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| By David Hanson | ||||||||||
| Albemarle Park, Asheville, North Carolina | ||||||||||
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| Residents cherish historic homes and a nurturing mood. | ||||||||||
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| Like Cheers, the famous TV bar, Albemarle Park is a place where everyone knows your name. A mile from downtown Asheville, Albemarle is equal parts refuge, extended family, and happy hour. Each of the storybook homes has a name, such as Dahlia, Fox Hall, and Chipmunk. Scott Riviere lives in a tidy Georgian cottage called Breezemont. "As soon as you move in, you’re affected by the community," he says. "The neighborhood wraps its arms around you."
A Tudoresque hotel, the Manor, overlooks the main street. In the 1980s, neighbors united to protect it from bulldozers. The solidarity continues today. Scott says, "I wake up every day thankful for living here." Community Profile Location: on a wooded mountainside just a mile from downtown Asheville Map it: Albemarle Park Number of homes: 50 What $300,000 will buy you: a 2,000-square-foot cottage in good shape—if you’re lucky. Homes rarely come up for sale. Closest latte: City Bakery, a short stroll down Hillside Walk For more info: ashevillechamber.org/relocation The Way They Live
Homes: Albemarle Park is a testament to thoughtful design. Narrow lanes meander through the sloping 42-acre property past adorable homes in a wide range of cottage styles, from rustic bungalow to shingle-clad Dutch Revival. Though styles vary, design consistency—in the building materials, cottage scale, and street signs—makes Albemarle Park feel unified. People: A slightly eccentric bunch, residents here relish their diversity and hold fast to old-fashioned neighborliness. You’ll find architects, designers, teachers, massage therapists, doctors, lawyers, and a former parrot breeder. Neighbors exchange house keys and operate a phone tree for announcements or emergencies. And for fun? They enjoy a fall chili supper, Earth Day cleanup and brunch, and Easter parade. Shops and Hangouts: The quarter-mile commercial strip along Charlotte Street has a bakery/ coffee/sandwich shop housed in a prewar filling station, pub, outdoor gear store, mom-and-pop video store specializing in foreign films, and Waechter’s Silk Shop (since 1929), where everyone behind the counter sews. Greenspace: At the neighborhood’s center is a bowl-shaped city park called The Circle, where Asheville-born author Thomas Wolfe once performed. During winter, families meet here to sled; in summer, neighbors hold a concert series. Cottage Twist: Three days a week locals embark on The Dog Walk, a laughter-filled, after-work ramble up the mountain and back again. As the group passes homes, people join in. It’s a great way for newcomers to meet folks. |
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| Copyright © 2008 Cottage Living | ||||||||||
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