has bluegrass; Magnolia’s
offers classic rock and blues; Stella Blue, Hannah Flanagan’s
and Barley’s promote music ranging from funk to rockabilly;
Vincenzo’s has a piano bar; The Grey Eagle has a mix of
music from bigger name bands; and many outdoor performances are
scheduled throughout the summer months.
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Where to Eat
 Downtown
has the best selection of restaurants in the city. From French,
German, Indian, Asian, Irish, Italian, vegetarian to Caribbean,
Charleston-style southern, tapas and Mediterranean…Downtown
has it covered with more than 25 eating establishments. There’s
Boudreaux Cajun Café, Café on the Square, Early
Girl Eatery, Flying Frog, Gold Hill Espresso & Fine Teas,
The Grape Escape, The Grove Arcade Corner Market, Kamm’s
Custard Shop, La Caterina, Laughing Seed, The Market Place, The
Mediterranean Restaurant, Rosetta’s Kitchen, Salsa’s,
Tupelo Honey, Vincenzo’s, Zambras, and many, many more…and
they’re all within walking distance of each other. Many
are open for lunch and dinner with several offer brunch and late-night
dining.
Sports
What do you do downtown during the winter months? Go see Asheville’s
new National Basketball Development League (NBDL) team, the Asheville
Altitude. Come November, visitors can make a night of it Downtown
with dinner at a nearby restaurant, tickets to the game, then
a stop at a café or pub before heading home. Many weekend
games are scheduled for the 2003-2004 season.
Festivals
- Shindig on the Green: On Saturday nights, July through September,
take part in one of Asheville’s longest running outdoor
events, Shindig on the Green. Here you’ll enjoy mountain
dance and music all in the center of town at Asheville City
County Plaza.
- Mountain Sports Festival: This outdoor recreation festival
features competitions in paddling, mountain and road biking,
running, rock climbing, disc golf, triathlon, adventure racing
and more. Other entertainment includes live music, food, retail
vendors and demonstrations in outdoor adventure sports. The
2003 event takes place June 6-June 8 at City County Plaza in
Downtown Asheville.
-
 Bele
Chere: The Southeast’s largest free outdoor festival,
Bele Chere is held annually during the last weekend in July
and features arts and crafts, food vendors and live music. Past
headlining musical acts include Dr. John and Koko Taylor. This
year marks the festival’s silver (25-year) anniversary.
- Downtown After Five: Free live concerts held the the third Friday of every month
from May through September; music, food, drink, dancing in the streets, socializing and makinf new friends; non-alcoholic play area for kids. For details and photos, see Events.
- Goombay: A celebration of African and Caribbean culture is
held each year on Eagle and Market Streets in Downtown Asheville,
right in the heart of the city’s African-American community.
Dance, food and music are featured with top acts such as George
Clinton and the P Funk Allstars. The 2003 Goombay festival takes
place August 22-24.
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The Big Screen
- Movies filmed in Downtown Asheville include Hannibal and
My Fellow Americans.
- Hollywood stars seen Downtown Asheville: local Andie MacDowell,
Robert Redford, Sandra Bullock, Aidan Quinn, Ben Affleck, Robin
Williams, Willam Defoe, Kyle MacLachlan and Sir Anthony Hopkins
- Fine Arts Theatre: If you are looking for independent films
and artsy documentaries, then stop at the Fine Arts Theatre
in Downtown Asheville. This elegant theater has two screens
and is a perfect date spot with its proximity to dining, desserts
and coffee.
Parking
- Among Downtown Asheville’s many features is the fact
that visitors can park and walk to all the shops, restaurants,
galleries and performance spaces. From 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.,
three public parking garages offer free parking for the first
hour and only charge 50 cents per hour after that. (Many businesses
validate parking vouchers for additional free time.) After-hours
parking is only $1 per exit. In addition, on-street parking
spaces are available for 75 cents per hour 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Monday through Saturday, free after-hours, Sundays and holidays.
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