1. West Asheville – Nowadays, the westside of town is the place to be. This part of the City has taken the funkiness, sketchy, hipster hippie vibe; and has definitely run with it. If you are looking to serial shop or stop by the Drum Circle, you may want to go downtown, but everything else you need is right here. Food and wine at Leo’s is a must try. Then you have other great eateries such as BimBeriBon, Itto Ramen, The Admiral, Biscuit Head, Gan Shan, Nine Mile, Tacos Jalisco, Standard Pizza, and Jargon; just to name a few. Need a craft brew? Check out One World Brewing, Archetype Brewing, and UpCountry Brewing. Also make a stop at Whale and try their great selection of craft brews! Dessert anyone? The Hop Ice Cream Shop on Haywood Road is so delish, and then you have HOLE Doughnuts, 10th Muse Coffee, West End Bakery, & Whirly Bird. The westside even has their own homegrown supermarket called West Village Market, with such a good selection of groceries! There are food trucks featured just about every night at the Brew Pump gas station, plus they have an outdoor seating area and several great brews on tap. Want to get married in funky West Asheville? Make your wedding reservation at Fleetwood’s Chapel. But don’t stop there! Want a tattoo, some CBD, a haircut, or some great spots to take the kids? West Asheville has it all! See a 3 Videos Series of this amazing part of town: Part 1, also Part 2, and Part 3. Kids love the westside too – let Gigi take you on a tour!

2. River Arts District – This is the hottest spot in the area for artists and creators. In addition to all of the artsy folks that are represented here, the street art shines bright on this side of town. You can park right across the street from Grind Coffee and walk to some amazing eats at Vivian, Fresh Wood Fired Pizza, and Bull & Beggar. Want beer? The Wedge Brewery is a great spot right near the train tracks to hang out, and they also feature many food trucks in their lot. Glass blowing in the RAD has also gotten a lot of attention lately, but there are Artists all over the place around here. See Pink Dog Studios which features about 25 Artists from the community. Also see the River Arts District Artists for lots of art info.

3. The South Slope – This area is right down the street from the center of Downtown Asheville, and if anywhere represents Beer City USA, this is it! This has become bachelor and bachelorette party central due to the fact that you can walk around to over a dozen breweries, with delicious eateries sprinkled in-between. Make sure you check out Burial Brewing, Bhramari Brewing, and Green Man Brewing / Dirty Jack’s at the least. Also see Asheville Brewing, Catawba Brewing, Twin Leaf Brewery, Hi-Wire, and the Wicked Weed Funkatoriam which specializes in sour beer. The South Slope also has a distillery that is not to be missed. You can stop by Chemist Spirits for some Gin samples. Buxton Hall is also on the South Slope and they have the “Best Chicken Sandwich” in the US of A, at least according to Bon Appetit! Their barbecue, sides, and desserts are pretty bomb as well. If they have a swine on the smoker, you can also ask them to lift the lid for you to take a picture. Other great places to eat on the South Slope include PieZaa (giant slices of pizza), Ben’s Tune Up (+ Sake), Iconic Kitchen, and Asheville Pizza (+ brewery).

