Mars Hill, NC, Asheville, and "The Guy Who Picks the Best Places to Live"

06/10/07

Asheville, and by their proximity, Mars Hill, NC and The Wolf Laurel Resort have been named to yet another "Best Places to Live" listing by Bert Sperling. The Asheville region comes in at number 8, with the following brief analysis:

Asheville is situated at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains, the highest part of the Appalachian Range. A low cost of living and affordable housing (median home price $202,100) offset the area's low measure of diversity and unremarkable economy. This mountain getaway was settled in the 1850's as a slow-paced health retreat, and it continues to be appealing to both families and retirees. Since the median age of Asheville residents is above the national average, retirees moving here will find themselves happily surrounded by their peers.

Sperling's website and resource list is apparently one of the heavyweights for this kind of endeavor. We appreciate the top ten designation, but the text is a little dull for a place that is "best of". C'mon Bert.

In a bit of irony, I find the criteria entered into his various algorithms to be more revealing and descriptive of why we like it here. The NY Times, in its coverage of the man, lists these as: (Registration required at the NY Times after some period of time.)

economy and jobs; cost of living; climate; education; health and health care; crime; transportation; leisure; arts and culture; and quality of life, which includes physical setting, downtown core, heritage and overall appearance.

Take some time to look around our blog and our website for some visuals and links that might give some depth to the Asheville/Madison County experience, or contact us for any further info.

Other Asheville Named to "Best Of Lists"
Asheville Chamber List of "Best Of Lists" (PDF File)
Links About Living Here: Black Bear Web Page

Thanks for stopping by,

Tom Ploski
Black Bear Realty, Inc
Anti-Spam Graphic: tom (at) blackbearre (dot) com.
828 689 2055

Filed Under: Tips for Buyers Wolf Laurel Items Asheville News