A Kentucky native and Asheville resident since 2000, Melissa Reardon is a freelance writer and editor. She spent nearly 15 years serving as editor for WNC magazine, a position that allowed her the opportunity to gain a deep knowledge and appreciation for the history, culture, foodways, and natural treasures of Western North Carolina. She writes on all of these topics, and has published articles about the NC mountain region with Our State and TOWN magazine as well as WNC. Find her at melissareardon.com.
Family Fun and Great Under-the-radar Eats & Drinks It could be argued that the people of East Asheville—the neighborhoods of Haw Creek, Beverly Hills, Chunn’s Cove, Riceville and Oakley—have the best of both worlds. The area is residential but convenient to downtown (within a short five to 10 minute drive), and its family-friendly experiences and off-the-beaten-path
How to Experience West Asheville Like a Local Just beyond the liveliness of downtown, across the French Broad River, West Asheville presents a vitality all its own. Here, modern energy-efficient houses nestle up to colorfully painted bungalows from the Roaring Twenties era in a series of neighborhoods that spill westward. The two-and-a-half-mile-long Haywood Road that cuts through this