4. Downtown Asheville – We can tease you with a few of the things that you can do around here, but the half cannot even be told. From food, to shopping, tattoos, art, and so much more; Downtown is the place to be. So what do you do when you are in the middle of Asheville? The first thing you need to do is park your vehicle. There is a lot of traffic downtown and so many pedestrians jay-walking, that this is the safest thing to do for everyone, including you. Secondly, walking around downtown is fun. You’ll come in contact with Artists, Street Musicians, Vendors; and if you are there on a Friday night, you can visit the famous Drum Circle. Make sure you bring a handful of dollar bills so you can support these street artists! Thinking about an exquisite meal? Try Curate, Limones, The Market Place, Modesto, and The Blackbird. Want something great to eat, but not too formal? Go to Red Ginger Dim Sum, Chai Pani, Jerusalem Garden, The Noodle Shop, Strada Italian, Tupelo Honey Cafe, and Salsa’s. For quick bites that are so delicious, stop by Aloha Cafe, El Gallo, Manicomio Pizza, Baba Nahm, and Nani’s Rotisserie Chicken. Now if you want to shop, the best place to start is on Lexington Avenue at some funky Asheville-vibed shops such as Hip Replacements, Honeypot Vintage, Boutique LP, Virtue, and Minx. After shopping at these stores, you will be revved up and ready to shop at all of the other wonderful places downtown. Looking for beer? Asheville has a bunch of breweries in the downtown area including One World Brewing which is right down the alley behind Farm Burger. See DSSOLVR, which is a great brew stop downtown. And of course there is Wicked Weed Brewing, which is next to the Orange Peel (Asheville’s Premier Music Venue also featured by Rolling Stone), and alongside other great foodie spots like H&F Burger (Holeman & Finch) and Mamacita’s. There are also a couple of spots where you can try a grand variety of brews, and they are Barley’s Taproom and Mellow Mushroom, and both feature some great pizza and so many beer taps from far & near. Need books, coffee, wine, and dessert? The Battery Park Book Exchange has it all, and it is such a beautiful place right inside of Asheville’s Grove Arcade.

5. The Foundation – Another part of Asheville that sits between the original River Arts District and the westside is this little oasis at the French Broad River and the train tracks, and they feature many Artists, great food, craft beer, and even an indoor and outdoor skatepark. The new greenway along the river passes right by this area, so if you love to ride a bike, this spot is the perfect stop. Asheville’s Wedge Brewery has a location in here for beer, as well as 12 Bones Barbecue and Rosabee’s for some great eats. There are also food trucks rotating regularly behind the Wedge. The Riverview Station at the entry is home to the works of over 60 Artists, and Foundation Studios has about 20 more. If you love street art & graffiti, this is the place to take art photos of the many underground Artists that Asheville hosts. Some of the artists even have their Instagram handles painted along with their art, so you can tag them as well. Pleb Urban Winery, Asheville’s craft winery, is nearby as well.

6. Brevard NC – We love taking credit for this in Asheville, but the Land of Waterfalls is actually in Brevard North Carolina, which is about 35 miles southwest of us. But close enough if you are looking to explore the great outdoors – hiking, biking, and swimming under a waterfall. We love traveling over to Hooker Falls, Looking Glass Falls, and Triple Falls for a fun day in the sun. Hiking? See All Trails for dozens of hikes, from easy to experienced. Also, see these 7 Biking Loops that begin in Brevard NC. In addition to that, this areas has lots of great breweries and eats that you need to check out including Oskar Blues, Brevard Brewing, and Ecusta Brewing. Brevard NC has lots of great food too, including places like The Square Root, Quixote Fine Cuisine, Marco Trattoria, Falls Landing, and Vescovo. See this video of Hooker Falls where people were getting behind the waterfall!

7. Black Mountain NC – Since this is right down the road from beautiful Montreat, you can get the best of both worlds – the great outdoors and the great downtown. Park somewhere, get outside, and walk around this cute little town! Cousin’s Cuban Cafe, La Guinguette, Open Oven Brunch & Bakery, Trail Head, My Father’s Pizza, Sake Sushi, Blue Ridge Biscuit Company, and Black Mountain Kitchen are all delicious eats that you should try. For fine dining, check out Que Sera which is also home to Tayloe’s Oyster Bar. Dessert anyone? Asheville’s Hop Ice Cream expanded here not too long ago, and Hey Hey Cupcake is sweet tooth heaven. And… if you can get your hands on a donut from Black Mountain Doughnut Company, you have made quite the accomplishment. They sell out quickly every day because they have some of the best donuts that you will have ever experienced. Black Mountain also hosts several breweries including Black Mountain Brewing, Lookout Brewing, and Pisgah Brewing which is a favorite to many. You must stop by Town Hardware and General Store and see all of the amazing things this shop has. It takes you back in time, in a great way. From toys, to fishing supplies, to housewares, to tools – it’s just an all around wonderful shop.

