In Asheville, from NY Times 9/8/02

In Asheville
By Rick Mashburn

Asheville, N.C., is experiencing a boom not seen since the 1920's, when Thomas Edison and Henry Ford enjoyed good hotels set in some of the highest mountains on the East Coast. Part of this city of 68,000 people looks much as it did in that early heyday: downtown boasts more than 170 vintage buildings, including a stock of distinctive Art Deco and Gothic Revival structures.

This fall brings the long-delayed reopening of the 1929 Grove Arcade Public Market, which will house 42 apartments, 60,000 square feet of office space and, eventually, 52 businesses with an emphasis on local foods and handicrafts. Businesses are moving in gradually, and there should be 30 in place by the grand opening Nov. 2. When three new restaurants open nearby, diners will have some 50 downtown spots to choose from. Antiques shops and art galleries dominate several streets. Hip notes are provided by offbeat coffee houses, two microbreweries, popular nightclubs, an art-film house and a thriving bookstore.

Asheville seems increasingly to appeal to the young and energetic, people who go hiking, rock climbing or mountain biking in a nearby national forest, then come back for a smoked-trout burrito and a night of music. On the other hand, the Spa at Grove Park Inn and the Inn on Biltmore Estate have made the city more accommodating to those with an interest in being pampered.

Asheville's population has risen more than 25 percent in the past two decades. Longtime residents complain about traffic and rising prices, but the buzz about the city may continue to create attractions for visitors. City leaders have turned their attention to the riverfront, where artists and craftsmen are moving into old warehouses and an abandoned racetrack has been turned into the 33-acre French Broad River Park.

Events

No event draws more of a crowd than the annual turning of the leaves, which begins late this month at higher elevations and continues in the valleys through early November. The city's visitors bureau keeps tabs on the best places for leaf spotting and posts weekly reports with suggestions for drives at http://www.exploreasheville.com and (800) 921-9698.

Forest Festival Day takes place Oct. 5 at the Cradle of Forestry in America, site of the nation's first forestry school, open from 1898 to 1913. Present-day forestry students from four schools will compete at ax throwing, speed chopping, log rolling and tree climbing. Also scheduled are local string bands and demonstrations of homesteading skills. About 30 miles southwest of Asheville on Highway 276. Admission is $5; information: (828) 877-3130.

The Lake Eden Arts Festival, Oct. 18 to 20, brings world music and dancing to a boys' summer camp at Black Mountain, about 12 miles east of Asheville. The lineup includes groups from Senegal, Ireland and Australia. All-night drumming sessions are held around a bonfire. Tickets for the weekend, including camping, are $85 in advance, $100 after Sept. 18; one-day passes are $23 to $35, depending on time of purchase and day of attendance; discounts for youths from 10 to 17, free for children under 10. Information: (828) 686-8742 or http://www.theleaf.com .

Lake Eden was once the home of the experimental Black Mountain College, a gathering of such innovators as Buckminster Fuller and Merce Cunningham. There, in 1952, John Cage presented his Theater Piece No. 1, now considered the first multimedia happening. Its anniversary is celebrated Sept. 19 to 22 with Under the Influence, a series of performances, installations and workshops in Asheville and nearby. Tony Conrad, a pioneer of minimalist music, appears Sept. 20; Pauline Oliveros combines electronic music, improvisation and ritual on Sept. 21. Both concerts at 8 p.m., Lipinsky Auditorium, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Tickets are $12. Information: (828) 299-9306 or http://www.blackmountaincollege.org .

The beautifully restored Grove Arcade Public Market, 1 Page Avenue, (828) 252-7799, is worth a visit even apart from the 33 shops, stalls and restaurants that will be opening this fall. A grand opening will be held Nov. 2 with a circus, fireworks and local bluegrass music. Returned to its original use, this Gothic Revival fantasy is elaborately decorated with gargoyles, rams' heads and entwined hearts, both inside and out. Two six-foot-tall griffins stand guard over the north entrance.

Biltmore House, the 250-room estate of George Vanderbilt completed in 1895, was modeled after Loire Valley chateaus and is filled with European furnishings and art, including eight 16th-century Flemish tapestries. It is surrounded by 250 acres of gardens and grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, plus 8,000 acres of woodland, farmland and vineyards. Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to house, gardens and winery is $34. Information: (800) 543-2961; http://www.biltmore.com .

The new Explore Biltmore Estate program allows visitors to see its scenery and wildlife by bicycle, kayak, raft, horse, carriage or on foot. Two-hour guided trips on the gentle French Broad River are $25 (plus the regular admission fee of $34); horseback riding is $45 an hour. A regular ticket can be extended to a second day for $8. Call (888) 428-8260.

