West Asheville
Integral to the Asheville Renaissance - which dates from approximately a decade ago to the present - is the
revitalization of West Asheville. Simply put: West Asheville quietly rocks.
West Asheville was once a town unto itself
and in many essential respects remains so - or, more accurately, has returned so - today. West Asheville has a
character distinct from that of Asheville as a whole, somewhat akin to that of Lower Lexington, but with homes,
and a sense of its roots as a generally working-class little burg, where somehow three barbershops within two blocks
can stay in business from generation to generation, and remain so to date.
To capture a sense of today's West Asheville, look first to the Bledsoe Building, the cornerstone of Haywood Road's
commercial vitality. Within this one-block (the 700 block) building, you'll encounter: Orbit DVD Rental (an excellent,
eclectic, Indy-rich selection), Beauty Parade ("West Asheville's Full Service Salon," www.beautyparadesalon.com),
In Your Ear Music Emporium (what Orbit is to cinema, these guys are to music), Diggin' Art (if you're not looking
for it, there, quite pleasantly, it is), Haywood Road Market ("West Asheville's Community Owned Market")
and Westville Pub.
A few words on Westville Pub: This place is a genuine neighborhood bar, doin it old school. It's okay to walk in
here not knowing anyone. You may well walk away knowing several folks. But if you'd rather not, that's cool: just
sit and read the Mountain Xpress. There's live music about six nights a week, including open mike on Monday's.
And - not so typical of your genuine neighborhood bar - the food here's first rate, thanks largely to Chef Oso,
whose culinary architecture and long-term kitchen stewardship set a formidable standard (he's now pursuing other
ventures, but is still around part time). As of this writing, the third Sunday of each month is African cuisine
night, and that's a real treat - but you may want to call ahead to see if it's still scheduled as such: (828) 225-9782.
Free movies under the stars? Sponsored by the Bledsoe Bldg. proprietors, the Walk-in Theatre series, held Friday
nights through the warm-weather months behind the Bledsoe, typifies the efforts extended in West Asheville to create
and maintain a true sense of community - to bring folks together in a clean, not-so-well-lighted place.
Just across the parking lot is West End Bakery: a variety of excellent baked goods, a good cup of coffee, the New
York Times, a generally swell place to hang out, meet and greet. There is also
the alternative cafe-bookstore Outspoken which has live music,
poetry readings, wireless internet, food and kick-ass coffee. If
two coffee shops are not enough there is also Bean Werks Coffee
and Teahouse. In fact there are probably as many coffee shops per-capita
in Asheville than there are in Seattle. (For those who know Seattle
imagine a smaller, sea-less version with a lot less rain, and snow
in the winter. )
Across from the Bledsoe and a half-block west is La Empanada, purveyor of those tasty little Colombian meat or
vegetable turnovers, and, at a buck and a nickel per, certainly the least-expensive filling lunch or dinner in
the vicinity.
In the other direction, heading east down Haywood, are two humble eating establishments you should give a try.
Burgermeister's is at 697 Haywood Rd. They serve some very fine beef burgers there at Burgermeister's - beer burgers,
they call them - and a spicy ground-turkey burger that's every bit as nice. Burgermeister's is also one of the
few places in West Asheville with multiple TV screens for relaxed, easily accessible game watching. At 630 Haywood
Rd. is the Lucky Otter for excellent burritos (traditional or not-so, your call), interesting daily specials, cold
beer - lots of good stuff at a very reasonable price, and in a West Ashevillesque laidback atmosphere.
Ya'll come.