8. Hendersonville NC – Otherwise known as “Apple Country” and home to the NC Apple Festival, but this City has plenty to offer besides apples. Not only are folks relocating from the Asheville area to Henderson County for more space, but they are taking some of that vibe with them. Years ago this was themed the place to retire, and it still is to some extent; but it has become a hip hot spot and a lot more fun nowadays. Hendersonville is wine country, featuring wineries such as Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards, Burntshirt Vineyards, Sawyer Springs Vineyard, Marked Tree Vineyard, Stone Ashe Vineyards, and Point Lookout Vineyards. Are you visiting for beer? See Oklawaha Brewing, Triskelion Brewing, Dry Falls Brewing, Guidon Brewing, and Burning Blush Brewery to start. Bold Rock Hard Cider is also worth a stop! It would be wise to make a visit to the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River, which has been nicknamed by many as “The Biltmore Estate of Beer” due to the enormous elegance of this place; but plan on getting stuck there, in a good way. In Hendersonville and getting hungry? Season’s at Highland Lake is delicious! Breakfast and Lunch at Dandelion and Fireside Restaurant & Pancake Inn, amazing sandwiches at Mountain Deli, Japanese cuisine at UMI, pizza at West First, and so much yum at both Never Blue and Arabella. You won’t go hungry in Hendersonville North Carolina. Main sure you take a walk down main street, which has won a National Main Street Accreditation, and check out all of the little shops in Hendersonville NC .

9. Waynesville NC – This town has become so vibrant these last few years. It’s just about 30 miles southwest of Asheville, right in-between the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains. If you are looking for art, Waynesville NC has it! You should definitely check out the works of Sun Sohovich Art Gallery to start. After that, you’ll need to see Twigs & Leaves Gallery, T. Pennington, Cedar Hill Studio, and of course… the Haywood County Arts Council. After being enamored with art, you will need a brew or two. Waynesville has a couple of great breweries including Boojum Brewing (which also has amazing food), and Frog Level Brewing. Other beer stops are the Blue Ridge Beer Hub and Mad Anthony’s Taproom. Getting hungry yet? Places like Birchwood Hall, Bogart’s, Sweet Onion, Kanini’s, Maggie’s Galley Seafood, Ian & Jo Jo’s Pizza, and The Buttered Biscuit are all great eats. Need BBQ? The Haywood Smokehouse has been deemed the best barbecue in Western North Carolina by many. Chasing waterfalls? Check out these waterfall trails near Wayneville NC.

10. Weaverville NC – This small town just north of Asheville is the smallest one on this list, which makes it ripe for up and coming growth. But there is nothing stopping you from checking it out right now. The Blue Ridge Parkway actually has an exit that takes you down into the Reems Creek Valley of Weaverville, and then it is about 5 minutes to get to the downtown area, which has tasty restaurants, breweries, and art. Hungry? Well-Bred Bakery has their flagship store in Weaverville and they have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts. The Glass Onion features global Italian cuisine and is a favorite of many. Blue Mountain Pizza not only has delicious pizza, but they are also the first brewery in Weaverville with brews that you can only get there, on tap. Stoney Knob Cafe is another hot spot, with new American / Greek cuisine that is hard to beat. I remember going there many years ago when it was just a little country diner in a trailer type building. Not anymore. Twisted Laurel, which you can also find in downtown Asheville, is also a great choice, with lots of space. There is also a walking park right behind it, where you can take a stroll through the woods and enjoy some nature. Looking for breweries? Two other craft breweries by the name of Eluvium Brewing and Zebulon Artisan Ales have also popped up in recent years. Looking for art? Magnum Pottery, Miya Gallery, and Artisans on Main are your stops. And then there is always Lake Louise, which is a great place to walk or jog around, have a picnic, and to let the kids play in the playground. Love Alpacas? There is the Last Penny Farm Alpaca that you can visit and meet some of them. The Reems Creek community in Weaverville also has a beautiful Golf Course that you must see!

As you can see, there is a BIG difference in visiting Asheville and visiting the Asheville area. So many of these wonderful spots in and around our City go unnoticed sometimes, but they are definitely worth a visit. Expand your horizons – make your next trip to the Asheville area full of experiences and even more memorable.

Article Credit: This blog post was written by G Social Media for Asheville Home Builders & Investors.