The north Carolina Mountains are a beautiful place and we have stayed many times in the western NC area and love it. However, this was our first trip to the downtown area of Asheville, and it was quite dreadful! We got so caught up in the safety of mountain life and beauty that we forgot to realize that Asheville is still a city and with it comes bad things just like any other major city. There were many steet people just hanging around and we witnessed street fights, and people screaming out of their cars at people. After leaving the downtown area, we got turned around in our vehicle in the wrong direction, and ended up in a very bad area of Asheville. A group of locals began screaming at us and approx. 6 people tried to approach our vehicle in a screaming and raising their fists, just because we were on their turf accidently. To say the least, the entire experience has dampened my feelings of Asheville and I do not believe we will be returning again. PLEASE do not go alone, or take children to the downtown area without the realization that it is still a city even though it is sugar coated with some beauty.

a visit to Asheville, N.C. is incomplete without visiting/eating at one of the outdoor eateries/rest. in this revitilizing downtown area. The atmosphere is laid back, I saw nothing resembling riff raff ( probably part of the revitlization process) I've ben told some 20 years ago the area was a cesspool, but you can tell that was then, this is now, visit it, it's worth it.

If you hate being around crowds then this is the place for you. This ain't no Miami. But I thought it was paradise because it was much more peaceful and controlled. There isn't that much to do in Pack Square as I thought because every shop / restaurant was an unknown. I guess you can say that I'm not THAT adventurous! But otherwise, it was quite calm. I didn't feel like I had to look over my shoulder all the time, like you should in downtown areas. Just go with the right people because you can easily get bored here.