Asheville is easy to get out of. The billboard-free Blue Ridge Parkway skirts the eastern and southern edges of the city on its way from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 85 miles west of Asheville. Along the 469-mile scenic highway are trails, picnic areas, campgrounds and dozens of places to stop and gaze at the layers of blue ridges. Information: 298-0398; http://blueridgeparkway.org .

Another way to tour the countryside is to visit craftsmen who open their studios to the public. A good place to start is the Penland School of Crafts, about an hour north of town. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from noon on Sunday; 765-6211.

Where to Stay

Rates are based on double occupancy and do not include a 10.5 percent tax.

A downtown setting and unusually large rooms are the appeal of Haywood Park Hotel, 1 Battery Park Avenue, (800) 228-2522, fax (828) 253-0481, http://haywoodpark.com . Originally a department store, the hotel has 33 rooms and suites, most with a vaguely Deco feel. Rates: $175 to $190 with Continental breakfast delivered to the room.

Deep in a high forest 10 miles from downtown is the handsome Sourwood Inn, 810 Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, (828) 255-0690, fax (828) 255-0480; http://sourwoodinn.com The cedar and stone Arts and Crafts-style building seems much older than its four years. The 12 guest rooms are simply furnished, some with quilts, rag rugs and wicker furniture. Each room has its own balcony, fireplace and deep tub with a view. Rates: $140 to $170, including tax and full breakfast. Closed January and weekdays in February.

Budget: Recently renovated, the 149-room Best Western, 22 Woodfin Street, 253-1851, fax (828) 252-9205, is within walking distance of downtown attractions. Rooms are standard motel style. Rates: $79.95 to $109.95, with Continental breakfast.

Luxury: The Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Avenue, 252-2711, fax 253-7053, http://groveparkinn.com , has recently redone 344 of its 510 rooms and suites. They are now much more in keeping with the hotel's 1913 Arts and Crafts origins, yet have CD players and microwave ovens. The spa, with six pools and 24 treatment rooms, has become an attraction unto itself. The lobby's huge stone fireplaces and the long view from the veranda's rockers remain as appealing as ever. Rates: $209 to $429; suites start at $599.

The Inn on Biltmore Estate, 1 Antler Hill Road, (828) 225-1660, fax (828) 274-6396, http://biltmore.com, overlooks a valley, with Biltmore House rising through hills three miles away. The 213-room hotel, opened in 2001, is a starker, modernized interpretation of the mansion. Rooms are small but attractively furnished with tall carved beds and lush, richly colored fabrics. Rates: $149 to $369.

Where to Eat

Savoy Cucina Italiana, 641 Merrimon Avenue, (828) 253-1077, is Asheville's restaurant of the moment. It specializes in seafood with an Italian flair, like grilled mahi-mahi on a crisp Parmesan capellini cake, topped with calamari arrabiata. Despite being in a former gas station, Savoy is elegant, with Tuscan colors and touches of copper and wrought iron. A meal for two with wine is about $150. Lunch Tuesday through Friday; dinner daily.

Zambra, 85 West Walnut Street, (828) 232-1060, is a tapas bar offering creative Gypsy cuisine. The colorful, cavernous space has keyhole-shaped doorways and plush banquettes stacked with pillows. Among 18 tapas on a recent menu was an artichoke stuffed with pistachio and eggplant caviar. A meal for two with wine is about $85. Evenings only, Tuesday through Saturday.

Tupelo Honey, 12 College Street, (828) 255-4863, serves Southern food, often with an unusual twist. Collard greens are seasoned with toasted garlic and soy, and cornbread is dotted with candied ginger. The banana pudding, strictly traditional, sells out fast. The place resembles an old-fashioned tearoom, with ceiling fans and fluttering curtains. Dinner for two with wine is about $50. Breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday; dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Breakfast is served all day, and long into the night on weekends, when the place stays open till 3.

Freshness is the appeal of Early Girl Eatery, 8 Wall Street, (828) 259-9292, named for a tomato popular with gardeners. The long list of vegetables may include baked lima beans and squash casserole. Entrees like roast chicken with herb gravy are straightforward and flavorful. The uncluttered dining room is decorated with jars of home-canned vegetables and plants hanging in the windows. Dinner for two with wine is about $50. Breakfast and lunch weekdays; brunch Saturday and Sunday; dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Among the side-by-side restaurants on downtown's busiest block, the Noodle Shop, 3 Pack Square SW, (828) 250-9898, is a flavorful bargain. The bright white interior is rather sterile, but most diners prefer to sit outside on the sidewalk under an awning for people-watching. A bowl of spicy wonton soup contains fresh spinach leaves and chopped herbs. A meal for two, without drinks: about $20. Lunch and dinner daily.

Also see Asheville Magazine http://newfrontier.com/asheville

Rick Mashburn lives in Winston-Salem, N.C.